Growing a portfolio by hundreds of percent is something anyone wants to share. But at the "Win Rate 300%: How to Stay in the Market Without Going Broke Before Getting Rich?" session at MONEY FEST 2026, Professor M (Associate Professor Dr. Udomsak Rakwongwan) and Earth (Sararun Meechaisuwan) chose to talk about the days they lost money.
One once traded until losing hundreds of thousands of baht in savings in a single day, while the other lost millions in a business that lasted only two months. Their experiences remind us that besides profit opportunities, we must prepare for when plans go wrong.
During his undergraduate studies, Professor M shared that he used to tutor for 100 baht per hour, gradually saving around 300,000 to 400,000 baht before trading Forex to grow his money quickly. That day, his portfolio dropped to zero.
Looking back, he realized the damage began even before placing trades. It’s a lesson for many thinking of starting investing, stemming from the belief they could get rich fast and taking risks without careful thought. Today, he warns investors: “Don’t go all-in, don’t be gullible, don’t be impatient,” especially when seeing others’ profits or luxury lifestyles on social media.
Professor M’s investment planning starts with three simple questions: How much do you earn and save now? How much money do you want at retirement? How should you invest to reach that goal? With clear answers, there’s no need to pressure yourself to beat the market every year.
He separates investments by purpose: the main portfolio is for long-term goals, diversified across assets, while a separate portfolio seeks opportunities in higher-risk assets. If the latter suffers losses, the life plan should still proceed.
For Professor M, successful investors are those who have money when they need it and live the life they intend. He left this advice on stage: “Manage money to build your life, don’t manage your life just to make money.”
In 2022, Earth invested 1 million baht to open a noodle shop as a half partner. The shop closed after only two months due to a partner’s informal debts, causing the entire investment to be lost.
This event showed him that even with careful market risk management, money can still be lost through business partnerships. Protecting investment plans requires looking at life outside the market, including health, debt obligations, and earning ability.
Earth also encourages defining what “wealth” means personally. For him, it means being debt-free, having 100,000 baht monthly income, being able to care for his cats without worry, and having time with family. Knowing these needs removes the pressure to compete with others’ returns.
In his portfolio, Earth prioritizes holding cash to manage volatility while investing the main funds in diversified assets, and keeping a small portion for riskier opportunities. These proportions reflect his personal strategy, not a one-size-fits-all rule.
He gave an example: if a portfolio drops 50%, it must gain 100% to break even. A heavy loss can mean a long road to recovery. Therefore, Earth emphasizes increasing income from work and choosing risk levels he can genuinely tolerate.
His core principles are “Understand, Learn, and Be Patient”: understand what you invest in, learn your limits, and give time to long-term plans.
Their stories share this common point: before asking how much your portfolio can grow, ask yourself if you could continue toward your life goals even if this money is lost.
The cash proportions and returns mentioned by both are their personal approaches and goals, not figures every portfolio can replicate. Asset allocation should consider individual timelines and risk tolerance.
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