Khaw Soo Cheang (1797-1882), other names Khaw Teng Hai and Kor Su Jiang, was born in Xiayu Township, Longxi County of

Zhangzhou Zhangzhou (), alternately romanized as Changchow, is a prefecture-level city in Fujian Province, China. The prefecture around the city proper comprises the southeast corner of the province, facing the Taiwan Strait and surrounding the prefec ...

, China (present-day

Longhai City Longhai District () is a District in Zhangzhou, in the south of Fujian province, China. Longhai spans an area of , and, as of 2016, it has a population of approximately 736,400. History Following the revocation of the sea ban (''haijin'') in the ...

). At the age of 25, he left China to

Nanyang Nanyang is the romanization of two common Chinese place names. It may refer to: Written as 南洋 (Southern Ocean) * Nanyang (region), a Chinese term denoting the Southeast Asian lands surrounding the South China Sea ;China * Nanyang Fleet, Qing ...

in search of a better life. He arrived in

Penang Penang ( ms, Pulau Pinang, is a Malaysian state located on the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia, by the Malacca Strait. It has two parts: Penang Island, where the capital city, George Town, is located, and Seberang Perai on the Malay ...

, then later migrated to Thailand in 1822. Soo Cheang established a

tin mining Tin mining began early in the Bronze Age, as bronze is a copper-tin alloy. Tin is a relatively rare element in the Earth's crust, with approximately 2 ppm (parts per million), compared to iron with 50,000 ppm. History Tin extraction and use can ...

and shipping empire. He was appointed governor of Ranong Province in 1854 and given the princely title of Phraya Na Ranong by the royal family. He became primogenitor of the Khaw na Ranong family, one of the most prominent

Thai Chinese Thai Chinese (also known as Chinese Thais, Sino-Thais), Thais of Chinese origin ( th, ชาวไทยเชื้อสายจีน; ''exonym and also domestically''), endonym Thai people ( th, ชาวไทย), are Chinese descenda ...

families in Thailand.

Descendents

*Khaw Sim Kong (1840-1912): Governor of Ranong. *

Khaw Sim Bee Phraya Ratsadanupradit Mahitsaraphakdi ( th, พระยารัษฎานุประดิษฐ์มหิศรภักดี; 1857–1913, born Khaw Sim Bee ( th, คอซิมบี๊; , ) was a Thai Chinese provincial administrator. ...

(1857–1913): Governor of Trang. *Khaw Joo Ghee (-1932): Governor of Ranong. *Wichit na Ranong – known to many as the Father of Phuket Tourism. *

Kittiratt Na-Ranong Kittiratt Na-Ranong ( th, กิตติรัตน์ ณ ระนอง; ; born 3 August 1958) is a Thai manager and politician. He was a Deputy Prime Minister in Yingluck Shinawatra's cabinet. Additionally, he led the Ministry of Commerce un ...

: Thai Finance Minister.

References

*{{cite book , last1=Suwannathat-pian , first1=Kobkua , editor1-last=Ooi , editor1-first=Keat Gin , title=Southeast Asia: A Historical Encyclopedia, from Angkor Wat to East Timor , date=2004 , publisher=ABC-CLIO , isbn=9781576077702 , page=723–725 , chapter=Khaw Family: A Sinu-Thai Politico-Business Dynasty * The Khaw Group: Chinese Business in Early Twentieth-Century Penang. Author(s): J. W. Cushman. Source: Journal of Southeast Asian Studies , Mar., 1986, Vol. 17, No. 1 (Mar., 1986), pp.58-79. Published by: Cambridge University Press on behalf of Department of History, National University of Singapore. Stable URL: https://www.jstor.org/stable/20070895 Chinese emigrants to Thailand Khaw na Ranong family Tax farmers of Siam 1797 births 1882 deaths People from Zhangzhou Chao mueang of Thailand