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In this episode of Brewed in Bangkok, Siddhant has a chat with Surasit Sachdev, founder of Hungry Hub. The Hungry Hub app is quickly becoming popular among Bangkok food lovers for its all-you-can-eat value deals, that allows diners to try out the best that a restaurant has to offer. Surasit is part of the Thai-Sikh community and grew up in Bangkok. He tells Siddhant more about growing up as a Sikh (a minority religion from Northern India) in Thailand, gaining the courage to become an entrepreneur, the highs and lows of the Escape Room business and starring in startup reality TV show, The Unicorn Startup.
About Surasit Sachdev
- Grew up in Bangkok
- Got a Business/IT project management degree in Australia
- Worked in Standard Chartered Bank, Singapore
- Went to Sasin School of Management for his MBA
- Helped out in his family business of hotels for a spell
- Opened an Escape Room franchise in Phuket
- Married and lives in Bangkok again
- Started Hungry Hub as an online reservation service
- Hungry Hub is now a popular all-you-can-eat deals service
Topics Discussed Today
- Thai-Sikhs, a part of their history, the community and trade
- Growing up as a Thai-Sikh in Bangkok
- Working abroad as Thai-Sikh individual and Surasit’s subsequent experiences in a new culture.
- Getting back to Thailand but working as an entrepreneur
- The advantages of managing Thai people
- Leaving the family business to create a new business
- The challenges of the Escape Room market in Phuket
- The initial idea of Hungry Hub
- Being a part of The Unicorn Startup, a business reality TV show
- The future of Hungry Hub
Glossary
- Thai-Sikh – Sikhs are a community of people who follow the Sikh religion from India. The men wear turbans and have huge beards and they have their own beliefs that are independent of Hinduism.
- Mukdahan – A town in North-East Thailand. Part of the Isaan state
- Isaan – One of Thailand’s largest yet poorest states
- Namdhari – A denomination of the Sikh faith much like Catholics are a denomination of the Christian faith
- Asoke – A prime neighbourhood in Thailand
- Sukhumvit – A huge area of Bangkok. Asoke is a neighbourhood within Sukhumvit
- Nana – Another neighbourhood in Sukhumvit, very close to Asoke
- Terminal 21 – A popular mall in Asoke, Sukhumvit
- Phuket – A popular seaside resort city in Thailand
- Phee – Older Brother in Thai. A term of respect
- Nong – Younger Brother in Thai
- Bhai – Brother in Hindi. Use the word much like “bro” is used in English
Resources Mentioned
Credits
I had some help with this episode: Lou Pobjecky kindly helped me with a lot of the necessary audio edits to get the file in a listenable shape. Lou also put together the cover image.
Want More?
Check out the complete collection of Brewed in Bangkok episodes. If you’re interested in more Indian Thai experiences, you can check out the episode 22, Wedding Elephants and Other Indian-Thai Experiences.
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