How did you become a sundried fish vendor?
I started off as a farmer in Chainat. At first, when my sister-in-law asked me to be a vendor, I turned her down to work as a construction worker, which I did for 10 years. Working on building sites is grueling work and very tiring. It’s also frustrating always having to work under a supervisor. Eventually, I had enough and decided to come sell sundried fish in Bangkok.

Talk us through your daily routine
I live in Angthong, but I have to buy fresh fish at Suphanburi, which is about 30km from my house. I leave there to go to Bangkok at around 5am, arriving sometime after 7am depending on traffic which can be very slow. After drying the fish, I’m generally selling by 11am. I try to sell at different places every day, otherwise customers might get bored of me; for example, on Sunday I’ll go to Samrong and on Tuesday to Phrapradaeng.

Do you get tired of your seven-hour commute every day?
I am accustomed to doing it now, but at first it made me tired and grumpy. Also, about two years ago, I switched to using a pushcart after previously carrying everything on a shoulder pole, which gave me a bad backache.

What is your daily income?
I usually earn B400-B500 per day after paying B400 to my son-in-law who drives me, and several other vendors, to Bangkok. Luckily, I don’t have to pay any rent. Exactly how much I make depends on how much fish I buy—usually I buy about B3,000-B4,000 worth. As my fish are always fresh, it’s important that I sell-out each day. Thankfully, I have many regular customers. I can survive. However, this one time, I had a lot of customers queuing up. One guy bought B215 worth of fish, and I gave him B785 back in change. Later, I realized that he didn’t give me B1,000. That was a day where I gained nothing. It was hard to accept.

How does your work impact your family situation?
My husband and I split up a long time ago. I have four children; three of whom have already moved out. My youngest, 15, was adopted. She studies at a lower secondary school and lives with me. I support her. Her parents gave her to me and I simply couldn’t say no because I was sympathetic to their situation. She’s been with me since she was three months old and she calls me mom. Another daughter also works as a vendor at Bangpakok Market.

Do you have fun working as a vendor?
It’s OK. When I am tired I can take time off. There’s no one to stop me. I could never be a construction worker again. I simply couldn’t! Still, I don’t really like Bangkok. The air is so polluted. Living in my hometown is much better.