Fix People or System? What Thailand’s Top HR Leaders Are Prioritizing in 2025

Fix People or System? What Thailand’s Top HR Leaders Are Prioritizing in 2025

by | 13 Aug 2025 | Blogs

At a time when AI, generational shifts, and workplace burnout are redefining the rules of engagement, employee experience (EX) is no longer a perk—it’s the core of business survival. On August 13, 2025, HREX.asia and BASE Playhouse brought together Thailand’s leading CHROs and HR innovators at the #5 Roundtable: Future of Experience to answer a bold question: What should EX look like from Day 0 to Departure?

Here’s what we learned.

1. 💼 Leadership Is Still the #1 Experience Driver

According to Napas Sirivorangkul (Hewitt Consulting), leadership behavior alone drives 75% of employee experience. The top-down gap is still massive. Culture audits mean little if leaders don’t embody the values.

“If the leader doesn’t act as said—there’s no trust, and no follow-through.” — P’Ann, President, PMAT

Takeaway: Don’t start with engagement. Start with the C-suite.

2. 🛠️ L&D Must Convert to Behavior, Not Just Knowledge

Training that ends at “awareness” is no longer enough. The best learning journeys now:

  • Simulate real business challenges

  • Identify performance gaps, not just skill gaps

  • Align L&D outcomes with PMS and business KPIs

Reverse coaching is gaining traction—junior staff guiding leaders on tech, DEI, and cross-gen culture.

3. 📱 HR Tech ≠ Transformation (Unless It’s Humanized)

Tech won’t fix bad processes. It will magnify them.

HR systems need to be built with three human truths in mind:

  1. Every employee has needs,
  2. Fears, and
  3. Expectations.

Technology can support employee well-being only if it’s deployed systematically—not just as a tool, but as part of a trust-based culture.

4. 🔁 From Wellness Programs to Strategic Well-being

Well-being isn’t yoga at lunch anymore. It’s now a strategic pillar. The leading HR leaders emphasize:

  • Multi-generational relevance

  • Automated but human-centered support

  • Measurement-driven interventions

  • Manager performance tied to team well-being (360°)

Final Thought

The future of HR isn’t just digital. It’s deeply human.
From onboarding to exit interviews, every touchpoint must honor trust, reflect leadership, and convert learning into action. The organizations that win are those that stop fixing symptoms—and start protecting people with systems that work.

Photo Credit: HREX.asia

TAG: DEI Inclusion Transtalents empowerment

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Gastech 2026 for Thailand: A Turning Point for Energy, Inclusion, and Sustainability

Gastech 2026 for Thailand: A Turning Point for Energy, Inclusion, and Sustainability

by | 1 Aug 2025 | Blogs

Bangkok has been officially announced as the host city for Gastech 2026, the world’s largest exhibition and conference focused on natural gas, LNG, hydrogen, and low-carbon solutions. This milestone positions Thailand not only as the Energy Hub of Southeast Asia, but as a strategic global platform where East meets West in the race toward net-zero emissions.

With over 50,000 participants and 1,000 energy leaders expected to attend, Gastech 2026 is more than an event—it’s a declaration. It signals that Thailand is ready to lead the global energy transition by driving innovation in clean energy, digitalization, and climate technology.

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At the recent press conference in Bangkok, executives from DMG Events, the Ministry of Energy, and Thailand Convention & Exhibition Bureau emphasized three national priorities: energy security, affordability, and decarbonization. With a commitment to net zero by 2065, Thailand is leveraging its resources and regional partnerships to build a future centered on clean energy and green investment.

As part of Thailand’s international rollout, TransTalents Consulting Group is proud to partner with Indeed Creation to co-lead the official host country activities at Gastech 2025 in Milan, including PR strategy, logistics, and high-level engagements to position Thailand globally under the theme “Thailand: The Energy Hub of the Region”.

But energy systems don’t run on infrastructure alone—they run on people. As the world pivots to cleaner energy, Thailand has an unprecedented opportunity to lead with inclusion. That means integrating underrepresented talents, women, youth, and marginalized communities into the heart of energy policy, workforce development, and innovation pipelines.

As a DEI consultancy rooted in the Global South, TransTalents believes Gastech 2026 must be more than a tech showcase—it must become a human-centered movement.

Hosting Gastech in Bangkok is a chance to reframe sustainability—not just as carbon reduction, but as structural equity, circular economy, and inclusive growth. The energy of the future must be smart, sustainable, and above all, shared.

Thailand is not just powering the region—it is empowering the world.

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Katoey Economy: From Visibility to Ownership in Asia’s Next Growth Engine

Katoey Economy: From Visibility to Ownership in Asia’s Next Growth Engine

by | 31 Jul 2025 | Blogs

A Familiar Word, A Forgotten System

In Thailand, the word “katoey” is widely heard — but rarely understood in its full economic context. While transgender people are celebrated in beauty contests or performance spaces, they remain structurally excluded from legal recognition, equitable healthcare, and real economic power.

The Katoey Economy reframes this — not as identity politics, but as a strategy for inclusive economic growth. It dares to ask: what if transgender people were no longer merely visible — but owned the means of production, led enterprises, and shaped policy?

From Consumer to Creator: A New Economic Role

Historically, trans people in Thailand have been pushed into roles as consumers, service workers, or informal earners. But today, they are becoming entrepreneurs, CEOs, and strategic advisors.

This shift is urgent. According to Open for Business, LGBTQIAN+ exclusion costs Thailand up to THB 121 billion (USD 3.5 billion) annually. Conversely, inclusion pays off — each legal right granted increases GDP per capita by USD 1,694, and diverse companies outperform by 21%.

What We’re Building: Systems, Not Symbols

At TransTalents Consulting Group, we don’t just train for inclusion — we design systems. As consultants to the Thai government’s WorldPride 2030 feasibility study, we are embedding LGBTQIAN+ equity into national strategy. This includes:

  • Inclusive procurement policies

  • Trans-owned enterprise support

  • Healthcare access as economic infrastructure

  • Policy platforms led by trans professionals

Because hormones are not cosmetic — they are tools for productivity and dignity.

Katoey Economy Is Not a Show — It’s a Structure

The Katoey Economy is not about going viral. It’s not about views, followers, or fitting into beauty norms. It’s about creating a future where trans people don’t have to fight for space — they own it.

It is the evolution from ผู้บริโภค (consumer) → ผู้ให้บริการ (service provider) → ผู้ประกอบการ (entrepreneur) → ผู้ออกแบบนโยบาย (policy shaper).

The Real Risk? Failing to Invest.

Trans people are not a vulnerable group. We are an untapped engine of growth.

The question is no longer whether trans people are ready to lead.
It’s whether Thailand — and Asia — are ready to invest not in visibility, but in ownership, infrastructure, and power.

TAG: DEI Inclusion Transtalents empowerment

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Business Inclusion Toolkit: Thailand’s First DEI Toolkit Training for Businesses

Business Inclusion Toolkit: Thailand’s First DEI Toolkit Training for Businesses

by | 30 Jul 2025 | Blogs

Bangkok, Thailand – 31 July 2025 The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the Embassy of Canada to Thailand, the Department of Rights and Liberties Protection (DRLP), Global Compact Network Thailand (GCNT), Sasin School of Management, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), and Workplace Pride successfully conducted the first training session on the “Inclusion Toolkit for Organizations and Business: LGBTI Insights to Increase Inclusion for All.” Held on 29–30 July 2025 at True Digital Park, the two-day workshop served as an insightful, collaborative platform for promoting and exchanging practices on workplace diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in Thailand’s private sector.

The training brought together 30 participants from private sector organizations in Thailand with workforces of approximately 50,000 employees. Conducted by TransTalents Group, a training partner, the sessions used interactive modules to help participants explore and study the business cases for LGBTI inclusion, inclusive HR policies and practices, codes of conduct, and inclusion awareness and training strategies. The sessions were designed to provide practical tools and facilitate hands-on experience through the Toolkit’s worksheets, inclusion readiness assessment tools, and global case studies.

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The Inclusion Toolkit, launched in 2024, was developed collaboratively by UNDP, the Embassy of Canada, Sasin School of Management, and Workplace Pride with backing from the LGBTI community advocates and private sector organizations. It offers Thai businesses a structured approach to assess their inclusion maturity—categorized as Launcher, Accelerator, or Champion—and apply practices that have shown results, supported by global case studies, to foster inclusive workplace cultures.

In addition, a growing body of evidence shows that diverse and inclusive workplaces lead to greater innovation, productivity, and effectiveness. Forbes highlights that diverse and inclusive teams make better business decisions by up to 87%. The World Bank reports that 45% of LGBTI individuals in Thailand have experienced rejection during job applications, and nearly half continue to conceal their identities at work due to fear of discrimination. McKinsey’s research further reveals that organizations in the top quartile for LGBTI diversity are 25% more likely to achieve above-average profits.

This first training session focused on four key modules: the business cases for LGBTI inclusion, inclusive HR policies and practices, codes of conduct, and inclusion awareness and training. Participants also completed the LGBTI Maturity Score assessment to identify their organization’s inclusion level—Launcher, Accelerator, or Champion—and received tailored guidance on next steps.

“Inclusive workplaces are not only fairer—they are stronger, more innovative, and more resilient. This training empowers businesses to lead by example, embedding inclusion into their operations and contributing to a more just and sustainable future for all.” Irina Goryunova, Deputy Resident Representative, UNDP Thailand

“As I mentioned at the launch event of the Business Inclusion Toolkit last May, a policy, program, or toolkit only becomes valuable when it’s put into practice. Today’s training isn’t just about understanding, it’s about equipping each of you to bring this toolkit to life within your own organizations.” H.E. Ms. Ping Kitnikone, the Ambassador of Canada to Thailand.

“What matters more than the tools is the intention behind their use. Inclusion is not merely a component of a strategic plan — it’s embedded in every decision, every policy, and every behavior within an organization. We must begin by fostering an environment where everyone feels safe to think freely, speak openly, and be their authentic selves.” – Aimon Siangyai, Director General, Department of Rights and Liberties Protection of the Ministry of Justice.

“We’re excited that early adopters are leading Thailand in integrating the evidence-based, culturally attuned Inclusion Toolkit within their organizations. These scientifically grounded techniques embed inclusion at every level—benefiting not just LGBTQ+ employees, but everyone—and fueling innovation, resilience, and global leadership.” – Dr. Drew B. Mallory, Inclusion Ambassador, Sasin School of Management

This training represents an important step in supporting Thai businesses to foster inclusive workplaces. By building awareness, sharing practical tools, and encouraging dialogue, the co-organizers aim to promote a culture of respect, equity, and opportunity for all. As more organizations engage with the Inclusion Toolkit, the collective impact will contribute to a more inclusive, innovative, and resilient business environment in Thailand.

Download Inclusion Toolkit

TAG: DEI Inclusion Transtalents empowerment

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Pink is the New Gold: Thailand’s Next Power Move with Pink Economy Hub

Pink is the New Gold: Thailand’s Next Power Move with Pink Economy Hub

by | 30 Jun 2025 | Blogs

TransTalents Consulting Group, Thailand’s first transgender-led DEI think tank, continues to lead the conversation on the future of inclusive economic systems in Asia. During a landmark Pride Month policy forum hosted by the Thai Senate’s Social Development Committee, Nikki Phinyapincha, founder of TransTalents, facilitated a groundbreaking session that introduced the first-ever “Hub Ecosystem of the Pink Economy” framework for Thailand.

As LGBTQIAN+ inclusion evolves beyond visibility into structural transformation, Nikki boldly asked: What would it look like if Thailand became Asia’s Pink Economy Hub? Her answer? A holistic, strategic system that integrates LGBTQIAN+ talent and entrepreneurship into the heart of national development.

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Key Elements of the Hub Ecosystem of the Pink Economy:

  • 3P Model (Pride-Public-Private): A collaborative framework that unites community power, government support, and business innovation.

  • Diverse Business Types: Including entertainment, wellness, property, and creative industries, led by LGBTQIAN+ entrepreneurs.

  • Support Systems: Data infrastructure, inclusive financing, and anti-discrimination protections that enable real economic participation.

  • Resource & Partnerships: Bridging local businesses with international DEI allies and impact investors.

  • Target Segmentation: Recognizing LGBTQIAN+ people not just as consumers, but also as job creators, innovators, and leaders.

  • Measurable Socioeconomic Impact: From employment creation to cultural visibility, this ecosystem isn’t symbolic—it drives GDP.

  • Inclusive Community Anchors: Learning hubs, rainbow-friendly spaces, and policy accelerators for systemic change.

This session marked the first policy-facing dialogue in Thailand that treated LGBTQIAN+ inclusion not as a charity issue—but as a national economic strategy. Nikki’s facilitation sparked critical input from cross-sector leaders and laid the foundation for a Rainbow Economic Master Plan that could position Thailand as a regional hub by 2030.

As global DEI faces resistance, TransTalents pushes forward with radical clarity: the next competitive edge is untapped human capital. The Pink Economy is not a trend. It’s Thailand’s opportunity.

Photo Credit: The Senate of Thailand & PR

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