My Southeast Asia Ventures: A 6-month internship in Bangkok taught me independence — and a new passion for jewellery-making

In January 2022, I embarked on a six-month internship with Trinket Co, a jewellery company based in Bangkok.

It is one of my biggest takeaways from my university journey at the Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS).

I applied for the internship as I believed exposure to a rapidly growing Asean region would add value to my learning.

I chose Thailand as I love its spicy and flavourful cuisine, friendly culture, and hospitable people.

My Thai friends — whom I made during a previous exchange in 2018 when I was a student at Singapore Polytechnic — were incredibly helpful in helping me secure an apartment and smoothing out details before I flew over.

As I went to Thailand with no prior knowledge of the jewellery industry, I gradually learned the intricacies of jewellery making, types of precious stones, and the factors that determine a diamond’s price.

Initially, it was challenging as there were so many new terms and processes to learn, but I am grateful for the guidance of my boss, and now friend, Sahil.

The language barrier was a challenge I learnt to overcome as well. I picked up basic terms that were enough to help me get by, and Google Translate was my best friend!

I am also thankful that I had friends to call in an emergency.

Living on my own, I learnt to be more independent. In Singapore, we call a handyman to fix any issues at home. However, in Thailand, the handyman will say that he will come today, but in fact comes a week later!

So, I searched online for solutions and managed to fix the issues in my apartment on my own.

I also got to experience the differences between Thailand's and Singapore’s work culture. Thais observe traditional hierarchies, and manners are very important.

In an informal setting, it is polite to add a “Phi” in front of the name when greeting someone older than you, and in a formal setting the honorific “Khun” is used.

I also realised that in Thailand, people address you by a nickname instead of your given name so that evil spirits will not know your name. My friend gave me the nickname “Wan”, meaning sweet!

During the internship, I discovered a passion for jewellery.

I had the opportunity to make a few pieces for myself, and the most memorable one was a pair of jade earrings. The jade was gifted to my grandmother from my grandfather years ago, and she passed it down to me.

Once I was familiar with the entire jewellery-making process, I designed it into a pair of earrings and oversaw each step of the process from start to finish. I hold it close to my heart as it represents my family — and my new skill.

With my newfound passion for jewellery, I have started to brainstorm ideas for a small side business.

Thailand welcomed me with open arms, and it will always be one of the best adventures of my life. It was amazing to reconnect with my friends there and I had the chance to explore different parts of Bangkok during my free time.

They took me on road trips to places such as Khao Yai and Khao Kho (khao means mountain) in the north-central provinces of Nakhon Ratchasima and Phetchabun provinces, and I even had the opportunity to spend the Songkran festival with my friend’s family!

If you really want to experience Bangkok, my advice is to take an open-air bus that costs about 10 baht (S$0.40) regardless of distance. You can get to see the different nooks and crannies of the city and can get off at whichever stop interests you!

Bangkok is such a lively city that I was glad to call home for six months. I will be back soon!

ABOUT THE WRITER:

Bonnie Yip, 23, is a final-year Human Resource Management student at the Singapore University of Social Sciences who loves travelling and Muay Thai.

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