- Thailand Winter 2023
IMB EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING IN THAILAND, WINTER 2023
DAY 21: 2/11
Hi Everyone! My name is Ryan Cameron and I graduated from Franklin High School in 2019. I am a junior at the Academy and today I am concluding the blog series. We are currently departing Thailand and heading back to the United States. We have just touched down in Dubai after a 7 hour flight and we are waiting to board another flight that will be 14 hours long. Besides traveling, This entire trip has been unbelievable. We have gained so much knowledge on the industry because of all the presentations and field trips to different companies and ports. On top of that we also made great relationships with the Thai people and fully embraced the beautiful culture they have for the past 3 weeks. Also visiting Phuket and snorkeling with all the different types of fish and riding elephants was something I will never forget for the rest of my life. Before this trip I felt like we were all strangers but after these past weeks I consider everyone on this trip a friend. I cannot thank Dr. Ghosh, Ari and Logan, the entire staff of AIT and Mass. Maritime for providing this life changing opportunity. I highly recommend any incoming student to join the IMBU program. You won’t regret it.
DAY 20: 2/10
Hello everyone and greetings from international airspace!!
My name is Geddes Donlon. For high school, I attended St. John’s Preparatory school located in Danvers Massachusetts which also happens to be my hometown. I am currently a junior or 2/C at Massachusetts Maritime Academy. Thanks to the academy and my professor Dr. Ghosh, I was given this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to come to Thailand and learn all about the businesses and culture here.
I was chosen to write about today, 2/10, and boy was it eventful. The morning started around 7:30 with breakfast. I had noodles with some spicy broth which was a good kickstart in the morning. Before our business day began I got coffee from my favorite coffee shop on campus called Hom Krum Cafe and got an iced cafe mocha.
We started at 8:30 AM with a brief overview of what the day would hold. Next Ms. Panhathai Nittilatthi from the Port Authority of Thailand gave a presentation wrapping up the entirety of the three-week program very nicely. This presentation was roughly 45 minutes long, and at the end of it we were dismissed for a coffee or tea break. One thing I love about Thailand was the coffee and tea breaks we got. It seemed to be pretty universal there with almost every independent business we visited supplying coffee, tea, and some sort of snack or pastry.
Thereafter, the students had to present a PowerPoint to our peers and superiors. I had to talk about Phuket Deep Sea Port which we visited days prior. This was around an hour altogether and was a great experience from start to finish. After the presentation, it was lunch time and AIT (Asian Institute of Technology) with whom we had been staying the three weeks provided lunch for all the students. We had a choice between a few different options. I got pad thai with chicken and shrimp and it was delectable.
Post lunch, we all reconvened in the auditorium at 2:30 for the closing session and award ceremony. We had speeches from the Executive Director Mr. Voravate Chonlasin, Course Director Mr. Fazle Karim of AIT, Dr. Ghosh and closing comments from our Rates. There was a gift exchange from MMA to AIT and vice versa. After gifts were exchanged the award ceremony commenced.
I think this surprised many of the students, but we were given a “Certificate of Achievement” from AIT. We also received a flag-shaped pin with AIT’s logo imprinted on it. I think I speak for most of the students but we all immediately put the pin on our uniforms. After the ceremony concluded, we had another small tea and coffee break to socialize with all who were present for the ceremony and presentation. From there we had a little bit of time to ourselves to change from our uniform into something a bit more relaxed.
To our surprise, Dr. Ghosh had organized a small going away party for everyone who helped us while in Thailand. We had homemade cupcakes and caramel custard which were both delicious along with hot tea and cold spiced coffee. I was asked to take some photographs of the event by Dr. Ghosh and I gladly did.
After the party, we said our goodbyes to everyone for they would not be traveling with us. Chok, one of our trip mentors organized a soccer game with some of the students and people who work or live at AIT. We played from 5:30 until we couldn’t see the ball anymore and we called the game. We tied 2-2 which I was very impressed with. This soccer match was one of my trip highlights. It was amazing to watch as two groups of people from opposite sides of the globe, all come together and play soccer (or football) until we physically couldn’t anymore. Even though many of them did not speak English and none of us could speak Thai, everyone played together and had a good time. After the game, I packed all my belongings because our time in Thailand was coming to an end. At 9:00 pm we boarded a bus to head to Suvarnabhumi Airport. We reached in roughly an hour and hopped in line to check in and check our bags. We then said goodbye to Chok who accompanied us to the airport and headed for the customs check. We finally headed to our gate and awaited the call that we could board the plane. Our flight today is headed to Dubai for a layover, and after that 14 short hours and we will be back in Boston.
As I write this, we are currently flying over the Anadam Sea which is right off the west coast of Thailand. With my writing catching up to the present time, this concludes my day. Thank you all for reading and I hope you enjoyed it.
DAY 19: 2/9
Hello, I am Nick Saraiva from Plymouth Massachusetts. I graduated from Plymouth South High School in 2020 and am currently a Junior at Massachusetts Maritime Academy. I have been given the opportunity to go to Thailand and be part of a 3 week experiential learning program.
Today, our day began at 8:45 with two presentations about marine insurance and maritime law in Thailand. The first presentation by Mr. Harold Lim explained marine insurance in Thailand and his personal experience working in the field. He told us anecdotes from his career about how companies will falsely claim peril at sea to try to decrease damages.
In the second presentation, Mr. Sahit Boonsiripiphat explained how marine insurance and maritime law go together. He also talked about the structure of maritime insurance firms. It was indeed very enlightening to hear from these two experienced legal professionals. After the meeting we practiced our final presentation for tomorrow with Dr. Ghosh giving us constructive criticism. We finished the day with a surprise from AIT. They took us to the bank of the Chao Phraya river in Bangkok. We arrived at a pier and market where we got to do some last minute souvenir shopping. We then boarded a tourist boat named The White Orchid to get a tour of the river while seeing some of the locations we have been to already such as the Royal Palace. This time, the view was from the river and it was fascinating. The cruise was complimented by a buffet dinner and live entertainment. Students enjoyed to their heart’s content on the boat and we are very thankful to AIT for this wonderful surprise treat!!
DAY 18: 2/8
Sawadee Kraap!
My name is Tom LaCourt and I am a junior at the Massachusetts Maritime Academy. I am from Weymouth, Ma and I graduated from Boston College High School in 2019.
To say that this experiential learning in Thailand has been successful would be a complete understatement! All the work that we have done through AIT to further learn about the transportation industry in Thailand, matched with the immersion into Thai culture has made it sad to see us reaching the end of this trip.
Today, February 8, marked our 18th day on this trip. Our day officially began at around 0900 where we had the opportunity to meet with members of CMA-CGM shipping corporation. It was fascinating to meet with representatives of one of the biggest shipping companies in the world, and see all the different aspects that make up CMA-CGM like Shipping , port activities, logistics and support activities. Focusing on multimodal transportation, CMA-CGM utilizes all modes available and is trying to steer away from the over-utilization of trucking to optimize efficiency and reduce emissions. Personally, what I found interesting was their subsidiary, CEVA, and what it offers its clients in freight-forwarding and customs brokerage.
Looking back on my time here, I can say that this has been an experience of a lifetime. During this time my classmates and I gained so much from the different ports, logistic companies, etc. to really understand the ‘international’ in our school’s IMBU department. However, beyond that we had the chance to take in the beautiful landscapes of Thailand as well as the people, food, and anything else I may have forgotten.
I am grateful for AIT, MMA and Dr. Ghosh for the work they put in to make this happen, and I highly recommend anyone to visit and enjoy everything Thailand has to offer.
Hi ! My name is Nicholas Leander, and I am a second year Student at Massachusetts Maritime Academy. I am from Rockland, Massachusetts and I graduated from Rockland Highschool in 2021.
My time in Thailand has been nothing short of an amazing experience, growing my knowledge of the maritime industry and being able to experience the culture of Thailand from traveling to Pattaya to taking a airplane to Phuket. AIT has been an amazing host for us, and represented Thailand extremely well.
Our day began at 0900 with a presentation by CMA CGM. CMA CGM was founded in 1970 and has over 420 ports of call in 160 countries. CMA CGM is a very large company and are well known with 275 shipping lines while having 583 vessels. CMA CGM offers Air, Ocean, and ground freight. CMA CGM gave an amazing presentation this morning, and we all were extremely grateful for this wonderful opportunity!
Around 1400 this afternoon, we had the opportunity to go to Talaad Thai Market. We had the opportunity to do some shopping. The market was a great experience as they offered a variety of fresh local fruits and vegetables. On average there are over 100k people at the market every day. There were over 3500 food sources, the market has been around for over 23 years! Talaad Thai supplies food sources for hotels, restaurants, and much more!
Today has been a great day, it continues to amaze me every day experiencing the culture of Thailand! It is truly a place like no other and I see why it is called the “land of a thousand smiles”. Thank you to Dr. Ghosh and AIT Extension for giving me this opportunity to take part in this incredible experience.
DAY 17: 2/7
Greetings from Thailand! My name is Kylie Maher and I am a sophomore at the Massachusetts Maritime Academy. This winter, I was given the once in a lifetime opportunity to explore Bangkok, Pattaya, and Phuket with some of my fellow IMBU classmates and my professor Dr. Ghosh. The trip so far has been both exhilarating and eye opening. I have found the similarities and differences of Thailand and the United States to be particularly interesting. For example, did you know that in Thailand they drive on the left side of the road? I have absolutely loved absorbing the culture here these last two weeks. One of my favorite things about this trip is trying new foods. I have really enjoyed the pad Thai and the curry chicken.
Today is February 7, 2023. Luckily, we didn’t have to check out of the hotel in Phuket until 11:00 and were able to sleep in as late as we liked. My alarm woke me up promptly at 9:30. From there I got out of bed and went down to breakfast. For breakfast I had toast, fried egg, and orange juice. Something about the orange juice here is so delicious. Everyone from MMA agrees it is significantly better than that of the United States. After breakfast I went back to my room where I got ready for the day and finished packing up my suitcase. At precisely 11:00 our group loaded into the vans and headed over to the airport. Things went very smoothly. At 14:40 our plane boarded and we landed at approximately 16:40. From there, the vans picked us up and we headed back to AIT. The ride lasted about and hour and practically everyone in my van slept. When we arrived back at AIT most of our group quickly stowed their suitcases in their room and went to eat dinner in the dining room. Immediately after eating everyone went back to their rooms to shower and sleep as it was a long travel day.
Now that I am back at AIT, I already miss Phuket. The beaches were absolutely beautiful and the nightlife was something out of a movie. I hope that one day I am able to return!
DAY 16: 2/6
Hello, My name is Logan Tsika, and I am a sophomore at Massachusetts Maritime Academy. I am from East Freetown in Massachusetts and I graduated from Apponequet Regional High School.
Today, February 6th, we visited the Marine Office in Phuket as well as Phuket Deep Sea Port. At the Marine Office we learned about the various activities the office would be in charge of. For example, somebody working at the Marine office would be in charge of installing safety equipment at the ferry piers in Phuket, ensuring ship and passenger safety. Along with the Fisheries department, they are also responsible for regulating fishing, which includes setting boundaries for areas where it is legal to fish, or setting regulations for sizes of fish that are legal to catch. We were then brought downstairs to a control room which had cameras showing different spots being monitored in the water. We could see the passenger ship unloading from the cameras. They explained how they managed the shipping channels and communicated with ships.
After we finished learning about the Marine Office, we visited the Phuket Deep Sea Port. While we were there, we were given a brief slide show presentation followed by an interactive activity with the equipment used at the port. We learned that the largest exports from the port of Phuket are cardboard-like material to make furniture, rubber for tires and palm oil. That means there is heavy traffic through the port for export purposes. The other major activity is handling passengers. There is a huge tourist attraction in Thailand as well. Another type of ship that could be seen at the port were passenger ships. For example, while at the port, we saw a cruise ship unloading passengers into ferries at a distance. They had temporarily stopped passenger ships from visiting the port due to Covid but they have since resumed their operations in 2023. They have constructed a new building for receiving passengers.
Overall, it was a very informative day which we ended with visiting a view point from where we could see the entire expanse of Phuket.
DAY 15: 2/5
Sawasdee Khap everyone!
My name is James Cassidy and I am currently in my second year at Massachusetts Maritime Academy. I am from Weymouth, Massachusetts and graduated from Weymouth High School in 2021.
I’ve had an amazing experience so far in Thailand visiting Ports, maritime related businesses, and government departments during the day and discovering the best of the Thai culture during the evening. We are currently staying at the Patong Paragon hotel in Phuket. It is located just a short walk from the beach, street vendors, and many restaurants. We have been enjoying everything Phuket has to offer the last couple of days. We took a sightseeing and snorkeling tour to see and experience some of the most amazing beaches, islands, and waters in the world.
Today, Sunday, January 5th was day fourteen of our trip in Thailand. We visited Phuket old town where there is beautiful scenery, street vendors, and of course all different types of delicious foods. I ate some amazing chicken fried rice with egg for lunch. I also purchased some clothing and other unique Thai items to bring home as gifts for friends and family.
For the remainder of the day we returned to the hotel and enjoyed the clear waters of Patong beach.
Before signing off I would like to thank AIT and its staff along with Dr. Ghosh and everyone else who are part of this operation for working hard to make this trip happen.
Last but not least I’d like to wish my friend and fellow Buccaneer Men’s Lacrosse teammate Ryan Cameron a happy birthday!
Thank you! Go Bucs!
DAY 14: 2/4
Hello, my name is Jackson Van Gelder and I am a Sophomore at Massachusetts Maritime Academy. I am from Branford Connecticut and I graduated from Branford High School.
Today our day started at the Patong Paragon Resort & Spa in Phuket. They had a wonderful breakfast buffet for us. We left the hotel and headed to the marina. A tour boat took us to the beautiful Phi Phi Island, the ride was about an hour. They drove us out to the cliffs, where we went snorkeling and saw some amazing marine life. The water was luminous and the sun was shining all day.
After that, a feast was waiting for us. We ate lunch and then had extra time to explore the island. They had many little shops with souvenirs and so much more. One of the places we stopped at on the way back was this gorgeous tiny beach filled with locals.
We then headed back to the hotel where we celebrated two of our classmates birthdays. In my opinion today was the best day so far, I had such a good time visiting the island and soaking up all the sun.
Hello! My name is Samuel Huffman and I’m a Sophomore at Massachusetts Maritime Academy. I am from Guilford, Connecticut and a graduate from Guilford High School.
Today we woke up at the Patong Paragon Resort and Spa in Phuket. An exhilarating boat ride from the marina took us to the cliffs where we snorkeled and saw some very cool ocean life. The water was crystal clear and it was full sun all day long. For lunch, we anchored on the beach front and walked along the shore side. There was a buffet with rice, chicken, noodles, and various other native fruits waiting for us. It is interesting to see how much the locals want to take photographs with our group.
After that, we traveled to another small beach front where some of us laid on the beach while others continue to snorkel. Then a short trip back to the main, we went back to the resort and celebrated two of our classmates birthdays, Dawson Rowe and Ryan Cameron!!
DAY 13: 2/3
Hello, My name is Lindsy Durgin and I am from Rochester, MA. I graduated from Old Rochester Regional High School in the year 2021 and am currently a sophomore at Massachusetts Maritime Academy.
Recently I have had the opportunity to go on the 3 week Experiential Learning program to Thailand. Today I am writing about Day 12! Today we woke up at AIT and had two meetings that commenced at 8:30 this morning. Logan and Ari presented what the requirements should be for the final presentation. Each one of us now have a clear idea about the requirements of our presentation.
The second meeting with Thaniya was about the itinerary for our trip to Phuket this weekend and related planning. After these meetings we headed on our way to the airport for our flight to Phuket.
Unfortunately, there was a slight delay on our flight, however it wasn’t a problem because we still got there early enough to have a nice night on the town. The hotel is so beautiful and it’s right on Patong beach. I am really looking forward to learning about the Marine Department here and their operations on Monday. We also have some exciting activities planned for the weekend.
DAY 12: 2/2
Hello! I’m Jackson Foscaldo, a 2021 graduate from Medfield High School in Medfield, Massachusetts.
Today, we woke up at The Bayview Hotel in Pattaya and went downstairs for an early breakfast. Unfortunately, it was time to check out of the hotel and leave Pattaya. Everyone seemed to have a great time at Pattaya.
We then got into the vans to visit the Faculty of International Maritime Studies at Kasetsart University. We received a presentation on the education that they provide to their students which seemed to be very similar to the curriculum at Mass Maritime. They had departments like Nautical Science, Marine Engineering, Naval Architecture and Logistics. However, since it is a government institution, it was almost free to attend. Higher education support is a key government initiative in Thailand.
They also had a student from their maritime program present, so it was also interesting to compare our regiment and daily routines to theirs. They have a much longer orientation program which seemed to be quite intense. We were also able to see their 3D Printers used for ship design and their ship bridge simulator. They showed us their various research projects.
We stopped for lunch on the way and then went back to AIT, where we were given the rest of the day to relax and work on anything we may need to get done.
DAY 11, 2/1
Hello from Thailand!!!
My name is Adam Elesseily and I am a junior at Massachusetts Maritime Academy. I graduated from International Schools of Choueifat, Cairo, Egypt in 2020 in the middle of the pandemic. Never thought I would be in Thailand 3 years later. Today would be considered a late start compared to the other days as we are usually busy from 0730 to 1800. It was our second day in this beautiful city called Pattaya.
We are currently residing in a hotel next to the beach so we get blessed with gorgeous sunrise and sunset everyday. After everyone was ready, we took the vans that AIT provided us with throughout this trip to Laem Chabang Port Customs. We arrived at the office and were taken to their presentation room. They gave us Thai sweets and water as we started the presentation. The Laem Chabang port is the biggest Thai sea port that connects Thailand to neighboring countries. They have around 15 terminals and 3 private ports. The port covers 2572 acres and controls more than 50 warehouses. We also learned the technology they use in their terminals for container security. They have 3 main parts to it : Elock, MI, X-Ray. They all work together to ensure the safety of the good in the containers and make sure there aren’t any illegal business happening. They have different types of X-Ray machines which are Grayscale, which is the fastest, and 3Color System, which is slower because it shows the items inside. The 3Color System is interesting as it has certain items coded with a certain color. For example, metal is blue, inorganic items are green, and organic items are orange. They proceeded to show us photos of containers carrying illegal drugs and elephant tusks.
After we left the office, we went to have lunch by the water in a restaurant that serves home cooked meals. They had fried fish, salad, rice, and Thai noodles for us to enjoy. The weather was very nice as it was cool in the shade with some wind next to the water. After I ate, I went back to the van to talk to the drivers. Suddenly, a monkey showed up and was walking next to the van and then jumped on to the trees next to us!!
Then we left for a Ro/Ro terminal. We arrived there and they had a presentation ready for us. The terminal was huge as it was 248000 square meter with the capacity of holding up to 15,629 cars. It is a gateway for car exports as it exports 95% of vehicles and imports only 5%. It is advertised as “ The most advanced Ro/Ro terminal management system in Asia.” The best thing about the port is that it is very close to most car manufacturers as Mitsubishi is only 6 KM away. After we viewed the whole terminal from the roof, we made our way back to the hotel so we can rest and pack as we are leaving tomorrow. Today has been another beneficial day as we learned the day by day operations of both places. Can’t wait to see how the rest of the trip will play out.
DAY 10, 1/31
Hello from Thailand!!!
My name is Jack Estabrook and I am a sophomore at the International Maritime Business program at Massachusetts Maritime Academy. I graduated from Bridgewater-Raynham Regional High School in 2021.
Today was day 9 of the IMBU experiential learning trip. Today we were able to sleep in after our journey to Pattaya and start our day by leaving for Laem Chabang Port at 9:15am. Laem Chabang Port is the largest deep sea port in Thailand and a vital part of International trade for not just Thailand but the whole of Southeast Asia. We were shown a video of an overview of the port and how important it is to Thailand and international trade across the world. We were then given a brief presentation where they explained what imports and exports are handled in the port. They also explained how these imports and exports are transported depending on where they are going and what they are originating. Laem Chabang Port is accessible to the sea, road and rail making it extremely easy to move containers and other goods in and out of the port. To wrap up the presentation, they showed us their future plans in the next few years. They plan to build several new terminals by building two new piers extending out to the ocean.
After that we were fortunate enough to be able to visit the observation tower at the port. We went up to the twenty first floor where we could see the entire port. It was amazing to see how large the port is and actually grasp what goes into keeping the port and terminals organized and efficient. After spending some time at the top of the tower and asking thousands of questions we traveled down the street and ate lunch at a wonderful local Thai restaurant.
We returned to Laem Chabang Port after lunch and went to one of the many container terminals. We were quickly told about the operations of that specific terminal and how they transport the containers from Laem Chabang Port to Bangkok Port. We then traveled to the rail terminal and spoke with the director of the terminal. He gave us a brief explanation of the terminal and how it works. He was extremely informative about the entire port and specifically his terminal. One of the most interesting things we learned from him was that they have oil rigs next to the port.
Overall, I think out of all the days we have been here, today was the most interesting to just see and tour such a large and vital port. Now after a long day of learning and traveling to different terminals, it is time to go take a nap on Pattaya Beach.
DAY 9, 1/30
Hello, I’m Richard Pagliuca, a graduate of St. Mary’s of Lynn in Massachusetts.
After a nourishing Thai styled breakfast, we started off our day by visiting one of CPAll’s 42 distribution centers. CPAll is a major convenience store food and product distributor. Representatives of the company held a discussion where we were able to ask questions and learn more about their business practices. We learned that CPAll delivers to over thirteen thousand 7 Eleven stores across Thailand. After our discussion, we took a tour through two of the warehouses on the property. We saw the assembly line process live in action in front of our eyes. They use modern technology to enhance their picking systems to mitigate any possible human errors. It was humbling to see how hard they worked for the amount they earned.
After stopping for lunch, we went to the MongChang Cafe in Pattaya City. This is an elephant sanctuary that also has other unique animals such as gibbons, parrots, snakes, meerkats, goats, and water buffalos. As we toured, we watched an entertaining elephant show featuring dancers and traditional Thai music. After the show, we were fortunate enough to feed the animals ourselves with bananas and cucumbers. The highlight of the day were the elephant rides through a water trail. During the entire trip, we bonded with our group through many laughs.
Once we wrapped up our time with the animals, we checked into our hotel in Pattaya. It is right across the street from the beach, with a beautiful view. We settled ourselves in, then as a group, we went down to the pool to relax after our travel day. The icing on the cake was a surprise birthday party for Kylie.
I would like to thank the AIT Extension team at the Asian Institute of Technology for making this experiential learning trip possible. The first week has been such a memorable experience. I’m looking forward to the next two weeks, as there in much in store.
DAY 8, 1/29
Hi! My name is Gavin Davis. I am from Middleboro MA, and I am a graduate from Middleboro Highschool. Today is our 7th day in Thailand and we visited Khao Yai national park. We started our day early at 6:30 AM and on the way we saw beautiful mountains, wildlife, and strawberry farms that we stopped at to try the fresh fruit.
After 2 hours we arrived at our destination to start our hike. We adventured through the jungle, going up and down steep trails, over and under logs, and even balanced on a log to cross a stream. The wildlife we saw included monkeys, deer, fishing owls, and other birds. After we finished our hike, we all had lunch together at a nearby cafeteria.
On the drive back, we stopped at a temple and saw many cute dogs and also stopped at a fruit market where I tried jackfruit for the first time.
Today was an extremely enjoyable day that we are all very grateful for and we are extremely excited to leave for Pattaya tomorrow!
DAY 7, 1/28
Hello Everyone! My name is Dawson Rowe and I graduated from Hingham High School in Hingham Massachusetts. In this past week, I have had an amazing experience here in Thailand, understanding the different maritime affiliated businesses and culture. It amazes me how different it is compared to the United States of America.
Today we started off the day with breakfast which included salad, hard boiled eggs, and fruit. We then went to the Grand Palace in central Bangkok to learn more about the Buddhist Religion. It was unbelievable to see such large beautiful buildings where the Thai people come to pray, wishing for a long, peaceful and monastic life.
After the Grand Palace, we went to Chatuchak weekend market where all of us got to eat lunch. I ate a delicious chicken kabob wrap. Many of us purchased clothing, artifacts and gifts to give to our families, and beautiful artwork. As the afternoon wrapped up we reached the Asian Institute of Technology, our place of stay.
The AIT representative Mr.Chok was extremely helpful in providing us with the best assistance in our learning experience that we are all very thankful for. This experiential learning trip has been incredible and I am looking forward to continuing this remarkable experience.
DAY 6, 1/27
Hello!
My name is Charlie Pugh and I am a sophomore at Massachusetts Maritime Academy. I attended Milton High School and currently am fortunate enough to be participating in the IMBU experiential learning trip in Thailand. Today we started our day off with breakfast provided by AIT where we are staying. Our first trip was to the Marine Department of Thailand.
When we arrived, we were given an informative presentation on the Marine Department. They reviewed water transport infrastructure development, seafarer standards, and marine safety. The marine department of Thailand is focused on the future,developing smart piers with modern technology and architecture. They then brought us to their Maritime Safety and Surveillance Operation center fitted with state of the art technology and data software.
After that we headed for the Thailand Board of Investment (BOI). We were warmly welcomed and were given an overview of how the Board tries to attract foreign investment into Thailand. They went into details of Thailand’s economy and investment relations between the USA and Thailand. With informative statistics we were able to visualize how important Thai trade truly is to the USA. We then learned more about the Investment Promotions they have paired with incentives to drive economic growth within Thailand.
I am truly grateful for the presentations we were able to view today. I am very motivated by Thailand’s focus on the future and innovation. I plan to bring the same approach home when I return.
DAY 5, 1/26
Hello everyone,
My name is Logan King. I attended Old Rochester Regional High school. Today marks the 5th day of our experiential learning journey in Thailand. So far I have enjoyed learning about the culture and having the opportunity to understand how the other half of the world lives. Today we went to the port authority of Thailand where we had the opportunity to go onto a Thai dredging vessel. We learned how dredging operations work in the port of Bangkok and we received a better understanding of the equipment used in these operations. We then went out to lunch at Nittaya Kai Yang where we had chicken, rice, and some other unique cuisines. The second half of the day, took us to the inland container depot in Latrabang. We learned about the inland terminal operations for containers and how there facilities are laid out. Following this we visited the Wat Suthat temple. The Wat Suhat Temple is a Buddhist temple in Bangkok. The temple was very cool! To end the day we attended a Muay Thai fight in Bangkok. This was my first Muay Thai fight. Watching Muay Thai helped us compare U.S boxing to boxing in Thailand. Watching the fighting was very interesting and we all had a fun night.
All the events we have been able to participate in couldn’t have been planned without the support from AIT and specifically Thaniya. Thaniya has been a fantastic resource throughout the trip. I couldn’t be more thankful for her hospitality and support throughout our trip. AIT has a great team of staff that cares a lot about the MMA students which has allowed us to have 5 successful engaging days.
Overall, I’m looking forward to the next 2 weeks and I’m excited to learn more about the culture and the maritime business aspects of Thailand!
DAY 4, 1/25
Hi! My name is Brett Nielsen and I am from Haddam, Connecticut. My high school is Haddam-Killingworth high school located in between Haddam and Killingworth. Today, we woke up quite early to set out for the Port Authority of Thailand where we learned about their operations and how they plan to improve in future. After a meeting with their leadership, we headed off to see where they train their crane operators and got to try out their simulator and learning equipment.After that, we went to the Thai Customs Academy and learned what they were all about and their operations. We asked a lot of questions in both places.Then we decided to go to the Mall and I was quite intrigued by the mall petting zoo where there were bunnies, pigs, goats, large reptiles and even parrots.I’m very excited for what comes next in this experiential learning program both business-wise and culturally. I still have so much to learn and I’m ready.
DAY 3, 1/24
Hi! My name is Allie Dickinson and I am from Kingston, Massachusetts. I attended Silver Lake Regional High School before coming to Massachusetts Maritime Academy. Our group is currently on our third day in Thailand. We were granted with the opportunity to get off campus and visit SCG Logistics Management Co. in Bangkok. I was pleased to hear the differences between traditional logistics, green logistics and multimodal logistics. I was able to relate this back to the classes we are taking now at the Academy. Later that afternoon we had a session on climate change. It was a pleasure to be able to meet with Prof. Dr. Joyashree Roy and hear her take on issues in climate change and it’s impact on maritime operations. I am grateful to be given the opportunity to talk with such a highly educated Professor in Thailand and I am also grateful to be furthering my education in Thailand for 3 weeks. I am excited to meet with new people and learn more about the culture of this beautiful country and the representatives of maritime business.
DAY 2: 1/23
Hi Everyone, My name is Nathan McDermott. I went to Bridgewater Raynham Regional Highschool. Today we had our opening ceremony with Asian Institute of Technology with all of the senior leadership of their school. Each student was treated with the utmost respect and we all could not be more thankful for how welcoming everyone is to us. Later in the day, we had our first lecture on “Logistics and supply chain market trend in Thailand”, from Mr. Chalermsak Karnchanawarin, Secretariat, Thai International Freight Forwarders Association (TIFFA) Executive Director, Triple I Logistics (Public) Co., Ltd. We learned more about the diverse international supply chain, specifically how Thailand’s economy has changed since the devaluation of the Baht (Thailand Currency) in 1997. After the day’s lecture we went to the Future Mall and Market. We enjoyed Thai food and culture in the market. I am really looking forward to the rest of our trip!
DAY 1: 1/22
Hi! My name is Ari Damery and I am from Plympton, Massachusetts. My high-school is Silver Lake Regional located in Kingston, MA. We just arrived in Thailand and it is beautiful. After our 18 hours of flying we were so ready to start our adventure. We were greeted at the airport by the Asian Institute of Technology’s advisor Mr. Chok. He has been wonderful in helping us transition to this new culture. The students have expressed how excited and grateful they are to be here. We have lots of academic sessions planned and places to visit in the upcoming weeks. I am most excited for the warm weather and meeting all sorts of new people.
