By Kritagya Regmi
From Dairy R&D to Business School
Before becoming the founder of one of Thailand’s most innovative health food companies, Ms. Bhiramon Chuprapawan was a young professional thriving in her role at Nestlé. With a bachelor’s degree in food science, she joined the company right after university and quickly advanced through the ranks, eventually becoming Head of R&D at a dairy factory in Saraburi. It was a fulfilling role, but one that came with a personal cost, living away from her family.
“My parents were very protective. We agreed I would take the job for just one year,” she recalled. True to her word, she stayed a little over a year and then returned to Bangkok to help with her family’s construction materials business. It was a big shift, moving from food science to construction materials, but it also introduced her to the world of business.
While at Nestlé, her curiosity about business had already begun to grow. “I started reading business books and asking my managers how I could help the company grow,” she said. That curiosity led her to pursue an Executive MBA in 2002 at AIT’s School of Management. The program fit perfectly with her needs, offering the business knowledge she was looking for and conveniently located between Saraburi and her home in Min Buri. She would attend classes on Friday evenings and all day Saturday, juggling work and study without knowing that this combination would eventually shape her entrepreneurial path.
“AIT gave me the business tools I was missing: marketing, strategy, and finance,” she said. “But more than that, it gave me confidence. I was learning in an international environment that encouraged fresh ideas.” She fondly remembered her professors with appreciation, saying they were all very helpful. “I had never studied finance before, but Professor Sundar Venkatesh explained it so clearly that it became my favourite subject,” she said. She also shared that Professor Lalit Johri’s classes on strategic thinking and negotiation helped shape how she thinks about business.
During her first year at AIT, she was still at Nestlé. In her second year, she had already joined her family’s business. “The timing was perfect,” she said. “I was learning business fundamentals just as I was stepping into a completely new work environment.” Adapting to the family business culture came with its own challenges. Unlike the structured environment of a multinational company, decisions in the family business were open to everyone’s opinion. At the same time, she missed working in food science.
A Spark in the Kitchen: The Creation of 4Care
One evening, everything changed when a friend called with an idea to start a food business. She asked if Ms. Bhiramon could help develop a healthier alternative to coconut milk. Her friend’s boss had recently undergone heart surgery and was advised to avoid saturated fats, such as those found in coconut milk.
“Without hesitation, I agreed. I believed I could create something better,” she said. Drawing on her food science background, she began researching oils with lower saturated fat and experimenting with formulations in her kitchen. The goal: a healthy alternative to coconut cream that preserves the texture and flavour. This process took more than a year and a half, during which she also applied for a product patent.
Her days were split: mornings spent on the family business, and afternoons and weekends in the kitchen. Eventually, she presented her prototype to nutritionists at Bangkok Hospital, where it received encouraging feedback. That success led her to launch her first product under a new brand: 4Care.
Listening, Learning, Growing: Building the 4Care Brand
4Care was officially launched in 2003. “We chose the name because we wanted the brand to represent care—for people, for health, and for science,” she explained.
“One day, a customer from Phichit called us. Her doctor had told her that her cholesterol levels had improved after she started using our product. That call meant more to me than any profit,” Ms. Bhiramon said. “It reminded me why I was doing this.”
Getting the business off the ground wasn’t easy. There were no regulations yet for coconut cream alternatives, and recruiting talent was a struggle. “No one had heard of us. I had to train every single person myself,” she said.
Still, she kept pushing. A visit to a European trade show introduced her to rice milk, commonly sold in Italy. It got her thinking: why wasn’t Thailand, a major rice exporter, doing this? She started visiting organic rice farmers in the northeast and found that many were relying heavily on chemical fertilizers. Wanting to support a better way, she proposed buying broken rice, usually sold for animal feed, at the same price as whole rice. That became the base for her next innovation: organic rice milk.
Though initially intended for cancer patients, the rice milk gained popularity among children with allergies to cow or soy milk. “We didn’t expect it, but the product found its audience,” she said.
Today, 4Care offers four health-focused brands: Balance, Tastifit, Delicare, and MEDIRA available across major retailers and digital platforms in Thailand through an integrated omni-channel strategy.
From the start, customer feedback has shaped 4Care’s direction. In the early days, Ms. Bhiramon attended every booth and sampling event herself. Today, the company gathers input through retail partners, social media, and direct customer feedback. “When we get negative comments, we act fast. Listening is how we grow,” she said.
For her, sustainability means more than just being eco-friendly. “It’s about long-term health, fairness to farmers, and ethical business,” she said. 4Care avoids ultra-processed ingredients and ensures transparency in its supply chain.
Leading with Purpose: Lessons, Values, and Giving Back
Ms. Bhiramon continues to stay connected with AIT as an active alumna. Speaking at AIT’s 141st graduation, she shared her life philosophy through the acronym GIVES: Give back to society, Integrity and empathy, Value meaningful relationships, Embrace challenges, and Stay passionate.
“These are not just nice words. They are values I live by,” she said. “Whether it’s refusing to take unethical shortcuts or choosing quality over quick profits, those principles have guided me from the very beginning.”
To aspiring entrepreneurs, her advice is simple: “Find what you love. Stay curious. Always be ready to learn something new.”
More than two decades later, 4Care continues to grow, staying true to its mission: creating healthy food, supporting farmers, and inspiring others through science and compassion.
“AIT was not just part of my education; it was part of my transformation,” she said. “I have had so much support along the way. If I can help even one person find their path, then it’s all worth it.”
What started as a kitchen experiment has turned into a brand that touches lives across Thailand, rooted in the belief that food should do more than feed—it should care.
