Bangkok Sirens: Nishita Shah, 28, Thailand’s Third Richest Woman, Single
You’re spot-on, she doesn’t really look Thai. Her family had migrated from India to Burma to Thailand. She got that Thai passport – and she is not only a hundredfold millionaire and the youngest person to make the Forbes list of the twenty richest Thais. Nishita Shah is a glamorous, single woman who is constantly seeking new business ventures.
But not just her money grants her a spot in our Bangkok Sirens compilation. Nishita is of not too unattractive looks and said to be “very relaxed.” What else could you wish for. And yes, she’s got a private pilot’s license for those special trips and likes yoga and surfing. And did I mention that she’s single at the quasi-tender age of 28? And worth some $375 million?
The Boston University grad is largest individual shareholder and director of Precious Shipping, Thailand’s biggest dry-bulk shipper boasting a fleet of 44 ships. Her father Kirit founded the group in 1989 and took it public 1993. The 140-year-old family business is booming. Profits more than doubled in past three years. And Nishita’s favorite color is hot pink.
Leading us to Nishita’s truer colors? The licensed pilot and youngest member on Forbes’ Thailand list also has a clothing company called Burn Baby making “luxury active wear” for “modern urbanite women.”
And Nishita is launching her own fashion label – Nsha – on three continents at the end of this year. The director in over 40 group companies bets her heart on her own luxury fashion label Nsha launched in selected boutiques across the world.
Not that the smoker and devotee of Sai Baba is a hardcore fashionista. Her usual uniform? Hip-hugging jeans and a clingy top. At the same time she continues to read coal, shipping and metal reports every morning and sits in on meetings on the 15 days of the month when her father is overseas.
A father who has collected stakes in all sorts of companies for his GP Group. The clan holds 95% of the Amari Atrium Hotel. Father Kirit last year made daughter Nishita a managing director of GP Group. As she who is ranked No. 19 on the Forbes list doesn’t only want to help managing her family business of Indian origin.
Nishita is the new public face of the GP Group, which today holds the family stakes in some 40 companies in 20-plus countries.
Nishita was born to be a business woman. To follow her father’s steps, the “Indian Thai” had graduated from Boston University with a degree in business and finance. “My dad said I could study anything I wanted,” she once said, “as long as it was business.”
Business is what the Shahs do best. And nobody of the clan is publicity-eager. Try finding good photos of Nishita. Or judging from the rather rudimentary company websites, would you expect some of the richest people of Thailand behind it?
We like this non-chichi attitude of not showing off. As it all comes down to what they always did. Business. All sorts of.
Even fun and creativity turn out to be easy business for Nishita. Study Flying? An own fashion brand? Yoga? Surfing?
Ships, planes, fashion and fun. What else you want? And yep. Forbes magazine lists her as one of the next generation billionaires. Along with Tiger Woods. Any other wish?
An outstandingly rich woman, as Indian as Thai, who kept her true basic humanity. And instincts for that.
She does, she says, think about charity. After the tsunami of 2004 she helped the fishing village Baan Talay Nok “promising to help it recover and to cover the educational costs through university for children who lost one or both parents, roughly 20 in all”, according to Forbes.
And together with her mom Anju she’s a patron and fundraiser for the Queen Sirikit Center for Breast Cancer. Says Forbes she donated the center $160,000 for education, research and construction costs.
Inspired by even richer likes such as Warren Buffet and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation? “I hope to be able to leave a considerable portion of my wealth to the GP Foundation,” she once said.
One day. One faraway day. For now, in a bid to add a glamor quotient to her varied business interest, it’s all about Nsha – and at least one Indian meal a day.
Or maybe I’m just a cynic and it’s too easy to be the daughter of her father?
Our Bangkok Sirens rating? 6/10
Did you write this Dan?
“Nishita was born to be a business woman. To follow her father’s steps, she had graduated from Boston University with a degree in business and finance.” – “My dad said I could study anything I wanted,” she once said, “as long as it was business.”
Think again: The role her dad imagines for her is “to be a good shareholder” (citation from Forbes).
A business degree from BU isn’t even worth the paper printed on. It is the ultimate rich daddies favorite university who don’t have the skills get into Harvard. I know that pretty well, having lived and studied in the area.
You really believe she reads business reports with passion every day? Come one … She hangs out in the luxury hotels like the Four Seasons, Hyatt and probably spends most of her time crunching her mind how to look more attractive or managing the schedules for partying/meeting up with her friends.
I would be very very surprised if her label “Nsha” is becoming a success.
If you look for a sexy Thai girl, a successfull entrepreneur who started at 0, then check out Benjaporn Karoonkornsakul from Absolute Yoga Bangkok. She got real skills … and looks Thai …
Regards,
cspielberger
WE LOVE NISHITA, WE SUPPORT YOU NISHITA GOD BLESS YOU
Thanks for Khun Benjaporn Karoonkornsakul cspielberger, she will be mentioned here very soon and deservedly so.
Well, there are quite some power women in Bangkok and Thailand for that, but I thought Nishita is nevertheless worth a serious mention. Especially as an assimilated Thai.
Chapeau I’d say! Even though she’s mainly the daughter of the father.
I wouldn’t mind some hanging out in the luxury world of the Four Seasons and such.
But you’re certainly right there is merit by blood as opposed to merit by one’s own endeavors.
You may rightly esteem the latter more highly.
BangkokDan
Congratulation Nishita we’re proud of u as an Indian!
We congratulate you for your success in business. I also want to do a lot of hard work in the right direction but am not getting the right opportunities. If you have something where no one is willing to work, please let me know – but it has to offer lots of money.
I would like to apologize to Dan for attacking him personally so strongly with my comment. The article just got me mad and Nishita was not the best person to write such a positive structured article about. In general I agree that writing positive articles is a better way to go than criticizing everything and finding the “hair in the soup.” In this case however it was in my eyes just a bad selection for doing so …
Anyway I just clarified this issue with Dan via email and honor that we didn’t end up in fights afterwards.
cspielberger
No worries cspielberger, appreciate your candor.
Certain sarcasm and cynicism are not always immediately understood in these tropical latitudes.
But am still on the lookout for a true local Paris Hilton!
BangkokDan
Ms. Nishita Shah,
We are working for the education of poor people in the rural areas of India, who are not able to sustain the expenses on education. We understand that your goodself is providing charity grants to such organisation. Kindly donote us for the above charity for the aforesaid beneficiaries.
Thanks and kind regards
Anil, India
swahsindia@hotmail.com
Hi Nishi (called u Nishi, looks n frenly)
u know wat donation is not so important as to see the same money should spend on the same noble work. I would love to work for teenage gals who really want to study further n give fame to India, n not only in the studies, can say in any field, take it as a sports. Our youngesters should be given such training so that we can also stand not on 1st at least 3rd or 4th position to achieve maximum medals in olympics. Somebody should work for gals for their security. Nowadays, in India no mother is assured for their daughters’ security, even a a primary school gal.
Dear Nishita
I am proud of you for such a remarkable achievement and recognition in a very early age. This really inspire the whole Indian women community across the globe. Hats off to you. Well, we understand about your wish to start an hospitality business in India. This is really a good proposal because beside bussiness you are serving for the mankind. In India, by doing this definitely, you are contributing outstandingly in building the image of our beloved nation. I speak in one line. Success is a matter of attitude just be passionate what you think. My son is a highly qualified and very ambitious to do it differently. Perhaps he may join you to strengthen your goal of life.
I know Nishita personally and I think that her clothing label : Nsha is completely a laugh … really do u think that a bimbo like her can get anyway in the fashion industry … maybe by just buying it … she cannot even design … someone else does it for her. And she is so so fat! Please write about real people who deserve some recognition and not stupid spoiled rich fat bimbos.
TO ALL YOU HATER’S LEK – cspielberger (MORON) YOU MUST BE FILLED WITH JEALOUSY (…)(censored, mind your tongue)
I have sent you sent a mail before and I as I am inspired by your success and since Bhutan is a close neighbor of India and I am proud of your success. We can collaborate and make investments in Bhutan in hotel and tourism, housing etc. and I invite you to Bhutan and see the prospects for yourself.
I am a politician
Ngeema Sangay Tshempo
This is becoming totally surreal …
Now you receive comments and business proposals from … Bhutan ??? !!!
Oh by the way, I’ve got an important news:
The Monthy Python have created their own YouTube channel.
And it starts well: “For 3 years, you YouTubers have been ripping us off, taking tens of thousands of our videos …”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OGqX-tkDXEk
DARLING,
MOST AMIABLE, AFTER A LONG CONSIDERATION, I HAD A GREAT INCLINATION TO BECOME YOUR RELATION.
IN DEMONSTRATION OF MY ANTICIPATION, I AM MAKING PREPARATION TO CHANGE MY ACCOMMODATION AND REMOVE MY HABITATION TO A NEARER SITUATION IN ORDER TO PAY YOU ADORATION.
IF THIS MY ESTIMATION MEETS YOUR APPROBATION, IT WILL GIVE DISPOSITION TO A MATRIMONIAL AFFILIATION WITHOUT DISSIMULATION FROM GENERATION TO GENERATION.
FORGET ME NEVER.
KINDEST AND WARMEST REGARDS.
AUGUSTINE CHINEDUM NJIBE
Just because somebody goes to Harvard doesn’t make them a Superior Human Being. Should Nishita apologize because she has followed in her father’s footsteps? How ridiculous! BU is certainly better than any university in Thailand. It’s not the university you go to, but what you do with your education that counts. There are many rich Thai girls who never do anything for those less fortunate.
JEALOUSY, not $$$$$ “IS” the root of all evil and unhappiness. Worry about yourselves not Nishita. The PARIS HILTON of Thailand, Lord Buddha help us all.
Now there is a useless, “Media Slut” worth bashing, if ever there was one. I wonder if Paris even graduated from high school.
Paris is too stupid to be a BIMBO. She gives airheads everywhere a bad name. Yes, I know that you’re sarcastic.
I am not proud of Nishita for being a woman, or being Indian. I am Proud of her, just for being Nishita.
Ok, bring on the haters!
Later, KR
Nishita, if you really knew her she is just an insecure crap tha most probably bought her degree. Yes she speaks well but with no substance and is fat. She is just her mother’s, Anju Shah made up character to fulfill whatever she could not get. This family made their money in amny unscruplous ways and trusts me, they do not even care about their own fellow Indians, ley alone about others. All the charity crap that they do is for publicity and tax-write-offs. You really think that she cares … she only cares about getting laid by a cute guy (that too she has to buy him indirectly!). Look out for a blog on Nishita that we are creating … her fashion label is the joke of the year … lol!
ATTENTION THAIHISO
AS REGARDS NISHITA SHAH, I AM FIRED WITH INDIGNATION AT YOUR FALSE ADOLATION AND DECEITFUL LOUDATION. I AM MAKING NO HESITATION IN TELLING YOU MY EXTREME DETESTATION OF THIS CONJUGAL SITUATION.
AUGUSTINE CHINEDUM NJIBE
Cspielberger…are you assured that Benjaporn Karoonkornsakul started at 0? Please check your sources and her background…
She did not grow up as a “konchai” but had many to serve her, but did not attend an east coast university. As Forbes says, many of Thailand’s richest are just a re-shuffling of family fortunes!!
Santa Clara University does not quite compare with Boston University, either.
Dear Nishita
I am proud of you for such a remarkable achievement and recognition in a very early age. This really inspire the whole Indian women community across the globe. Hats off to you. Well, we understand about your wish to start an hospitality business in India. This is really a good proposal because beside bussiness you are serving for the mankind. If you have decided to start hospitality business in India, you can contact me, perhaps I can guide you for the better investment as well as doing this great job by providing opportunity to the people of your own country people. Please look into this and go ahead.
Keep up the good work in business. I hope we can meet some day.
Nishita:
I am really suprised to read various comments people wrote about you. I am sure as intellegent as you are you know what to expect. I guess we need to understand that there are all kinds of people and they are going to write for whatever reasons they may have. You just need to ignore it. I believe, you are smart and i am sure you will succeed in whatever business adventure you may enter in because you have the background from your parents. I wish you all the Best and success in your fashion label, ‘NSHA”.Keep doing what you are doing!
MRP
So what’s new with Nsha the label that this bimbo did. Heard it’s a failure more like pink sweatshirts for Indian fatties! Heard she broke up with her farang boyfriend and was high on drugs or something and making a fool of herself at events. It’s only her mum, Anju, who is promoting her. This bimbo did not make one baht of her Burmese dad’s money but simply had it under her for tax purposes.
So what’s new with that Fat Slob and her fashion label. It’s been almost a year now … nothing????? She has never done anything for the Indians and yet some stupid Indian magazines put her on the cover. You can see ads from Jet etc. inside it … from her mum. Her mother must have paid for it as in the case of Thailand Tatler, where her mum pays Napahali or Alisa to write something about them from time to time.
Hello cspielberger
I hesitated whether to write or not a response to your comments.
Frankly I do not like Internet forums, where anyone can speak ill of another without knowing it and discredit it, but your sentences without foundation are really Inappropriated.
Your comments make me seem very successful, and I recommend you open your mind and think before writing.
Nishita is one of the persons with better heart that I have known, has a brilliant mind and a great training (she has a degree in BU, is a pilot, speaks many languages, etc).
I can assure you that she is a great worker, read business reports, and she is able to make decisions, manage risks and take on challenges, something that today not all executives are able to do.
I have seen his working capacity and analysis capabilities. I can assure you that Nishita is a great executive and it shows every day.
NSHA is not a daddy’s girl project, NSHA is the challenge of a business woman who wants to succeed in the fashion world, ok it´s her dream, but is also a serious and solid business project, with a great manager forward.
Please think before writing.
A greeting from Spain
She can’t even smile properly for a photographer
Why do people write comments directly to this person here? “You are so beautiful, smart.” I see this on places like Flickr all the time: people write comments directed at the person in photograph, like it is the person herself there at the other hand reading or doing anything. In this case people write to her like she would be reading this, or wrote this article. Are people just this stupid or what is behind this?
(BD: In this very thread I actually had to delete a few overly enthusiastic love letters promising Nishita everything and giving details such as phone numbers and addresses …)
Hi
Nishita i found your name in the Forbes list that will make us proude to see that one of our Shah family girls has achieved the great symbol.
Dear Nishita
I am proud of you for such a remarkable achievement and recognition in a very early age. This really inspire the whole Indian women community across the globe. Hats off to you. Well, we understand about your wish to start an hospitality business in India. This is really a good proposal because beside bussiness you are serving for the mankind. If you have decided to start hospitality business in India, you can contact me, perhaps I can guide you for the better investment as well as doing this great job by providing opportunity to the people of your own country people. Please look into this and go ahead.