While the number of women working at state agencies has grown in recent years, it is rare to find them in high-ranking roles, especially among fiscal policymakers.
And when it comes to women under 50 who are in senior positions and playing a pivotal role in shaping the country's economy, the numbers are even smaller.
Then there is Kulaya Tantitemit, who, at the age of 44, has already reached the rank of C10 after her appointment as inspector-general at the Finance Ministry in August.
For some, her relative youth cuts a sharp contrast with her responsibilities, which include helping to shape the policies to steer the country through rough economic waters.
Ms Kulaya says she takes to heart the guidance of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej.
But despite the obligations and inevitable pressure, hard work and determination have helped her overcome the challenges.
"I'm industrious and determined," she says. "I do everything that I'm assigned, so colleagues started to take notice of me after working for a while. I'm not really an ambitious person, but whatever task has been put in front of me, I've always tried to do my best."
Ms Kulaya says she takes to heart the guidance of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej, who told state officials to work for the public interest and follow the path of the righteous.
"Sticking to work principles is not difficult if we use the public interest as the focal point," she says. "Working without expectations to do what's right allows us to be more effective and solve any problems based on righteousness and fairness."
The King's lifelong devotion also remains an inspiration to her own daily life.
Of course, working with older people who have a lower rank is a common challenge for those who take a senior post while still young, and Ms Kulaya is certainly no exception.
She has paid careful attention to how she communicates to make subordinates, especially those who are older than her, feel that she is not ordering them around.
Ms Kulaya has also been sure to rely on teamwork, have a calm demeanour and always be respectful of her colleagues' abilities.
"Colleagues' engagement and sharing success are my work philosophy," she says. "Happiness while working is more important than merely moving up the ladder without it."
Ms Kulaya got her career start at the Fiscal Policy Office (FPO) in 2001 after earning a doctorate in International Economics and Finance from Brandeis University in the US. The topic of her dissertation: "Explaining Macroeconomic Fluctuations in the Thai Economy".
Ms Kulaya is keen on cycling, scuba diving and marathon running.
For her, the first real challenge in her working life was being co-chair of the Technical Working Group on the Credit Guarantee and Investment Facility (CGIF) under the Asean Plus Three framework, although she was only a director at the time. The CGIF, established in 2009 during the financial crisis, is tasked with providing credit guarantees for local-currency-denominated bonds issued by investment-grade companies in Asean, Japan, China and South Korea.
She was co-chair along with a representative from China. It was the first time Ms Kulaya had to act in such a capacity at an international meeting, where she was tasked with bringing 13 countries on board to set up the mechanism.
Despite the frustrations that came, in the end her perseverance paid off, with the other states striking deals to set up the CGIF. This was the big break in her career, when other high-ranking officials at the Finance Ministry began to take notice of her abilities.
"I also felt upset at that time and questioned if I could do it, but that experience has taught me that we can do everything if we're dedicated," she says.
After working at the FPO's International Economic Policy Bureau for a decade, Ms Kulaya was ready for the next big challenge with her 2013 appointment as the executive director of the Bureau of Macroeconomic Policy. That appointment came at a time when the country's economy was beset by both internal and external headwinds.
It was her job to analyse the roots of the economic problems and seek measures to address them. Her efforts bore fruit. Deducting travel expenses from taxable income, pumping 60 billion baht in cheap loans to rural citizens through Village Funds and the decision to allocate a budget of 5 million baht to each tambon for local development were among the stimulus measures in which Ms Kulaya played a part.
Ms Kulaya is keen on cycling, scuba diving and marathon running.
With measures intended to put money into the pockets of people in rural areas as well as small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) operators -- especially those whose financial liquidity is suffering from the economic slowdown and low farm prices -- Thailand's economic recovery is gathering steam. That reality has been evidenced by the better-than-expected economic growth in the first half of this year.
Thailand's economy expanded at surprising annual rates of 3.3% in the three months to March and 3.5% during the April-to-June quarter, amounting to 3.4% growth in the first half.
The country has experienced subpar growth in recent years, seeing GDP expand 2.9% in 2013, 0.7% in 2014 and 2.8% last year. Political tensions and the stalling global economy had earlier dealt a blow to Southeast Asia's second-largest economy.
She says economic policy had recently focused on stimulating domestic demand, as those whose purchasing power is still solid are reluctant to spend.
Even though the stuttering global economic recovery is still a challenge for the Thai economy, the country is gradually on its way to recovery.
After taking the helm at the Bureau of Macroeconomic Policy, she also played a vital role in persuading Fitch Ratings to upgrade Thailand's Long-Term Foreign Currency Issuer Default Rating (IDR) to BBB+ from BBB, bringing down the country's borrowing costs.
Ms Kulaya stresses the need for the country to push medium- and long-term infrastructure investment, especially transport projects, to sharpen its competitiveness after a batch of short-term economic stimulus were launched.
Ms Kulaya is keen on cycling, scuba diving and marathon running.
Referencing conclusions in her own doctoral dissertation, she notes that investment in infrastructure and technology can help sustain Thailand's economic growth in the long run, so state investment should be concentrated in these areas.
State spending in the past was poured into short-term projects, whereby the results were quick but unsustainable. For her, ongoing economic reforms would need to strike a balance between medium- and long-term projects, especially since investment in Thailand has been tepid since 1996.
Apart from hard infrastructure, Thailand needs to ramp up investment in soft infrastructure and human resources to improve efficiency, she says.
"Singapore and Malaysia can develop their countries as they've focused on improving technology and the quality of their workforces," she says. "While the quality of Thailand's education and public health sectors have seen improvements, they still lag behind others."
But the size of Thailand's workforce cannot increase, as the country is experiencing low birth rates and is becoming an aged society, she says, adding that quality, however, can be improved through better education, which can add value to the economy.
Regarding the difficulties young officials face when lobbying higher-ranking officers and ministers to implement proposed policies, Ms Kulaya says any proposal will entail pros and cons. Therefore, it is best to give them options to choose from, and not get upset when they disagree with your ideas, as different policies will serve different goals, and ultimately affect large numbers of people in different ways.
Some high-ranking officials may select pro-growth policies in exchange for stability, and others may decide to intervene in the market to level the playing field, she says.
"Each person has a different view, though they've learned similar [economic] theories," Ms Kulaya says. "We need to respect these divergent views. Ultimately, high-ranking officials are responsible for the policies they decide to implement. Even if they disagree with our ideas, it's okay."
Her working philosophy, "today is a consequence of tomorrow", reminds her to not just concentrate on short-term outcomes.
Ms Kulaya is keen on cycling, scuba diving and marathon running.
Ms Kulaya believes an ability to adapt is also key.
"If something brings you joy, you should enjoy it, but also be conscious that it might not last," she says. "For example, you might be attached to a job title, but [at some point] you might not be able to adhere to your principles and do that job.
"As we are civil servants, we need to serve executive policy, but we can also stand on our principles."
Despite the huge responsibilities she has taken on, Ms Kulaya has also made time for herself outside of work.
Running is perhaps her favourite hobby, while deep diving is a sport that makes her feel the most relaxed.
Ms Kulaya once signed up for a 30-kilometre race, though her training period was cut short after a major promotion.
Ms Kulaya is keen on cycling, scuba diving and marathon running.
Running both helps her concentrate and focus on the effort needed to cross the finish line, she says. At times when she is training, she wakes up at 4am to go running at Chatuchak Park.
Ms Kulaya has also taken deep-diving courses for two years, an activity that, despite the tranquillity it offers, is not without its challenges.
At times when she is confronted with feelings of claustrophobia or a fear of drowning, the fascinating nature she encounters while underwater gives her the strength to push on.
Ms Kulaya is keen on cycling, scuba diving and marathon running.
