Imagine a job where you’re surrounded by hundreds of people but they can’t see you, they try to avoid you and they totally ignore you. For some, this line of work is extremely hard on the nerves, but 20-something leaflet distributor turned inspector Sumaporn Thaongnak puts her own optimistic spin on things.

How did you get started?
About two years ago, I sold food in a small food stall in a village outside Bangkok. Unfortunately, the owner wanted to change the stall into some other kind of business so I had to move out. Then someone introduced me to work here in Bangkok as a part-time dek jaek. After I started working as dek jaek, about a year or so, I was promoted to a full-time inspector.

What is the duty of dek jaek?
Dek jaeks are supposed to distribute flyers to houses in an assigned neighborhood. Flyers range from McDonalds, Lotus, Carrefour, Robinson, Burger King and many others, and you’ve got to hand out all those flyers on the very same day. I ended up making about B210 per day.

What is an inspector and what is your duty?
An inspector’s main job is like a dek jaek, except inspectors must wear company uniforms, distribute flyers to pedestrians and work near our customer’s location like Robinson, Emporium, Lotus and more. Working hours are 11am to 2pm five days a week. Staff have to distribute about 11,000 flyers a day, so I just make sure that there’s one per house or person.

What else?
I also have to inspect our dek jaek staff to check whether or not they have completed their distribution routes or if they’ve just cheated and thrown most of the flyers away. So I have to go sifting through garbage bins, water pipes and inspect all the nooks and crannies of a building just to make sure that my staff is doing what they’re supposed to be doing.

Do you like this job?
I like what I am doing now. It’s an easy job and I feel very comfortable. I have to travel to many spots in Bangkok depending on the company, but I am lucky to have my own motorcycle, so it makes the travel easier and quicker. I only have to work a few hours a day leaving more free time in the afternoon to take on other kinds of part-time jobs, so I can make more money. The freedom and good opportunities to meet new people makes me really happy.

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