His Royal Thai-ness

Talking to him is like taking a plane ride en route to a scenic destination that will become imminently unforgettable. The conversation with him takes off merrily as he reveals himself to you — who he is, what he is made of. You feel airborne as you enjoy the discussion with him, the way you relish a turbulence-free flight, as he tells you about his convictions, his beliefs, his joys and longings. By landing time, you become very familiar with him and vice versa. The conversation continues as it taxis to other topics — his hobbies, his childhood, his dreams both for himself and for the company he works for, his sources of strength and structure. You disembark from the interview feeling happy.

That is exactly what it is like to interview Nivat Chantarachoti, general manager of Thai Airways in Manila.

“I’ve been here in the Philippines for 17 months already and I’m enjoying it,” he begins, letting go of that bedimpled smile. But he’s quick to add: “It’s not my first time though in this beautiful country. I spent six years in Manila back in the ’80s. I even witnessed the Edsa Revolution here.”

Nivat finished high school at Colegio San Agustin in Makati. He pursued Computer Science in De La Salle University before taking up his MBA in Thailand. His stay in the Philippines was courtesy of his father who was with the Thai Foreign Ministry and was posted in Manila during the time.

He is a proud Thai but he is humble enough to say that he really has not spent much time in Thailand. Since his father was a diplomat, Nivat was used to living abroad. His childhood days were spent living in Laos, twice in the US, then the Philippines.

Nivat is undeniably very independent but his face lights up the minute you ask him about his family. “Although we don’t live together, we are a close-knit family. I am the eldest in the family with one brother and one sister. My parents are now retired and living in Thailand,” he says.

He becomes very engaging when the subject of family is brought to the fore. Like a swiftly flying aircraft, he continues to soar with his thoughts about his loved ones back home.

“My family and I believe that if you always do what you think is right, chances are you’ll never go wrong. My dad taught me to be independent and be mindful of my manners. My mom would unfailingly advise my siblings and me that whatever we do, we should put our hearts into it. Because we were brought up abroad, we tend to be independent yet we still hold the Thai values and culture,” he says.

Like a dutiful son, he calls his parents twice or thrice a week just to find out how they are. “I would tell them what I have been doing. They know I travel a lot so I make sure they know where I am and how to reach me because I don’t want to make them worry about me,” he says, his chinky eyes full of longing. He refuels in Bangkok when he visits his parents every chance that he gets.

“My upbringing really tempered me to be who I am today. While growing up, I was fortunate to be able to travel around the world and visit different places and learn more about other cultures. It really enriched my knowledge and travel experience. I wasn’t exactly particular on whether or not I’d be in the airline industry. But it dawned on me that since traveling was slowly becoming part of my lifestyle; I might as well work around it. Now I just love the airline industry. It is a very challenging job and traveling has already been part of my life,” Nivat explains.

When he joined Thai Airways, Nivat did not turboprop just yet to a management position that he holds now. He happily recalls how he started as a flight attendant in 1989. Some people may be quick to allude that to the manor he was born yet Nivat knew — and to this day he subscribes to it — that hard work was all that would define a man and his own place under the sun.

His hard work paid off. From being a steward he became a management trainee. From there he climbed the Thai Airways’ corporate ladder when he became the assistant GM in Sydney in 1995 and deputy GM in Paris in 1999. He became the GM in Bali in 2001 and Dhaka in 2003. He has been in Manila since April 2007 as the airlines’ general manager for the Philippines and Guam.

Part of his accomplishment is that “we have seen steady sales growth in the Philippine market for Thai Airways. Our sales have gone up almost 20 percent which is a significant achievement.”

He admits, “Like with all first-time occupations, I was a monkey with this job when I began, but I eventually have to evolve into a higher role so I could give justice to my profession. Not only do I have to do things right, but it was imperative that I have to do the right things.” This, to him, is the very dictum that gave birth to his proclivity for making his job perfect as much as possible.

“My day is usually filled with meetings and attending functions. Most of the time, lunch and dinner become an extension of my work, too,” he says, adding that he also knows how to unwind at the end of the day by checking out new bars in the Metro.

Nivat admits that his love for humor always gets him through the rigors of his job. Yes, he loves to laugh so he surrounds himself with happy people, even “crazy ones.” 

“I think humor is the shortest distance between two people; and at the same time laughter is the best medicine—so you actually get two for the price of one,” he says.

He may be the big boss of Thai Airways in the Philippines but Nivat, in times when he needs to depressurize, turns to the little child in him by going to Timezone to play. When he doesn’t feel like going out, his Nintendo keeps him company in his room. Or better yet, he buries himself in his little home theater and watch again the movies he has seen before ––Mamma Mia, for instance. There are times when he will just listen to Justin Timberlake and groove to the beat.

To some extent, he admits, his psyche has already been “Philippinized.” Aside from his humor, Nivat is also as Pinoy as mangga’t bagoong—a food combination that he relishes with gusto the way he would delight in a piping hot bowl of tom yum goong. He does not only love adobo, binagoongan, kare-kare; he can also order them in his preferred restaurant by talking in Tagalog to the waiter. In a popular coffee shop one time, he conversed with the barista in Tagalog and he was mistaken for a Pinoy balikbayan. Why not when he garnishes his sentences with Filipino linguistic nuances like “Di ba?”, “Hay, naku...” “San ka?” and “Anong balita?”

He also has the Pinoy sentimentality when it comes to basketball, especially so during UAAP season. His mood is momentarily moved or mangled when his alma mater La Salle wins or loses a game.

Nivat loves living life to the fullest. He makes conscious effort to constantly surpass his own achievements so he can ultimately gain his own personal approval. He strikes a balance, however, by chilling out at night –– discovering new places, creating new moments, making new friends. 

And talk about friends, he has a lot of them. He has made friends around the world; and the sobriquet “citizen of the world” aptly describes him. If friendship were the only barometer for monarchy, Nivat would be King. Some of his friends call him “His Royal Thai-ness.”

But he would rather remain like the Little Prince, one of his favorite literary characters. Indeed, he is — he is a mature, sentient being who will never let go of the child in him.

Talking to Nivat, indeed, is like taking an unforgettable and pleasant plane ride. Or better yet, it is already a memorable trip in itself –– breezy, calming, relaxing, enlightening.

You’ll surely catch him again in the next flight.

(For your new beginnings, please e-mail me at bumbaki@yahoo.com. Have a blessed Sunday!)