Banpu was founded by members of the Vongkusolkit and Auapinyakul families on 16 May 1983 as Ban Pu Coal Company Limited. The company was created to subcontract a coal mining operation at Banpu Mine in Li District, Lamphun Province. On 4 May 1989, Banpu was listed on the Stock Exchange of Thailand . Its name was changed on 29 July 1993 to Banpu Public Company Limited.:?7?In 2005, Banpu entered into a joint venture with Thai-Lao Lignite Co., Ltd. and Hong Sa Lignite Co., Ltd. to develop the project, but this agreement was terminated in 2006. A UNCITRAL arbitration found that the Lao government illegally terminated concession and ordered Laos to pay US$57 million in damages plus interest. Laos is refusing to pay.In 2010 Banpu bought the Australian mining company Centennial Coal.
Current CEO of Banpu Somruedee Chaimongkol assumed the position on 10 April 2015.:?137
Banpu decided to launch a new corporate branding attributes in 2018, the "Banpu Heart".
