Gems to food, Thai women know how to sell
– A mix of foreign and indigenous culture at the 10th International Shillong Trade Fair OUR CORRESPONDENT

A 15-member contingent of Thai women dazzled visitors at the 10th International Shillong Trade Fair with their professionalism and even went on to claim that when it came to business, they were better than the men.

For most, Like Jira Boonthananith of Wangkaew Jewellery, independence and success are the driving force.

“It feels great to be independent”.

Echoing her, Ussanee Boriboonsud and Patcharee Thongrit of Patthai Intertrade Company Limited, which deals in jewellery, bags and food, went said, “Thai women can do better trade than men.” R.G. Lyngdoh, former Meghalaya home minister, who visited the Thai Pavilion at the fair recently, was also impressed.

“I am very impressed with the patience and professionalism shown by the Thai ladies while interacting with the local customers”.

Rohit Roy, who starred in many Bollywood films like Shootout at Lokhandwala and LoC Kargil, during his visit to the fair recently, could not stop appreciating the trading skills displayed by the Thai women.

“Though I jokingly bargained with some of the Thai ladies, I was amazed by the way they reacted with professional finesse,” he said.

Thailand, the main business partner of the trade fair this year, has 21 participating companies.

The Royal Thai government, in fact, is part of the fair for the third consecutive year.

Organised by the Industries & Trade Fair Association of Assam and supported by of the government of Meghalaya and NSIC, the fair will conclude this Wednesday.

Payao Sookmak, director of the technical matter group and officer of export planning development, Royal Thai government, who is taking care of the Thailand Pavilion, has won many friends here with her endearing smile.

“Some businessmen have expressed interest in Thai leather products and jewellery. We are looking for people to open Thai outlets in Shillong and other parts of the Northeast as I understand that our culture and customs are similar,” said Sookmak.

Kasornbua, a Thai lady, has become the talk of the town with her Thai Food Corner at the fair.

The traditional sweets bualoy — made of pumpkin, carrot ball, coconut milk and kanom buang — made of rice powder, eggs, coconut, cream, cocoa and milk —have left food lovers in Shillong craving for more.

People are also making a beeline for chicken and pork served with green curry, spicy soup, rice noodles and vegetables made in traditional Thai style.

Kasornbua is more than happy with the response. “I think I should open a cookery school here as many people are asking me to teach them Thai cooking.”

Though surrounded by the high-profile Thais, local entrepreneurs, too, carved a niche for themselves at the fair, wooing a foreign clientele with everything from freshly cooked pithas to indigenous furniture.

It helped, of course, that the fair had opened an NE Techmart pavilion, dedicated to wares from the region.

Says Dara Singh Wari of Ansula furniture from Meghalaya: “Though I have participated in other fairs organised by government agencies, participating in the International Shillong Trade Fair has given me access to a totally new clientele”.

Wari’s furniture has found a large number of buyers and he is now busy honing his protocol while dealing with foreign delegates at the fair.

Like Wari, Padma Rahman of Apurba Wheat and Rice Grinders from Assam, is overwhelmed with her new opportunity. Selling pithas and laroos had never before seemed so appetising an enterprise.

“Business is very good as people from every community, irrespective of caste, creed and religion, are buying Assamese sweetmeats before Bihu,” said Rahman.

With participants and clients from Thailand, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Egypt, Pakistan and Vietnam, the traders from the Northeast have made sure that they are not left behind.