So jokes Siam Commercial Bank chief executive Jada Wattanasiritham, when asked what she thinks about female leaders in top positions.

Her banter actually reflects contemporary comments, as many capable women are taking high-ranking posts in leading companies and organisations in Thailand's financial markets.

For the first time in Thai history, women have risen to the top positions at four financial organisations - the Bank of Thailand, the Stock Exchange of Thailand, the Thai Bankers' Association and the Agriculture Futures Exchange of Thailand (Afet), which has been run by Napaporn Kurupasuthachai since its inception in 2001.

Women have also become the top executives of several private organisations, including Wiwan Tharahirunchote, managing director of Kasikorn Asset Management.

When Tarisa Watanagase recently took the helm of Thailand's core monetary-policy institution, the Bank of Thailand, it followed by just a few months the promotion of Patareeya Benjapolchai as president of the Stock Exchange of Thailand.

Jada Wattanasiritham has been president and chief executive of Siam Commercial Bank for four years and chairwoman of the Thai Bankers' Association for almost a year. Succeeding her as Siam Commercial Bank's president when her term ends this month is another woman, Kannikar Chalitaporn.

Many women may be delighted that their "sisters" have been able to overcome gender obstruction - perhaps inspiring them to forge ahead with their own career paths. But others may feel awkward and uncomfortable because they believe women are unable to work as efficiently as men because of different characteristics and attitudes.

As chief of a private bank, Jada concedes that men and women have slight differences in character, but this makes no difference when it comes to work efficiency. Although it may be a bit sexist, Jada believes that female executives are more prudent when it comes to decision-making, whereas men are more adroit and less fearful of taking risks.

An official who works under Patareeya's leadership at the Stock Exchange of Thailand supports the belief that women are more compromising and more careful in their work. As such, they tend to be slower in making decisions.

"This does not mean that Khun Patareeya does not fit the post, but some jobs need sharp and rapid decision-making, because we are a regulator," said another.

Their opinions are like those of most people, who think that women are more prudent, emotional, fastidious, trivial and annoying, while male leaders are generally more decisive.

Siriorn Wichawut, a lecturer in the Department of Psychology at Thammasat University's Faculty of Liberal Arts, said most people have a wrong perception of the different characters of men and women.

Gender, she said, does not separate women from men, but rather the degree of masculinity or femininity.

Both men and woman can possess masculinity, which involves a rational and decisive character. Both genders can also have femininity, which makes a person sensitive, susceptible and changeable.

"People's perception is biased against women, which gives them a disadvantage against men in their career paths. But their character actually depends on how each person acts, rather than their gender," she said, adding that some women have a sense of masculinity and they tend to be open-minded, decisive and skilled in management.

For its entire 65 years, the Bank of Thailand was an exclusive male domain. Then Tarisa became its first female governor, and she supports the belief that gender should never have been considered in selecting her for the post. The issue should be overlooked as central bankers must be as professional as possible, she said. The job has no ties with gender, but with the governors' professional skills.

"We cannot say that all females are more circumspect than males, while some men can be more discreet than women," Tarisa said.

Atchana Waiquamdee, the central bank's deputy governor, believes both male and female central bankers are circumspect naturally and equally, and are also conservative, as required by their jobs.

Assistant governor Krirk Vanikkul said competence, honesty, management skills and credibility were important qualifications for being the governor, but not gender.

Now that several women are in top positions, Wiwan of Kasikorn Asset Management feels a sense of joy that Thai society is more open to allowing female executives to prosper.

"To rise to those positions, gender doesn't indicate who is the best, and who is not," she said.

As a matter of fact, Thailand's new batch of female leaders have all proven that they can be as good as their male predecessors.

"I almost forget how I felt when I was working under a male boss," said an executive at SCB, which has been led by Jada for four years. Thammasat lecturer Siriorn said the career path should not be limited by gender. Female executives can perform well and should be promoted if they are capable.

She also pointed out that no matter what gender the leader is, their abilities will depend on how well they keep their eyes and ears open for comments and suggestions from subordinates and others.