{"id":18475,"date":"2025-08-08T09:02:29","date_gmt":"2025-08-08T09:02:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.koktailmagazine.com\/?p=18475"},"modified":"2025-08-08T09:02:31","modified_gmt":"2025-08-08T09:02:31","slug":"friday-future-listers-highlighting-thailands-trailblazers-who-are-shaping-the-future-of-their-industries-and-communities","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.koktailmagazine.com\/th\/2025\/08\/08\/friday-future-listers-highlighting-thailands-trailblazers-who-are-shaping-the-future-of-their-industries-and-communities\/","title":{"rendered":"Friday Future Listers: Highlighting Thailand\u2019s Trailblazers Who Are Shaping the Future of Their Industries and Communities"},"content":{"rendered":"

Explore the stories of Thailand\u2019s game-changers\u2013space pioneers, financial leaders, creative minds, and culinary innovators shaping tomorrow.<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Whether breaking new ground as the first in their field or reshaping entire industries, these leaders are steering change across Thailand. From venturing into space and revolutionising finance to nurturing creative hubs and elevating culinary arts, their influence is crafting the future. Driven by passion and purpose, they challenge conventions and open doors for the next generation, demonstrating that innovation takes many forms and transforms lives across sectors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today\u2019s four Friday Future Listers invite us into their work and stories\u2014each one shaping the future of Thailand in their own ways.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr Pirada \u201cMink\u201d Techavijit: Thailand\u2019s First Space Traveller and Aerospace Trailblazer<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n
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Courtesy of Mink Pirada Techavijit
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As she reaches for the stars, Dr Pirada \u2018Mink\u2019 Techavijit stands out as one of Thailand\u2019s foremost women in aerospace. Starting her career as a satellite engineer with Thailand\u2019s space agency GISTDA, she worked on the country\u2019s first earth observation satellite, THEOS.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Her adventure took a leap when she was selected as one of just 23 participants worldwide\u2013and only four of them women\u2013to join the AXE Apollo Space Academy. After completing intensive astronaut training in Orlando, including enduring the G-centrifuge and conquering the Astronaut Assault Course. Dr Mink was named Thailand\u2019s first future space traveller. She is set to make history as the first Thai citizen headed to space aboard the LYNX Mark II spaceplane in 2014. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Courtesy of Mink Pirada Techavijit<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Courtesy of Mink Pirada Techavijit<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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Passionate about inspiring the next generation, she co-founded STEMLab, a hands-on makerspace\u2013an engaging, tool-filled learning space that fosters creativity, innovation, and practical STEM skills, bringing science and engineering into Thai classrooms. Currently serving as an Innovation Developer at GISTDA, Dr Mink is helping build Thailand\u2019s future in space\u2013one student, one satellite, and one idea at a time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ashwani Ahuja: Turning Ambitious Ideas into Real-World Financial Success<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n
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Courtesy of Ashwani Ahuja<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

With over three decades of experience in global investment banking, Ashwani Ahuja currently leads the Investment Banking Division at Trinity Securities Group as Chief Executive Officer. Ashwani brings a forward-thinking vision and understanding of financial markets across emerging economies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At Trinity, he spearheads origination and execution teams that structure complex financial solutions from private equity and M&A to project financing and strategic capital funding. His team\u2019s global footprint spans Asia, Latin America, and Europe, with expertise in sectors including healthcare, consumer goods, real estate, fintech, and telecom. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ashwani\u2019s impressive track record includes hands-on leadership in cross-border transactions, IPOs, and private equity investments. Notably, he has invested in 25 companies, 17 of which have gone public globally. His success is underpinned by strong relationships with equity and debt capital market investors and an ability to align financial innovation with long-term value creation. Blending insight with humility, Ashwani leads with purpose, turning ideas into lasting impact, while staying grounded and generous with his knowledge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Onza Janyaprasert: Building Thailand\u2019s Innovation Corridor Through Creativity and Purpose<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n
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Courtesy of Onza Janyaprasert<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

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\u201cI believe Thailand has strong but fragmented creative talents, so I dream of building a hub with a strong ecosystem that will empower these talents.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Onza \u201cMoom\u201d Janyaprasert is the Senior Vice President at Magnolia Quality Development Corporation (MQDC), where he is leading the transformation of South Sukhumvit, specifically the Onnut to Bang Na corridor, into an innovation district. His flagship development, Cloud 11, is set to become Asia\u2019s largest hub for content creators, spanning over 254,000 sqm, and aims to empower Southeast Asia\u2019s growing creator economy. Another major project under his leadership is Project O, a joint-venture redevelopment of Lotus Sukhumvit 50.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cI hope that the South Sukhumvit neighbourhood will be a cluster for creative talents and innovators for Thailand. I envision Cloud 11 to be a key driver in helping our nation unleash its soft power and bring our culture to the international stage.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

A recipient of the King\u2019s Scholarship from the Royal Thai Government, Onza holds a Master\u2019s in Management Science and a Bachelor\u2019s in Civil and Environmental Engineering from Stanford University. Despite his young age, he has already overseen two large-scale real estate developments, each exceeding 1 billion USD in value.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Courtesy of Onza Janyaprasert<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

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Onza sees real estate as a platform for social impact. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he led the creation of a 450-bed field hospital in collaboration with Prince Hospital and MQDC. He also contributes to the Chaipattana Foundation as a land bank management committee member.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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