Solving Real Life Production Puzzles with the Delta International Exchange Program

By Delta Electronics (Thailand) PCL. - Published November 12, 2021

Interview with DET International Exchange Program Interns

Text and Photos by David Nakayama, DET Corp Comms

Bangkok, Thailand, June 23, 2021-Delta Electronics Thailand is one of the only companies in the Kingdom offering world-class training to local engineering talent in Taiwan with our annual Delta International Exchange Program. COVID-19 travel restrictions keep this year’s class at Delta’s Thailand plants where they work in an international environment.

Today we talk with two Thai engineering students, Rachata Pikulkarntalerd and Phenpao Keeragachinda (left and right in the above photo), about their experiences at a global workplace with our Delta Thailand International Exchange Program.

Please tell us a bit about yourself. Where are you from? What are you studying, and why did you choose this major/field of study?

Rachata: I’m from Bangkok, Thailand. I graduated from Chulalongkorn University Demonstration School and now I’m studying industrial engineering majoring in production design and material at King Mongkut's Institute of Technology Ladkrabang.

I choose to major in production design and material because I used to design my own Lego productions when I was a kid. Even now in my free time, I like to build action figures from Bandai.

By playing with these kinds of toys, I realized I want to study the right way to design things depending on the limitation of materials.

Phenpao: I come from Nonthaburi. I am studying material engineering at King Mongkut's University of Technology Thonburi, Faculty of Engineering. The reason I chose material engineering is because I thought it would be a lot of fun!

Engineering is a field that solves the most impactful problems in our world and it can answer “why” for most things that happen in daily life.

How did you find out about the Delta International Exchange program, and why did you join?Rachata: I found out about this Delta International Exchange Program by an announcement at my university.

I joined this exchange program because I want to learn and be proficient in the Chinese language, make more friends and build up more experiences from real work life.

Phenpao: My brother sent me some information about this program and the reason I joined the program is that it looks interesting to me.

How long is your internship at Delta, and where are you training?

Rachata: My internship is for six months from June 1, 2021 to September 31, 2021. I train and work at Delta’s Automotive Production at Delta Plant 1 in Bangpoo Industrial Estate.

Phenpao: Our internship at Delta lasts 6 months. I’m training at Delta’s Supplier Quality Management section.

What are your main roles as a Delta Thailand Intern, and what is the most interesting part of your work?

Rachata: At Automotive production, my daily duty is to collect data such as cycle time and the model of each product from the production line.

The most interesting part of my training is that my mentor gives me real work and I have to complete it by the time that my mentor sets for me. Now she even lets me design fixtures for future usage. I’m looking forward to doing more useful work like this.

Phenpao: My main role here as an intern is to help the team improve supplier quality. I am interested in the quality improvement process that uses the Six Sigma concepts.

What are the most valuable skills you can gain from your internship at Delta Thailand, and how will it help you in your future career?

Phenpao: The most valuable skills that I have gained at Delta are analytical thinking skills and being ready to deal with all sorts of problems that may arise on the job.

Rachata: I think the most valuable skill I can learn here is the Chinese language because, in my opinion, a third language can give me advantages and a chance to be promoted to a higher rank.

I can also use it to communicate properly with other employees who speak Chinese and understand them very well.

How is your supervisor supporting your internship experience, and how are you learning to work with others?Rachata: My supervisor supports me by telling my mentor to give me real work experience and I appreciate that. I learn a lot of things from working with my mentor.

I learned that I have to work quickly and while I’m working quicker, I have to pay attention to every detail as much as possible to do more professional work.

Phenpao: My supervisor is supporting our internship experience by giving us opportunities to learn different aspects of the job straight from the start. It’s like being a new employee here at Delta even for interns.

What do you find unique about Delta Thailand?

Rachata: What is unique is that when I see some systems that can be better, I can raise it to someone for improvement. This is necessary to protect the product quality.

Phenpao: The uniqueness of the culture at Delta that I discovered is the teamwork and the family-like atmosphere here.

What are the most important factors for you when choosing a company to work at after graduation?

Rachata: In my opinion, the joy of working with a company has to come first because it will make your work great. With great work, you can get a promotion and have more motivation to make even more great products.

Phenpao: For me, the most important factors are excellent corporate reputation and a good image of the company.

Can you share your next plans, and do you have any ideas to make the internship experience better?Phenpao: I don't have a very long-term plan. I'm just trying to do my best each day and try to learn as much as I can.

Rachata: My next plan is to learn the Japanese language to have more advantages with language skills. Maybe I will study for my master’s degree in Japan and apply for a job there for 3-4 years to gain more experience and learn about work cultures from different countries.

If I come back to apply to work with Delta, I hope my experiences will support the company to make more profit and be famous around the world.

Enter the world of international engineering at Delta

Are you a Thai engineering student who wants to see the world and get real-life work experience? Find out more about the Delta International Intern Exchange Program from our Delta Thailand Careers Page or contact our HR today.