History of Noprat Kulhyran, Armored Vehicle Businessman

The history of "Madam Tank," Noprat Kulhyran, an armored businessman, sold materiel to the military around the world.

Noprat Kulhyran, known to many as "Madam Tank," is a former geography teacher who turned himself into the Thai armored business, an advocate for rubber-wheeled armored vehicles with a team of handymen to the Thai-Cambodian border free of charge, to join the mission to protect the country, demonstrating his willingness to co-maintain national independence and security in times of crisis.

{Beginning of life and education}

Noprat was born in the neighborhood of Youth, Bangkok, on March 23, 1953. Now 72 years old, she grew up in a family that engaged in the old steel, chain and engine trades. Inherited since her grandfather's generation who emigrated from China, Noprat is the seventh child among twelve siblings and has two sons, Kan and Krit Kulhyraan.

In her childhood, she helped her father work and learned about the steel business from those around her whose careers involved the same kind of work; she graduated elementary school from Sacred Heart Convent School and then with Assumption Convent School, majoring in French, a higher education section at the College of Academic Studies, Pathum One Campus, a prestigious institution for French language teaching.

While a student, Noprat undertook a number of activities and was also given the opportunity by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to serve as a French interpreter as well as a Thai teacher for immigrants in Aran Pradesh, Pond Kaew Province.

{Teacher and family life span}

Upon graduation, Napratn began her five-month career as a teacher at Yanawesh School before moving to teach geography at Assumption Convent School, her own alma mater, after which she married Hiran Kulhiran, the owner of a car repair and engine modification operation, who later had connections with the military in equipment supply and maintenance.

{Step into the armored business}

After the Vietnam War ended, the US military withdrew from the region and scrapped large quantities of materiel. Her husband bought these parts to bring back to Thailand. Noprat, who had the ability to negotiate and English, contacted manufacturing factories in the US to buy tank crawlers and machinery. She redeployed her knowledge in Thailand, reestablished manufacturing factories as the US used them.

Her sincerity and cunning convinced US factory owners and provided so much machinery that her affairs grew by leaps and bounds. The factory was able to produce parts used on tanks and build on the deployment of tank belts to the Thai military, including Chinese tanks stationed in Pakistan and Bangladesh. Her work also went on display at international arms shows such as Eurosatory and IDEX.

{Products and innovation}

Given the unrest situation on the southern border, Noprat began to focus on developing armored vehicles to protect the lives of officers and citizens, a key contribution was the creation of "Firstwin," a rubber-wheeled armored vehicle stationed with the Royal Thai Army, Special Investigation Department, Drug Enforcement Unit and Corrections Department. It was also ordered by the Malaysian Army, and her company later produced a bulletproof and explosive ambulance version of Firstwin, which is said to be the world's first rubber-wheeled ambulance armored car.

{Personal life and awards}

Napratne is a friendly businesswoman who spends her free time with inventions, crafts, and painting, especially the hibiscus flower that she likes to draw the most. Her work has been recognized and won several important awards, such as the 2006 Outstanding Export Award from Thaksin Shinawatra and the 2008 Excel Design Award, "DiMark," from Samak Philosophy.