Honey was born in Bangkok where her Chinese mother and Thai father run a family furniture and ceramics business. She recalls a happy and adventurous childhood. “I grew up with my younger sister and brother in Bangkok, which is similar in some ways to Sydney, though more crowded,” she says. “It’s a multicultural city in the middle of Thailand.”
The family house was home to four generations, with up to 30 people living together at one time. Honey enjoyed all that life had to offer in the bustling capital, including academic studies (she was elected student president in her final year of high school), socialising with friends, and vacations in the country.
“My high school was close to where we lived and I liked all the school activities – sports, art and science. I also attended an English college [after school hours]. In my free time I loved going to cafes and other venues in the city. There are some great places on Sukhumut Road. I’ve always loved eating out with friends, all kinds of food. Japanese is my favourite.
“From Bangkok it’s easy to travel to all parts of Thailand. The southern region is popular with tourists, especially Phuket, and many people like the mountains in the north. Places like Chiang Mai are really nice. My favourite places are in the eastern region. The beautiful islands there are more private, very relaxing – good places for snorkeling and kayaking.”
After completing high school Honey enrolled at Thammasat University where she undertook studies in sociology and marketing. The campus is located just outside Bangkok and Honey lived in student accommodation there for four years. She developed a keen interest in business and upon graduation took up an executive position with InfoQuest Ltd, a leading online news agency and service provider in Thailand. “I learned a lot there about business and online marketing,” Honey says.
In 2007, the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) Summit was held in Singapore. ASEAN leaders adopted the ASEAN Economic Blueprint to serve as a master plan guiding the establishment of an ASEAN Economic Community by 2015. The vision of economic and social integration has been an inspiration for Honey, who hopes to see Thailand participate in a competitive and equitable region, fully integrated into the global economy.
“Coming to Sydney was a way to prepare for that,” she says. “My family has supported my decision to complete a Masters [in Sydney] and continue to practise English. The plan is then for me to return home to Thailand.”
The choice of Sydney had to do with a thriving Thai community and contacts with regard to part-time employment. An opportunity to work at Pronprohm, Redfern’s premier Thai restaurant established in 1987, has proven most beneficial. “We’re like a family here,” Honey says. “We talk and play together. The owners are dependable and loving people – and the food is really great.”
Reflecting on Thai cuisine and its popularity as the number one choice of takeaway in NSW, Honey paints a picture of her home country as a land of plentiful resources and wonderful climates. “We joke that in Thailand there are three seasons,” she says. “Hot, hotter and hottest!
“There is a long history of agriculture in Thailand – all kinds of crops and healthy herbs are grown. Buddhist teachings emphasise respect for all life, so usually only fish and small animals like chickens are cooked and eaten – with many different kinds of vegetables and spices. In the north, the dishes are sweet and sour. In the south, most spicy. Somtum and papaya with sticky rice is a typical north-eastern dish – salty and spicy. There’s a tradition of bringing many small, neatly prepared dishes to the table – it’s about balance, detail and variety – the way the food looks, how it smells, and how it fits in with the rest of the meal.”
Pronprohm prides itself on serving traditional Bangkok-style cuisine – mixing up the best from all the regions of Thailand. “Pronprohm means something like ‘wish of the gods’ or ‘luck of the heavens’,” Honey says. Heavenly food? “Yes, perhaps that’s it,” she smiles.
