WHAT I LEARNED WITH SIAMRISE TRAVEL AS AN INTERN?

SiamRise Travel is a small family business which is a responsible Destination Management Company (DMC). They aim to include local community and minor destinations into Thailand’s touristic spots while creating positive impact. 

PRESENT YOURSELF

I am Cynthia, a 25 years-old student in sustainable tourism. I am enrolled in Toulon University which is situated in south of France. I come from Paris, and I love to discover new cultures. Since my 18 years old I am interested in Asian culture which helped me to attend Asianlanguages courses such as Mandarin, Korean and Japanese. I can proudly say that I have strong language skills.

What makes me choose the sustainable field is my trips. I had the chance to travel all around Europe (UK, Spain, Italy, Belgium, Germany, Switzerland) with a stop in Africa (Malawi) and Asia (South Korea). 

Those trips taught me that major destinations were full of tourists leading to negative impacts for the local people. While minor destinations were left out and couldn’t benefits of the economic impact. With my degree, I have the tools and comprehension to involve local people into tourism. What was lacking is the professional experiences abroad.

WHY DID YOU CHOOSE SUSTAINABILITY OVER ANYTHING ELSE ? 

At the beginning I wanted to become a lawyer. So, I enrolled in a lawyer school in Paris but after a few months I knew that it was not my path. 

I changed and followed my first passion which was Japan culture. I learned Japanese culture along with Korean and Mandarin language. I managed this crazy lifestyle for two years then I dropped university. I was lost and I couldn’t see what fields could help me to leave a positive impact while being inspirational for myself. 

That is when I took a gap year and traveled around the world. I saw by my eyes, the impact of travelers in local people. There is one moment when I knew that tourism was the right field for me. During my stay in Malawi, I encountered marvelous people who was working in the tourism field. They showed me a glimpse of tourism (what is working in the tourism field, what are the skills they are looking for, how you build a touristic product,…) and what was the next issues to overcome. It was in 2018, and sustainability was already in their mouths. 

When I came back in France, I enrolled in a tourism school and since then I wanted a specialization in sustainability. 

HOW DID YOU FIND SIAMRISE TRAVEL ?

It was easy to find them. I taped “sustainable travel agency based in Thailand” and find an article about it written by Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT). I read the description of each company and wrote an email for each as well. 

SiamRise Travel retained my attention because they only work with local community, local guides, and local vendors. They have a system of income that goes back fully to the community. Their reviews were more than satisfying for a DMC. Travelers were emphasizing their social impacts and qualitative experience which makes me want to be part of this company. 

Their products reflected their vision : local impacts. From day tour to cultural village tours and homestay experiences, I wanted to be part of this process where you create products for the travelers and at the same time local community. 

IS IT YOUR FIRST TIME IN THAILAND ?

It is my first time in Thailand ! Since 26^th March 2022, I live in Bangkok, and I am going to stay there for four months. What was surprising is the complete change of mindset, language and temperature compared to France. While I was suffering from the heat and humidity here, it was still snowing in France. Even though, I stayed in South Korea for one month and a half for vacation a few years ago, I didn’t expect to be that different from each other. 

WHAT’S A TYPICAL DAY INSIDE SIAMRISE TRAVEL COMPANY ?

My day is starting around 10:30 am and finishes at 6 pm. We either go to TCDC (Thailand Creative and Designer Center) or Starbuck at Samyan Mirtown. Each morning, I am either welcomed by Fine (the general manager and co-founder) and/or Bow (the operation manager). After talking about our life, we start to work. Twice a week, I have a briefing with Good, the managing director and co-founder. Those briefing are important as it helps me to know my tasks and how I should prioritize them. 

Every day, I have something new to do, which is something that I love. It helps me to deeper understand their visions of tourism and how they try to build it into sustainable touristics product. 

I can work on the creation of an impact report one day, and work on the marketing the other day. For example, for the impact report I was free to do it like I wanted. I searched on internet and watched some educational videos before giving them the impact report. This self-learning gave me a glimpse into SiamRise Travel core which is uplifting not only the community but also their staff and themselves. 

Their work environment is stress-free. Everyone is at the same level and there is not any hierarchy. When I have an idea, they encourage me to try it and to make it real. Making a mistake is not a disaster, they truly help me to have more faith in my skills. 

At the end of the day, everyone goes back to their house but sometimes, there is some surprise. For example, at the end of my first week, I was invited in a Thai restaurant by the company. It was a touching moment for me as I was still suffering from homesickness. It was a meaningful moment where I was able to know them more and exchange about culture differentiation between France and Thailand. 

WHAT SHOCK YOU DURING YOUR STAY HERE ?

It’s been three weeks that I am in Thailand and there are already things that shock me. 

1/ Huge usage of plastic

When I came to Thailand, I saw that everything was plasticized. Not even a single banana couldn’t resist the urge to be plasticized. In each shop, they will give you bunch of plastic bags according to what you are buying. Want to drink a bubble tea on the street ? They will give you a plastic bag for it. What I learn is that Siamrise Travel educate travelers about it. For example, if you choose the Homestay Experience, they will warn you about the impact of your waste on a small village. In fact, travelers waste disturbs their natural environment. So, keep your waste and bring them back with you !

2/ Pedestrians

This is about my daily life. In France, you have pedestrians with traffic lights which help you to cross the roads. But here, even if it’s red for the car, some will not stop themselves. You must be careful when you want to cross the road. Other than that, you will find information in English which is a blessing in a city like Bangkok.

3/ The transportations

I am fully into the slow travel. Bus and train are the one that I use the most to travel in Thailand. But be aware, that there are many different buses according to their comfort. This situation leads to different prices, but it is all part of the adventure, I would say ! For the train, there is categories, but I recommend blending with local people in order to feel Thai culture. 

My first experience was going to Ayutthaya by train from Bangkok. It was a wonderful experience as I was alone and able to discover a UNESCO site by myself. I learned a lot about the meaning of this site and participated in local economy by using a tuk-tuk for a day and eating local food.

4/ The Thai lifestyle

In general, I love people-watching as they represent the culture of a country. I am amazed at how, in every situation, Thai people always smile. The Land of Smile truly deserve its name. Also, they are aways willing to help if you need it. 

Don’t hesitate to go to Thai people. They are really kind and, if you know some Thai words, it will be better in terms of communication. 

WHAT WOULD YOU SAY TO SOMEONE WHO WANTS TO BE A RESPONSIBLE TRAVELER ?

Being a responsible traveler is easy and quick. 

When you think about it, you must change some of your habits. Bring everything that could be reusable such as bag and bottle. This simple method will help you to reduce your amount of waste. When you are the hotel, don’t forget to switch off the air conditioning, the lights but also don’t waste the water during your shower. 

Before coming, prepare yourself to the immersion. You can learn some words, plan your trip and see what activities you want to try with local company (cooking class, day tours, shopping, scuba diving,..). 

Do not get involved with captured animals. Most of the shows with animal in Thailand are usage abusive behavior against animals. Instead, you can go to refuge which is known for their irreproachable behavior. 

Keep in mind, that your actions have an impact in local populations. So, take it easy and follow your common sense.

WHAT DO YOU PLAN TO DO AFTER ?

I plan to continue my studies until I get a Master on sustainability. I would like to reinforce my knowledge in sustainability applied to the tourism field. 

Working in SiamRise Travel showed me that business and sustainability is compatible. Making positive impacts as a core of a business is something that I will search in my next internship company. 

Also, I would love to come back in Thailand but, as a responsible tourist this time !