In a rapidly evolving business era where good leaders are hard to find, Andrew Stocks, Owner and Founder of Sunshine International, has become a buzzing name. Andrew is humble enough to consider himself a celebrated figure, not for the work he did but for his presence in Thailand for many years. His journey started when he came to Thailand as a young boy in 1979. He was the first to come there. Now, over 40 years later, he is still around, and most people have come and gone already. Andrew’s achievements in the business world are far more than just becoming a familiar face who has lived in Thailand for 40 years.
As he navigates Sunshine International through economic turmoil at this moment, we at The CEO Views honor Andrew Stocks with the “Thought Leadership Award 2025” for his outstanding contribution to taking the business to a new height.
A Hotel instead of a Home
When asked about how he enjoys living in a fine hotel like the Oriental Residences in Bangkok some of the times instead of living a normal life in a home, Andrew cheerfully stated his love for living in hotels. All his life, he mostly lived in hotels. Even in his childhood, he lived in a five-star hotel. This shows his love for staying in hotels with all the wonderful services. It is also one of the reasons he created his company, Sunshine International, to allow people to enjoy their lives and live with such outstanding services.
The Struggles Behind the Inception
Achieving the position the company is in today was no less than keeping nose to the grindstone for Andrew. It is hard to imagine building a multimillion-dollar hotel and residences with one’s own money and without any money from the banks when COVID-19 hit Thailand, shutting down everything. This is what happened to Andrew when he started his biggest Resort and Spa just before the pandemic. As no one was allowed in due to the lockdown, the company was forced to stop sales. However, the company continued to start the construction by signing contracts.
“Also, we went through the red shirt protests, airports closed, and the economy dived. There have been setbacks, one after another, but I never give up, I stay positive all along, and if I fall, I get up again straight away and look forward only. It’s the only way I know,” says Andrew.
Generating Ample Sales
Andrew personally supervises the marketing department as he is good at it. Although the company has had a sales team for a few years, generating a fair number of sales, Andrew himself is now working on the sales alone to ensure there are more results compared to his entire sales team before.
Sales of apartments and pool villas since Andrew took over the position as head of sales have almost doubled compared to previous years. Working with passion does get results.
Thriving Volatility
In a volatile economy like Thailand at the moment, having that survival skill can get your ship sailing even in storms. Under Andrew’s thoughtful leadership, Sunshine International found a gap in the market and filled that gap by keeping its promises. They offer retirees a stable and safe life, which they cannot get in many countries nowadays. As he works in the company’s marketing department, Andrew makes sure they have people coming from all over the world.
A Future of Great Hospitality
Sitting in the driving seat, Andrew can see the future to be like an exploding bomb. Throughout the Western world, Europe, America, and Australia, more and more retirees are barely surviving; they are just getting by. On the contrary, Thailand is bustling with sunshine all year round, making elderly people feel ten years younger. In his view, people are happy here, with little stress and an excellent cost of living, living the lives of Kings and Queens. This has made Thailand one of the best-kept retirement destinations secrets, which is really going to explode in the near future.
Secrets to Coping with Work Stress
Donning a leadership position is a multifaceted task with a range of responsibilities that often fall hard on your mental health. As a leader, Andrew has a loyal team that helps him with tasks so that he is not overburdened. “I have a great team, and some of my key players have been working with me for more than 20 years! The Thai people are very loyal,” says Andrew.
Philanthropy
Andrew constructed a 30 million Baht children’s home in Hua Hin a few years ago and gave it to the community. He finds it amazing to keep giving back to the community. Seeing some of the orphans growing into adulthood with hope in their eyes is always overwhelming for Andrew, making him smile a lot. The children’s home in Hua Hin is currently in search of suitable sponsors to help them go a long way.
The Success Habits
Andrew believes in being disciplined as a key to success. Starting from making one’s own bed to drinking and smoking responsibly, Andrew thinks everyone should be as disciplined as possible to achieve success.
Prioritizing Health
Andrew prioritizes health and focuses on developing healthy habits. As a health-concerned individual, he drinks little alcohol, tries to eat natural foods only. Andrew exercises a lot to remain healthy as he believes it helps him think clearly. To ensure good mental health, he tries to be always happy and smiling, and never allows negative thoughts to change his cheerful mind. Andrew believes in Karma and intends to stay his good self and positive.
Thinking clearly is important for me, and you can only do that when you eat well and exercise well.
