21 December 2021 – dtac synergized with artist Painterbell to create lively caricatures and celebrate 14 brands founded by older entrepreneurs across Thailand. These entrepreneurs were digitally upskilled and coached to retail online by the dtac Net for Living program as part of the “Coaching Mission for 50+ Entrepreneurs” campaign.
The campaign helped older entrepreneurs move their small businesses to social media and inspire digital audiences through their amazing products. Selected products from this campaign are now available as New Year gifts via the #ShopforSmile campaign. Users can browse these gift ideas any time, any day on the dtac Net for Living Facebook page.
dtac Gift Guide: 14 Exciting Thai Brands Making Local Delectable Foods and Creative Wares
Tote bags by YaiSiri are a fusion of traditional Thai craft, local fabrics, and contemporary cuts, decorated with festive motifs of the Christmas and New Year season. The brand is the brainchild of Archarn Nong – Siripati Phumchan – who branched out into online retailing at the age of 52. Apart from their attractive look and heartwarming story, another reason to love YaiSiri products is that they are designed for accessibility, with blind people especially in mind. The brand also offers a range of adorable souvenirs, including eco-friendly key chains and mobile phone cases made with upcycled fabrics to help reduce waste.
Shop for festive tote bags on the YaiSiri Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/Yaisiri-414411755951110
Phuket Batik is a collective that has been in operation for over 40 years, led by former teacher and artist Pew – Patcharee Saengchan. Many years ago, she mastered the craft of batik herself and began teaching other locals. But Pew quickly noticed that once people learned how to make batik, they did not have a market for their products. She started Phuket Batik as a hub for locally produced handicrafts, later adding a dedicated batik workshop to keep up with demand.
Today, Phuket Batik has an online presence to reach a wider audience. Pew, who is 62, has overcome the digital learning curve to connect her local community of artisans with anyone looking for a unique gift for the festive season. A wide range of batik products are on offer, such as shirts, skirts and trousers – all with traditional designs, funky graffiti, or even exclusive custom graphics.
Explore gorgeous products with a great story on the Phuket Batik Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/phuketbatiksamkong
Next up, we have attractive and eco-friendly krajood bags from Kru Bee – Suthasini Sapwong – aged 64. Her outstanding krajood or sedge-woven bags feature individually customized decorative touches, thanks to a team of young artisans adding DIY, decoupage, and embroidery to the bags while allowing the natural beauty of the krajood weave to shine. One special feature of Kru Bee’s affordable and long-lasting bags is that the krajood is not treated with lacquer like most others. This maintains the natural pliability of the material, which can more easily be woven into different shapes.
Get a cool krajood bag or two this holiday season. Learn more on Kru Bee’s Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/Jipatha.krubee
Another highlight of this entrepreneurial cohort is the five-star OTOP-rated product line Pha Yrom Khram Ban Tham Tao. Made with handmade natural indigo fabric from the Ban Tham Tao community in Sakhon Nakhon province, these heritage garments represent traditional know-how that has been passed down for generations. The community is the largest source of natural indigo dye in the country, producing quality dye for many other provinces. These indigo-dyed products are now available online thanks to the efforts of “Oy” – Arunpas Rattana-aninporn, 51.
Take your pick of the finest indigo blues at the Mae Urai Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/mae-urai
Fans of ethnic hill-tribe fashion will love Seesan Pan Pao by Pom – Arpa Norta, 51 – one of the graduates of dtac Net for Living’s Coaching Mission for 50+ Entrepreneurs campaign. With a name that means “the colors of 1,000 ethnicities”, Pom’s brand includes a wide range of apparel handcrafted by members of the Multi-Ethnicity Learning and Product Development Center. These products highlight the best in fashion from four local hill-tribe ethnicities: Mhong, Karen, Akha, and Mien. You can even upgrade your existing outfits with custom embroidery featuring their ethnic designs.
Pick or customize your ethnic apparel on the Seesan Pan Pao Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/1000pao
Looking for distinctive hats for your social media feed? How about traditional handcrafted Gublon hats woven with bamboo and palm leaf? The only place in all of Thailand to make them is the Gublon-Dingee community enterprise in Ban Na Laem in Phrae province. Grandma Jib Saen-oum has over 20 years of experience mastering the art and craft of Gublon woven hats and is a local celebrity as many visitors seek her autograph to authenticate the origin of their purchases. Her protégé, Kan – Nawaporn Jaichan, 52, participated in the dtac Net for Living’s Coaching Mission for 50+ Entrepreneurs digital upskilling workshop, and aims to use her newfound digital skills to help the community succeed online.
Shop at the Hom Mai Baan Din Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/BaandinNalaemPhrae/
Looking for affordable, high-quality Islamic fashion that closely follows religious teachings? Check out Phi Saodah, Muslim Clothing Shop by Kru Somjit. Founder Somjit Sohasan, 65, has a special talent for mixing and matching pieces of different colors and styles to create great looks for adults and children. These religiously appropriate ensembles make the perfect gift for yourself, your near and dear ones or even to purchase wholesale.
For a one-stop shop for Islamic clothing, check out Somjit Muslim Shop on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/somjitmuslimshop/
ISIPAN offers a new take on the traditional herb compress, packaged in a ceramic body that can be reused over 100 times. This clever and beautiful product is the brainchild of veteran entrepreneur Ri – Sadiporn Panyachokechai, 65, a graduate of the dtac Net for Living’s Coaching Mission for 50+ Entrepreneurs digital upskilling workshop. The herbal compresses are produced entirely in Ri’s community in Nonthaburi. The ceramic is made from locally-sourced clay and fired in a local kiln, while the herbs and salt are prepared by local housewife groups. Best part? Ceramic compresses reduce waste, and can be used either hot or cold.
Next time you’ve got an ache or just need to relax your weary muscles, try a ceramic herbal compress from ISIPAN: https://www.facebook.com/IsipanBestReviveRelaxCeramicHerbHotCompressPottery
True to its name, Good Mood, Clean Food, Feel Good is the perfect gift this holiday season for the health-conscious foodies in your life. Ning – Natsuda Srisawas, 60, a graduate of dtac Net for Living’s Coaching Mission for 50+ Entrepreneurs digital upskilling workshop, creates clean and healthy food that is good for both body and mind. How does it work? Everyone, especially those with chronic illnesses, has different nutritional needs, and Ning creates custom clean boxed meals to suit each individual customer’s needs and preferences. Not only is each boxed meal healthy, it’s also delicious and guaranteed to put you in a good mood.
Want to feel good eating clean food? Shop at the Good Mood Facebook page: https://facebook.com/GoodmoodHeartmate/
Next up is Kapi Keto or keto shrimp paste for clean food lovers. Kapi Keto is the creation of Suree Nakniyom, 64, whose relative had a kidney issue but wanted to eat food made with kapi. Suree or “Kru Sunny” then designed a healthy new recipe for making kapi. Using only the freshest krill and pink salt which contains more than 20 minerals, Kapi Keto is a healthy choice for everyone including the health-conscious, the chronically ill and the elderly. Kru Sunny brings her amazing kapi to an online audience, with skills learned from the dtac Net for Living’s Coaching Mission for 50+ Entrepreneurs digital upskilling workshop.
To cook yummy dishes with Kapi Keto, visit Kru Sunny’s Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/krusunny0910343501/
Coffee connoisseurs have to try Arabica Thep Sadet from Thep Sathit subdistrict, located in the Doi Saket district of Chiang Mai province. This coffee brand is created by Aood or Aoody – Sumet Tamtakul, 63, another graduate of dtac Net for Living’s Coaching Mission for 50+ Entrepreneurs digital upskilling workshop. All of his coffee is cultivated at high altitudes, ranging from 900-1,300 meters above sea level, and shade-grown under Castanopsis trees which produce nuts similar in taste to chestnut. The local villagers also keep bees under these Castanopsis trees, and the bees help to give Aoody’s coffee an aroma of wildflowers. Aoody likes to roast his beans dark, producing a strong flavor beloved by coffee connoisseurs.
Try Arabica Thep Sadet on Aoody’s Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/aoody0703
Moo Khua Pla Insee – Moo Khua Pla Kulao is a must-try for fans of traditional Thai dishes. Specializing in stir-fried pork with salted fish, Pan – Palita Watkawanit is making her online debut at the age of 51 by reviving this traditional dish from Laem Chabang municipality in Bang Lamung district, Chon Buri province. Using high-quality pork and either Indo-Pacific king mackerel or four-finger threadfin, she hopes to entice a wider audience to dig in to this delicacy. To enjoy this dish the authentic way, top if off with sliced shallots, chili, and a dash of lime juice. It’s perfect with a warm dish of steamed or boiled rice – you’ll be going back for seconds!
To try this rare old delicacy, visit the Lita Homemade Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/Litahomemade
Rasa Fresh Milk Cake has been a renowned treat from Khon Kaen province for over 20 years, earning legendary status by word-of-mouth recommendations among locals. Its creator Rasa – Orsa Rungreuangwon, 63, is one of the graduates of dtac Net for Living’s Coaching Mission for 50+ Entrepreneurs digital upskilling workshop. In addition to its signature offering, her Rasa Fresh Milk Cakeshop offers a wide range of cakes, desserts, and snacks, such as Khanom Nuea Nuan, Khanom Na Nian, Khanom Mor Kaeng Peuak, and Cheese Sticks. The secret to all her delicious creations is the freshness and quality of the ingredients.
Try these famous treats from Khon Kaen province by visiting Rasa Fresh Milk Cakeshop on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/orsabakery
We conclude our holiday season gift recommendations with Playable Museum, a collection of playable traditional Thai toys from a bygone era. Founder Pu – Weerawat Kangwannawakul, a graduate of dtac Net for Living’s Coaching Mission for 50+ Entrepreneurs’ digital upskilling workshop, describes his playable museum as a place to learn via toys handmade with natural materials by elderly people in his village. Younger makers also learn how to conserve old toys and innovate new ones. Pu and his team lend their energy to conservation efforts by reviving traditional mechanical skills to innovate new toys the old-fashioned way. He also regularly organizes workshops for interested people to play with traditional toys and learn how to make them.
To treat your inner child, visit the Playable Museum Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/PlayableMuseum/
