Mr Surasak Decharin of Bangkok Glass has become the 45th recipient of the 'Glass person of the year' Phoenix Award, at a dinner banquet held in his honour at San Francisco's iconic Palace hotel.

Mr Decharin was chosen by the Phoenix committee members following his career with Bangkok Glass, which has spanned more than three decades and has seen the company grow from a single furnace operation to become the largest glass manufacturer in Thailand with 13 furnaces and 40 production lines.

Accepting the award, Mr Decharin took to the stage to thank his colleagues and his family for all their support throughout the years.

Sharing the award with his team members he was both humble and funny throughout his acceptance speech, which touched on the recent natural disasters endured in Thailand, and the dedication of his team over the past few decades.

Receiving the award from committee Chairman Tim Park, he said: "I am here today feeling extremely honoured by your nomination for the Phoenix Award. The nomination provides me with enormous personal pride. I am really grateful for this recognition, especially at this time in my life.

"I joined Bangkok Glass when the company was running a single 150 ton furnace. I can say that this really has been a wonderful journey of excitement, as well as friendship, and of course a lot of tension. This is especially in Thailand, where we have had to deal with a natural disaster.

"I'm certainly not eligible to claim all the achievement as my own, because success is never a creation of anyone person, but is in fact the sum of a team effort.

"People at Bangkok Glass have worked tremendously hard over the years to get the company to where it is today, and we have been extremely well supported by our business partners and suppliers from the glass industry, and for this I really thank them, and many of you who are also here today.

"I began my career in an investment bank by accident, but I stayed here by choice. I continue to be grateful for the team effort that has ensured Bangkok Glass's survival, throughout the good and the tough times.

"It's a shame that many of our team members could not join this event, but I receive this award on their behalf.

"I would also like to thank my family for the lifetime of support, and my wife who I am indebted to for keeping me together.

"I would like to extend my sincere gratitude to all the Phoenix committee and the team who have been involved in this organisation and this great event."

Full report of the event to appear in a forthcoming issue of Glass International.

Pictured: Mr Decharin (third right, bottom row) with the Phoenix committee members.