The owner of Thai ice cream brand Hawell’s has put his business on sale for $6 million as he prepares to enter monkhood. Siripong Akkarasriyuk, chairman of Hawell's, said that he is searching for a successor to take over the ice cream business.
Siripong announced the decision in a Facebook post last month. He explained that he was selling the brand in order to fulfill his longtime goal of becoming an arahant.
The Thai businessman, who launched Hawell’s in 1999, also said that problems with expansion was part of the reason he was putting the business on sale. “Over the past two years, we have made great efforts to contact shopping malls to open locations. However, the malls consistently replied that they had no space for Hawell’s — despite there being several vacant spots left by previous tenants. No matter how many times we inquired, we received the exact same answer,” he said in his Facebook post.
According to the Bangkok Post, Hawell’s had once been an ubiquitous sight in Thailand before eventually dwindling down. Today, only one standalone store remains of the ice cream brand.
Search for a successor
Siripong Akkarasriyuk said that he had been planning for 15 years to enter the next stage of life.
{{/usCountry}}Siripong Akkarasriyuk said that he had been planning for 15 years to enter the next stage of life.
{{/usCountry}}“The most important reason is that my family and I have only two years left,” he wrote — noting that he had set a time frame of two years to enter monkhood.
Siripong plans to cut off contact with his family and friends, including his wife and daughter, for "the ultimate goal of attaining enlightenment as an arahant.”
In the next two years, he wants to find land and create a forest sanctuary where he can meditate as a monk.
“To me, entering monkhood means separating from worldly life so everyone can walk their own spiritual path. I will live in that forest and dedicate my life entirely to practice. If I achieve my ultimate goal of Arahantship, I will return to worldly society solely to teach and guide my daughter, wife, relatives, and disciples in Dhamma practice,” he said.
The Thai founder said he plans to sell his business for 165 million baht (over $6 million USD). This includes 2.77 acres of land, an office and factory, the Hawell's outlet, trademark, business know-how and ice cream recipes.
In his search for a successor, he is also offering a referral fee of 5 million baht.