Thailand Tatler has been covering the great and good in Thai society for 20 years. To mark the anniversary of the magazine, Natnalin Thananan talks to some of the people who featured in our very first issue in september 1991
The early 1990s was a much simpler time in Thailand. The economy was good, business was booming, information technology was becoming an everyday part of our lives, and the threat of global warming didn’t feel as imminent as it does today. For Thailand Tatler’s 20th anniversary we revisit six high-profile people who we interviewed in our first issue back in 1991. Sadly one of them is no longer with us: Professor Sanya Dhamasakti, former prime minister, president of the Privy Council and rector of Thammasat University. He was a highly regarded man, noted for his incorruptibility, who played a major role in forming our modern-day politics. Unfortunately we could not reach Ravida Chaturachinda for an interview, although we do know that this beautiful AIDS awareness activist, who held a consulting position for the then minister of the Prime Minister’s Office, Mechai Viravaidhya, has moved to England where she is an interior designer and married to Peter Clay. We bring you the latest news of the four remaining prominent society figures who are still as active as they were 20 years ago, if not more so.
General Chavalit Yongchaiyudh
An important figure in the history of Thai politics, General Chavalit Yongchaiyudh started his political career as deputy prime minister in the administration of General Chatichai Choonhavan. Although at the time of his first interview with Thailand Tatler he had not yet been elected premier, he was already influential in politics and government, having for many years played an important role in encouraging more attention to the needs of the rural Northeast. This former military man should be applauded for his efforts and moderating influence in Thai politics, having been the brains behind General Prem Tinsulanonda’s strategy to negotiate with the communist rebels in the 1970s instead of using force, thus saving many lives that might have been lost.
In the 1990s he agreed to make military radio stations available for an anti-AIDS campaign, at a time when the disease was misunderstood and the Thai public was not properly informed about its seriousness. Dr Saisuree Chutikul, a prominent figure in women’s and children’s rights, acknowledges another aspect of the general’s advanced thinking: “He was one of the first to support women being appointed to higher government positions,” she recalls. He later entered politics and became leader of the New Aspiration Party and, in 1996, the 22nd prime minister of Thailand. He resigned the following year in the wake of the Asian financial crisis. In 2008, he held the position of deputy prime minister in Somchai Wongsawat’s cabinet, and joined the Pheu Thai Party in 2009.
Khunying Chodchoy Sophonpanich
It is hard to believe that Khunying Chodchoy Sophonpanich is now a grandmother of four. This beautiful socialite is as active as ever, with numerous projects concerning environmental and educational issues. Although her Magic Eyes anti-litter project is not as ubiquitous as it once was, Khunying Chodchoy asserts that her team is still working on this with interested businesses. “In the last few decades, there has been a surge of interest towards environmental issues from businesses in Thailand,” she says, “which I am really happy about. However, there still is a problem that most campaigns don’t see educating the public as a main focus; instead they focus on campaigns that have good intentions, but don’t serve the purpose of changing people’s behaviours.” The socially conscious lady explains that she is bringing back Magic Eyes as a mobile stage play in over 40 schools to more than 20,000 students throughout Bangkok. “Many young people who grew up with Magic Eyes are now parents who want their own children to learn about environmental issues from this character. Corporate sponsors are now keen to adopt the CSR concept so we are working with large companies such as Bualuang Securities, financial sponsors of our stage play, to train all 400 employees regarding recycling and initiate a recycling programme in their offices,” she says.
In addition to the Magic Eyes project, the khunying is working with Bangkok Insurance and Major Cineplex to recycle old vinyl banners into school bags for children in Border Patrol Police schools. “Instead of throwing away these banners and polluting the environment the children can benefit from them while the village communities also earn an income from manufacturing the bags. Everybody wins,” she explains. Another passion is education, in which she majored while at university. With affluent Thai children being educated at international schools, she believes they “should spend the first 10 years of their lives in a Thai school learning to be fluent in the Thai language, history and culture so they will have a deep attachment and understanding of being Thai.” She has also set up a programme under her late father’s Chin Sophonpanich Foundation called Thai School of Excellence or TSE. “I wanted to help improve the Thai school system so that future generations will have quality education,” she says. “This means we have to train teachers to adopt new methods of teaching.” In collaboration with the British Council, TSE adopted the Child Centre Education, a syllabus infusing international-school standards of teaching. Five private Thai schools are participating, among them Mater Dei, Srivikorn and Amnuaysilp. Some changes include encouraging Thai students to question authority (in a respectful manner), and to explore their subjects of personal interest with the encouragement of the teachers. “Every child has a talent,” she says. “It is the teacher’s job to help them discover it and thrive from it.”
William E Heinecke
The name William E Heinecke is synonymous with success. An American-born entrepreneur with a knack for spotting the next big thing in Thailand, Heinecke is the prime mover of the fastfood industry in the country, as well as owning a variety of other businesses in lifestyle, real estate, luxury hospitality and even a private jet service. A stern man whose presence definitely commands attention when he enters the room, he put us at ease when he meets us at the prestigious The Residences at St Regis Bangkok for an interview. “My wife Kathy and I are making our second home in the city here. I really like the location and the view is spectacular,” he says as he gazes out the floor-to-ceiling windows. In his 1991 interview, Heinecke joked that he became an overnight success in a mere 25 years. “Maybe it takes 40 now,” he laughs, as his successes just keep on coming. Known as one of the few foreigners to ever break the barriers of Thai business, Heinecke gets asked often about his Thai-ness. “It takes a long time for one to become Thai,” he says. “I’m not sure I qualify yet. But maybe my grandchildren, as we get into the third generation growing up in Thailand, they will consider themselves even more Thai.” As a young man he chose to pursue his business ideas rather than attend university, but today Heinecke is adamant about the importance of education. “Education is the most important thing,” he declares. “I had to learn everything the hard way. One programme that I am really committed to is our scholarship fund which sponsors about 600 students from poorer backgrounds throughout Thailand. For Thailand to improve and grow, it is important that everyone has an opportunity to access education.”
Despite his success, the past two decades have not been without challenges for Heinecke and his businesses. “We’ve faced the 1997 economic crisis, the 2004 tsunami, 9/11 and the political turmoil, which are all very different from the challenges we experienced earlier. It has been a very maturing experience,” he says. And how has he changed personally? With a perspective that may have something to do with the three grandchildren that have appeared over the period, he declares, “As a man, I’ve become more patient in wanting to see change. I understand that everything takes time. After 48 years here, I’ve seen huge changes in Thailand for the better. We’ve seen some challenging situations politically. But all in all, I’ve seen that Thailand has continued to grow and change and I see that Thai people are better off now than 40 years ago. So I’m very optimistic about the future.” As an entrepreneur there are obvious risks to any decisions one makes. As the entrepreneur of his generation, does he have any regrets? “No, not at all. 20 years ago we were very much a Thai company, today we are an international company. More than half of our growth will be coming from international operations, such as Australia, the Middle East, Africa, the Maldives. It has given me great satisfaction that we are able to employ so many people; we have now 35,000 employees worldwide. And also that we are able to deliver so many experiences, whether it is living, travelling, food or flying experiences,” he replies proudly.
But surprisingly, building an empire isn’t the proudest achievement in his life. “I’m most proud of the fact that I could give people a head start,” he says. “Many of my employees have branched out on their own and are now themselves entrepreneurs.”
Dr Saisuree Chutikul
“I would say I am now working harder than I was before!” laughs Dr Saisuree Chutikul. Her work schedule and list of responsibilities certainly do not resemble those of someone who is 77 years old. Born maybe a few generations too early, Dr Saisuree has been the face of Thailand’s women’s and children’s rights for a long time. Don’t let her cheerful disposition fool you; this lady has butted heads with many of her opponents to fight for the rights of the women and children of this country. Women can thank her for many of the opportunities they now enjoy, such as longer maternity leave with full pay, the right to keep their own surnames when they marry and the fact that women can now be appointed as governors and district chief officers. As a committee adviser for five ministries in Thailand and also a member and vice-chair for the United Nation’s women’s and children’s groups respectively, the energetic and sharp-minded advocate is currently working on stopping violence against children, focusing on trafficking and child protection laws. As well as holding honorary degrees from universities around the globe, she also chairs the board of directors of the World Vision Foundation of Thailand and was one of the founding members of the Bangkok Symphony Orchestra. “I studied music as my major in university,” she says, “and I never thought I would be doing social work as a career.” As a mother of two – a son who is an architect based in the United States and a daughter who is mother to Dr Saisuree’s four-year-old granddaughter – she sees the importance in being able to talk to children. “Parents need to stop judging their offspring,” she declares. “If the children can’t talk to their own parents when they need advice, where else can they turn to?”
She talks about how things have definitely changed for the better for women and children in Thailand. “Men who are in charge are now more willing to work with me, and support me in my efforts, which was very difficult to do before,” she says. A woman who spent her life trying to correct society’s injustices, she tells of how people accuse her of corrupting Thai culture. “Just because you are an independent, educated woman doesn’t make you less of a Thai lady. A Thai lady is defined by how she conducts herself, not her achievements or dreams,” she asserts. When asked how she has changed as a woman in the last two decades, she takes a moment to answer. “I’ve learned to be more patient. I am much calmer now.” Dr Saisuree says she is happy to be able to work still, but wishes she had more time for family and to rest. She is still searching for someone who can take over her job, but she feels that this kind of career requires a lot of commitment and passion. “I’ve promised myself and my husband that I am definitely going to retire when I turn 80!” she says with a smile. Her job deals with the grittiest aspects of society, such as child abuse and prostitution, but she remains optimistic: “You always have to believe that people will change, and things will get better.”
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