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Published on October 18, 2007

 Thailand's leading brand of women's bags, NaRaYa, springs from the business success of an ambitious woman whose formal education ended when she left primary school.

Wasna Lathouras, 53, is president of Narai Intertrade, manufacturer of NaRaYa handbags, a well-known brand around the world, particularly in East and Southeast Asia. The company is also known for its cotton bags and home accessories.

"I was born to a big Chinese family that owned a small grocery store in Bangkok," Wasna explains. "I had to leave school when I was young to help my father at home. But I never thought that I had a lesser opportunity than others to be a success someday."

Wasna wasted no effort in regretting her circumstances. She tried to finish a high-school education by studying at night after finishing work for her family. Recognising it as an essential to success, she studied English at the American University Alumni language centre in Bangkok until she graduated from the final level.

Later, she began her own job as a tour guide at Bang Pu tourist attractions in Samut Prakan province. It was there that a visitor became enchanted with her friendly and pleasant demeanour, and Wasna later married Greek businessman Vassilios Lathouras.

After building a happy family, the couple launched their own business in 1989 with registered capital of Bt1 million baht. At the outset, they tried trading in automotive spare parts and electrical goods, but the company faced liquidity problems and low orders, so they diversified into textiles and fabric bags.

As soon as the company began its new trade, Wasna foresaw both a challenge and an opportunity to produce bags under the company's own brand name. The firm had many problems selling fabric bags at the beginning, because subcontractors had unstable manufacturing standards, so Wasna and her husband decided to concentrate on producing cotton bags. Wasna was the brand's first designer.

With an abundance of textiles in Thailand and the availability of a skilled workforce, the couple decided to produce their own products under the NaRaYa brand. The name comes from that of the Hindu God Phra Narai. It was chosen for its easy pronunciation and positive connotations.

All of the fabrics for the company's products are produced and sewn locally. With humble beginnings of fewer than 20 sewing machines, NaRaYa now has its own Bt400-million factory producing bags and various kinds of home and women's accessories.

The uniquely Thai qualities of NaRaYa's handmade products have earned the company thousands of customers around the world. Currently, the company has more than 30 outlets in Asia and Europe besides the 11 in Thailand. Most of its customers are foreigners who are attracted by the unusual designs and Thai fabrics.

Wasna says the company's success is due partly to her and her husband's determination to base their business on loyalty to customers and partners.

"Doing business is not an easy job, but it is not too hard to cope with. I tried to maintain high quality in our products, in order to foster trust in our customers. I knew that then the business would be with us," she says.

Eighteen years after its establishment, Narai Intertrade expects to achieve revenue of Bt400 million this year.

With a high concern for Thai society, Wasna has not clung to the company's accomplishments for the benefit of just her own family. The company has contracted more than 3,000 families around the country to produce a variety of bags in different designs and fabric patterns for NaRaYa. As an active supporter of small enterprises, the NaRaYa product line is almost entirely manufactured by villagers in provinces throughout Thailand under the firm's close quality control.

Because of high demand and the company's rapid growth, it also has more than 600 staff working at its factory.

The company is planning to open new outlets in hitherto-untested markets around the world, and this time the targets are perhaps the highest there are: the world's fashion capitals of New York, Milan, Paris and Tokyo. Clearly, the primary-school graduate from Bangkok has plenty of ambition left.

Petchanet Pratruangkrai

 The Nation

(Photographer name: Jumpol) Interviewed on August 21