I was a very early member of a cybersecurity consulting company, Praetorian, where I helped build and grow the business across many domains. We worked with many Fortune 500 companies and VC-backed startups, giving me exposure to how a wide range of organizations operate. One of the company’s clients was—and still is—Booking Holdings, and I was part of the team that conducted the first National Institute of Standards and Technology Cybersecurity Framework (NIST CSF) assessment for Agoda onsite.
I decided to join Agoda in Bangkok after going out for dinner with the previous Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) of Agoda while I was on vacation in Thailand. He was in the process of building out the security team and asked if I wanted to be a part of it. The timing and opportunity were just right.
A Day in the Life as a Security Lead in the Tech Department at Agoda
Most days, I spend researching and planning the security department’s long-term vision, thinking about our current architecture, and planning for future requirements and improvements to keep the organization innovating and adhering to best practices and compliance requirements. Some days, I get my hands dirty coding PoCs and evaluating new techniques and features in our tech stack.
A big project I led and implemented focused on the auto-detection and labeling of different types of Personally Identifiable Information (PII) and sensitive data exchanged between services. This gave us the capability to automatically label services with the types of data they process, making our inventory for compliance and audit more accurate. One of my earliest projects at Agoda was the implementation and standardization of an alerting and incident response pipeline, which allowed our small team to conduct automation and manual responses directly from Teams and Slack.
Why Agoda is an Exciting Workplace
I get to work across a lot of domains and interface with people who are really experienced in their roles. This allows me to expand my background and learn about areas of IT I haven’t worked heavily in before.
Growing at Agoda: From Consultant to Leader
I’ve been able to use my skills to help drive the direction of my department. At Agoda, I’ve stepped into the shoes of someone who implements and leads initiatives, rather than just advising and recommending solutions as I did in consulting.
The size and culture of Agoda have allowed me to interact across many different areas. I’ve learned deeply about the approaches and reasons behind decisions, and I’ve seen firsthand how it takes time and effort to lead and shift directions to improve the organization’s security posture.
For my first role at Agoda, I was initially assigned to the Incident Response (IR) team, where I focused on building automations and enhancing response capabilities. After designing and developing a platform for our IR process, I transitioned to working on security in our Private Cloud, which was in its infancy at the time. Currently, my focus has broadened to encompass all IT domains.
The Tech at Agoda: Modern, Hands-On, and Always Evolving
Agoda is a modern tech company, with a lot of similarities to organizations I’ve worked with in the USA. There’s a strong western influence in the tech culture, and people are curious and not afraid to try things themselves.
We have a heavy build-vs-buy mentality, which makes us engineering-heavy—a great environment for learning. Over my six years here, I’ve seen the company become more mature and sophisticated in its tech stack.
We operate on a pretty modern stack, and there are always opportunities for improvement.
Relocating to Bangkok: An Unexpected Adventure
I didn’t set out to relocate to Bangkok initially. I kind of just fell into the job after being convinced by a friend while visiting on vacation. Having lived in Europe and around the USA, I figured Bangkok wouldn’t be a bad place to try out living in Asia.
And I didn’t really relocate in the traditional sense; I just showed up in Bangkok while on vacation, flying in from Europe, and ended up staying. I didn’t move any belongings from the USA.
The city is amazing. I’ve lived all over, and Bangkok is definitely one of my favorite cities in the world. As far as lifestyle and livability, the city has something for everyone. I started out in a condominium for my first year, but after the COVID pandemic hit, I eventually ended up with a house in the suburbs.
I would always recommend checking out different locations and encourage others to consider non-condominium/apartment-style housing.
Living in Bangkok: Food, Travel, and Endless Variety
Living in Bangkok has been a delightful experience, especially because of the food. The city offers an incredible variety and quality of cuisines from around the world, and I only find myself missing a few things from Texas. I spend a lot of time in the Phrom Phong and Ekkamai areas, enjoying great food and craft beer. Some of my favorite spots include Danzante for Mexican food, Bourbon Street for Cajun cuisine, and Arabesque for amazing Middle Eastern and Indian dishes.
Outside of work, I love traveling, and Bangkok serves as a fantastic central hub for exploring Asia. I’ve visited countries like Malaysia, Vietnam, India, and South Korea, with plans for trips to Mongolia and the Philippines.
Building Community and Settling In: Connections and Contributions
I was lucky to know a few people here before I landed and to have previously interacted with Agoda employees. It wasn’t my first international move, so I settled in relatively easily.
I network and keep in touch with a large number of people in the security industry within the region. I host regular meetups for CISOs and security leaders across many large organizations in Thailand. I’ve also acted as a bridge for people in the West looking to relocate, successfully placing friends in positions across various organizations here.
Bangkok is a huge multi-cultural city, so events for any kind of activity happen all the time. A few friends and I sometimes go to a weekly trivia night and attend some organized events for travelers. Occasionally, I will drop by The Sportsman, a sports bar and restaurant, to watch a live sporting event.
Cost of Living in Bangkok: More Value for Your Money
Accommodation and medical care are cheaper than in the USA, and food is whatever you’re willing to pay for. What is great here is that you have plenty of options to choose from, for any budget you have. Whether you are looking for a nice, luxurious dinner or a casual street food snack, it really depends on how much you’re willing to spend.
For example, I would say my typical lunch out at my home is around 60-70 baht, which roughly translates to $2. Overall, the cost of living is lower, and your dollar stretches further. You can afford to live a more lavish lifestyle and still save money. I don’t have kids, which is a big factor for many people when considering costs.
Final Thoughts: Why Consider Agoda?
It’s a great opportunity, both in terms of the experience of living in Thailand and the experience you gain by working with some great people. The most rewarding part of my journey at Agoda has been making friendships that will last a lifetime—and meeting my soon-to-be wife.
