PM’s sister launches women’s club in Phuket

PHUKET TOWN: Yaowares Shinawatra, sister of Prime Minister Thaksin, today chaired a meeting to launch the Phuket chapter of the Business and Professional Women’s Association of Thailand (BPWAT) at the Phuket Pearl Hotel. K. Yaowares, who is the Vice-Chairperson of the Business and Professional Women’s Association for the Asia-Pacific region, said, “I came here today to invite Phuket’s professional women to join the BPWAT. “The association’s objective is to coordinate support and development for women’s roles in professional occupations – not just businesswomen, but also women doctors, nurses, teachers, government officers and those in other vocations.” In material issued at the meeting, K. Yaowares voiced her support for increasing the public role of women in the island’s development, which the BPWAT sees as attracting many varied types of investment. Nisanat Suksirisampan, Chairwoman of the Phuket Women’s Association, supported the launch, saying, “This is a good opportunity for women to develop their role in society and [to enhance] women’s rights in Phuket. It’s also the starting point for coordinating with other women’s clubs in Thailand. This is just like the Phuket Chamber of Commerce, but for women only.” At the meeting, Dr Yada Palimapan, erstwhile parliamentary candidate with Thaksin’s Thai Rak Thai party and coordinator of the BPWAT in Phuket, said, “We invited women representatives from many organizations and women’s clubs in Phuket to attend this meeting so they can tell other women about the association.” She then called for women to join, saying that those interested in doing so may call her at her dental clinic at Tel: 076-212160.