Q1. Tell us about yourself: What’s your educational background/professional experience?  

I, with sweat and tears, had struggled my way through a top business school, majoring in Finance and Banking.  Ever since I vowed never to join any organization or position with the word “finance” written on it.  

I worked for the Federation of Thai Industries where I drove for policy changes in international trade. After the Tsunami, I joined the UNOPS (United Nations Office for Project Services) recovery program in the Maldives. Later, I joined FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization) to develop a value chain so that the smallholder farmers in Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar could export their certified fresh produce worldwide.  

And then I broke my vow by joining the biodiversity ‘finance’ initiative of UNDP, convincing myself that this is a different kind of ‘finance’.   

Q2. What made you apply to work with UNDP Thailand?   

I have lived in other countries and worked for other countries. I came across this simple notion somewhere a while ago that I should do something useful for my country. The Biodiversity Finance Initiative offers me a new way to see that Thailand can be a part of this global initiative and that ‘finance’ can do remarkable things for a new hot topic in sustainability, often referred to as the other side of the climate change coin: biodiversity.  

Q3. What are your activities or main responsibilities? What is a day at the office like? 

Being a project manager of BIOFIN (Biodiversity Finance), I should prepare to be surprised, expect the best, and plan for the worst. The main responsibilities are to set clear goals and deliver what you commit. An excellent work plan can help with risk analysis, but I know that we cannot guarantee smooth running all the time. The Biodiversity Finance Initiative is all about walking the talk. Watch the space as we seek to unlock the power of all sectors to resolve biodiversity conservation with finance. I work with a diverse group of experts. Some of them are working far away on the island. It is important to stay connected with those who are on the frontline team and have virtual coffee with them per week.  The regular office hours at UNDP Thailand provide a great space to mingle and exchange ideas with diverse people. All I have is cool colleagues and a good cup of coffee. 

Q4. What are some of the challenges you encountered while working at UNDP Thailand? How did you overcome it?   

Even the greatest person makes mistakes. Keep in mind that most people love to show work they are proud of, but that does not mean they never fail at things. Working for BIOFIN is like leading my start-up team with strong financial support. Among the BIOFIN team, we dare to make difficult things! It makes me feel incredibly happy and inspired each time we can do something different. Recently, I read an article ‘Ten years of designing and implementing biodiversity finance plans’ launched by the donor-Government of Germany. You know, I could not believe that Thailand can make biodiversity financing strategies successful at both national and sub-national levels. We overcome the greatest challenges by amending the legal framework. The island of Koh Tao could introduce a new visitation fee starting in April 2022 that could bring around $200,000 per year for coral reef restoration and waste management. This is the first of its kind in Thailand. It always seems impossible until it is done. My team did amazing things. The BIOFIN team is more than a collection of people. We put teamwork at the center as this is the only way we can implement innovative finance solutions.