Following the 1957 coup by Field Marshal Sarit Thanarat, Thailand underwent economic reform under the guidance of US economists, the World Bank and the IMF which accompany an expansion of US economic aid to Thailand. The new, more open economic policy brought new opportunities for the Chinese business community - particularly the banking groups who took the lion's share of the new opportunities - and reduced their reliance on the military for protection. In 1958, Chuan was encouraged by the incoming government to invest in Bank of Ayudhya, known today as Krungsri Bank, which had seen its performance decline following the death of the bank's then leading shareholder and manager. With his background in commerce, Chuan brought a fresh wind of change to the bank, first by solving the liquidity issue and then by shifting from the civil service mentality that was rampant in the bank to a customer centricity. As a result, Chuan quickly rose through the ranks. By the end of 1961, Chuan had acquired a controlling stake and assumed ownership of the bank. Chuan served as the senior executive of the Bank from 1961 until 1993.
