With an engineering background, I began my consulting career at McKinsey in Amsterdam as a Business Analyst in 2018. Over the 6 years I worked at McKinsey, I gained great experience working across multiple industries and developed a lot of useful management skills working as Engagement Manager. Around this time, I began feeling like it was time for a new challenge, specifically I was looking to pursue a lifelong dream to live and work in Southeast Asia. That’s when I made the move to Agoda last year, and it’s been a rewarding and exciting transition so far.
I chose to move to Agoda in Bangkok for a few reasons. Firstly, I had previously traveled to Thailand and the friendliness of people, the vibrant culture, and the warm weather year-round marked me. Additionally, Bangkok’s central location makes it an ideal base for exploring the rest of Southeast Asia, which aligned with my dream of living and working in this region. The city also offers an abundance of good food and high-quality healthcare, which are important considerations for a comfortable and enjoyable living experience. Lastly, Agoda is a young and dynamic company that thrives on data-driven work, which aligns well with my professional interests. The good compensation package also played a significant role in my decision.
A Day in The Life of a Senior Manager in Corporate Strategy
Overall, my role is a blend of strategic foresight and tactical execution, ensuring that our market strategies are both forward-thinking and responsive to real-time developments. My day-to-day work involves a mix of strategic and operational tasks. Strategically, I focus on longer-term questions related to the markets we are active in across Southeast Asia. This includes analyzing market trends, competitive actions, and the effectiveness of our strategies to ensure we are well positioned in the region.
One of the standout aspects of Agoda is its ever-evolving, fast-paced nature. The online travel space is really dynamic, presenting opportunities to build and test new business models that make an immediate impact. The decisions I make today drive real, measurable results tomorrow. I feel like my role within the Strategy team at Agoda gives me the opportunity to truly make a difference.
I worked on a market analysis project focused on the trends and strategies of large hotel chains in Southeast Asia. This project aimed to understand the strategic plans of these chains and identify how Agoda could play a role in facilitating their growth. By analyzing market trends, competitive actions, and the effectiveness of various strategies, we were able to provide insights that helped shape Agoda’s approach to partnering with these hotel chains.
Why Agoda is an Exciting Workplace
The work culture at Agoda is characterized by a young and vibrant atmosphere with an international business culture. The organization operates with little hierarchy, promoting a meritocratic environment where data-driven decision-making is highly valued. Employees at Agoda are encouraged to have a good time while working in Bangkok, fostering a positive and enjoyable work environment. This culture supports collaboration across different teams, geographies, departments, and seniorities, making it an inclusive and dynamic place to work.
Growing at Agoda: Limitless Opportunities for Ambitious Professionals
For high performers, career growth at Agoda is limitless. There are no fixed hierarchies or rigid promotion timelines – advancement is based purely on impact and performance. This means ambitious professionals can progress quickly, without being held back by structural constraints often found in traditional corporate environments.
The strategy team collaborates with all departments across Agoda, providing team members with the chance to learn about various aspects of the business. Additionally, the department organizes weekly “Meet and Learn” sessions. These sessions are conducted by both the strategy team and other teams within Agoda, allowing for a diverse range of topics and insights to be shared.
Relocating to Bangkok: Seamless Support for a Smooth Transition
Moving to a new country can seem daunting, especially when it comes to work permits and bureaucracy. But Agoda’s dedicated team handled everything, so what initially seemed like a major challenge turned out to be an incredibly smooth and hassle-free experience. The level of support I received made my transition much easier than I had anticipated.
I relocated with my wife and two pets, and Agoda’s team assisted us in many ways. They facilitated the visa process for both my wife and me, arranged for a pet-friendly hotel for us to stay in upon our arrival, and were highly responsive to our questions throughout the whole process, providing timely and accurate information each time.
When considering relocating to Bangkok, I recommend you engage with people who have been living here for a while to gain firsthand insights into the lifestyle, challenges, and benefits of living in the city. You can find multiple Facebook groups with expatriates willing to share their experience and advice. Evaluate Bangkok against other cities based on factors that are important to you, such as climate, cost of living, healthcare, to understand if Bangkok aligns with your personal and professional needs.
Living in Bangkok: A Vibrant City That Offers Exceptional Quality of Life
Living in Bangkok offers an exceptional quality of life. One of the biggest draws is the food scene – every meal is an affordable yet delicious culinary adventure. Coming from the Netherlands, where gloomy weather is the norm, stepping outside into Bangkok’s sunshine still feels like being on holiday. The perfect blend of incredible cuisine, year-round warmth, and the city’s dynamic energy makes everyday life in Bangkok both exciting and enriching. Plus, there’s the opportunity to explore Thailand and Southeast Asia right on the doorstep.
There are many things to do in Bangkok, but I personally enjoy exploring the city for nice views and good food, engaging in nature photography, and staying active by going to the gym or playing sports like padel.
Building community in Bangkok: Connecting Through Shared Experiences
Settling into Agoda and Bangkok was a smooth experience for me. Bangkok is an easy city to settle in, offering both developed areas and vibrant neighborhoods still in development, which I enjoy exploring depending on my mood. The local people are very friendly towards expatriates, and there is a large community here, which you get easily exposed to if you want. For my wife and I, we made a lot of new friends through joining events organized by the Dutch Embassy, sports events such as padel tournaments and joining one of the local field hockey teams (which my wife did).
Agoda was also easy to settle in due to its international business culture and the presence of like-minded people. Agoda regularly organizes social events, in addition to the events for new joiners, that allows employees from any department to connect and network beyond their direct team.
Starting fresh is a unique opportunity that you might only get a few times in your life. Embrace the challenge and you won’t regret it. While leaving home behind and building something new might be a challenge for some, getting out of your comfort zone brings immense joy and valuable life experiences.
Cost of Living in Bangkok: Lower Expenses, Higher Quality of Life
Having lived in Amsterdam before moving to Bangkok, I can provide a comparison of the cost of living between these two cities. Housing in Bangkok is significantly more affordable, with prices for similar apartments being about half of those in Amsterdam, making it attractive to upgrade to larger apartments with facilities like gyms or pools. Food expenses in Bangkok are also much lower, offering a wide range of options from $2 street meals to $100 fine dining experiences, allowing us to eat out or order takeout almost daily.
Healthcare costs, including veterinary care for pets, are approximately 25% of what one would pay in Amsterdam. Additionally, transportation is more economical in Bangkok, with a 30-minute taxi ride costing around $5, and even less if opting for a motor taxi. Overall, the lower cost of living in Bangkok allows for a higher quality of life with more disposable income for other activities and savings.
Final Thoughts: Why Agoda is the Place to Be
Beyond the professional opportunities, the culture at Agoda is a huge draw for consultants looking to pivot to client-side. The team is young, dynamic, multinational and intellectually curious – mirroring the stimulating environment of consulting firms. If you’re looking for a career move that offers impact, rapid growth potential, and a fantastic lifestyle, I recommend you check out opportunities with Agoda!
