Nongmay Buncharoen, 27, helps to run restaurant Mae Ping Thai in Perth, which her grandparents opened in 1998.
Nongmay has been working in the restaurant since she was 14 years old.
She works as a waitress, and also handles the day to day operations, including health and safety, managing inventory and ordering supplies.
She plans the menu with her dad, who works in the kitchen with Nongmay’s mum.
“I think the main thing I love is seeing people enjoy and appreciate my dad’s food,” she says.
“Because I know how much mum and dad work, day in and day out at that restaurant.
“It’s heart-warming and touching to see how much people appreciate it.”
Mae Ping Thai is well-loved in Perth, and was even visited by Scottish actor Ewan McGregor back in January.
Nongmay says she has worked up to her current position: “The manager role has not been handed to me,” she adds.
“We used to use cotton napkins and table cloths and I’d iron them for hours.
“I’ve scrubbed the toilets, cleaned the windows and washed the dishes.
“I don’t get special treatment because I’m the owner’s daughter.”
‘I’ve lost sleep over it’ says Nongmay
Her role in Mae Ping Thai in Perth doesn’t come without its challenges though, says Nongmay. This includes sexism from some customers.
“I’ve been in the business for ten years,” she says.
“And in the past, I’ve lost sleep over it.
“I have been spoken to like I’m sh*t on your shoes. That doesn’t sit right with me.
“I don’t like to feel intimidated.”
Nongmay says some customers “absolutely” treat her differently because she is a young woman heading up the business.
“Now I just kind of brush it off, as best I can,” she says.
“But you can just tell someone is out for a witch hunt sometimes.
“I’ve learned to get on with it, and let it go.”
There are also plenty of customers who make Nongmay’s job a joy.
“The 1% will be horrible customers,” she says.
“But we have so many great customers. When they’re nice, they’re really nice.
“We have lots of loyal customers in Perth. We couldn’t have got through Covid without them.”
What is it like working with your parents?
Nongmay works closely with her parents, several days a week, in their Thai restaurant.
“I’m such a daddy’s girl,” she says. “We get on really well.
“But it can be a bit challenging at times working with your parents.
“If there’s a conflict, you can’t really turn it off.
“But it’s great collaborating with people I trust and care about.”
Nongmay and her parents came to Scotland from Thailand back in 2002.
“I feel as if I am doing my job as the eldest child in supporting my family,” she adds.
“It is so rewarding as we came to this country with absolutely nothing.
“Me, mum and dad were staying in a one bedroom flat in the city centre.
“The thing that keeps me going is my mum, dad and little brother, and how they’re able to live more comfortably now.”
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