It was late evening and Vikrom Kromadit was shaking with rage as he drove out of Kanchanaburi province. Within reach, hidden from view, was the loaded gun he had planned to use to kill his father.

Fortunately, the chairman of Amata Industrial Estates was able to control his murderous rage that fateful day, realising at the last moment that he had better things to do with his life than avenge his half-brother's near-fatal shooting.

Vikrom describes this scene in the opening chapter of his autobiography, "Pom Ja Pen Khon Dee: Fai Fun Wan Yao" ("Be a Better Man: Dreaming of My Younger Days"), launched last week at the Thailand Book Fair.

He says he wants to share his life and his experiences with readers.

And it is no ordinary life. Thailand's biggest industrial-park developer recounts growing up as the eldest son of a sugarcane farmer and becoming a billionaire within two decades.

He doesn't portray himself as a saint, but as a mere mortal with both good and bad sides.

"I'm not the type to talk only about the good stuff and gloss over the negative," says Vikrom, who has a reputation for being outspoken and boastful.

But speaking out is exactly what he does in the book, especially about his father, his many wives and having too many siblings.

In the Buddhist faith, children are raised to be grateful to their parents for having created them. Vikrom says most Thais honour this belief even though some parents are abusive.

"Why do I have to sacrifice myself when I already have a blue-chip listed company?

"Because I want bad parents to improve," says Vikrom, who went into a rage on learning that his father had shot and nearly killed his half-brother.

Vikrom describes his father as a cold, selfish man who put his eldest son to work on the sugarcane farm, supervising hundreds of hired workers.

The boy also assisted his mother in the market and helped to raise 22 younger siblings.

After school, Vikrom was sent to Taipei where he earned a degree in engineering from the National Taiwan University.

"He sent me to Taipei so I could help with his business later," he says.

The young man had other ideas, and on return started his own business, an import/export firm he named V&K.

Freelance reporter Donrudee Chaisombat, who read his first book in the "Better Man" series released three years ago, says Vikrom is no different from the character he portrays.

She is one of Vikrom's colleagues and has been getting both knowledge and useful tips from her source of information.

"He's such a brave guy to portray himself that way," she says, praising him for being able to talk about his dark side rather than just painting a picture of himself as a successful businessman with a kind heart. However, many of the reporters who working closely with Vikrom say that he tends to show off.

"But he has reason to do so," says Donrudee.

Despite his overwhelming success, she finds Vikrom is very down-to-earth.

"Vikrom really knows how to live."

Working with him for several years, she's watched him spend a fortune on expensive cars and high-powered motorbikes.

He also owns a multi-million baht traditional Thai style penthouse on Phetchburi Road and a retreat in Khao Yai.

But Vikrom is not about to repeat the mistakes made by his father. Apart from funding his siblings' education, he's also built the Kromadit empire, in which his brothers, sisters and their families all have a share

"It's how I show them love," he says.

 Vikrom, who is divorced and has no children, is now semi-retired and supervises his business through his brother. Two years ago, he was ordained and spent a month in the jungle. He now lives in his Khao Yai retreat and travels to Bangkok every fortnight to keep up-to-date with his brother who manages the company.

He also enjoys reading - an activity that he missed out on as a young boy.

Despite the book title, Vikrom says he's far from perfect. He's inherited some of his father's characteristics including his hot temper.

"I've come very close to killing several people during my 30 years in business," he admits.

Vikrom claims he's received more than 5,000 letters from readers of his first book and that more than 30 per cent shared similar bad experiences with abusive fathers.

"I want my family to be the role model so other parents don't repeat history," he says.

Sirinya Wattanasukchai

The Nation