Central Group

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Thai multinational conglomerate

title: "Central Group" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["central-group", "1947-establishments-in-thailand", "companies-based-in-bangkok", "conglomerate-companies-of-thailand", "economic-history-of-thailand", "holding-companies-established-in-1947", "holding-companies-of-thailand", "multinational-companies-headquartered-in-thailand", "retail-companies-established-in-1947", "thai-brands"] description: "Thai multinational conglomerate" topic_path: "history" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_Group" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Thai multinational conglomerate ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox company"]

FieldValue
nameCentral Group
logoCentral_Group_Logo.svg
native_nameกลุ่มเซ็นทรัล
native_name_langth
typePrivately held
industry{{flat list
founded
founder{{flat list
hq_location_cityBangkok
hq_location_countryThailand
areas_served{{flat list
key_peopleTos Chirathivat (executive chairman and CEO)
products{{flat list
ownerChirathivat family
num_employees80,000
num_employees_year2022
subsid{{flat list
website
footnotes
::

| name = Central Group | logo = Central_Group_Logo.svg | logo_size = | logo_alt = | logo_caption = | image = | image_size = | image_alt = | image_caption = | native_name = กลุ่มเซ็นทรัล | native_name_lang = th | type = Privately held | industry = {{flat list|

Central Group is a Thai multinational conglomerate founded by Tiang and Samrit Chirathivat in 1947, and still privately owned by the Chirathivat family . Its publicly traded subsidiaries include Central Retail, Central Pattana (commercial real estate development), and Central Plaza Hotel (hospitality group and restaurant operator). Its privately held subsidiaries operate several European department stores, including those acquired from the former KaDeWe Group and Selfridges Group, and financial services.

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.

Public subsidiaries

Central Retail

::data[format=table title="List of Central Retail department stores"] | Name | Year founded | Notes | |---|---|---| | Big C | 1993 | | | Central Department Store | 1927 | One location in Indonesia | | Go! | | | | Lanchi Mart | | | | Robinson Department Store | 1979 | Acquired by Central in 1995 | | Thai Watsadu | 2010 | | | Tops | 1996 | | | Robins | 2014 | Vietnamese rebranding of Robinsons Department Store | | Zen | 1989 | Rebranded to Central in 2019 | ::

Central Pattana

Main article: Central Pattana

::data[format=table title="List of Central Pattana properties"] | City | Name | Year opened | Gross floor area | |---|---|---|---| | Ayutthaya | Central Ayutthaya | 2021 | 68000 m2 | | Bangkok | Central Bangna | 2001 | 500000 m2 | | Central EastVille | 2015 | 150000 m2 | | | Central Embassy | 2014 | 1000000 m2 | | | Central Ladprao | 1982 | 310000 m2 | | | Central Park | 2025 | 130000 m2 | | | Central Pinklao | 1995 | 317000 m2 | | | Central Rama 2 | 2002 | 273000 m2 | | | Central Rama 3 | 1997 | 188000 m2 | | | Central Rama 9 | 2011 | 214000 m2 | | | Central Ramindra | 1993 | 86000 m2 | | | CentralWorld | 2002 | 830000 m2 | | | Marche Thonglor | 2023 | 62000 m2 | | | The Esplanade Ratchada | 2021 | 105000 m2 | | | | 2026 | 460000 m2 | | | Chanthaburi | Central Chanthaburi | 2022 | 75953 m2 | | Chiang Mai | Central Chiangmai Airport | 1996 | 173000 m2 | | Central Chiangmai | 2013 | 260000 m2 | | | Chiang Rai | Central Chiangrai | 2011 | 110000 m2 | | Chonburi | Central Chonburi | 2009 | 156000 m2 | | Central Si Racha | 2021 | 71000 m2 | | | Khon Kaen | Central Khonkaen | 2009 | 200000 m2 | | Central Khonkaen Campus | 2026 | 67000 m2 | | | Ko Samui | Central Samui | 2014 | 90000 m2 | | Krabi | Central Krabi | 2025 | 86600 m2 | | Lampang | Central Lampang | 2012 | 110000 m2 | | Nakhon Pathom | Central Nakhon Pathom | 2024 | 126000 m2 | | Central Salaya | 2014 | 185500 m2 | | | Nakhon Ratchasima | | 2017 | 233000 m2 | | Nakhon Sawan | Central Nakhon Sawan | 2024 | 133300 m2 | | Nakhon Si Thammarat | Central Nakhon Si | 2016 | 125000 m2 | | Nonthaburi | Central Chaengwattana | 2008 | 310000 m2 | | Central NorthVille | 2003 | 210000 m2 | | | Central WestGate | 2015 | 352000 m2 | | | | 2023 | 93000 m2 | | | Pattaya | Cemtral Marina Outlet | 1995 | 70000 m2 | | Central Pattaya | 2009 | 210000 m2 | | | Phitsanulok | Central Phitsanulok | 2011 | 100000 m2 | | Phuket | Central Phuket | 2018 | 400000 m2 | | Rayong | Central Rayong | 2015 | 155000 m2 | | Samut Prakan | | 2019 | 80000 m2 | | | 2021 | 500000 m2 | | | Samut Sakhon | Central Mahachai | 2017 | 131250 m2 | | Shah Alam, Malaysia | Central i-City | 2019 | 259000 m2 | | Songkhla | Central Hatyai | 2013 | 295000 m2 | | Surat Thani | Central Suratthani | 2012 | 130000 m2 | | Ubon Ratchathani | Central Ubon | 2013 | 186284 m2 | | Udon Thani | Central Udon | 2009 | 250000 m2 | ::

Central Plaza Hotel

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.

Private subsidiaries

European luxury stores

::data[format=table title="List of Central Group department stores in Europe"] | 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 the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund | | Brown Thomas | 1848 | 1983 | Joint venture with the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund | | | Netherlands | De Bijenkorf | 1870 | 2022 | Joint venture with the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund | | Switzerland | Globus | 1907 | 2020 | | | United Kingdom | Selfridges | 1908 | 2022 | Joint venture with the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund | ::

Financial services

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

Gallery

Central Embassy.jpg|Central Embassy, Pathum Wan, Bangkok

References

References

  1. "Achievements: Employees".
  2. (10 September 2017). "For Thailand's retail giant Central Group, it is no longer all in the family". Nikkei Asian Review.
  3. "CENTRAL GROUP on Instagram: "[#CGUPDATE] เปลี่ยนคุณให้เป็นอีกคน เริ่มต้นความสนุกครั้งใหม่ กับ ZEN ที่เปลี่ยนชื่อเป็น CENTRAL @ centralwOrld แล้ววันนี้ #CENTRALGroup…"".
  4. [https://cdn1.imggmi.com/uploads/2019/1/11/165036cfccfa2a903e76c48f38a18f1d-full.png Image] imggmi.com {{Webarchive. link. (2019-01-11)
  5. "Hospitality".
  6. "Financial Services & FinTech".

::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::

central-group1947-establishments-in-thailandcompanies-based-in-bangkokconglomerate-companies-of-thailandeconomic-history-of-thailandholding-companies-established-in-1947holding-companies-of-thailandmultinational-companies-headquartered-in-thailandretail-companies-established-in-1947thai-brands