Nui credits some of the difficult times in her teenage years with shaping the woman, wife, mother, employer and business-woman she has become. Born an only child to a couple in Phetchaburi, Nui’s world was rocked by the separation of her parents when she was in her teens.  She stayed living with her mother, who ran a noodle shop, working long, hard hours to support the pair and their beloved dog. Not having a car, Nui recalls having to get up at 5am to make the lengthy walk to the bus stop to catch the bus to school.  Nui was aware that the pair didn’t have much, but walking together with each other and the faithful dog who always made the trip with them, they had their happiness and that was enough. Nui’s mother still lives in Phetchaburi, yet they still see each other regularly, with Nui’s two boys, Jom, aged 8 and Jun, aged 6, having a doting grandmother.  Although her parents’ separation left Nui with emotional scars, she proudly divulged that eventually her parents overcame the difficulties they had experienced in their relationship and found their way back to each other.

As a child, Nui was very quiet and shy, reticent to engage with people outside her family.  When she finished school, Nui moved to Bangkok to undertake a Bachelor’s degree in Hotel Management at Bangkok University.  Upon graduating, Nui began her career in hospitality, working in the front office at the Dusit Thani just north of Hua Hin in 2005. It was her first experience of the local area and Nui has been living here ever since as she adores the beach and the relaxed lifestyle as well as the opportunity to meet and interact with people of many nationalities.

You might be wondering about how such a painfully shy child came to value meeting international friends. As part of a work-based exchange program, Nui was selected to train, study and work for a year in The Netherlands, undertaking an additional diploma in Hotel Management while employed at the Intercontinental Amstel Hotel in Amsterdam. This time meant Nui had little alternative other than to overcome her natural reticence and learn how to feel confident in an international environment. Nui actually came to savour it as it was a pivotal moment in her personal development and is a valuable skill she regularly calls upon in her capacity as a business owner.

Upon her return to Thailand, Nui continued working for Dusit Thani for less than a year. With the confidence to spread her wings, Nui transitioned her focus to the real estate industry, working for Sansiri as a property consultant, matching customer requirements to available property, be it condominiums, villas or commercial property.  Keen for career progress, Nui worked for Sansiri for around 7 years, until the age of 32.

Throughout this whole time, Nui remained unmarried, but not single. From the age of 15 in Petchaburi, she had a teenage romance with her sweetheart Jod, four years her senior.  Sensibly, they saw no need to rush into marriage too young.  Jod’s family ran an established commercial refrigeration and airconditioning business which left him busy, while Nui was prioritising her studies, her posting abroad and then her real estate career. Although the couple was committed to each other, marriage was not high on the agenda. It was eventually some parental pressure that convinced Nui and Jod to formalise their relationship when Nui was in her early 30s. Perhaps her parents were keen to be grandparents?

Plik Vivek Café is on a sizeable piece of land adjacent to T Rex Sports Club in Hin Lek Fai, and in recent times Nui has made good use of the space she has in two different ways, to the benefit of other sellers and farmers alike.  January 2025 saw the establishment of the highly-successful Cocomarket at Plik Vivek, a 3-day event from Friday to Sunday with 30 vendor stalls, live entertainment as well as a DJ, and delicious freshly-made food and drink options to accompany the experience, which ran from 9am well into the evening. The Cocomarket was so well-received and patronised that Nui has made it a monthly event, which she intends to continue holding even during the low season.

In addition, Plik Vivek is the distribution hub for Truly Organic produce. The company, owned by Khun Nat, provides organically certified farm-fresh produce to the Hua Hin market, both private and commercial customers. After a trial period providing produce to Halio and Patravadi Schools, Truly Organic fruit and vegetables can now the ordered online.  The fruit and vegetables are transported from the organic farms in the Pala-U area and orders are packed in eco-friendly containers at Plik Vivek prior to collection by a growing number of satisfied customers. Nui is proud to say that a substantial percentage of money from sales is returned directly to local farmers, providing them with a much greater return than available through established wholesalers.

Nui credits her empathy and understanding nature as strengths when dealing with a staff of around 20 across the 3 companies.  She believes she is a good boss because she is willing to listen instead of talking, whether the situation is good or bad, and is always prepared to compromise. Nui knows that she needs to set firm boundaries with both employees and her children, but finds that this can be difficult at times, meaning that her kind nature can be exploited if she isn’t careful.  As a mother, Nui is particularly mindful of her children’s social media usage, making sure she is next to her boys to closely monitor who and what they engage with. It is very important to Nui that her youngsters have real and personal contact with others in addition to screen time if they are to become socially well-adjusted adults one day.

Nui is a genuinely kind person who gains pleasure from helping others. She couldn’t live without her children and the family she and Jod have built, and on a fine day enjoys nothing more than an outing in nature, particularly to a favourite beach for a picnic meal. Although she is not a vegetarian, Nui’s personal favourite meal is a simple dish of rice and vegetables with her mother’s nam phrik, which is frequently on sale at the Cocomarket.

Nui has a gentle manner and isn’t easily riled, although she does admit that employees who continue not doing as asked after repeated instructions make it difficult to hide her annoyance. Nui’s high level of self-control is probably the main reason she has such a natural talent for pistol shooting, with many a bullseye. Although as a teen Nui held no business ambition herself, content to work alongside her mother in the noodle shop, Nui now lives a very purposeful existence and is a sure-bet to reach her goals, confident in her ability to manage, and master, change in her life.