By Kritagya Regmi
When Ms. Passawee Kodaka joined the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT) in 2008 to pursue her Master’s in Regional and Rural Development Planning (2008–2010), she was not thinking about fashion. She could not have imagined that she would one day build a brand centered on hand-spun cotton, elderly weavers, and a supply chain she could trace from start to finish.
Having grown up in cities such as Tokyo and Bangkok and attended international schools, Ms. Kodaka describes herself as “very much a city person.” Rural life felt distant, and rural development was new to her, so she chose to learn more about it.
“I didn’t really know what rural development was,” she says. “That’s why I was curious.”
Although courses such as urban planning and gender studies were available, she chose rural development because it offered a perspective she had never encountered. “Seventeen years ago, there were few international programs in Thailand focused on this field, and AIT’s Asia-based academic environment felt right,” she shared.
AIT gave her more than a degree. “AIT gave me a lot. First of all, friendship,” she says. “It’s very Asia-based, so I made friends from ASEAN, South Asia, and the Middle East, people I hadn’t interacted with much before.”
Working across cultures wasn’t always smooth, but it broadened her thinking and taught her how to navigate differences with respect. Long after graduation, those lessons and the relationships she built have stayed with her.
The Thesis That Shaped Her Life
Two professors at AIT deeply influenced Ms. Kodaka’s direction.
Initially, she planned to focus her thesis on international development and policy. Her advisor, Professor Mokbul Morshed Ahmad, recommended that she apply for a UN Women funding opportunity. She recalls, “I wasn’t entirely sure about my plans yet, but I am grateful he encouraged me. It became my life’s work.”
Her research explored the social and economic empowerment of women in Thailand’s weaving communities. Through her fieldwork, she realised that empowerment is not only about income but also about confidence and decision-making power. One finding struck her deeply: in many rural Thai households, women often earned more than men, yet still had limited say in how money was spent. She describes this as a difficult truth that strengthened her determination to support women not only in earning but in gaining voice and agency.
Her thesis also revealed how little weavers earned and how non-transparent the textile supply chain could be. That insight stayed with her and would later become the starting point of Folkcharm.
Another important influence was Professor Gopal B. Thapa’s sustainable development course, where she first learned about King Rama IX’s Sufficiency Economy Philosophy. Its principles, moderation, reasonableness, and resilience, guided by knowledge and integrity, resonated deeply with her. “It’s like a blueprint for sustainability,” she says. “I have applied it in both my work and my life.”
She also appreciates how AIT has continued to evolve since her graduation. The former RRDP program has since been integrated into a sustainability-focused academic structure, reflecting how the Institute adapts to emerging global priorities and ensures its programs remain relevant.
When Success Felt Empty
Ms. Kodaka has always known she wanted to work in development. After graduation, she built a career in international organizations, Asian women’s networks, parliamentary groups, policy spaces, and funding agencies. The roles were respected and financially rewarding, yet something felt missing.
“I felt an emptiness. I saw a lot of money going in, but I didn’t see real outcomes. I didn’t feel the passion I wanted to deliver. The well-paying job didn’t answer what I was seeking.” That realization changed her direction.
When she founded Folkcharm in 2014, her initial motivation was simple: she wanted to prove that traditional crafts could become modern, beautiful products and that artisans could be valued for quality rather than charity.
Over time, her purpose shifted. “What motivated me at the beginning is not what motivates me now,” she says. After more than twelve years of building the brand, she increasingly reflects on how she can use what she has learned to inspire younger generations to adopt these philosophies in their work and life. At this stage, she observes that many people have already built something; the deeper question is how to use it to influence others.
Building Folkcharm
Today, Ms. Passawee is the Founder and Creative Director of Folkcharm, a registered social enterprise and fashion brand built on a farm-to-fashion philosophy. Folkcharm works directly with elderly weavers and home-based seamstresses to create hand-spun, hand-woven cotton textiles and transform them into contemporary garments and accessories. The brand works with communities to oversee the full supply chain, from yarn to finished piece.
For her, transparency and traceability are central to true sustainability. Ethical fashion, in her view, includes not only fair pay but also recognition, visibility, and respect. Too often, brands say they are inspired by traditional crafts without acknowledging the makers or the culture behind the work. Folkcharm centers them.
She manages both creative and operational responsibilities, from designing collections and co-creating textiles to overseeing branding, photography, production, quality control, and troubleshooting. The work is demanding. Hand-spun yarn can be uneven, and if the yarn fails, the fabric fails. Years of refinement were necessary. “Taking on the whole supply chain is a big commitment,” she says. “It takes a lot of work. But for us, it showed it can be done.”
Folkcharm has earned Thailand’s Green Production certification at the Excellence level and received international recognition, including the APEC Bio-Circular-Green Award. Still, expansion is not her main goal. “Becoming really large isn’t necessarily the goal,” she says. “Smaller, meaningful impacts can create lasting effects for a person or community.”
Livelihood and Pride
Folkcharm began with four weavers. Nearly twelve years later, it supports dozens of women artisans across four villages in Loei and surrounding areas. Many elderly women moved from zero income to earning regularly, with incomes increasing between 30 and 100 percent since the beginning.
Artisans participate in pricing discussions based on time and skill, ensuring the process is transparent and participatory. Yet income is only part of the story. Many weavers had never seen their fabric turned into finished garments. When Passawee brings products back to the villages, reactions are often emotional, as artisans express amazement and pride.
Regular gatherings create valuable social space for elderly women in aging rural communities. She also sees potential for returning migrant workers and those unable to continue agricultural labor. In one village, nearly a decade of collaboration enabled artisans to upgrade their skills and secure funding to establish a weaving school for younger generations.
When Folkcharm began, fewer than ten similar brands existed in Thailand. Today, sustainability and craftsmanship are gaining momentum, and more young interns join each year. She sees cultural pride returning, “The younger generation is proud of the tradition and culture. My mother did this. It’s beautiful.”
One of the most meaningful moments for Passawee is when a customer chooses a piece simply because it is beautiful and willingly pays its true value, reminding her why she continues this work.
The AIT Connection
She remains connected with AIT alumni networks, including annual gatherings in Japan. She recently ran into an AIT alumna, Akiko Ishiyama, in a café in Japan. Akiko studied Gender Studies and now works to empower women entrepreneurs in Yokohama City. “Running into someone in such a crowded city felt meaningful and unexpected”, she said.
AIT has created professionals now working in different parts of the world. She believes the alumni network has strong potential if organized around shared themes. “If AIT brings together alumni working on intersecting areas, we could create real impact. Everyone has connections and resources. Someone just needs to organize it.”
She was also introduced to her husband, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Akira Kodaka, during her time at AIT. She recalls how she and her husband have remained in touch with their professors, maintaining strong bonds long after graduation.
More Than a Brand
For Ms. Kodaka, Folkcharm is not just fashion. It is about honoring the hands behind the clothes, respecting culture, and living in a way that does not harm nature.
Through hands-on workshops at the Folkcharm studio, she encourages people to reflect on what they choose to wear and why. She hopes anyone who wears a Folkcharm piece feels proud and carries a story worth telling, because for Passawee, every thread carries purpose.
