GRIP, Internships Abroad A Home in Bangkok

PR and Marketing in Bangkok, Thailand

When envisioning my first in-person internship for this summer, I thought of tall buildings housing a myriad of coworking spaces, a small cubicle with my name on it, and coworkers that preferred to put their headphones in during lunch breaks. However, while working at Brand Now in Bangkok, Thailand, this summer, I found something much better and more meaningful.

My workplace, a multi-level house converted into office space, sits on a beautiful street away from the bustling main street, rife with flowering vines creeping up the buildings. Here, I met my coworkers and boss; with only four women in the office including me, it felt very welcoming and personal. Since my first day, they were nothing but kind and quick-witted, helping me to open up easily. They have served as amazing mentors for me, both personally and professionally.

Instead of lunch alone with headphones in like I envisioned, I spend my lunches laughing along with them and learning a lot, whether it is about the PR industry or about the best karaoke bars in Bangkok. We have a team lunch every Monday, courtesy of my boss Khun Nui, but we eat lunch together every other day, too. Sometimes guests will even come in to eat with us, such as a reporter from a large media organization, and I always have the opportunity to learn so much from them. Afterwards, we clean up together, collectively putting our extra food out for the birds and lizards that frequent the balcony. These small moments of eating and cleaning up together feel really significant to me.

A particularly meaningful experience during this internship so far has been when my boss randomly learned of my birthday being this month and insisted on having a celebration for me. Despite knowing my colleagues for less than a month, they banded together and sang happy birthday to me, complete with lunch and a cake with candles. These heartwarming experiences with my mentors are important to me, making me want to grow more each day.

When thinking about how different my experience here in Bangkok has been in relation to what I thought it would be, I feel immensely grateful. The mentors that I get to work with every day have shaped my experience in Bangkok more than I have ever imagined, and I have already learned so much information from them for both my personal and professional life. I couldn’t wish for a better internship experience abroad.