From Australia to Bangkok: This Is Jack’s Life at Agoda
- Jack Fisher
- Principal Counsel, Legal
- Living in Bangkok, Thailand since 2024
Shortly after graduating from university in Australia, I moved to Taipei to work for the Australian government and then for a local law firm for almost four years. I moved back to Sydney to further my career in law at Allen & Overy (a UK-based global commercial law firm) in their corporate practice, before making the move in-house to TikTok as commercial counsel at their Sydney office. I worked at TikTok for almost three years before applying to Agoda.
I primarily decided to join Agoda as its overarching mission to make travel more accessible and affordable is something I personally resonate with. I’ve always loved traveling and have lived in different locations, including Australia, Canada, Taiwan, and now Thailand. Professionally, I was looking for a new, challenging work opportunity, and I wanted to change industry. Personally, I wanted to move overseas while it was still possible and practical for me to do so, and having lived in Asia before, I was actively looking for an opportunity to move back.
A Day in My Life at Agoda as Principal Counsel in the Rocket Travel by Agoda Legal Team
My day-to-day work involves providing legal advice and support to the Rocket Travel by Agoda (the company’s B2B commercial team) team across Asia Pacific, to help drive revenue growth for Agoda’s commercial business. This generally involves working on a high volume of contracts, advising on key projects, deals and initiatives driven by RTA. It requires working cross-functionally with a wide range of other internal teams, including Finance, Tax, and other Legal teams.
One ongoing project the team focuses on is streamlining the contract review and approval process to improve efficiency for stakeholders. By collaborating with the RTA Operational Excellence team and other internal teams, we’ve driven greater adoption of Conga, our all-in-one contract review and approval platform for RTA, while regularly reporting on its data and refining related processes and policies. This effort has significantly reduced turnaround times, shortened approval and signing timeframes, and enabled more commercial deals to be closed more efficiently.
Growing at Agoda: Expanding Skills and Building a Career Path
So far, Agoda has enabled me to develop both my professional skills and network beyond the company. The fast pace and variety of projects allow me to learn about Agoda’s various products and services, as well as help me better understand the commercial drivers and strategy of Agoda’s commercial business. There are also so many great learning resources and training available via Bridge (our internal learning database), which I try to use as often as possible to learn more about certain areas within Agoda’s business.
In addition, I would like to one day mentor others, as well as learn from and alongside them in a managerial role. It’s very encouraging to see members of the Legal team earning promotions and driving their own career growth internally.
Relocating to Bangkok: Embracing New Beginnings
I’ve lived and worked in Asia before, so this wasn’t my first time moving overseas for work. Since I moved alone, the logistics were relatively straightforward; the hardest part was simply finding time to see everyone before I left.
My relocation was well taken care of by multiple teams, from the Onboarding team who helped answer all my questions, the Visa team who helped me apply to obtain my work permit and visa, as well as other practical support like providing the first month’s accommodation in Bangkok.
Adjusting to a new role, company, and culture took some time, but that’s a normal part of any big move. My manager and colleagues in the Legal team were incredibly supportive and helped me settle in quickly.
If you’re considering relocating to Bangkok, don’t hesitate to ask questions and do your research. Stay open-minded and flexible—every new experience is a chance to learn and grow. Embrace the journey and enjoy every moment!
Living in Bangkok: A Central Hub in the Region and a City Full of Discovery
I enjoy how international and central Bangkok is – there is always someone visiting Bangkok (as one of the world’s most visited cities), so it’s nice to be able to meet friends and family and show them around. As opposed to Sydney, Bangkok is very geographically central and is very affordable and accessible for others to visit, and it is also a hub to visit other countries, especially Southeast Asian countries.
Outside of work, I enjoy staying active by working out regularly and playing tennis, both socially and competitively. I also love to travel, whether around Thailand or abroad. In my free time, I like exploring new restaurants and cuisines, finding hidden cafes and rooftop bars, and visiting art exhibitions or galleries. Bangkok has so much to offer as a unique mix of Eastern and Western influences, traditional and modern culture. The city is constantly changing, so there is always something new to discover.
Building Community in Bangkok: Meaningful Connections at Work and Beyond
I’ve already built meaningful connections both within my immediate team, as well as with the business and cross-functional teams we work closely with and support. While it may seem daunting at first given the size of the Agoda’s office and number of employees (we’re around 3000+ employees here in Bangkok), everyone is more than willing to meet in person, which really helped build stronger connections and rapport. In addition, Agoda organizes social events regularly, and there are also employee resource groups where you can find like-minded peers, as well as sports club that helps meeting new faces and strengthen connections beyond work.
Besides work, I’ve also made some close friends, both locals and expatriates, which I believe is crucial to building a life in a foreign country and feeling like you “belong” here.
Cost of Living in Bangkok: Affordable Living and Greater Value
Coming from Sydney, one of the most expensive cities in the world in terms of living costs, the financial decision to move to Bangkok was an easy one. My overall living expenses are around a third of what they were in Sydney, and I also pay significantly less income tax compared to Australia. As an example, having a relatively cheap meal out in Sydney will likely cost around AUD$20 to $40 (400-850 THB) for one person, whereas a similar restaurant in Bangkok will likely cost around AUD$5 to $15 (100-350 THB). Similarly, rental prices in Sydney can be extremely high (e.g. a one-bedroom apartment close to the city will likely cost upwards of AUD$500 to $700 per week) with limited supply, whereas in Bangkok you can live very comfortably close to the city center for a fraction of the cost.
Final thoughts: Why Agoda is the Place to Be
I would encourage anyone who is looking for a culturally diverse, fast-paced and challenging yet fun, global work environment, to consider joining Agoda in Bangkok. While relocating to a new country can be daunting and challenging, it can also be very personally and professional rewarding – it’s also heartening to know that many other Agodans have made a similar move, so there is a wealth of knowledge and information available to help you throughout the process. While Bangkok is quite Westernized and international, there will definitely be some culture shock – so make sure to be conscious of and prepared for this, try to keep an open mind, and ask for help if you need.
