EEBA

Natnarin Sutheesophon, EEBA Alumni

Natnarin Sutheesophon or Toey was a student in the EEBA program, who majored in Logistics, with Tourism and Hospitality as a minor concentration and graduated back in 2017.

The Royal Thai Government awarded her the Undergraduate Intelligence Scholarship (UIS) in her senior year as a university student. This scholarship fully supported not only her final year, but also her master’s degree.

Right after graduating from the EEBA program, she started working as a Budget Analyst at the Budget Bureau, Thailand. A year later, she chose to pursue her MSc in Business Economics and Finance at the University of Surrey, United Kingdom. Currently, she is still working at her previous post as a Budget Analyst.

What was it like in the EEBA program?

Toey admitted that she was hesitant to enroll in the program at first. She only knew that she wanted to study in a program that is related to the works of business and money. Back then, she also couldn’t choose between business and economics courses.

Toey was the kind of person who prefers practicality over theory. And so, she looked up information on the curriculums from various universities. That was when she discovered the EEBA program and how it was a combination of economics and business, which she found interesting.

“Moreover, with the subjects in this program, I felt that the style of teaching here would be similar to professors teaching students how to apply theories to real-world situations. And, I wasn’t wrong. Hence, the EEBA program was the right answer for what I was looking for.”

“I would say that the EEBA program did not only build my economics and business background but it has also provided me with the opportunity to become familiar with both quantitative and analytical skills, which are necessary for my career.”

To potential and current EEBA students

Toey’s advice to those interested in the EEBA program is to, “…make sure that this is the right track for you. Try to learn and discover your true self. Then, if the EEBA program is still a BIG YES for you, then just go for it. The EEBA program is already prepared to bring you the success you want to achieve.”

For current EEBA students, “I am rooting for you on this academic journey. You may find it difficult sometimes, but it is an immensely rewarding experience. Believe in yourself and anything is possible!”

Her career as a budget analyst

When Toey applied for the scholarship in her final year as a university student, she knew she had to start thinking about what kind of job she wanted to do and choose the government agency that she wanted to apply for. She found that it was a hard decision to make.

However, that problem was solved when she realized that she loved studying the “Project Feasibility Analysis”, “Project Analysis” and the “Evaluation in Logistics” subjects.

“In those subjects, it was important to analyze the work or project of each government agency in order to allocate the limited budget to achieve the utmost benefit and cost-effectiveness. That was kind of similar to the role I have now as a budget analyst”, Toey said.

Currently, she is working at the Budget Bureau Thailand. Mainly, she is in charge of analyzing the country’s public debt scenarios, preparing a budget for debt repayment, and attending meetings related to the country’s public debt.