ROLLING WITH THE PUNCHES
Pariyakorn Ratanasuban
Boxing promoter
Every Saturday, hordes of fans crowd into Bangkok Boxing Stadium to see muay thai fighters unleash a flurry of fists, elbows, feet and knees onto each other. The promoter of this traditionally male stronghold is Pariyakorn Ratanasuban, a petite woman who jabs, hooks and dashes—if only figuratively—across this macho mayhem without ever getting knocked out.
Pariyakorn is the daughter of famed promoter Songchai Ratanasuban. She learned the business first-hand, watching her dad handle the side of boxing that goes on outside the ropes. “I wasn’t that into it, at first,” admits Pariyakorn. “I only did it to help the family business.”
The 28-year-old has now been a boxing promoter for six years. Her journey has been blessed by her family’s support and guidance: “It would be a completely different story for any other girl trying to dabble in this men-dominated world. I’m the exception. Since I was a kid, my dad took me to boxing stadiums. I was able to befriend and learn from veteran promoters and boxers since a very young age.”
That doesn’t mean her family has done all the hard work and she is able to sit comfortably in an air-conditioned office. “Problems arise every single day. The local boxing scene is consumed by pride and jealousy. Men feel it is beneath their dignity to compromise and even to openly talk with each other. What a load of crap. Really, boxing is going through troubled times right now. If we don’t unite, how exactly are we supposed to compete with, say, football, which gets much more attention and more television time than boxing does?”
Her latest accomplishment is more personal: her six-month-old baby. “Life would be boring without challenges. Yes, there are days when I want to give up, but this is my job and I am destined for this. I won’t quit without putting up a good fight.”
One of Pariyakorn’s current priorities is promoting female fighters so that they receive the same recognition as the men. “Despite what many people think, female boxers are stronger when it comes to determination and willpower. They go all out—both inside and outside the ring.”
She would know.
RISKY BUSINESS
Pichayaporn Uamongkolkarn
Financial planner
Pichayaporn Uamongkolkarn (Peach) has a lot on her mind. The moment she wakes up, the Assistant Vice-President of Asia Plus Securities’ Marketing Department 2 tunes her TV to the news and money channels to keep track of stock markets worldwide. She browses through a daily stock analysis over a cup of morning coffee, while keeping her fingers crossed that the economy won’t slide deeper into recession.
Then, she puts all her brainpower to the service of her clients. “Each customer has different investment goals and comfort levels. Some are happy with low-interest but safe investments, while others seek riskier but more profitable ventures,” says Peach. “I need to assess whether the form of investment I offer is suitable for that particular customer and recommend trades and stocks, which meet their needs.”
To be a “marketing officer” (a.k.a. financial planner or stockbroker), you need to pass an exam administered by the Thailand Securities Instutute and obtain a license from the Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET).
Since marketing officers’ wages are based on commissions from transactions they execute on behalf of their clients, there’s no resting on your laurels. Tension and stress are natural components of the job. “This is not physical labor, of course. But from time to time it can be emotionally draining, especially when the market is quiet,” says Peach.
“In a way, I think women make better financial planners because, after all, the majority of investors are men,” she says with a smile. “Plus, women, by nature, are more understanding and considerate, so customers might feel more at ease talking to us.”It took Peach six years to climb up the corporate ladder from simple marketing officer to assistant vice president. Along the way, she says, her biggest challenge has come not from her male colleagues but herself. “The business is very competitive and the turnover rate is high. But at the end of the day, it’s up to you. And I am very proud of myself for surviving in this business.”
EYES ON THE SKY
Chananporn Rosjan
Commercial pilot
Forget what you’re thinking. Winner of the Miss Thailand Universe competition in 2005, Chananporn (Nod) is a pilot-turned-beauty queen—not the other way around. Nod knew her calling was in the skies from a very young age; as for the pageant, it was simply “something interesting to do to spice up (her) life” while waiting the two months between being a pilot cadet and the start of flight school.
“I was a goody two-shoes, who had parents and friends as a security blanket I clung to. I thought it would be a good chance for me to see how people on the outside of my microcosm live and socialize with others,” the 24-year-old engineering graduate explains.
In contrast to eventual winner Natalie Glebova, Nod’s crowning moment was taking the controls of a Boeing 737 for the first time. Now she’s a co-pilot with Air Asia, second in command to a pilot who has more experience. Her contract requires her to work six more years.
“Normally, in a day, we fly four flights. The captain and co-pilot get to fly two each. When you are flying, you are in control of the aircraft and you make the decisions. When you aren’t flying, you have to play a supporting role.”
How does it feel to be trusted with lives of hundreds of passengers? “I feel pressure all the time! But I knew that before I signed up for this. I think it gives me a strong sense of responsibility,” says Nod. “Plus, it’s good to be in control.”
“Being a pilot helped me mature. I was terrible at being on time or being organized but that has improved tremendously. I am now very punctual and have never been late for a flight. These might sound like small accomplishments, but they are huge for me.”
Nod believes that, despite some differences, women have the potential to be equally good pilots as men. “If you really want to do something, you have to give all of your heart and mind to it. We are born with two hands. With these two hands, we can make things happen for ourselves.”
LABOR OF LOVE
Song Jitjak
Construction worker
Song Jitjak’s work has taken her throughout Thailand to many five-star hotels and resorts. But only until they were completed. Then, as a construction worker, the 35-year-old moved to the next building site to put up walls and install water pipes.
Six years ago in her native Sakhon Nakorn Province, Song was a seamstress. But she struggled to make ends meet for herself and her school-age son, so she followed her husband to Bangkok. “When I first started, I got B153 a day, but now I make B190 a day,” Song says with a smile. “It was hard work pretty hot out there, but it was fun, too. I had many girl friends on the sites.
Recently Song was promoted, and her job description has changed. “Before I just did what the foreman told me to do. Now I’m responsible for inventory in a warehouse and have to make a weekly report to my boss,” she says.
Patience, Song says, is the key to dealing with her male colleagues. “Pipes, wrenches, screws—they need different things at the same time, and that gives me a headache sometimes. I need to be calm because men aren’t afraid of me even when I scold them. They just laugh it off.”
Despite everything, she seems satisfied with what she has now. The construction company she works for provides housing, which includes utilities. This allows the couple to save money for their son’s education.
“I wish I could afford to bring my son to live here. But I can only go back to visit him during the holidays. I want him to get as much education as he can. Hopefully, the future will be brighter for him.”
G.I. JANE
Lalida Snidvongs na Ayuthaya
Senior colonel in the Royal Thai Army
Ask Sr. Col. Lalida if becoming a soldier was her dream career and she will burst out laughing. “No. Not at all. When I was a kid, I knew nothing about being in the military. But I grew up surrounded by people in the military so I thought, ‘Why not?’ And I gave it a try.”
With a degree in education, she started off teaching math at a cadet school. “I didn’t want to end up an old teacher stuck teaching kids in the same school forever. A cadet school was much cooler. You get to move around from army to navy and air force. Options are endless.”
After five years of teaching, she was promoted to second lieutenant, and then took a giant leap forward as she was advanced to be tor sor (right-hand woman) of the Army chief.
“It is usually a job for male officers. But the deputy commander in chief recommended me for the job and I got it. And you know what? I am the first female tor sor of Thailand! It’s my greatest accomplishment.”
When asked why the army has to be so male-dominated, Col. Lalida doesn’t skip a beat: “Well, it’s the military! Military fieldwork requires strength and endurance and they don’t see girls fit for the job.”
The senior colonel, who is now working in the public relations department of the Office of the Army Secretary, would have wished to see more action, though. “When I was younger, I wanted to go to battlefields but I didn’t get that chance. And now, I am too old.”
“Guys in the army still feel women can’t do as much as men can. But female soldiers are at an advantage when they have to be in contact with civilians. Civilians like talking to women better because they don’t feel the kind of pressure induced by male officers.”
On how a girl can hope to become a high-ranking soldier, Lalida is surprisingly earnest: “Honestly? You need connections!”
Numerology: Work and Women in Thailand
10
Percentage of members of Parliament in 2004 who were women.
22
Percentage of private-sector executives in 2006 who were women.
89
Percentage of workers in the journalism and media sectors in 2005 who were women.
B194
The highest minimum wage of workers (in Bangkok and neighboring provinces like Nonthaburi and Pathumthani).
B144
The lowest minimum wage of workers (Nan and Phayao).
26.8
Percentage of families where women are the main source of income.
73.2
Percentage of families where men are the main source of income.
54
Percentage of women aged 25-29, in Bangkok, who are single.
8
Number of years women live longer than men (74.1 years vs. 66.1), in Thailand.
780,769
Number by which women outnumber men, in Thailand.
Sources: The Ministry of Labor (www.mol.go.th), Election Commission of Thailand (www.ect.go.th), Office of Women’s Affairs and Family Development (www.women-family.go.th).
bk asks: Which traditionally “male” job would you like to do?
Duangkamon Bumpenbun, 23, pretty
Architect. They look cool.
Nantawan Sommeechi, 35, clothing vendor
I want to be a road construction worker. They look hot with their shirt off.
Pattama, 22, internal auditor
I would say soldier because they are brave.
Thanawan Jittayanon, 24, research assistant
Pilot. They all look smart in their uniforms and they fly very big planes.
Walaiporn Yaipha, 30, photo lab technician
I would like to be a soldier so that I can defend my country. Plus, I’d learn how to be more patient.
Promporn, 45, housewife
Surgeon. It takes a lot of practice, skill and knowledge.
