Meet the Instructor: Dr. Yuth Thongcharoen

Dr. Yuth Thongcharoen initially joined the Asian Institute of Hospitality Management at the end of 2023 as an AIHM Expert in our Executive Education management skills training programme. With his successful academic career at higher education institutes in Thailand in addition to his background in management and entertainment as well as a doctoral degree in Language and Communication, he was a perfect fit teaching memorable workshops on topics like Presentation Skills and Start Your First Business.

Participants quickly fell in love with his engaging teaching style. One thing was clear: Dr. Yuth knew how to draw the best out of learners and guide them on their individual journeys to success.

Yuth Thongcharoen, PhD – Lecturer in Hospitality Management

Given the rave reviews of his classes and his ability to inspire, Dr. Yuth’s role within our educational institute quickly grew to encompass wider academic and research responsibilities. He now also teaches within the our business administration degree programme, facilitating the Effective Communication Skills module of the BBA in Global Hospitality Management. Having played a key role in developing and teaching the core Communications curricula at Assumption University and Sripathum University, his communications teaching in AIHM’s faculty is a natural extension of his talents.

He also holds the honour of authoring the first scholarly research paper to be presented at an academic conference on behalf of AIHM. This study, titled “Bridging the Gap Between Expectations of Current Hospitality Leaders and Young Employees’ Motivations: A Qualitative Research Endeavor into Multi-Generational Discrepancies”, drew upon data generated by the AIHM Employer Forum 2024 as well as additional follow-up research.

Learn more about Dr. Yuth’s inspirations, teaching philosophies, advice for young learners and surprises about his background below.

Q&A with Dr. Yuth Thongcharoen

What essential skills or attributes do you believe are crucial for students to succeed in the hospitality sector today?

• 1. Empathy
• 2. Mindset
• 3. Effective Communication

Empathy is definitely a skill that is currently needed in today’s hospitality profession. Being able to understand and forecast how guests feel and what they need allows you to create a memorable and impactful experience for them. Honing your skills in empathy also contribues to creating synergy and cohesive teams; it can help give you insights into your colleagues’ feelings and emotions, leading to stronger collaboration and smoother conflict resolution.

Having a positive mindset that embraces challenges, adapts to change and learns from failures is also crucial. Needing to solve daily issues, handle guests’ needs and react to uncontrollable situations is all par for everyday operations in the hospitality industry. The ability to maintain an attitude that “all difficult situations are opportunities to learn and grow” will help young professionals to be able to take it all in stride.

Additionally, effective communication skills are of crucial importance and should not be underestimated. Hospitality is a global industry with a constant plethora of multi-cultural interactions occurring at all times. Therefore, possessing strong verbal skills with the sensitivity to accurately intepret non-verbal signals is invaluable to all facets of this dynamic business sector.

What would your students be surprised to find out about you?

I think students might be very surprised to learn about my unorthodox educational and professional career path.

My first job during my high school days involved washing and maintaining cars—which was tiring and humbling but enjoyable. When things get tough, this is one of the milestones in life that I often think back to. Later on, during my days as an undergrad I serendipitously became a “professional” actor/presenter—which, in hindsight, actually helped with communication anxiety. I used to experience a lot of anxiety during public speaking and MC jobs. I use the term “professional” very lightly as I always hated being on camera. I despised doing make-up and hair, and I cannot sing, dance or act. Despite this, somehow I managed to maintain that career for over 12 years, and it helped to pay for both my Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees.

After moving on from the entertainment industry, I started teaching English and inadvertently discovered a sense of career fulfillment that I had not experienced before. Eventually, this evolved into a more diversified academic repertoire including university courses such as Business Communication, Business Research Methodology and Public Speaking. 

It was also during my initial tenure teaching at the undergrad level that, with a slight nudge from my mentor and a big push from my dad, I decided to apply myself to doctoral studies. These were tough times as working and studying full-time while concurrently witnessing my parents’ deteriorating health began to take a toll. Subsequent to completing my PhD, I decided I needed a hiatus from academia and proceeded to pursue a career in fitness. I thoroughly enjoyed my fitness teaching career, but after three years and with the closure of New Moves Exercise Exploration Center, where I worked, I finally recognised that academia was my “calling”. The timing could not have been any more perfect because now I have the pleasure and privilege of being part of this very special institution we all affectionately know as “AIHM”.

Could you give us four adjectives you would use to describe your teaching style, and how you developed this style?

If I were to select four adjectives to describe my teaching style, I would say:

• Empathic
• Flexible
• Patient
• Approachable 

These characteristics mostly deal with temperament and mindset. I attribute them to parental influence and from decades of observing one of my former teachers/ mentors.

Both my parents were medical professionals. In dealing with people who were ill and suffering with a whole assortment of ailments on a daily basis, they had to apply all of these traits in order to listen, diagnose and take appropriate steps to help others improve their quality of life. The selfless attitude with which my mother and father approached life is something to which I aspire, and I hope this emanates in the way I carry myself as an educator.

As for my former teacher/mentor, we’ve had a friendship that has spanned almost three decades now. It began with her teaching my English for Tourism course during my time as an undergraduate student and then continued years later with her serving as my boss and mentor when I returned to my alma mater as a full-time lecturer. It was during this twelve-year tenure under her direct supervision that I started to emulate her teaching style and hone my own teaching acumen. Her academic research regarding students’ perceptions of different teaching styles provided additional validation that an empathic, flexible, patient and approachable attitude in the classroom can resonate with students…not only in school but in all facets of their lives.

I truly believe in “life long learning” and “continuous improvement,” and thus I know I still have a ways to go until I can be even half as talented as my role models. To “AIHM Higher”, striving for new challenges and maintaining a desire to have an impact ensures that the growth will remain never-ending. Being in the right place, surrounded by the right people makes all the difference.

What inspires you both professionally and personally?

Witnessing applications of innovative solutions that demand “out-of-the-box thinking” always amazes and inspires me. I have already experienced an abundance of this here at AIHM. We are continually adapting to both our internal and exterrnal environment to create an institution which:

• Promotes innovation
• Stimulates free thinking
• Nurtures students

All of which are conducive to honing our students into young professionals who are prepared to take the helm as the future leaders of the industry. The collective attitude of both students and faculty here is so much more close-knit than what I have experienced previously elsewhere.

Another inspiration for me is when I have the chance to reconnect with former students and see that they are really succeeding in life. I’ve randomly run into students who have secured employment at some of the best airlines, restaurants and hotels in their respective industries. They still make the time to walk over and say, “Hello!”—and sometimes even mention to me that I had made a small impact on their lives. I’ve also had a few former students who have gone on to further their studies and then returned to become fellow colleagues; it’s always wonderful to witness their maturity and growth.

Last but not least, my parents have now and forever been the ultimate inspiration for me. Dad for showing me limitless patience and dedication to his craft and mom for teaching me empathy and respect. They both will always remain the ultimate role models for me.

If you could share any piece of wisdom with your students, what would it be?

Actually I would like to take this opportunity to share one of my favorite parables entitled, “The Pencil Story”. 

It reads:

The Pencil Maker took the pencil aside, just before putting him into the box.

“There are five things you need to know before I send you out into the world,” he told the pencil. “Always remember them and never forget, and you will become the best pencil you can be.

1: You will be able to do many great things, but only if you allow yourself to be held in Someone's hand.

2: You will experience a painful sharpening from time to time, but you'll need it to become a better pencil.

3: You will be able to correct any mistakes you might make.

4: The most important part of you will always be what's inside.

5: On every surface you are used on, you must leave your mark. No matter what the condition, you must continue to write.”

The pencil understood and promised to remember, and went into the box with purpose in its heart.

This is one iteration of a story originally written by Paulo Coelho, a Brazilian author of spirituality and self-actualisation. Although several versions of the story exist, it’s the underlying message which I hope our students take to heart. I hope they all recognise their potential and remain teachable, maintain their resilience in order to improve, learn from their mistakes, take time for self-reflection and strive to make an impact in all things they do in life.

AIHM Faculty in Focus

Meet the educators guiding and inspiring the business leaders of tomorrow at AIHM. Discover more about our hospitality management faculty, specialists in English-language training and more in the Meet the Instructor series.

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