Sasiwan "Mink" Kludkesa

Born in a small town of Thailand and bound with the belief that girls should not study much, I was never confident of myself. After completing a Bachelor degree in Economics in Thailand, I realized that I wanted to work in the field of tourism. After one year, I moved to Bhutan, a small landlocked kingdom between India and China with pristine nature and unique culture. Coming from a business-oriented family combining with my interest in tourism, I saw an opportunity to bridge Thailand and Bhutan. I opened the first travel agent that organized tours to Bhutan specifically for Thai tourists and it became a big success. A few years later I started the first Thai restaurant and it has been recommended in the Lonely Planet Book of Bhutan. The keys to success were combinations of right timing, hard work and good luck.

However, I knew that something was lacking, the real knowledge. As a result, I decided to further my study in this field and here I am in the Netherlands pursuing a Master in Tourism Destination Management at NHTV. The main reason that I chose this particular program was its practicality with three-month field trip in three different destinations. This program is specially designed for an international classroom with students from all over the world and from different backgrounds. The class dynamic allows the students to learn from each other’s experience and build the networks.

The NHTV’s teaching method differs greatly from the Thai way. In Thailand interaction with teachers during class were not encouraged and asking questions was regarded as a sign of weakness. This special teaching method helps me to break through and speak up without any fear of embarrassment. I have also learnt not to believe everything I hear or see but to question and analyze it first. As a result, my critical thinking has been developed. Furthermore, the program has changed my perspectives as it abolished my belief that Westerners were superior and I start to feel confident and competent. This program has undoubtedly helped me discover my full potential and I know that after completing my Master degree, the sky is my limit!