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 | |
| Native name | กลุ่มเซ็นทรัล |
|---|---|
| Company type | Privately held |
| Industry |
|
| Founded | 1947; 78 years ago (1947) |
| Founder |
|
| Headquarters | Bangkok, Thailand |
| Areas served | |
| Key people | Tos Chirathivat (executive chairman and CEO) |
| Products | |
| Owner | Chirathivat family |
| Number of employees | 80,000 (2022) |
| Subsidiaries |
|
| Website | centralgroup |
| Footnotes / references | |
Central Group is a Thai multinational conglomerate founded by Tiang and Samrit Chirathivat in 1947, and still privately owned by the Chirathivat family as of 2025. It consists of subsidiaries in retail, property development, brand management, hospitality, and food and beverage sectors.
History
Founder Tiang emigrated from Hainan Island to Bangkok in 1925. He set up his first shop in the Thon Buri district on the outskirts of Bangkok across the Chao Phraya River from the city center. He moved across the Chao Phraya River to a location near the grand Oriental Hotel (now the Mandarin Oriental), where he opened a store with his eldest son, Samrit, in 1947. In 1956, the family opened Central Department Store, the biggest department store in Thailand at that time, in Wang Burapa district, Phra Nakhon, Bangkok. The company's property development arm, Central Pattana, was founded in 1980, and opened its first shopping centre, CentralPlaza Ladprao in Chatuchak District, Bangkok, in 1983. Besides expansion through physical presence in the Bangkok retail space, Central Group has in recent years built an online presence among ASEAN e-tailers and a strong presence of luxury department store collection in Europe.
Key business line
Commercial properties
Main article: Central Pattana| Name | Opening | Total Project GFA | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Central Ladprao | 1982 | 310,000 | Bangkok |
| Central Ramindra | 1993 | 86,000 | Bangkok |
| Central Pinklao | 1995 | 370,000 | Bangkok |
| Central Marina | 1995 | 70,000 | Pattaya |
| Central Chiangmai Airport | 1996 | 250,000 | Chiang Mai |
| Central Rama III | 1997 | 188,000 | Bangkok |
| Central Bangna | 2001 | 500,000 | Bangkok |
| Central Rama II | 2002 | 273,000 | Bangkok |
| CentralWorld | 2002 | 830,000 | Bangkok |
| Central Rattanathibet | 2003 | 140,000 | Nonthaburi |
| Central Chaengwattana | 2008 | 310,000 | Nonthaburi |
| Central Pattaya | 2009 | 210,000 | Pattaya |
| Central Udon | 2009 | 250,000 | Udon Thani |
| Central Chonburi | 2009 | 156,000 | Chonburi |
| Central Khonkaen | 2009 | 200,000 | Khon Kaen |
| Central Chiangrai | 2011 | 110,000 | Chiang Rai |
| Central Phitsanulok | 2011 | 100,000 | Phitsanulok |
| Central Rama IX | 2011 | 214,000 | Bangkok |
| Central Suratthani | 2012 | 130,000 | Surat Thani |
| Central Lampang | 2012 | 110,000 | Lampang |
| Central Ubon | 2013 | 186,284 | Ubon Ratchathani |
| Central Chiangmai | 2013 | 260,000 | Chiang Mai |
| Central Hatyai | 2013 | 295,000 | Songkhla |
| Central Samui | 2014 | 76,000 | Ko Samui |
| Central Embassy (Mixed-use development) | 2014 | 1,000,000+ | Bangkok |
| Central Salaya | 2014 | 185,500 | Nakhon Pathom |
| Central Rayong | 2015 | 155,000 | Rayong |
| Central WestGate | 2015 | 352,000 | Nonthaburi |
| Central EastVille | 2015 | 90,000 | Bangkok |
| Central Nakhon Si | 2016 | 125,000 | Nakhon Si Thammarat |
| Central Korat | 2017 | 233,000 | Nakhon Ratchasima |
| Central Mahachai | 2017 | 131,250 | Samut Sakhon |
| Central Phuket – Floresta | 2018 | 300,000 | Phuket |
| Central i-City | 2019 | 259,000 | Shah Alam, Malaysia |
| Central Village Luxury Outlet | 2019 | 80,000 | Samut Prakan |
| Central Si Racha | 2021 | 140,000 | Chonburi |
| Central Ayutthaya | 2021 | 160,000 | Ayutthaya |
| The Esplanade Ratchada | 2021 | 105,000 | Bangkok |
| Megacity Bangna | 2021 | 500,000 | Samut Prakan |
| Central Chanthaburi | 2022 | 92,000 | Chanthaburi |
| Marche Thonglor | 2023 | 62,000 | Bangkok |
| Central WestVille | 2023 | 93,000 | Nonthaburi |
| Central Nakhon Sawan | 2024 | 133,300 | Nakhon Sawan |
| Central Nakhon Pathom | 2024 | 126,000 | Nakhon Pathom |
| Central Krabi | 2025 | 46,500 | Krabi |
- Central i-City, despite managed by CPN, is the only mall that didn't feature Central Department Store or any Central Group retail stores.
Retail properties
| Country | Name | Year founded |
Year acquired |
Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Denmark | Illum | 1891 | 2013 | |
| Germany | Alsterhaus | 1912 | 2015 | |
| Kaufhaus des Westens | 1907 | 2015 | ||
| Oberpollinger | 1905 | 2015 | ||
| Italy | La Rinascente | 1865 | 2011 | |
| Ireland | Arnotts | 1843 | 2022 | Joint venture with Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund |
| Brown Thomas | 1848 | 1983 | Joint venture with Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund | |
| Netherlands | De Bijenkorf | 1870 | 2022 | Joint venture with Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund |
| Switzerland | Globus | 1907 | 2020 | |
| Thailand | Central Department Store | 1927 | — | Zen Department Store rebranded to Central in 2019; one location in Indonesia |
| Robinson Department Store | 1979 | 1995 | ||
| Vietman | Robins | 2014 | — | Rebranding of Robinsons Department Store |
| United Kingdom | Selfridges | 1908 | 2022 | Joint venture with Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund |
Hospitality
Central Group owns and manages visitor accommodation at all major Thai tourist destinations and around the world under own banners as well as international brands. Hotels cover every segment from luxury to economy. Central’s own brands comprise Centara Reserve, Centara Grand, Centara Boutique Collection, Centara, Centra by Centara and Cosi, while internationally-branded hotels include Park Hyatt Bangkok and Hilton Pattaya. In the Maldives, Centara Grand is opening its fourth location on February 1, 2025. In Japan, Central Group is a co-investor in StayFactory Hotel Group, whose brands include Hotel Hillarys, Hotel Relief, and Hotel Stork. In Switzerland, Central Group has also comprised Central Hotel Zurich company and Globus supermarket.
Central Group has also pioneered restaurant chains in Thailand, and operates well-known local, regional, and international food brands such as Mister Donut, KFC, Auntie Anne’s, Pepper Lunch, Chabuton, The Terrace, Yoshinoya, Ootoya, Tenya, Katsuya and Fezt.
Financial services & fintech
One of Central Group's aspirations towards the New Central New Economy strategy is to create convenience for both merchants and consumers with financial services and Fintech, with the ultimate goal of a cashless society in Thailand.
- Credit – The1 credit card, sales finance, personal loans
- Payment – gift cards, e-payments, e-wallets
- Insurance brokerage – motor, health, personal accident, property & casualty, group life
See also
- Big C
- Chirathivat family
- Robinson Department Store
- Tops Supermarket, grocery chain owned by Central
References
- "Achievements: Employees". Central Group. Retrieved 2022-02-11.
- Ono, Yukako (10 September 2017). "For Thailand's retail giant Central Group, it is no longer all in the family". Nikkei Asian Review. Retrieved 10 September 2017.
- "Central Marina | Central Pattana (CPN)". www.centralpattana.co.th. Retrieved 2023-11-08.
- "Central i-City". www.cpn.co.th. Retrieved 2018-10-22.
- "CENTRAL GROUP on Instagram: "[#CGUPDATE] เปลี่ยนคุณให้เป็นอีกคน เริ่มต้นความสนุกครั้งใหม่ กับ ZEN ที่เปลี่ยนชื่อเป็น CENTRAL @ centralwOrld แล้ววันนี้ #CENTRALGroup…"". Instagram. Archived from the original on 2021-12-24. Retrieved 2019-11-29.
- Image imggmi.com Archived 2019-01-11 at the Wayback Machine
- "Hospitality". www.centralgroup.com. Retrieved 19 November 2023.
- "Financial Services & FinTech". centralgroup.com. Retrieved 2023-08-03.
