Maurice Heine

From Germany to Bangkok: Maurice ’s Life at Agoda

• Maurice Heine
• Senior Software Engineer, Engineering & Technology
• Lived in Bangkok since 2025
• Relocation situation: solo

Before joining Agoda, I worked at an IT company in Germany’s banking sector. My team developed user authentication for online banking, serving millions of users. I’ve always loved Thailand and visited every year during my university studies and after starting work. I even began learning Thai three years ago and can now speak fluently.

When my previous employer didn’t allow remote work from Thailand due to legal concerns, I started searching for opportunities in Thailand. Agoda stood out as the perfect fit because of its strong engineering culture, international environment, and values. I wanted to push myself out of my comfort zone, live in Thailand, and travel more in Asia so when I got the chance, I took my chance for a role at Agoda.

A Day in the Life of a Software Engineer in the Accounts Team at Agoda

My day-to-day work involves programming new features, maintaining existing code, and discussing priorities with my team to achieve our OKRs. I’m currently part of the Accounts team, responsible for the login platform and account security at Agoda.

This platform consists of a few components and services each with their own designated responsibility.

It provides the login and signup processes for Agoda, YCS, and white-label websites, streamlining user authentication across platforms, while providing protection from malicious actors.

It also securely stores and provides customer-related information, such as names, emails, phone numbers, and member IDs, to other parts of the system. It ensures seamless data access across the Agoda website and is also responsible for sending OTP codes during login processes.

Security modules in this platform enhance security by detecting suspicious login or signup attempts. They challenge questionable requests with captchas or block them entirely, safeguarding user accounts from spammers attempting to guess passwords.

Every day brings new challenges and opportunities to contribute to Agoda’s secure and efficient user experience.

Why Agoda is an Exciting Workplace

Agoda’s work environment is unique. All decisions are driven by data and experiments, we’re encouraged to test and assess, fail and improve. Another aspect of the culture which I love is how international Agoda is. There are talents from all around the world, if you just walk around the office, you will hear many languages, so working with individuals from different backgrounds really makes the collaboration exciting. Lastly, the company also encourages travel and offers the freedom to work remotely for up to 30 calendar days a year, which I know I will use to visit my family and friends in Germany over the summer.

Tech at Agoda: Innovation and Scale

Agoda’s tech stack is built for large-scale systems, providing plenty of opportunities to work with advanced technologies and continuously learn. The culture here is all about continuous improvement, which keeps the work fresh and engaging. It’s rewarding to contribute to a system that helps millions of people travel around the world.

What sets Agoda apart is the culture and how strong the focus on data-driven decisions and experimentation is. Every change or new feature is tested and validated with real data, ensuring we deliver the best possible experience for our users.

On the technical side, the front-end projects I’ve worked on use TypeScript and React, offering a modern and efficient development environment. Our backend APIs are written in Scala and run on our own container platform, known as private cloud. For deployments, we use a canary deployment process—new versions are first released to a small portion of traffic and, if stable, gradually rolled out to everyone. This approach ensures reliability and minimizes risk, making Agoda’s tech stack both robust and cutting-edge.

Relocating to Bangkok: A Smooth Transition

I relocated to Bangkok alone, and Agoda supported me every step of the way. They booked my flight, provided clear instructions, and arranged temporary accommodation, giving me enough time to find a condominium. For anyone considering relocating, my advice is to embrace the opportunity—it’s a chance to start an exciting adventure.

Living in Bangkok: Nature, Travel, and Culture

Bangkok’s warm climate, sunshine, and delicious food make it a great place to live. Beautiful beaches are just hours away, and the city itself is full of parks and greenery.

Outside of work, I enjoy visiting parks, traveling to beaches, hiking in national parks, and exploring temples and historical sites. I also spend time programming for fun and talking to family and friends back in Germany.

Building Community in Bangkok: Connections and Experiences

Settling into Agoda and Bangkok was a bit overwhelming at first due to all the new systems and tools I had to learn. But as I worked on more projects, I gradually gained confidence. My colleagues have been great, and I enjoy practicing Thai with some of them. We often share stories about our home countries, comparing differences and similarities.

There are some German speakers at Agoda. We have had some evenings where we met up after work to go to eat together and socialize, we even recently went to a restaurant called “Old German Beerhouse” which had traditional German food!

Cost of Living in Bangkok: Affordable and Comfortable

The cost of living in Bangkok is much lower than in Germany. Food, electricity, and transportation are especially affordable, making it easier to enjoy a comfortable lifestyle.

Final Thoughts: Why Consider Agoda?

Living and working in Bangkok has been an incredible adventure. It’s exciting to live so far from home, meet colleagues from all over the world, and share stories. Every day brings interesting technical tasks and opportunities to grow. If you’re considering joining Agoda, don’t hesitate—it’s a decision you won’t regret.