My expat life – Bangkok: the coffeemaker gone c-suite

My expat life – Bangkok: the coffeemaker gone c-suite
Lionel Chin moved from government departments in Wellington to an IT start up in Bangkok. (Image: BusinessDesk).
Victoria Young
For Lionel Chin, returning to university years after dropping out was just a means to an end.“I was in the coffee scene [in Wellington] when it was big. I think I came second in New Zealand in one of those competitions, so I wanted to open my own cafe,” Chin told BusinessDesk.“I knew I needed like $100k to set up a shop and buy the machines. The plan was to get a degree, get a job and in five or six years raise enough capital."Chin graduated with a business degree from Victoria University of Wellington in 2005 and never l...

More Editor's Picks

MoT to gauge market interest in toll road concessions
Policy

MoT to gauge market interest in toll road concessions

Investment bank Citi will assist the ministry. Transurban has already signalled interest.

Oliver Lewis 03 Jul 2025
Funding sought for new real-time prostate cancer diagnostic technology
Editor's Picks

Funding sought for new real-time prostate cancer diagnostic technology

As NZ trials start, researchers are already looking towards the huge US market.

Greg Hurrell 03 Jul 2025
Xero’s Melio ‘leap of faith’
Markets Analysis

Xero’s Melio ‘leap of faith’

The NZ-founded company’s giant-killer dreams in the US hinge on this huge bet. 

Pattrick Smellie 01 Jul 2025