She was so proud that she started with limited capital that she called her business "Two-Hundred-$ Restaurant", which now boasts two outlets in the island's busiest districts, Tsim Sha Tsui and Wan Chai.

Sunisa Punsub, 32, said recently that each restaurant generates a profit of $40,000 per month. She also plans to expand her business in Hong Kong in the near future in order to promote authentic Thai dishes overseas.

Sunisa came to Hong Kong in 1999 after she married a Thai chef employed at a Thai restaurant here. She ended up working at the restaurant as a waitress for three years. In 2002, the couple left their jobs with the idea of starting their own business. Unfortunately, only $200 can do nothing on the high cost island. They borrowed $400,000 from close Thai and Hong Kong friends to start their new venture.

After graduating from a vocational high school in Bangkok, Sunisa worked in general administration for leading food export companies for eight years.

She decided to quit her routine job and embark on her journey to explore career opportunities in Hong Kong. "I decided to give up the office job since I believed that I could create my own destiny and I wanted to have my own business," she said.

Sunisa has been able to pay back all debts to her friends thanks to the success of the business. She is now exploring other restaurant opportunities for future investment.

Commercial rents in Hong Kong rank among the most expensive in the world, which challenges her to make enough to cover expenses.

"We have to work harder to develop Thai recipes to ensure authentic tastes and a wide menu and to cope with the high expenses," she said, adding that "Two-Hundred-$ Restaurant" is the only Thai-owned establishment among the 100 Thai restaurants operating in Hong Kong now.

With the high expenses and living costs, the company has faced many problems doing business here. However, she has never given up as she always tells herself that every problem must have a solution.

Sunisa, then, tried to run her business with patience and sincerity to serve the demands of Hong Kong, foreign and even Thai customers.

"Some obstacles cause us problems such as the language, government regulations and cross-cultural barriers. But my husband and I try to solve the problems by forming good relationships with local people here and develop good connections," she said.

Petchanet Pratruangkrai

The Nation

Hong Kong