Somsak BOONKAM

Mr Somsak Boonkam (Pai) founded Local Alike in 2013, with the vision to offer responsible and community-based tourism that does not only provide tourists with an authentic and in-depth experience, but also engages government and corporates to develop community-based tourism skills and create opportunities. Its CBT Fund is funded by Local Alike and local host communities to support improvement of standard of living of related local communities. Since its inauguration, it has created 2,000 part-time jobs, collaborated with 50 companies and governments, worked with over 200 local communities in 46 provinces in Asia, generated over USD 1.7 million worth of community benefits, and brought 32,000 travellers to local host communities.

After he has a bachelor degree in engineering, he continue studies in Principles of Invention and Innovation at Stanford University, and an MBA in Sustainable Business Management at Presidio University in the United States.

His social and business contribution has been widely recognised. These include Top 10 Young Thai Male Entrepreneurs 2019 by RHA Media Sdn. Bhd., Young Societal Leaders-Institute for Societal Leadership by Singapore Management University, and Young Business Leader Initiative by Asian New Zealand Foundation. He has been an Ashoka Fellow under the Ashoka Foundation – Social Innovation Initiative Thailand since 2016.

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