## What is a True Professional Trader? Understand Clearly Before Trading

This article will help you understand the true meaning of a **Trader** because being a Trader is not as easy as it seems. It requires knowledge, skills, and patience.

## Who is a Trader?

In the financial markets, **Trader** refers to someone who makes a living by buying and selling financial instruments such as stocks, bonds, commodities, currencies, and derivatives to generate short-term income.

The difference between a Trader and an Investor is:
- **Trader** holds assets for a short period to capitalize on market volatility
- **Investor** holds assets for a long time, believing they will appreciate in value in the future

In the past, becoming a Trader meant going to a brokerage office to open an account. But with technological advancements, forex trading has become much easier. You can trade anywhere, anytime through online platforms.

## How Does Profit Occur?

**The main goal of a Trader** is to buy low and sell high. The profit is the gain.

But there are various ways to generate profit:

**Method 1: Fundamental Analysis**
Traders study economic news, fundamental data, and market conditions to understand future trends.

**Method 2: Technical Analysis**
Using price charts and indicators to measure price movement patterns.

**Method 3: Quantitative Analysis**
Applying mathematical formulas and algorithms to find the best trading opportunities.

## How Many Types of Traders Are There?

### Based on Trading Duration

**Day Trader** - Daily trading
- Opens and closes positions within the same day
- Takes advantage of small price movements
- Risks are relatively high, especially when using excessive leverage

**Scalper** - Very short-term trading
- Gains small profits multiple times
- Requires strong technical and market analysis skills
- Needs quick decision-making

**Swing Trader** - Swing trading
- Holds positions for 2-3 days
- Relies on short-term trend analysis and market patterns
- Suitable for those who cannot monitor the market all day

**Position Trader** - Long-term trading
- Holds positions for weeks or months
- Disregards temporary volatility
- Waits for significant market events

### Based on Analysis Method

**Fundamental Trader** - Fundamental analysis
- Studies news, data, and economic conditions
- Makes trading decisions based on macro factors

**Technical Trader** - Technical analysis
- Uses charts, indicators, and price patterns
- Must have skills in reading charts

**Momentum Trader** - Momentum trading
- Trades according to trend direction
- If the trend is upward, sells to maximize profit
- If downward, buys at lower prices

## Characteristics of Professional vs. Beginner Traders

### Beginner Traders should have

**1. Willingness to learn**
- The forex market offers much to learn, and even professional traders learn daily
- Start with learning tools, analysis methods, and practicing on demo accounts

**2. Time management**
- Know the right times to trade, as different currencies have different trading hours
- Avoid trading all the time

**3. Good planning**
- Before trading, have a clear plan on when to buy/sell and when to exit
- Trading without a plan often leads to failure

### Professional Traders

**1. Advanced knowledge**
- Study everything about the forex market
- Read books, attend advanced courses, and gather information from various sources

**2. Develop personal strategies**
- Know different strategies such as diversification and trailing stops
- Adapt them to assets you are proficient in

**3. Risk and emotional management**
- Know when to trade and when not to
- Avoid decisions driven by greed or fear

## Common Misconceptions to Avoid

**1. Trading makes you rich quickly**
Trading requires patience, study, trial and error before consistent profits can be achieved.

**2. Only short-term trading is profitable**
Traders can profit from both short-term and long-term trading, depending on their style.

**3. More trades mean more profit**
It’s not about the number of trades but the quality of decisions and risk management.

**4. Market prediction is certain**
No trader can know the future for sure. Even indicators only analyze past data to forecast future movements.

## Who is the Best Trader in the World?

### George Soros (จอร์จ โซรอส)
- Generated over $1 billion in profit
- Uses current data analysis strategies
- Risks only when confident

### Andy Krieger (แอนดี้ ครีเกอร์)
- Decisive decision-maker, knows when to buy and sell
- Excellent emotional control

### Bill Lipschutz (บิล ลิปชอตซ์)
- Uses trend-following strategies
- Profits from market volatility
- Analyzes data thoroughly before every trade

### Jim Simmons (จิม ไซมอน)
- Combines mathematical knowledge with trading
- Uses algorithms and computational tools for maximum results

### Bruce Kovner (บรูซ โคฟเนอร์)
- Manages risk and emotions well
- Knows how much to trade to avoid excessive losses

From these examples, it’s clear that successful Traders need skills, training, and mindfulness—not just luck.

## Who Can Become a Trader?

**Anyone can, but must be serious**

There are no restrictions on who can become a Trader, but the key is to have:

**Basic Knowledge**
- Understand markets and financial instruments
- Have a solid trading plan
- Know risk management

**Technical Skills**
- Read charts and indicators
- Understand market changes
- Know various strategies

**Emotional Intelligence**
- Stay calm in stressful situations
- Avoid decisions driven by emotions
- Know when to stop

For beginner Traders, start with studying and practicing to develop the skills mentioned above. Then, try trading with small amounts to gain real market experience.

## How to Make Profits as a Trader

### 1. Find a style that suits you
Practice until you know which trading style fits you:
- Day Trading - fast trading, no holding long
- Swing Trading - hold for 2-3 days
- Position Trading - hold for longer periods

### 2. Learn and apply strategies
Once learned, adapt strategies such as:
- Diversification
- Trailing Stops (Trailing Stop)
- Limit Orders (Limit Order)
- Stop Loss Orders (Stop Loss)

### 3. Continuously evaluate performance
Review profits and losses every 30 trades to avoid impulsive decisions

### 4. Don’t use real money immediately
Practice on demo accounts first to test strategies without risk

## Summary

Becoming a **Trader** who succeeds is not easy. It requires study, trial and error, and patience over time.

For beginners, start with:
1. Strong foundational knowledge
2. Practice on demo accounts
3. When ready, trade with small real amounts
4. Learn from your own experience

Most importantly, patience, continuous learning, and good risk management are vital because investing involves risks—you may incur losses.