Living Well

Magnolia Quality Development Corporation CEO SUTTHA RUENGCHAIPAIBOON shares five lessons he's learnt from running a property development business.

- By ADORA WONG

Good property development facilitates a high standard of living at a lowest cost to humans and the environment, says Suttha Ruengchaipaiboon. The CEO of Magnolia Quality Development Corporation (MQDC)—a Thai luxury property developer known for sleek and sustainable mixed-use projects such as Iconsiam in Bangkok— received a Master's degree in construction engineering and management from the Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago.

While in the US, he worked on megaprojects including Harvard University's Allston Science Complex as well as the redevelopment of the New York World Trade Center and Los Angeles International Airport.

Upon returning to Thailand, he oversaw the construction of True Digital Park, the largest tech and startup hub in Southeast Asia. It was designed to be a smart city where users can enjoy a 'third place', a theory popularised by the late American urban sociologist Ray Oldenburg.

Currently, he is leading MQDC’s completion of The Forestias, which integrates residences and green spaces with health centres, malls, offices, hotels, and entertainment venues. The visionary project spans 63.5ha and is the company's largest to date. To ensure the outdoor environment will be as pleasant as the indoor environment, it will lower the temperature by 3 to 5 deg C through a strategic tree canopy cover, a central utility plant, and a district cooling system.

The Forestias was recently unveiled at the Singapore Property Xpo 2025 as part of a strategic partnership with PropNex International. Among all the residential projects located within the development, MQDC found it appropriate to highlight Whizdom The Forestias—a luxury condominium complex that is Bangkok's first-ever fully pet-friendly project—to buyers in Singapore.