Nice to meet you. My name is Yurika Machiyama and I am a new member of Monosus Thailand from April.
In early May, Monosus Thailand was having interviews, and many of the staff said, "I want to go on a trip together," and "I want a chance to get to know each other better." So we decided to make it happen right away! Within a few days, we decided to go to Krabi, which was a beach resort that could be enjoyed for just two nights, out of the two most popular options, Koh Lipe and Krabi.
This time, we will be bringing you a report on the company trip for a total of 15 members of Monosus Thailand, the first since our office relocation, when our team members suddenly increased.
Now, to Krabi, the land of dreams!
Day 1: Friday, May 27th
Our destination is Krabi, an enchanting resort town that has also been used as a filming location for films such as "The Beach" and "007."
Actually, this is Thailand. It's about 780km south of Bangkok (about the same distance as Hiroshima or Aomori from Tokyo), and you can get there in just under an hour and a half by low-cost carrier. What's more, the round-trip transportation fee is about 1,100 baht (about 3,500 yen in Japanese yen), which is a surprising price.
From the day before, the whole lunch break was filled with talk of the trip, with all the staff's minds already on Krabi.
On the day, I finished work early and headed off to the land of my dreams.
Farewell Bangkok. The beautiful sunset and night view will increase your travel expectations.
Although I was enthralled by the in-flight meal on my first ever LCC flight, I held off until dinner at the hotel.
Everyone is excited to arrive in Krabi. Their excitement overcomes their hunger.
8:50 PM
Although our arrival was delayed by an hour and a half, we arrived safely at Krabi Airport.
The hotel is a 45 minute drive from the airport, followed by a 20 minute boat ride.
Although the hotel is on mainland, it can only be reached by boat.
Will they make it in time for dinner at 10pm?
The familiar shuttle van arrived at the pier in exactly 45 minutes, where our shuttle boat was waiting.
The group walks down the long, long road to the pier. What lies ahead?
A very cool wooden boat welcomes us. Is everything alright?!
In the complete darkness, where it was almost impossible to see anything, the ship continued to move forward at a remarkable speed.
Because of this, it sometimes bounces and there are times when you almost get thrown off...!
But that sense of not caring is what makes it so great. It's a much more exhilarating experience than any other attraction you can find! This is the most exciting ship I've ever been on.
10:00 PM
We arrived at Railay Beach where the hotel was located.
The surroundings are completely dark and I can't see anything yet.
The dark sea stretches out before me, and all I can hear is the sound of the waves. The view I've dreamed of is still to come.
I managed to make it in time for dinner, and on the first day I had a few drinks before preparing for the next day.
What about the rain that won't stop?
Day 2: Saturday, May 28
Rumble rumble...
I wake up early in the morning to a disturbing noise.
When I woke up and looked out the window, I was shocked to see that it was pouring down!
However, Krabi has just entered the rainy season, and occasional showers are common.
Even if it does rain, it will stop quickly, so I don't worry too much and head to breakfast.
Noo, the secretary who contacts the tour company, seems a little suspicious. Something seems a bit off.
Oh my...? There's a commotion in the breakfast area.
When I looked at the weather forecast, it said it might rain all day!
This is bad. The rain shows no signs of stopping even after the scheduled departure time has passed.
If anything, it's getting worse... Krabi is experiencing a rare storm.
Apparently feeling "responsible," rain man Ito's prayer (special appearance during a business trip from Japan)
I had no choice but to look into ways to enjoy Krabi on a rainy day, but the nice caves and limestone caves were far away, and I had to take a boat to get there.
But I can't give up on island touring...
We decided to wait until the deadline (noon) to see if we could depart on the half-day trip, hoping that there might be a miraculous sunny day.
Now, there were two hours until noon. I had no particular plan and started thinking about what to do, when someone immediately suggested, "Let's all play games in the room!"
Secret island tour menu
10:30AM
When we got to the room, the first thing we did was start a photo shoot!
Thai people love taking photos, and they pose harmoniously and take photos anytime, anywhere. Thanks to this, we were able to create many tangible memories this time as well.
Now that everyone has gathered in the room, the Japan-Thailand joint gaming tournament begins.
Our Thai staff will teach you many Thai games.
It may look simple but be difficult, and there are similar games in Japan that are surprisingly easy to get the hang of.
We taught each other games from our countries and everyone had a great time in a more inclusive atmosphere than usual.
Prem covers his face after the penalty is confirmed
A tense game. The people watching...
Three people forced to dance a pop dance as a punishment game
The DIY spirit of ruler-style design is all about making the most of those "gaps."
This temperament seems to have been present among the members of Monosus Thailand as well.
15:00 PM
In the end, the rain didn't stop even after noon, but as evening approached, the group sensed a slight hint of sunshine and immediately headed for the beach near the hotel.
There we were able to get a close-up look at the majestic rock faces of Krabi, known as a mecca for climbing.
A cave-like rock wall that stretches to the beach
Even on the way to the destination, I never forget to take photos.
Finally, for the first time on this trip, we arrived at the long-awaited beach!
It's a small beach, but it's quite impressive.
You can also try out rock climbing on the real thing.
Although it was still chilly, we were excited and decided to go into the ocean!
Because of the rain, you can barely see anything in the water...
Still fun!
The long-awaited swim in the sea was short-lived,
In the end, we were hit by heavy rain and had to flee back to the hotel.
8:00 PM
It was now completely dark, so we went to a local bar that seemed to be popular in the neighborhood for dinner.
The toast was led by Director Miyagawa.
"There's a 90% chance of rain tomorrow as well. But with everyone's enthusiasm, I believe it will be sunny. Cheonggaew (cheers)!"
Believing those words, tonight I will be enjoying delicious Thai food in a local atmosphere.
A restaurant with a resort feel. The live music is great too.
The three best friends from left: Mong, Prem, and Tong
Even the staff who don't like alcohol will try tasting a little bit today.
Miyagawa and Ito get drunk on alcohol they can't drink and listen intently to the live music.
During free time, people in good spirits start dancing on stage.
After that we enjoyed some fire dancing and had a wonderful evening experiencing the resort atmosphere.
Hoping for a clear sky tomorrow, we will all go to sleep tonight...
A treat from Krabi
Day 3: May 29th (Sunday)
Perhaps the prayers of rain man Ito have finally been answered.
On the last day, the long-awaited dazzling sun shone over the sea of Krabi!
The forecast was for rain all day today, but finally the weather was on our side.
10:00AM
Unable to sit still any longer, the group excitedly boards the boat.
Now it's time to go island hopping!
There are more than 130(!) islands around Krabi, including small ones.
About 40km south are the famous Phi Phi Islands. We had originally planned to mainly visit Phi Phi Island.
However, since we don't know when the next rainstorm will come, the boat didn't leave and we had to wait for this time.
However...! For the members of Monosus Thailand, Krabi is still in Thailand.
Thinking like that helps me to cheer myself up. For now, I'm going to enjoy the present to the fullest!!
Selfie sticks are super useful!
Release your excess energy!
This is a water dodgeball tournament.
Even though I hate getting sunburned, I was super excited to see the long-awaited blue sea and white sand beach.
Just floating feels good.
If you look closely, you can see small fish at your feet!
After looking around through the goggles for a while, I noticed something.
Discover a reflective, shiny object.
For some reason, there are cell phones on the bottom of the ocean.
Why is there an iPhone in a place like this?
...Ah! Is this mine?
It's too late.
I was having so much fun that I left my iPhone in my pocket, and it fell into the ocean while I was swimming, but miraculously I found it myself (lol).
It was rendered unusable after being submerged in seawater for around 30 minutes, but the data was later extracted by a suspicious craftsman in Thailand and it was brought back to life like a clone.
Thank you, Amazing Thailand.
Now that we've had our fill of the first island, we head to the next one.
Hong Kong Mafia? Director Kawamura (pictured right)
Miyagawa and Ito show expressions they don't usually show in the office.
Finally, the long-awaited snorkeling!
This was my first time diving so far out into the ocean.
The coral reef spreads out far below my body. It was probably the first time I really felt that the ocean continued on forever. I think I could get addicted to this.
Some members who are accustomed to the ocean even try skin diving.
As we prepared to head to the next island on the boat, it began to feel a bit chilly.
Hmm. I have a bad feeling about this...
To my surprise, I spotted a pitch black cloud in the distance, which was approaching me with incredible speed!
Unable to bear it any longer, everyone fled the beach.
We tried to hurry the boat, but it was no use, as the blue sky suddenly turned into a violent squall that mercilessly battered us down...
The blue sky from a moment ago seems like a lie. It's so cold...!
Although I had come to a tropical resort, when I left it felt like I had just taken a cold shower...
4:00 PM
We really, really weren't blessed with good weather,
Still, there was something gained.
It went by in a flash, but this was the end of our fun trip.
I was reluctant to leave, wishing I could have seen a little more of the colorful scenery.
We said goodbye to the islands that had taken care of us for the past three days.
The journey continues until you return home, on the return train...
During this trip, I got a glimpse of the Thai communication skills of the senior Japanese staff members, and as someone who is still new to both the job and Thailand, I felt both envious and frustrated.
"How much longer will it be before I can talk to people like that?"
As I was talking about this with FON, the interpreter who was with me on the train on the way home, I was able to hear feelings that I don't usually get to talk about.
FON: "We're happy when people speak our language. We're happy just to know that they are actively trying to speak. So even just asking questions like, 'What does this word mean?' or 'How do you say this in Thai?' shows that they are proactive, and it makes us happy."
I was the one who was always receiving things, and I felt guilty about the interaction, but when I found out that he actually had a positive attitude toward it, I was actually happy.
With the afterglow of my trip still lingering in my mind, I returned home feeling more determined than ever to study Thai more so that I could speak with people about a wider range of things, not just work-related matters.
To everyday life
Now that the trip is over, our daily work begins.
Meanwhile, a laughter that was a little different from usual was heard...
Oh dear? It looks like changes have already come to the everyday scenery in my office.
The staff members who I hadn't seen talking much before were
They are playing around in a friendly atmosphere! It makes everyone around them smile. Before I knew it, I had more opportunities to communicate with staff members who I hadn't had much chance to talk to before.
It's a small change, but I can definitely feel the connection between us has increased.
This is what everyone said.
"It was good to see a new side of myself that I don't usually see at work."
This may be a cliched line.
However, in our environment where people from different countries work together,
I believe that such an ordinary experience was a truly valuable opportunity.
During the trip, there were times when it would have been boring because of the heavy rain, but everyone seemed not to mind the rain too much and continued to have fun, always with a smile on their face.
When I'm with them, most things seem like small things.
On the contrary, it makes me think that people can enjoy even the smallest things.
I truly believe that it was thanks to all of them that I was able to fully enjoy the trip, even though it was raining for more than half of the trip.
The innate Thai temperament that I want to emulate is:
As we continue to spend our days together, I would like you to share a little bit with me, and I would like to give something back in return.
In this way, I hope we can continue to cherish our relationship in the future.
Next time, I hope to tell you in more detail about the changes I have felt since coming to Thailand.
Monosus Thailand is still in the process of growth,
We would like to thank all our staff for your continued support!