Kiwi journalist tackles breaking stories in the Land of Smiles
Intern Rosie Leishman recounts her three-month immersion in Thailand as a young Kiwi journalist, navigating life in Bangkok and gaining hands-on experience inside a local newsroom. Her internship at the Bangkok Post was made possible through the Asia Media Centre’s media internship programme to Asia.
Rosie: "...in Bangkok, I was constantly inspired to pursue stories that reminded me why I chose journalism."
Stepping off the plan in Bangkok, I kept reminding myself of one of the few things I knew about Thailand– its nickname: the land of smiles.
Having never been to Southeast Asia before and being lucky enough to have received the grant to head to Bangkok Post, I can’t lie and say I wasn’t nervous. I had no idea what I was in for and having been away on my university exchange in Europe for the seven months leading up, I never imagined Asia would be my next step.
I prepared myself by watching videos on how to navigate the Suvarnabhumni airport, flicking constant questions to the intern before me, Bella Craig, and writing lists of resolutions for the two months I anticipated I would spend solo in this foreign land.
But the bustling, colourful and chaotic city of Bangkok is equally comforting, safe and exciting. Filled with ample opportunity, young budding professionals, creativity and kind locals, Bangkok’s balance of being perfectly hypnotic and nurturing is so special.
My two months started as a brave jump into the unknown and soon turned into one of the happiest periods of my life.
I started at the Bangkok Post the day after I arrived, I wanted to dive straight in. To get a feel for where I was living, I walked to work in the heat, through side streets and alleyways where families were already selling fruits, vegetables, and meats of all sorts.
I had heard very little from the Bangkok Post before my arrival, so I didn’t know what I was in for. But as I was greeted by a smiley security guard at the gate, I knew it would be ok.
As one of the largest English newspapers in Southeast Asia, the Bangkok Post has a readership of expats and English-speaking Thais who want to know what is going on in Thailand through a foreign scope. It is an unnervingly quiet office, not many around other than those at the front desk and the editors, with most reporters out and about.
Rosie: "...the bustling, colourful and chaotic city of Bangkok is equally comforting, safe and exciting."
I met with the editor, Ancuha, who was my port of call. He is friendly, funny and extremely good at what he does.
Anucha gave me the creative and independent freedom to be a journalist without restrictions but held high standards.
Rocking up to the office any time after 11am after working late to get the paper to print, Anucha and I met to discuss my list of ideas. This first conversation made me feel even more determined to publish as much as I could in the few months I had.
After a couple days chipping away at writing and researching, Ancuha put me to the test.
On January 23, 2025, same sex marriage was legalised in Thailand, so I was sent with the coolest reporter and my new friend, Jay, to the official marriage registration event in Siam Paragon.
It was a day filled with colour, happiness and celebration for the goodness in life. I spoke to couples who had lived their entire lives secretly, been a couple for decades and finally could be legally registered.
I witnessed love in its purest and most wonderful form, and it reminded me why I wanted to be a journalist.
Talking to people, telling stories and celebrating this historic day for Thailand was a dream. Huddled up next to Jay in the corner of the event space, I wrote up the article, knowing I had to get it to the Post in time for the morning’s print.
This showed me the vital role journalism plays in people’s lives and is an experience I will never forget.
Rosie: "Talking to people, telling stories and celebrating this historic day for Thailand was a dream."
The next day, I arrived at work to see the story on the front page.
Writing for a foreign newspaper, I needed to find story angles that both I and the audience could understand and relate to and, for the most part, that was tourism.
I honed my focus on the perspective of tourists in Thailand while questioning the ethical practices of the industry.
I used the generous Asia New Zealand grant and my role at the Bangkok Post as a tool to travel the country and expand not only my skills in crafting pieces to suit the Post, but also to experience this part of the world.
I was determined to balance living in Bangkok while still indulging in what Thailand is most well-known for. I had to see elephants and was curious to find out whether it was even ethical to do so.
Luckily, a friend from Aotearoa was backpacking and we met to travel north.
We took an overnight bus to Chiang Mai and woke up on the doorstep of some of the world’s most incredible and sacred Buddhist temples.
Not only did we indulge in the food of Northern Thailand through local recommendations and cooking classes, but after a lot of research, I finally found an elephant sanctuary that seemed genuinely ethical—no touching, no bathing, and definitely no riding. This was much harder than it should’ve been.
While living in Bangkok, Rosie took the opportunity to explore further afield and find out what other parts of Thailand have to offer
Later in February, I had the opportunity to go to Vietnam. To write a story that would resonate with Thai readers, I looked into the methanol poisoning plague around Southeast Asia.
I spoke with tourists about their experiences travelling the region with a heightened fear of drinking alcohol and the fatal risks of the problem.
It was these travel experiences—speaking to tourists and locals and immersing myself in the culture—that sparked opportunities for stories the Bangkok Post could publish.
Back in Bangkok, I was constantly inspired to pursue stories that reminded me why I chose journalism.
I went to UNICEF press conferences, visited their office to question officials about their latest child obesity reports, attended meetings at the Correspondents’ Club on AI in the media industry, and reported on the frighteningly high PM2.5 pollution levels that have sadly become the norm in Bangkok.
When I reflect, the things I loved most about my Thai time were my routine and lifestyle in the busy city. Whether it was hopping on the back of a Grab scooter on the way home from work—headphones in, feeling like I was in a movie, weaving through traffic and trying not to think about the pollution inhalation…
So, because journalists must always fact-check… does Thailand live up to its nickname?Well, it’s impossible not to smile in a land filled with kind people, a Buddhist temple to ground you, elephants, mopeds, and of course—mango sticky rice.
Read Rosie Leishman's stories in the Bangkok Post.
The Foundation's media programme helps New Zealand journalists cover stories that shed light on Asia and on New Zealand’s ties to the region. We support journalists to build their knowledge of Asia by providing media travel grants, internships in Asian newsrooms and fellowships for senior journalists.
Our media internship programme supports New Zealand journalism graduates and working journalists to intern at news organisations in Asia.
