From mountains to millions: Komsan Lee of Flash Express didn't build Thailand's first unicorn in a flash

Tatler Asia

5 days ago

Above Komsan Lee (Photo: Worapon Teerawatvijit)
From Thailand to the rest of Southeast Asia in seven years
When Komsan Lee launched Flash Express in 2018 (he incorporated it the year before), it had fewer than 10 employees. It has since grown exponentially, becoming a leading logistics player in Southeast Asia.
In 2021, it became Thailand's first unicorn—a startup valued at more than US$1 billion—with over 10,000 employees in the country alone. The company has also expanded to Malaysia, Laos and the Philippines.
'I still can't figure out how we made it through these seven years,' Lee says with a smile. 'Seven years is a short period for a business, but in a person's life, it feels very long.
'For a business or a CEO, the first one to five years are about survival. In the next five to ten years, the CEO plays an important role in pushing the organisation to another level. And when the organisation is more than ten years old, the most important thing may not be the CEO, but the board or the culture of the organisation. At that point, we have to ask ourselves, 'Why do we need to be here? And what are we going to continue to do?''
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I believe that a person's destiny is not predetermined. Believe me—it can be changed
- Komsan Lee -
When asked which period over the past seven years was the most difficult for him, Lee answers without hesitation, 'Every period was hard.'
'The problems are never the same,' he says. 'We have recurring problems, but the solutions will be different according to the changing situations of the organisation.
'I think the hardest part for me was surviving the various challenges, whether it's fundraising, keeping our teams motivated or understanding consumers.'
Above Lee with his co-founder Di Weijie (left) and their first investor Dina (Photo: Komsan Lee)
A volatile economy is a time for reflection
Flash Express currently has over 27,000 branches across Thailand and an intelligent parcel-sorting system that can handle up to 100,000 parcels per hour. The company delivers small and large parcels, even fruits, providing continuous service without holidays.
It's estimated to handle about 700 million parcels across Southeast Asia annually.
Although business is growing steadily in this challenging economic climate, Lee sees it as a time not for aggressive expansion but for internal consolidation.
'This is the time for everyone to clean their house and restructure their internal framework to be more appropriate for the size of the business,' he says. 'Flash itself has changed quite a bit. We have come back to look at the core of how we support consumers, the core of the service and do those things more deeply.'
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Above When Lee first started his venture, he says he would brag about it whenever he got the chance to the point that his colleagues could memorise every word he said (Photo: Komsan Lee)
Above A young Lee (Photo: Komsan Lee)
On its seventh anniversary this year, the company launched a new campaign: 'Delivering happiness every mile', signalling its readiness to provide delivery services everywhere.
It also expanded its services through a joint venture with Thailand Post and JWD InfoLogistics in 2021, to express transport cold-chain goods under the brand Fuze Post. It later also launched Flash Bulky to deliver large items weighing 5 to 100 kilogrammes nationwide, as well as an e-commerce business that helps online sellers build their brands, increase sales channels and manage live broadcasts.
'When you don't have your own DNA, it's important to create a clear identity,' Lee says. 'After that, you will start to know what you can do and are good at, and more importantly, what you can't do and are not good at.
'The secret to doing business is to take what you are good at and add it to what others are good at to fix what you are not good at. This will help you achieve success more easily.'
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Photo 1 of 5 Flash Express's parcel sorting system (Photo: Flash Group)
Photo 2 of 5 AI robots help manage Flash Fulfillment's warehouses (Photo: Flash Group)
Photo 3 of 5 AI robots help manage Flash Fulfillment's warehouses (Photo: Flash Group)
Photo 4 of 5 AI robots help manage Flash Fulfillment's warehouses (Photo: Flash Group)
Photo 5 of 5 AI robots help manage Flash Fulfillment's warehouses (Photo: Flash Group)
The precursor to success
It begins to rain during the interview, a common occurrence this time of the year. Lee reveals that he likes the rainy season the most because it is when nature is at its greenest.
It's unsurprising, then, that his hobbies include forest trekking, mountain climbing, and simply being close to nature. Being able to smell the soil, trees and flowers helps him let go of problems and stress that may have accumulated, giving him time to ponder his decisions.
The rainy season, however, is also the most difficult season for the transportation industry. 'Apart from the increase in road accidents, our parcels may get wet,' says Lee. 'We cannot change nature, so we can only try to adjust and be better every day.'
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Above An artwork from Lee's collection (Photo: Komsan Lee)
Although changing nature is beyond human capability, Lee believes that the path to success lies in not giving up on one's dreams and destiny.
'For a child from the countryside, the greatest dream is the word 'rich', because it is the thing he lacks the most,' says Lee. 'Back then, I thought I wanted to be a rich person and that pushed me to do business. But I didn't have a higher education and didn't have the opportunity to meet businesspeople or leaders who could teach me the 'right way'. So, a part of today's results may have come from my ignorance, which has led us to act this way. But another, more important part is that we had no choice.
'I wanted to walk a professional path, but at the time, I didn't know professionalism. What I knew for sure was that I had to make it happen. To make it happen, it no longer mattered whether the method was professional or not, because what was more important was that I had to succeed.'
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The secret to doing business is to take what you are good at and add it to what others are good at to fix what you are not good at. This will help you achieve success more easily
- Komsan Lee -
Above Komsan Lee (Photo: Worapon Teerawatvijit)
More than a unicorn, it's about creating value
For Lee, the title of 'unicorn' is like a gold medal—a dream prize for startup entrepreneurs that he and his team are proud of. But it also brings great responsibility.
'When we were a startup, our job was to do whatever it takes to survive and succeed,' he says. 'Today, we wear the hat of 'Thailand's first unicorn'. People's expectations are higher—you have to be a good person, help society, educate and help drive change in the industry. I would like to say that with determination, we will do it. But our strength may not be as great as people expect. It is what we have always tried to do, and we hope that society will understand and be more encouraging.'
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Above Lee and Di celebrate the new year (Photo: Komsan Lee)
An initiative that Lee rarely talks about is the 'Komsongfan' scholarship programme he started some three years ago. Its name translates to 'Komsan Sends Dreams', and it offers scholarships for higher education to underprivileged youths.
'One thing that has brought me to this point is education,' says Lee. 'Education has given me access to opportunities and has changed my life for the better. So I would like to support Thai children to receive a good education from abroad and then come back to help push this country to be even better.'
The scholarships are 'no-strings-attached' grants, which means recipients are not required to pay them back. Explains Lee: 'Our conditions are simple. You don't have to pay back the scholarship and you don't have to come back to work for Flash. There are no binding contracts. It's a free scholarship.'
There is only one condition: 'After graduating, you have to come back to develop Thailand or work in Thailand for at least three years,' says Lee. 'I hope that these young people who have received a better education and have seen the bigger world will be able to come back to create change for Thailand.'
The project awarded 22 scholarships totalling over THB 2.2 million (US$68,000) in its first year. It has also given out scholarships for studying in China, amounting to over THB 10 million (US$308,000).
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Above Lee with scholars from the 'Komsongfan' project (Photo: Komsan Lee)
Throughout the interview, Lee's humility and determination are palpable in his answers. A 2021 Tatler Gen.T Leader of Tomorrow , he leaves a few final thoughts for other entrepreneurs.
'Do not look down on yourself. But in not looking down on yourself, also be humble and open to others' opinions. Listening to others' perspectives helps fill in the blind spots that we may not have thought of or fully understand. In the end, whether you decide to do something or not is up to you. But how you do it depends not only on yourself, but also on the advice of others.
' I believe that a person's destiny is not predetermined. Believe me—it can be changed. '
Credits
This article was created with the assistance of AI tools