PA PROFILE ..
As personal assistant of an elderly Bangkok socialite, Pathak “Yai” Komoniramit
has a broad-ranging career that will continue beyond his employer’s lifetime, Djaafar El Ghazi discovers.
STARTINGOUTASAWAITERat 17 years old, Pathak Komoniramit (usually known simple as Yai) is nowPAto aThai art collector and socialite, and is tasked with helping develop a charity foundation beyond his employer’s lifetime. “I am her shadow,” he says of his role as key support for
75-year-old Sumanee Guna-Kasem, whose passion for collect- ing precious artefacts and penchant for dressing up have given her a high profile in Thailand. She is also known for her hospitality as well as generosity to her staff. “After Mrs Guna-Kasem’s passing, the plan is to establish a
foundation to support five causes: turn her penthouse apartment into amuseum; helpfindhomes for abandonedand sick animals; donate to the Buddhist church; support poor children in Thai- land with free scholarships; and last, but not least, ensure that her 100 staffmembers andfamilies are well looked after,” says Pathak. “It is a big task to bring this project to full maturity. This is
her profound wish, and my role is to ensure it is fulfilled. This collection must become accessible to art lovers. It is an edu- cational tool that will help many Thai students to experience what they would normally see only in books. “Not everyone inThailand has the opportunity to travel over-
seas to visit a museum or even experience art locally. This is about creating opportunities for Thailand’s youth and giving them access to an international art collection.”
HUMBLE START Pathak is the oldest son of a Chinese father and Laomother, and true to Thai culture his nickname of Yai was chosen by his parentswhen he was little.Hewas the first son in the family, and Yai translates as “big”. At an early age he went to live with his grandmother, but was on his own when he started working as a waiter at the age of 17. “I always believed that many success- ful people began with little, so I was not disheartened,” he says. Hewent on to gain a business degree in accounting, but not
satisfied with his new career path, he found himself drawnto the fashion industry.Hewas then working seven days a week, hold- ing three jobs, but was determined to take a course in fashion. “Saving money in Bangkok is difficult and takes hard
work. Thankfully, I met three people fromAustralia who were very supportive and would become friends. Christopher Cartmel, Brooke Stuart and Peter Butler encouragedmeto never lose sight of my goals. Brooke supported me with two scholarships, one to pursue a make-up course in Bangkok in 1999, and the second to study English in Sydney in 2003.” Pathak also went to Germany to further study make-up
artistry, then ventured to Acapulco andMexico City to work in theatricalmake-up. Back home, his international experience and skills enabled
him to find a position at L’Oréal’s luxury product division (Lancôme) in Bangkok. At 22 years old he became personal stylist to Mrs Guna-Kasem. He was still working at L’Oréal, so his days would start at 6am and end at 8:30pm. It was not long before he resigned from the cosmetic
company to become full-time PA for Mrs Guna-Kasem, a post he has held for 13 years. Pathak, who credits his father with teaching him about
loyalty, regards his employer as a sister. “She has been very kind to me over the years, including
financial help during a difficult period when I was undergoing chemotherapy and radiation therapy for cancer. I feel that I will never be able to repay her formypresent state of good health. I am her shadow and am on call 24/7. I am totally committed to serving her best interests.”
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