The Billionaire

The Billionaire, also known as Top Secret: Wai Roon Pan Lan, is a Thai biographical film produced by Nadao Bangkok and released by GTH. It was directed by Songyos Sugmakanan, and stars Pachara Chirathivat, Somboonsuk Niyomsiri (aka Piak Poster) and Walanlak Kumsuwan. The Billionaire tells the story of Itthipat Kulapongvanich and how he, at the age of nineteen, dropped out from university to launch a packaged fried seaweed business that is now Taokaenoi Food & Marketing and became one of Thailand's youngest (baht) billionaires. The film was released on 20 October 2011 in Thailand, where it grossed 38,796,264 baht. Plot In 2002, Itthipat "Top" Kulapongvanich makes money from real money trading in an online game, resulting in his school grades dropping. The following year, he ignores his parents' university advice and attempts to start a business out of reselling Chinese-made DVD players; he ends up buying bad quality players using his university tuition. In an attempt to get money for college, Top secretly steals and sells his father's amulet and later skips school, telling his friend to record the classes so he doesn't miss out. Top visits a trade fair and visits a sweet chestnut stand, inspiring him to start a sweet chestnut business, hiring his uncle Tuan as a clerk. However, their stand at the mall receives no customers at all, and he negotiates with the mall to have his stand moved to a different location. Some time later, Top flees a complulsory exam when he learns that their stand has gained success, but finds out that the chestnut machine's smoke has stained the mall. He also finds out that his father's business is in heavy debt, and his parents plan to move to China where Top's siblings are working. Top decides to stay in Thailand, opting to continue his chestnut business. Top's situation gets worse - painting the stain disturbs other stands, the chestnut machine starts breaking, and his house is foreclosed on by a bank mortgage. During a date with his girlfriend Rin, he tries seasoned seaweed that she brought home and is inspired to try a seasoned seaweed business instead. After some difficulties of trying to find a way to successfully fry the seaweed, Top sells his computers to buy more seaweed. On a rainy night, he returns home to find Tuan collapsed and sends him to the hospital. However, this results in a discovery of a way to fry seaweed, as a piece of seaweed was moistened by the rain.