From house to mouse
The growth of the internet has given housewives many more options
- Published: 6/05/2010 at 12:00 AM
- Newspaper section: Mylife
When Tip discovered that her newborn son Yhangzan had Down syndrome, she knew her life would have to change dramatically.
Tip - or Porntip Boonprasetthapol, 34 - could no longer run her business selling T-shirts at Patpong night market.
She felt she would rather devote her time to caring for her only child, knowing that people with Down syndrome do much better if they have a stimulating home environment.
So she left her business in the hands of her employees.
She was to find out later that they had defrauded her.
In despair, she decided to quit that line of work, and stay at home full-time.
Pornthip and Yhangzan
Now, with Yhangzan a little over a year old, Tip is happy with his progress. And she has gone back to the business of selling clothes, but this time on-line - transforming herself from "housewife" to a so-called "mousewife" in the process.
A UK study came up with the term "mousewives" last year to describe housewives who stay at home, not just to cook and clean but to wield a computer mouse as they work and play on the internet.
The study, commissioned by Kodak, found that almost half of British stay-at-home mums made extra cash during the recession by working from home at computer-based jobs.
There is no study of the number of "mousewives" in Thailand. But a trawl of Thai websites shows that many mums are selling goods, mostly second-hand, on the internet.
Many start out as shoppers but the idea develops and they become sellers too. Tip is one of them.
She set up a website, baantuadee.com, less than a year ago to sell children's clothes, mostly wholesale to traders.
She does not wish to reveal her monthly income, but says she earns as much as a junior-to-middle level executive.
Tip used to shop online for clothes for her son.
"As I did not have time to go out to shop, I decided to do it on-line instead. Surfing on the internet, I found that some websites are able to offer surprisingly low prices. I thought I might try selling clothes on the internet myself."
She calculated what it would cost her, including shipping, to import clothes from China, which makes many of the cheapest products for sale in this region.
She worked out that it would be possible for her to run a website offering low prices in children's clothes.
Tip can't speak or read Chinese, but she managed to find her way around taobao.com, one of China's largest internet retail platforms, and began placing orders.
"Thanks to Google translate, I've been able to look around for goods. I copy and paste Chinese words to help me search for products on Chinese language websites," she said.
Examples of Pornthip’s products imported from China.
While her husband helps caring for Yhangzan, she spends about seven to eight hours at the computer each day, mostly replying to clients' emails, uploading pictures and searching for products.
It's a time consuming task, but she has to stay competitive.
Unlike some mothers, Tip uses the internet only for business.
Saroya Chanyakhoon, 34, or Toey, is another mousewife. She left her job as a saleswoman at a photo studio after her first child, a girl, was born about a year ago.
She could not balance her work life with family life because she wasn't able to find someone whom she could trust to look after her daughter.
The internet keeps her in contact with her friends. She also uses it as a source of advice on how to look after her baby.
She gives and takes advice from other mothers in the internet community, including where to shop for quality goods and bargains.
In the beginning, she bought second-hand items from other mothers. But six months ago, Toey and a friend set up a website, okshop.pantown.com, selling both second-hand and new goods.
She is making less than 10,000 baht a month, which she attributes to a lack of product variety. She wants the website to offer a wider range of products, so her income should improve.
"It does not really matter that I have not been able to sell much. What I have managed to do is share with other mothers fine products that are good for our babies," she said.
Raksina Angkurarak, or Prae, 29, spends six hours a day on the internet, chatting to friends, shopping and playing games.
"I'm alone with my son most of the time so I need the company of friends. Online friends are a source of comfort and support and make me feel better," Prae said.
Prae confesses she became addicted to Facebook's FarmVille, a game in which players are virtual farmers tending crops and animals, for which they score points.
She said she began to realise that her 10-month-old child was becoming the second most important thing in her life after FarmVille.
"I still feel guilty when I look back," she said. "My son really needed me to hold him but I was busy with the game. "I realised they are only babies for a short and precious time, which I would never get back. So I quit the game and now I share my bad experiences with other mums on the internet," Prae said.
Like many other mothers in the internet community, Prae sells on websites clothes which her son is now too big to wear. She also shops on-line.
She says there are many advantages to on-line shopping, in particular price and variety.
About the author
- Writer: Woranuj Maneerungsee
- Position: Writer
No comments:
Post a Comment