From Ukraine to Bangkok: Kostiantyn’s Life at Agoda
- Kostiantyn Lysenko
- Site Reliability Engineer, Data Operations and Devops Team
- Living in Bangkok since 2016
Before moving to Thailand, I was working remotely as a DevOps engineer and thought, “What’s the point of staying in one place if I can work from anywhere?”
That’s when I decided to move to Thailand. Since then, I’ve held multiple DevOps and Site Reliability Engineering (SRE) roles across Southeast Asia, including Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand. When I was looking for my next role, I wanted to work with smart people on interesting projects. Agoda stood out as a great place for that. The scale of Agoda’s IT infrastructure was another big draw— Agoda’s SRE truly shines at scale, and Agoda offers plenty of opportunities to work on challenging and impactful projects.
Moving to Thailand was my very first long-term travel abroad. I hesitated with Latin America before finally setting my mind on Thailand, primarily for safety reasons. As a kid, I read books about countries on the other side of the world, with palms and tropical islands and thought I would never have a chance to visit. Now it strikes me, I can work and live where most people go on holiday, inspired by my younger self’s dream of exploring a tropical destination.
A Day in the Life of an SRE Engineer at Agoda
As an SRE engineer, my role revolves around ensuring system reliability. Together with the Network Operations Center (NOC), DevOps, and the broader tech team, we work to keep Agoda’s systems up and running smoothly.
My day-to-day work involves learning something new every day, discussing and implementing new systems, and collaborating with smart, motivated, and hardworking colleagues.
One of the most impactful projects I’ve worked on is the Capacity Beacon project. This initiative reduces resource waste in our data centers, improves service reliability, saves money, and ultimately supports more bookings. A related side project, the CPU.max removal, is reconfiguring our private cloud to reduce latency for clients.
Why Agoda is an Exciting Workplace
I love the hybrid work model of Agoda, which offers flexibility to work from home and remote work days, a perfect balance between collaboration and focusing on deliverables. The bustling tech culture at Agoda is open, supportive, and encourages sharing ideas and speaking your mind. There are lots of opportunities for internal and external tech talks, training sessions, and it’s rewarding to be in an environment that fosters continuous learning and growth. I once read that a person is shaped by the people around them, and at Agoda, you’re surrounded by smart, friendly, and inspiring colleagues who make every working day more exciting.
Growing at Agoda: Opportunities to Learn and Excel
Career growth at Agoda depends on your ability to deliver results. If you do good work and show your impact, the opportunities to grow are endless. Managers play an active role in helping employees understand what’s required for their growth and supporting them along the way.
Agoda has helped me grow professionally by providing challenging projects and the resources needed to accomplish them. I’ve also had the chance to learn from some of the best people in the IT industry. The company’s impressive learning resources, including seminars held by the CTO, send a strong message about the value placed on knowledge sharing and development.
Tech at Agoda: Pragmatic and Innovative
Agoda’s tech stack is pragmatic, and data driven. The backbone is JVM (Java, Scala, Kotlin), with Rust used for computationally heavy tasks. Business metrics are used to evaluate tech solutions, ensuring that decisions are grounded in data.
The tech culture at Agoda emphasizes building ambitious projects and delivering high-quality solutions. The scale of Agoda’s operations adds another layer of complexity and interest, making it a great environment for those looking to improve their skills.
Relocating to Bangkok: Easy and Smooth
I was already living in Bangkok when I joined Agoda, but the onboarding process still stood out. Making visas can be challenging due to the many details involved, but Agoda’s onboarding team provided excellent support, ensuring everything went smoothly and according to plan.
For anyone considering relocating to Bangkok, my advice is to choose both the company and the country. Thailand is a fascinating place to live, and Agoda is a great company to join. The country’s infrastructure makes everyday life comfortable, and Agoda’s support ensures a seamless transition, and a journey filled with growth.
Living in Bangkok with a Family: A City Full of Discovery
I have 2 kids now, a daughter and a son (5 and 8 years old), both born in Bangkok. They were born in Samitivej and Bumrungrad Hospitals, two renowned hospitals here. Both hospitals were good, modern and had professional English-speaking doctors, nurses and employees. Prices for childbirth were decent. We also hired a doula who helped us a lot as we were very inexperienced parents.
Thailand has become a world-renowned leader in medical tourism, with numerous high-quality private hospitals. Agoda provides different comprehensive insurance packages for families that should give you peace of mind should you or your family need any treatment.
Raising kids in Bangkok is quite an interesting experience. There are several parks in the center of the city and numerous traveling opportunities. A lot of sun, fresh fruits and vegetables. There is also plenty of activities for families, from several big parks where you can enjoy a walk in the shade to family-friendly cafes, and entertainment centers like Bounce. It’s also easy to find a house helper – which is a real game changer for new parents.
As time passed, we had to find a school for our kids. Luckily, there are a lot of parents at Agoda who can advise you, and you can benefit from Agoda’s partnership with international schools that offer discounts for employees.
Bangkok is also a massive city with endless opportunities for exploration. It’s safe, well-connected, and has public transportation to help you get around.
Outside of work, I enjoy writing code, learning new things, practicing yoga and meditation, reading books, and traveling occasionally with my family.
Building Community in Bangkok: Welcoming and Supportive
Settling into Agoda and Bangkok was a warm and friendly experience. I met many great people, and over time, my social network grew. My kids made friends at school, we meet people at our condominium, and I found interesting meetups. For example, I regularly visit BKK morning coding on Sundays, ThaiPy meetups, Ukrainian IT Fridays, or other IT conferences, with the last one I attended being FOSS Asia 2025 (and they are already planning a second one in Bangkok in 2026!).
For anyone nervous about starting fresh in a new city or workplace, it’s normal to feel that way. But your curiosity and openness will lead you to new connections and adventures. People at Agoda are incredibly friendly and always happy to support you. Over time, your social network will grow, and living in Bangkok will become even more enjoyable.
Cost of Living in Bangkok: Higher Quality of Life
Bangkok offers a wide range of options and different price points, and costs will vary widely based on lifestyle. Everyday expenses like food and transportation are affordable. However, if you’re raising a family in Bangkok and miss the occasional food from home, you will need to factor in the cost of international schools and certain imported goods into your living expenses. On the other hand, quality of life in Bangkok is much higher than in Ukraine, both safety and infrastructure on a totally different level.
It can be a good idea to review https://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/comparison.jsp for a price comparison between your place and Bangkok.
Final Thoughts: Why Agoda is the Place to Be
Joining Agoda is a great adventure and an enriching experience. It’s an opportunity to work on meaningful projects, grow professionally, and live in a vibrant city like Bangkok. The most rewarding part of my journey has been seeing my work make a difference and feeling appreciated for my contributions. If you’re considering joining Agoda, take the leap—you won’t regret it.
