The Story of Wasna: From Market Stalls to a Global Brand
- 6 days ago
- 3 min read
By Panpapat Chadurrasiddhinantr
This is not just a story of ambition, it is a story of hunger for success. And in the case of Wasna, that hunger became reality.
Born into a Chinese-Thai orthodox family, Wasna’s childhood was marked by sacrifice. In her family’s world, education was reserved for boys.
Her brothers went to school, while she, being a girl, was denied even the basics of learning. But Wasna’s spirit was unshaken. She refused to let circumstances define her future.
As a teenager, she was sent to the market to sell eggs. While most girls her age spent their earnings on small pleasures,
Wasna had a different dream. With her extra money, she enrolled herself in English courses at the AUA Language Center. For two years, she studied diligently, mastering the basics of English.
Her motivation was simple yet powerful: she wanted to be an air hostess. To travel, to see the world, to live beyond the limits her family placed upon her.
But fate was not kind. Her mother’s passing left her devastated, and her dream of becoming an air hostess crumbled under harsh realities: she had no education of requirements, and she was told she wasn’t “pretty enough.” Still, Wasna did not give up.
She searched for opportunities where she could use her English and soon found one: a job as a tour guide at the Ancient City in Samut Prakan. It required no degree, no beauty standards just the ability to communicate. And Wasna seized it.
This was the first true turning point in her life.
Guiding tourists from around the world, her confidence and communication skills grew stronger each day. Then one assignment changed everything. Her boss asked her to guide a Greek businessman, Vasilios, who wasn’t interested in sightseeing. He needed a translator for his business meetings with local factories, where he sourced spare parts for bicycles bound for Libya.
For ten days, Wasna accompanied him, translating every negotiation, absorbing every detail. She was no longer just a tour guide; she was learning business at its rawest form. Months later, Vasilios asked her to work for him full-time. Together, they built a trading business, selling whatever the market demanded. Business thrived, and so did their partnership. Vasilios eventually moved permanently to Thailand, and the two became inseparable in both work and life.
But success is rarely a straight path. After a few years, their business began to slow. Money grew scarce. Wasna’s grandmother fell seriously ill, and medical bills mounted. There were days when the couple could afford nothing more than a single cup of coffee.
And then, like light breaking through storm clouds, came an unexpected opportunity.
Through a friend, they received a request for a cosmetic bag. It seemed small, even insignificant, but Wasna recognized the spark. They designed the bag, fulfilled the order, and soon more requests followed. From that simple beginning, Naraya was born.
What started as a modest family shop grew into a global phenomenon. Naraya bags became iconic, a “must-buy” souvenir for travelers visiting Thailand. The brand symbolized not just style and affordability but also resilience, the very story of Wasna’s life stitched into every seam.
Years passed, and Naraya flourished into a multinational name. And Wasna, who once sold eggs at the market and was denied an education, found herself standing proudly at seventy years old, finally holding a bachelor and master degree. She had returned to school and graduated, proving that it is never too late to fulfill a dream.
From poverty to prestige, from missed chances to triumphs, Wasna’s life is a reminder that true success doesn’t come from privilege or luck it comes from perseverance, courage, and an unshakable belief in oneself.
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