| Phitsanu Ruasamran | |
| |
| Sex: | Female |
|---|---|
| Birth: | February 3, 1974 in Phitsanulok, Thailand |
| Emigration: | 2001 from Thailand to the United States |
| Father: | Soem Ruasamran (?-c1980) |
| Mother: | Chuen Yuklai (1930-) |
| Siblings: | Sak Ruasamran (c1953-) Song Ruasamran (c1954-) Chonticha Ruasamran (c1955-) Wihan Ruasamran (c1958-) Wichit Ruasamran (c1960-) Wichian Ruasamran (c1963-) Bunchoet Ruasamran (c1965-) Bunchob Ruasamran (c1968-) Bunchu Ruasamran (c1972-) Nam Ruasamran (1974-1974) |
| Spouse/Partner: | Thanee Chaipasee |
| Marriage: | late 1990s in Thailand |
| Children: | Jaras Chaimuangchuen (1994-) |
| 2nd Spouse: | Kevin Borland |
| 2nd Marriage: | June 30, 2000 in Bangkok, Thailand (legal) January 3, 2001 in Ban Dongphayom, Thailand (ceremonial) |
Phitsanu Ruasamran (1974-), a.k.a. Thidawan, is a Thai cook in Virginia.
Birth
Phitsanu Ruasamran was born February 2, 1974 to Soem Ruasamran (?-c1980) and Chuen Yuklai (1930-) in Phitsanulok (พิษณุโลก), Thailand. She was named Phitsanu after the city of Phitsanulok, where she was born. Phitsanu is a cognate to Vishnu, a Hindu godess.
Early life
Thidawan grew up in Ban Dong Phayom, Thailand, where she resided with her parents (until the death of her father), and subsequently with her mother and siblings, until around 1987, when she moved (along with some of her close family members) to Bangkok. In Bangkok, Thidawan studied English and tried her hand at several small businesses, including a street-cart noodle stand and a laundry shop, both of which she owned as a sole proprietor. Thidawan took it upon herself to change her given name from Phitsanu to Thidawan during this time period.
1990s
In 1994, Thidawan had a child Jaras with her fiance Brek Chaimuangchuen (1975-), from Lampun, who was also residing in Bangkok. The engagement with Brek did not ultimately result in marriage. In the late 1990s, she married Thanee Chaipasee, but the marriage ended in divorce. Her son was cared for by her mother and her sister during this period, in Ban Dong Phayom.
Marriage to Kevin Borland
Thidawan met Kevin Borland in June, 2000, while Kevin was studying law abroad. Kevin and Thidawan subsequently received a marriage license on June 30, 2000, and married one another on January 3, 2001 in Ban Dong Phayom, at the home of Thidawan's mother Chuen.
Emigration to the United States
After marriage, Thidawan was approved for permanent residency in the fall of 2001 and immigrated to the United States through New York. Her son followed three months later, after his paperwork cleared. The family resided in New Jersey until May, 2002.
Move to Virginia
In May, 2002, the Borland family moved to Arlington, Virginia, where Kevin began contract work at Raytheon. Kevin subsequently left his position at Raytheon to open a book retail business, the profits of which he used to open a solo-practice law office.
Employment in Arlington
Thidawan began work as a cook at a Thai restaurant in Arlington while Kevin took time off to study for the District of Columbia bar examination. Thidawan relied on her experience in Thailand with her noodle-stand, as well as the passed-down culinary knowledge from her childhood in Phitsanulok, to become the head cook at a popular Thai restaurant in Arlington by 2006. While working at the restaurant, Thidawn took several English classes and worked at the service counter for a local supermarket to improve her ability to communicate with English-speaking Americans.
Workplace accident in 2007
In July, 2007, Thidawan was severely burned in a workplace accident at a restaurant in Arlington. She was hospitalized for two weeks, and immobilzed for a period of approximately two months, after which she returned to work. During that period, her husband Kevin and her 13-year-old son cared for her.