Thamrong Chomphusri "Tui"

Director (a.k.a. "Superwoman!")

Just before the tsunami, P'Tui was due to start work in one of the resorts that was completely destroyed by the tsunami. Fortunately, she had to return to Bangkok on that fateful day to collect some documents and remained safe. P'Tui decided to return to the region and work for the North Andaman Tsunami Relief (now Andaman Discoveries) to help rebuild the region.

There is nothing that P'Tui does not do and you'll find her in the office and in village, coordinating numerous community-led development projects, overseeing the long-term scholarship program (with over 126 students) and translating for tourists so that they can really engage with the villagers. Her personable nature makes her popular with staff, villagers and tourists alike. With a history in hotel and tourism management, P'Tui's strong service mind and beautiful smile has been invaluable to the success of Andaman Discoveries.

Raliya Petchmanee "Noi"

Tung Nang Dam village

Village guide and homestay coordinator

Noi graduated from NATR's vocational program a more confident person and has used her new skills to become a prominent leader and spokesperson in the village committee. As well as guiding, coordinating and running a homestay, Noi helps her elderly parents on their goat farm and fruit orchard. Her cooking is legendary, and is the highlight of everyone's time on the island. Thanks to Noi, her village now has a safe floating pier, making it easier for villagers to get on and off the island. Noi's smile is an example of the warmth and kindness of the Southern people. Noi has also started an orchid conservation nursery, after outsiders took all the rare orchids from the jungle to sell.

Ladda Aharn "Pink"

Village Coordinator and Guide

Andaman Discoveries saw the potential in Ban Talae Nok's Pink through her enthusiasm and motivation in participating with various projects. After much training and a lot of her hard work, Pink is now leading the Youth Conservation Group and aerobics class and managing the community centre; she was the force behind Bamboo Savings Project and the recycling and mangrove conservation programmes, as well as being a home-stay mother.

Mimi Cheung

Program Development Manager

Unlike other staff members who have been directly involved with the initial tsunami recovery efforts with NATR, Mimi joined the Andaman Discoveries family hoping to take its success to the next level. Her academic background includes economics, finance and management studies. She has worked in the investment and pension industry for a number of years before calling it quits. Soon after, she volunteered in a turtle conservation program in Costa Rica, and then went on a solo three-month journey to Asia, including Thailand, of course! Her next adventure was back in her hometown in Toronto, Canada, where she headed back to the books to get a degree in Master in Environmental Studies, with a focus on community-based tourism. She spent two months conducting research in Northern Thailand. Shortly after Mimi finished her Master's degree, she read about the good work that Andaman Discoveries has been doing for the local communities after the tsunami, and she could not refuse this great opportunity to put her knowledge and skills to use.

Mimi spends most of her time in the office, responsible for program pricing and development. She will likely be the one answering your inquiry!

Karen Spackman

Client and Community Relations Manager

The Andaman Discoveries office received a bright burst of light and energy when Karen Spackman arrived in September 2008. She had dreamed of being a teacher for years. Karen seized the opportunity after discovering Andaman Discoveries through our partner, TWIN UK.

Karen initially planned to stay in Kuraburi for three months as a volunteer English teacher. She quickly ascended to a full-time member of the staff upon developing a love for Thailand, its people, and AD’s work. Today she can be found maintaining relationships by teaching one day a week in local schools, while spending the remainder of her time ensuring the AD ship sails smoothly.

Prior to life in Thailand, Karen held a variety of jobs, including working as a nanny for six months in the U.S. during a break in college, picking grapes at a winery for a month in France, sales and promotions manager for Delta Music, and a trainer for Cutting Crew in England. The jobs all share a common thread –- a passion for working with people.

Scotland is home for Karen. She was born and raised in Stirling, where she obtained a business degree from University of Stirling.

Erik Rogers

Marketing Communications and Webmaster

Erik's resume includes an MS degree in polymer chemistry, followed by a diverse list of fleeting careers, including corporate scientist, sales and marketing manager, and dotcom programmer. He finally found his stride with travel when he got a commercial drivers license and joined the legendary Green Tortoise Adventure Travel. During the low seasons he embarked on worldly explorations: he ventured to Mexico, Europe, Peru, Nepal, Thailand, and Cambodia, often spending time living with villagers in home-stay situations and participating in community-development projects.

Erik developed a particular affinity for Southeast Asia. Following the tsunami of December 2004, he joined Andaman Discoveries (then North Andaman Tsunami Relief) as an English teacher, and spent ten months working with people from rural coastal fishing villages that had been devastated by the disaster. He briefly returned to the U.S. and studied Thai culture and language at the University of California at Berkeley, and came back to Andaman Discoveries in 2008.

Bodhi Garrett

Founder and Consultant

Born and raised in Kathmandu, Nepal, Bodhi Garrett moved to the Monterey Peninsula in California when he was seven years old, and went on to study Environmental Science and Economics at UC Berkeley. He arrived in southern Thailand in November of 2003 as the director of a sea turtle conservation project, later he joined Golden Buddha Beach Resort as marketing and conservation director. Bodhi, along with many others, lost his home and job in the tsunami.

Bodhi was approached by groups and individuals offering funds and services to help in any way they could. In a small office with a borrowed computer and tsunami-salvaged furniture, the North Andaman Tsunami Relief Fund was formed to serve the communities that Bodhi had come to love and respect.

Using donations from across the globe and a dedicated team of volunteers, NATR delivered targeted, community-driven tsunami relief which has progressed into long-term post-tsunami development programs. However, without real opportunity for sustainability and self-sufficiency, programs are irrelevant to the lives of the villagers. Andaman Discoveries is NATR's way of creating concrete job opportunities in the area of community-based tourism which allows the villagers themselves to benefit directly from having guests in their village. Andaman Discoveries is a non-profit tour service that also implements a number of community development programs in tsunami-impacted villages including scholarships, support for community centers, environmental education, waste management and vocational training, at the request of the villagers.