How a Southeast Asian startup became a global travel giant

Countries & Cities · Published 12 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Founded in 2005 by American school friends, Agoda has grown from a regional player into a massive subsidiary of Booking Holdings. Yet, its rapid expansion has been marked by regulatory scrutiny, legal battles over competition, and significant workforce shifts during global crises.

Agoda began in 2005 when Michael Kenny and Robert Rosenstein, former classmates in America, launched the platform. Kenny had previously operated Phuket-based sites like PlanetHoliday.com and PrecisionReservations.com, which were eventually integrated into Agoda. The company’s trajectory changed significantly in 2007 when it was acquired by the Priceline Group, now known as Booking Holdings.

The company's growth has been accompanied by complex regulatory challenges. In the United Kingdom, the Competition and Markets Authority probed Agoda in 2017 regarding concerns over misleading discount claims and hidden charges, leading the company to agree to end those tactics. In Turkey, Agoda has faced legal action regarding unfair competition, with regulators filing a lawsuit in January 2026 seeking to ban several major agencies, including Airbnb and Expedia.

Operational hurdles have also surfaced in specific markets. In 2017, Thailand's Tourism Minister called for the removal of unregistered hotels from the platform, a request Agoda later cooperated with in Taipei in 2018. More recently, in the summer of 2025, Japanese authorities criticized the company following reports of booking discrepancies and unavailable rooms. An August 2025 Nikkei survey of 500 users found that approximately 20% of users encountered issues such as unconsented cancellations or mismatched airline tickets.

The company has also navigated significant internal restructuring. In May 2020, Agoda announced the layoff of 1,500 employees due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In September 2025, the company faced condemnation in Singapore after laying off about 50 employees with severance agreements that inappropriately prohibited contact with trade unions or government agencies.

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