The Remarkable Doi Tung Life 

By Poonyavee Boonjai, BBA#16

Two months at Doi Tung was such a memorable time in my life. As a continuous internship project from year 2010, in this year, eleven interns (four from Chulalongkorn University, two from Thammasat University, four from Columbia University, and one from Harvard Business School) were recruited and divided into 2 groups to work on tourism projects which are ?Sustainable Tourism? and ?Homestay Initiative?.

The information gathering and survey phase enabled us to know more about the origin & principle of the Royal Project, the Princess Mother?s legacy, and her lifelong contribution to the local people in Doi Tung area. In addition, we also had a chance to visit all production sites, factories, and tourist attractions. This one-week tour opened our eyes about how various businesses that were created under the Project have shaped better livelihood in the surrounding communities.  Never before have I realized how a simple word ?To Help People to Help Themselves? can be turned into the greatest philosophy that lead local people out of poverty and drug problems. As part of Sustainable Tourism team, I received a great opportunity to work with people from different backgrounds, explore their various thoughts and experiences, and most importantly, learn to think more holistically in business in which is not only about the profit, but also benefits of the people in the organization and local communities.

Furthermore, we also worked on 2 additional projects in creating marketing strategies to improve tourism within Mae Fah Luang Art & Cultural Park and Hall of Opium. By working in this task, I found how the knowledge I received in BBA classes can be adopted in real business operation.

As it is said ?Every party must come to an end?, I cannot deny how it seemed so fast to finish the chapter of my Doi Tung internship. However, I truly believe that the work and life experience I?ve learned from these past two months will benefit me tremendously in the future. The memory of people, life, and happiness I?ve found at Doi Tung will be cherished forever.