What’s the good thing about anniversaries? You get to celebrate them! And mind you, these are not just confined to romantic relationships – you can celebrate just about anything – including the start of companies similar to how Brand Republic (BR) honored its 9th year.
As per usual, BR takes a trip every April 15. But this year was different. Our Managing Partners (MPs) went above and beyond to bring big and cheerful grins to everyone by flying us to The Land of Smiles aka Thailand. In fact, this was so special because it was the company’s first out of the country trip – and so from Thai massages to insane shopping, intense partying, and even widely immersing ourselves to Thailand’s culture, it was a fun and memorable experience for pretty much everyone.
To know more about what happened, just read on so I can walk you through it.
DAY 1 IN THAILAND
The whole Brand Republic team met up at our homebase in Quezon City around the wee hours of the morning — some didn’t even sleep ‘cos the call time was at 2AM. Surprisingly though, everyone came in earlier than expected due to intense excitement (who wouldn’t be, right?).
Right after traveling to NAIA and going through the whole immigration process, everyone waited ‘til boarding. To kill time, some people devoured tons of food, while others dozed off on the chairs.
All in all, it took us around 3 hours to see Bangkok and about another hour or two to travel (and check in) to Furama Silom Hotel – on the road though, we got to view insanely nice yet minimalist billboards that showed just how creative Thais are.
Back to talking about the hotel, a quick Google search will tell you that ours was conveniently located in the heart of the city – a strategic move made by the MPs as it was right at the heart of the Songkran Festival (yup, the stars aligned because Thailand’s new year celebration coincided with our anniversary!).
After checking in, everyone took their sweet time to rest before preparing for the first night where the department celebs happened. For the dinner, some had a cruise buffet while others already immersed themselves in Thai culture by dining in carinderia-style restos popular in Thailand.
Overall, everyone had fun. I mean, who wouldn’t if the food, music, and view were so GOOD, right? Overall, it was an EXPERIENCE — something new and memorable.
DAY 2
The next morning, a sumptuous buffet breakfast happened, and we were all eager to start our first full day in Thailand. The day was a bit different though, as everyone was free to explore the City of Angels in their own way.
Some decided to visit the Wat Pho Temple where there was a massive reclining buddha, while others went on a shopping spree at the famous Chatuchak Weekend Market and Platinum Fashion Mall.
But the highlight of the day? Yup, you guessed it! It was the Songkran Festival. Yes, the Thai New Year was in full swing and most of BR participated. In fact, majority if not all of BR bought water guns to splash one another in the streets. It was surely a fun experience as the festival gave us a glimpse into the rich Thai culture and allowed us to immerse ourselves in a truly fun local festivity.
DAY 3
On the third day of our trip, we had various experiences to choose from. Most of us decided to visit The Ancient City, the largest outdoor museum. This place is actually a demonstration of Thailand’s rich culture and architecture as seen in the great exhibitions of different temples, palaces, and sculptures. They also had intricate details and beautiful craftsmanship, which left everyone mesmerized.
On another note, some grabbed the experience to attend a concert outside the country by going to the 2024 SIAM Songkran Music Festival, which was also in time and aligned with the theme of the Songkran Festival. Later that night, the streets were alive with people dancing, laughing, and splashing water at each other. We joined in on the fun and allowed ourselves to be immersed in the culture and festivities of Thailand. And surely, with our big water guns and water-ready outfits, we enjoyed the night with different street food, water fighting, and even riding a Tuk Tuk at night! By 2AM though, we all went back to the hotel to have a good night’s sleep.
DAY 4
On our last full day, everyone made the most out of it. Some decided to start it off with a scrumptious breakfast at one of the area’s most aesthetic cafés, while others went straight to malls for last minute pasalubongs. But then, there were also a few who went to Pattaya Beach to enjoy the sun’s warmth and the beautiful scenery of Thailand.
Come lunch time, everyone went out for team lunches. Coincidentally, most of the people dined at Siam Center since it’s where all the good restos are at.
At around 7pm, everyone made time to gather for BR’s Anniversary. We dined at Nava6 Thai x Thai Ancient Cuisine, which was honestly so good. The food there left everyone’s tummy feeling happy ‘cos every viand that the owner served did not disappoint! From Tom Yum to fried rice and Pad Thai, and even up to their ever-popular Mango Sticky Rice – we were all in awe.
And as expected, after indulging in spoonfuls of good food, the whole BR fam took a picture together outside the restaurant (we even had a photo with their owner!) to commemorate our first-ever out-of-the-country anniversary celebration.
DAY 5
Just like that, the last day in Bangkok came, marking the end of a memorable trip. As usual, the delicious breakfast buffet was served. But by 7AM, everyone made their way to the airport, some enjoying a light snack from the nearby convenience store, while others enjoyed the last minute view of the beautiful and vibrant Thailand. Then, fast forward to 11:15AM and everyone said goodbye to Bangkok’s bustling streets, and eventually said “Hello, Manila!” by 4PM.
Generally, BR’s first out of the country trip was exhilarating and fulfilling. Everyone learned a lot – from Thai people’s creativity up to their unique culture. Plus, we were all amazed by their mouthwatering food coupled with great shopping experiences and effective transpo systems (their Grab and Bolt are cheaper!). Surely, there’s no doubt that this trip was one for the books for everyone.
In fact, more than a celebration, it was an opportunity to unwind and to take a break. It was indeed the perfect chance to disconnect from work and immerse ourselves in a new and extraordinary environment, which was refreshing for both our minds and bodies.
Surely, I’m not alone when I say that we’ll hopefully have more of these soon. Yes, we said “Goodbye, Thailand!” but I think everyone’s excited to say, “Hello, Country No. 2!” next year. So cheers to more memories and anniversary celebrations, BR! We can’t wait to have more experiences with you. <3
Awee!!! Thank you so much for this wonderful article!