BodhiGayā Vijjālaya 980 Institute

Launch of the compelling autobiographical book “Life, Thoughts, Business, and Faith” of Dr. Supachai Verapuchong.

On Friday, April 3, 2026, at the 54th National Book Week, the book “Life, Thoughts, Business, and Faith” by Dr. Supachai Verapuchong, Secretary-General of the Bodhigayavijjalaya 980 Institute, was launched. It is an engaging autobiographical book because it encompasses both worldly matters and spiritual Dhamma, distilled from the extensive life experiences of the second-generation heir of the Thai Nakorn Patana Group.
A life of intense experiences but guided by Dhamma.
The book is divided into 4 parts according to its title. In the first part, "Life," Mr. Supachai Verapuchong, nicknamed "Mr. Aod Tiffy," was born in Damnoen Saduak District, Ratchaburi Province, and grew up in a Thai-Chinese family. He is a highly independent person who has lived each stage of his life to the extreme with profound experiences. As the eldest son (second-generation heir), he had to inherit the business of the Thai Nakorn Patana Group. His father, Mr. Vinai Verapuchong, established the principles of "Morality leading business" and "Never forget the poor," because the family themselves used to be poor. Another crucial factor in passing down the business from the 1st generation to the 2nd and 3rd generations is having a "Family Constitution." This strictly dictates that they will not engage in any business based on wrong livelihood (Miccha Ajiva), even if that business is legal, in order to prevent falling into the traps of greed, power, and money.
On the book launch day, three of the 3rd generation heirs of the Verapuchong family attended the event. The special guest invited on stage was "Nong Ava" Paworawan Verapuchong, a Content Creator and Influencer with nearly 16 million followers across all platforms. She is the only heir working in the entertainment industry. She shared that her father always reminds her not to be attached to success, because when there are people who love you, there will inevitably be people who dislike you. He also teaches her how to live using simple Dhamma principles, because Dhamma is nature and normalcy.
"Thoughts" that change every 15 years and a significant turning point.
Mr. Supachai recounted that his own "thoughts" change every 15 years. A major turning point in his thinking was his ordination as a monk to dedicate royal merit to King Rama IX on the occasion of His Majesty's 80th birthday in 2007 at Bodh Gaya, India. While ordained, he studied and practiced Dhamma under Phra Phrom Vachira Bodhivong, the abbot of Wat Thai Buddhagaya and the head of Thai Dhammaduta monks in India-Nepal. Following that, he founded the Bodhigayavijjalaya 980 Institute to work on the propagation of Buddhism.
"Business" guided by morality and not governed by time.
Regarding "Business," Mr. Supachai was the pioneer who expanded the pharmaceutical business of the Thai Nakorn Patana Group to Cambodia around 1988 during the era of Prime Minister General Chatichai Choonhavan, following the policy of "turning battlefields into marketplaces." He continued to pioneer the pharmaceutical business into Laos and Vietnam, alongside running hotel businesses under the Sofitel and Novotel chains.
His father, Mr. Vinai Verapuchong, as the founder and pioneer who built the Thai Nakorn Patana Group, provided another essential principle in doing business: not setting deadlines to achieve business goals. This is because time constraints can come back to kill us, causing depression and distraction (the Five Hindrances). Working without time constraints is therefore a tenacious way of doing business with the least amount of suffering involved.
As for the energy crisis, a challenge currently faced by the entire world, it is a consequence of shifting power structures. Dr. Supachai analyzes that the current New World Order is driven by the defilements (greed, hatred, and delusion) of macro-level leaders who lack mindfulness. The severe internal economic recessions within superpower nations have led to a new era of colonialism - specifically, the intervention in and reallocation of global resources in ways that are far more aggressive than in the past, in order to sustain their own status. Structural conflicts, as well as violence in the Middle East and various other regions, are merely tools for organizing this new world order, which directly impacts global energy capital. The fact that the world is burning with the fires of conflict reflects the practice of "using power as Dhamma" rather than "using Dhamma as power."
"Faith" that spreads widely through the universal value of Dhamma.
In the dimension of Faith, Mr. Supachai's devotion to Buddhism is interwoven throughout his life, thoughts, and business. While serving as the Secretary-General of the Bodhigayavijjalaya 980 Institute, he has driven various initiatives with faith in Buddhism. This includes organizing the Dhamma Yatra across 5 Mekong River basin countries - Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Vietnam, and Thailand - which has been held twice. Subsequently, he forged connections with South Asia, namely India. The Bodhigaya Institute played a crucial role in coordinating the invitation of the Lord Buddha's holy relics and the Arahant relics of his two chief disciples from India to be temporarily enshrined in Thailand in early 2024, where over 5 million Thais had the opportunity to pay their respects.
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In 2025, the work of the Bodhigaya Institute began to expand further internationally. As the Secretary-General of the institute, he has strived to propel Dhamma onto the international stage, such as the Declaration of the Century of Dhamma under the Sri Maha Bodhi tree in Bodh Gaya, India, and the 4th Samvadconference, which Thailand co-hosted last year.
In 2026, the success of the Bodhigaya Institute was pushing the word Dhamma onto the United Nations stage for the first time. Dhamma in this dimension carries a broad meaning, which is the Universal Values of Dhamma. Its broad meaning does not refer exclusively to Buddhism, but also encompasses Eastern wisdom - such as Buddhism, Hinduism, Sikhism, and Jainism—along with the thoughts and beliefs within the same geopolitical sphere.
The grand goal, which forms the 'Vision' of Mr. Supachai and the institute's executive board, is connecting the Mekong River basin with the Ganges River basin in South Asia (India), and the Yangtze River basin in East Asia (China). The ultimate goal is to extend this connection to the Danube River in Europe, specifically targeting the United Nations platform in Geneva, Switzerland.
With over 40 years in business and more than 20 years dedicated to religious work, Mr. Supachai consistently emphasizes that he will not let time dictate his actions. He chooses to use 'Dhamma as power,' rather than using power as Dhamma, and is committed to serving Buddhism until his last breath.