Bangkok Future Leader Internship Program

I came to Bangkok through Next Step Connections as an International Business major with a marketing minor, and the placement they matched me with genuinely fit. I spent the summer as the digital marketing intern at Escaplan, an experiential team-building company, running social media for two of their products: GoSnoop, a detective-themed scavenger hunt through Bangkok's old town, and Agent Smith, a spy-themed corporate experience.

The work was real. I built SEO keyword strategies, produced Instagram Reels and TikToks, designed carousels, edited footage from live corporate events, and sat in on positioning conversations while the company reworked its brand. I came home with a portfolio and work that I could show.

NSC handled the parts that would have been overwhelming to sort out alone: housing, airport pickup, SIM card, transport card, and pre-arrival planning that meant I knew what my first week looked like before I got on the plane. PA and the Bangkok team were quick to answer whenever I had questions, and the cultural excursions took me to parts of the city I never would have found myself.

One thing worth knowing going in: my visa took longer to come through than expected. That's the Thai process, not anything NSC controls, but build in buffer time and start your paperwork the moment you're accepted. The team kept me updated throughout and was responsive whenever I checked in on it. If you want real responsibility abroad instead of busywork, this program delivers.

I had a wonderful time with this program! Throughout my experience, I came to love living in Bangkok, and I made a variety of friends. By the end, I came out of it more confident in myself and felt like I was more capable. My job allowed me to work in the SRHR field, which I am passionate about. As a result, I felt like this summer engaged me with my career passions and aspirations more. Staff were supportive, and housing was overall nice. Bangkok is an extremely vibrant city with a plethora of opportunities - this summer gives you the space to connect with the local community. By the end of the summer, I felt like I had developed meaningful relationships.

I feel like I was able to get enough support to allow me to grow and smoothly move into an international country. I was able to learn to become more independent and responsible in 8 weeks. Aaron was able to find the perfect company for my preference and had always given me support and guidance when travelling. I thank him a lot for his help and it makes me want to do the process all over again! I’m still shocked by how much I learnt during my time in Bangkok, I’m surprised at how much I’m capable of growing. I’m very drived after the experience to continue to work and I’m excited for my future endeavours

My time as an intern in Thailand with NextStep was one of the more life changing experiences I’ve had. NextStep did a fantastic job helping me with placement and making sure I was having an enriching experience while I was there. NextStep provided me with an advisor that taught me about cultural history and norms that was crucial in gaining a broader understanding and appreciation for Thai culture. I can’t recommend doing an international internship enough because not only did I learn professional skills, I learned a lot about myself and my worldviews.

I have been thinking about what to write for a while now and I still don't know where to start. Me living in Thailand for almost five months on my own?? You tell me that in 2018 and I wouldn't have believed you!

But yet here I am, back home after having interned in Bangkok for 20 weeks from October 1 to February 14. In this day and age where having a degree does not separate you from your peers and jobs available for recent graduates are scarce and usually underpaid I knew I had to find a way to somehow make my CV stand out from the rest. I'm not going to lie. The thought of leaving my comfort zone was scary. I've been lucky enough to travel to many places from a young age but I did so with my family or friends by my side. Honestly, I just didn't think I was ready, though I didn't tell anyone that.

However, I felt like that was something I needed to do. I wanted to do something out of the ordinary and I kept a positive attitude at all times. I was prepared to live the experience of a lifetime so I embraced the challenge. In the end, I must say, I did not feel like I was overcoming any sort of challenge whatsoever. P.I (aka Aaron) picked me up at the airport, helped me settle in, and gave me many tips about navigating through the city and Thai culture. I was even more excited to get started!!!

What I am most grateful for is definitely having had the opportunity to intern for a leading international PR & Comms agency, where I made tons of friends from all over the world and gave me the headstart to my career I was looking for. Spain has been in total lockdown for over a month due to the COVID-19 pandemic but I am starting a new job in finance next Monday!!! We as a country are preparing for an upcoming economic crisis and this 22-year old just got a full-time job in one of the most renowned Spanish companies. THANK YOU!!

I'm sure I'll still leave some things out but I want to stress how happy I was in Bangkok and how easy it was for me to feel welcomed into Thailand. I used every weekend to walk around the city and I ate street food daily. P.I and my coworkers even taught me some basic Thai sentences which made the locals comfortable around me. I think I can still order some Thai food as of late April lol!! Btw, in addition to Bangkok, I visited Phuket, Krabi, and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (I visited to Petronas Twin Towers on Christmas Day!!!)

I will cherish all the memories I made in Thailand forever. My favorite with P.I is definitely going to the nationally-televised Muay-Thai fight. I still get goosebumps. That was epic!!!

Thailand, I will for sure be back at some point.

Thank you NEXSTEP for the incredible service and support you provided me throughout my program. The knowledge, networks, job skills and overall experience I gained have not only increased my confidence as I prepare to enter the workforce, but are actually paying off in the first couple of interviews.

I want to thank the people and professional friends I made in Thailand for hosting me and opening my eyes to the incredible businesses, startups, and networking opportunities available in Bangkok, which was super developed, entertaining and fun to live and work in.

I also appreciated how close it was to several other of the most amazing countries I have visited including Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore, Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos, and Indonesia.

If you have the chance I recommend studying and doing a professional internship abroad with NEXSTEP in Bangkok, Thailand. This has been the most memorable experience of my life. I am sad that it will soon come to an end. All I can say is Bangkok, you’re the best, thanks for the journey of a lifetime. I’ll be back again soon.

This internship was such an amazing experience - I learned a lot about myself and grew mentally as well. My time in Thailand helped me recapture a sense of adventure that being stuck in Austin, TX shut me out of. I learned a lot about a culture that I had never expected to know so much about and it made me realize how much in the world is going on and I don’t even realize it. I would highly recommend this program to anyone who feels like their stuck and is itching to try something new and break out of their shell. On this trip I met so many cool people, kind Thai souls that let me into part of their lives, my company’s employees that pushed me to do more, and the students on the program with me, they are truly friends that turned into family! But to be honest the best thing I experienced on this trip was the food - it changed my entire perspective on food in general and my tastebuds are happier so.

After going on an exchange program in Bangkok, I have been actively pursuing ways to come back to Thailand again and again. This internship program made me felt at home in Thailand. I really enjoyed this program especially the people, the culture and social practices in Thailand. First of all, this program matched me with the perfect internship company in the education field. It allowed me to learn from the best professionals in the education field and expanding my social network. Through my internship, I was able to participate in incredible workshops in the chosen field and meet lots of awesome people.

The program also came with weekly networking and career developing events. These were valuable opportunities to get to hear from leading professionals in different areas. I got a chance to socialise with other interns from the globe too, which is always a plus. Another highlight would be cultural excursion. The internship team took us to different parts of Bangkok. Students were able to explore the beauty of this city and appreciate its history.

The internship team was very friendly. They are always there for any help and support even after the end of the internship.