{"id":1775,"date":"2025-05-15T03:00:30","date_gmt":"2025-05-15T03:00:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.fresnoforeclosure.com\/?p=1775"},"modified":"2025-05-15T10:48:43","modified_gmt":"2025-05-15T10:48:43","slug":"rewiring-southeast-asia-tai-phams-mission-to-put-thai-vietnamese-digital-innovation-on-the-global-map","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.fresnoforeclosure.com\/index.php\/2025\/05\/15\/rewiring-southeast-asia-tai-phams-mission-to-put-thai-vietnamese-digital-innovation-on-the-global-map\/","title":{"rendered":"Rewiring Southeast Asia: Tai Pham\u2019s mission to put Thai-Vietnamese digital innovation on the global map"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Tai Pham, a Vietnamese-American technologist and CEO of Bangkok Silicon<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

In Southeast Asia’s growing digital economy, Tai Pham is leading an ambitious transformation effort between Thailand and Vietnam. Pham, a Vietnamese-American technologist and CEO of Bangkok Silicon, is uniting the talent of Vietnam with the ambition of Thailand to spark a scalable model for digital nation-building.<\/p>\n

A legacy rekindled<\/strong><\/h1>\n
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\u201cMost people my age are retired, sipping pi\u00f1a coladas on the beach. I chose to start from scratch\u2014again.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

In the heart of Bangkok’s bustling business district sits a man with salt-and-pepper hair whose quiet demeanor belies his revolutionary ambitions. Pham, the 64-year-old CEO of Bangkok Silicon (BKS), speaks with the measured confidence of someone who has transformed entire industries before\u2014and is prepared to do it again.<\/p>\n

At an age when most seasoned executives lean into comfort, Pham chose to dive into unfamiliar waters. Decades after pioneering Vietnam\u2019s IT outsourcing wave through Paragon Solutions, he\u2019s back\u2014this time, planting new roots in Bangkok. Not for profit. Not for prestige. But for legacy.<\/p>\n

From refugee to regional visionary<\/strong><\/h2>\n

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\u201cI saw people die for the chance to live free,\u201d he recalls. \u201cSo when I got that chance, I vowed never to waste it.\u201d<\/p>\n

This experience imprinted a deep sense of purpose. After rebuilding his life from scratch in America, he entered the tech industry and returned to Vietnam in 1994, just as the US lifted its trade embargo. There, he founded Paragon Solutions, growing it to over 400 staff across three countries before successfully selling it in 2001.<\/p>\n

Paragon became a cradle for Vietnam’s tech leadership. Alumni from Paragon have gone on to helm leading IT firms in Vietnam, including Dr. Le, who went on to found TMA Solutions, now one of Vietnam\u2019s largest tech firms.<\/p>\n

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\u201cI wanted to prove Vietnam wasn\u2019t just cheap labour\u2014it was smart labour,\u201d Pham recalls.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

The spark of Bangkok silicon \u2013 Why Thailand, why now<\/strong><\/h2>\n

So why, after everything, did he move to Thailand in 2024?<\/p>\n

When a group of investors approached Pham with a simple question \u2014”Do you want to build Paragon Solutions 2.0?”\u2014the retired executive found himself unable to resist the challenge.<\/p>\n

Drawn by the Thai government\u2019s digital ambitions\u2014and armed with scalable Vietnamese talent\u2014Pham joined Bangkok Silicon as CEO.<\/p>\n

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“This isn’t about financial gain,” he insists, adding that he accepted “a significant reduction” in income to lead BKS. “If I were an investor, I’d put money into this opportunity. Instead, I’m investing my time.”<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Bangkok Silicon’s mission extends far beyond being a traditional software development company. With the Thai government as its primary client, BKS aims to operationalise key elements of Thailand\u2019s National Digital Economy and Society Plan.<\/p>\n

Also Read:\u00a0Then vs now: A look back at Vietnam\u2019s changing e-commerce battleground<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Strategic initiatives in motion<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Pham’s vision includes several strategic initiatives:<\/p>\n