No successful business is without a good story. Today we talked with Noey, our marketing specialist who oversees various projects under SF Story. In a nutshell, it is marketing with a focus on portraying the missions and projects of San Fun Group and business partners through storytelling. Based in Chiangmai, Noey is our first remote team leader, and the most recent. We meet daily through an online meeting, with occasional visits between sites. Noey shared with us the experience of crafting stories with San Fun Group.

"I like the flexibility and being able to work close to home, but it can get a bit lonely not having someone to talk to. Also, working with partners without face-to-face communication was a bit challenging at first, since it's not always easy to fully be on the same page through texts. Once I had been introduced to the team and the partners in person, it got smoother. Everybody was very supportive. Even when I had to send a gentle reminder for some information, they said 'Yes, please feel free to do so.'
'Anyone working in big corporations knows that it takes a dozen steps to approve something. Here at San Fun Group, you get the flexibility to start something—it is a space where you can bounce and experiment with ideas within a reasonable frame. You learn through trials and errors."

There are currently over ten projects under San Fun Group with unique stories waiting to be shared, ranging from hospitality, medicine, and education. For Noey, the variety of projects not only reflects the company's commitment to business development, but also its commitment to its people.

'In terms of marketing, big and small businesses operate under an umbrella of themes that convey the identity of the businesses to the audience. Big businesses usually have well defined strategies or types of content. A hotel announces that it has a dining room, a pool, a fitness center—we have this and that promotion, come!—and that is usually enough. Small businesses with nonprofit or distinctive goals, however, can use storytelling elements to communicate their philosophy and enterprise.'

‘San Fun Group was founded out of passion for achieving human potential. It is an organization that doesn't focus on numbers, but the personal and professional development of its team members. All of the team members have had opportunities to learn new skills, while interns in the internship programs not only fulfill their academic requirements, but also have hands-on experience. There are many ways development takes place at San Fun Group."
How would you describe San Fun Group in three words?
Community. Hands-on. Tools.
"San Fun Group is not a school nor a working space. It is a community where people with a shared goal of human development come together and contribute something. The working style is hands-on—if it works, it works; if it doesn't, you find another solution. You also use different tools to expedite work, such as A.I. and software.”

Follow us on Instagram and Facebook to see updates of our projects and internship opportunities.

Knowing the tide and the wind helps you navigate the sea. Valuing the importance of insight, SF Knowledge was established initially as a hub that collects information related to various operating projects of San Fun Group. Another mission of SF Knowledge is to disperse the information to the public, and it is now run by Pleum, nicknamed the team "counselor."

"I have been with San Fun Group for almost two years now. Colleagues call me a 'counselor' because I know a lot of unusual information, which I bring to SF Living and SF Story teams to help solve internal problems and communicate with the public respectively."

With a background in music, Pleum first joined San Fun Group as a musician in a project called WanderPlay. Due to his interests in culture, nature, and sustainability, he has been supporting San Fun Group and business partners in fieldwork, where he collects and manages different types of information such as photos and interviews. His recent involvements include land development and restaurant educational programs.

"Working with different partners presents different challenges, because each has a different structure, schedule, and demands. You have to be flexible, and—as someone told me—'follow the direction of the wind.’
‘San Fun Group has helped me grow in many ways. It's the first time I've worked outside of music, and I have learned a lot about business development, especially services, F&B, and marketing. It's also a chance for me to meet people of different professional backgrounds, and that really widens my perspective."
How would you describe San Fun Group in three words?
Follow. The. Wind.
“Like I mentioned earlier, you adjust yourself to the direction of the wind. Sometimes, it doesn't make sense to go against the wind.”

For potential interns in the future, here are some words of advice from Pleum:

"Try out things. Ideas are proven by actions. If it doesn't work, just adjust your next steps accordingly. Try not to think way ahead of your plans. It will only worry you. Also, take your job and life seriously—but never beyond what you can do. If it's too much, you should call for help or put it aside. Life do be like that.”

Read Pleum’s fieldwork experience here.

Meet the Team: Noey Puchisa & Pleum Khetsin

Meet the Team: Fon Sanutchom & Bua Laksika