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Sunida Sookcharoen

"My name is Sunida Sookcharoen. I was born on March 1st, 1957. I am from Chonburi, a city located south of Bangkok, where I grew up with four brothers and sisters. My parents originally came from Chiang Mai, my mother is a housewife and my father was a forester, but he died when I was about 12. I have been married for almost 20 years, but no kids. My husband and I are more like … I think we are just like very good friends. We met at the time I worked at Mae Jo Institute of Technology and he is now a teacher at the Agricultural College in Sanpatong.

"At the age of 16 years old, I moved up to Chiang Mai and studied commerce, then I moved to Reading, in England, before graduating. I worked there as an au pair while also studying there. I returned to work in Chiang Mai, there were at the time many foreign projects helping the hill tribes. When that project finished I worked in several others as well as in companies. I got bored with the last one I decided to resign. I didn’t apply for a job because after all these years of working … I just needed to rest! I am a dog lover, so I raised my dogs, boxers, I liked that and it was also my hobby. I also read a lot, for I love reading. Later I applied for a job at a porcelain doll factory, a joint Thai-American venture, as an executive secretary. Two years later, there was a dispute between the partners and the factory closed down, which left all of us jobless.

"A co-worker who knew about the process of porcelain-making, and I set up a workshop. When we started, the Thai economy collapsed and we could find very few customers. We struggled! It was really hard, we couldn't find new clients because we were too 'new' in the field. So I attended a show in Bangkok in order to make ourselves known, and it worked out. We saw a lot of improvement within the next 3 years. First we made western-style dolls and then customers began asking us for the hill tribes and Thai style. We started to make the costumes and learned how they dressed, how they used their jewelry, etc. Now we make dolls from all around Thailand, we recreate the different styles and their traditional character. By the way, parts of my dolls are handmade by some of the hill tribes, and therefore some of the size, colors, beads and patterns may come slightly different, but well - that's also the fascinating part of handmade products, they all come with a flavor of uniqueness.

"Now we have been able to diversify and we handcraft all types of celadon and traditional ceramic products too. Our products have been so well received, we have been able to offer jobs to other skilled artisans. With regards to production I supervise all the sections, working closely with the artisans, and of course I know about all the processes and subtleties of ceramic work -- but I don’t make the ceramic myself, this is more the job of my expert partner, I call him the 'formula guy.' I much more enjoy the public relations aspects of the job! I would like to add that I am very strict with quality and that I am well aware of the time delivery factor.

"I think of myself as a regular person, I enjoy being with friends, dealing with clients and I am serious at work. I love to travel, when I have time I drive south to the beach. But in a few years, when everything begins to run smoothly, I hope to tour Europe. I love to play tennis but I don't play these days – everybody seems to be too busy! I love Thai arts and culture, especially that of Lanna, in the North; they have their own style, and when you see it you know it's really Lanna. Their handicrafts are great - I particularly like rattan and bamboo very much.

"I like Novica's approach, for this is the only way for us to show our products overseas. And I look forward to Novica selling more of our products on their site. We are proud of all our work. I think this is the way to present our Thai culture to the world too. People will see and think they are beautiful products and will be interested in a country that has a rich and graceful culture."