Burmese boy won top prize in Thai Handwriting contest

[webfact]

Burmese boy won top prize in Thai Handwriting contest



BANGKOK: -- A 12-year old Burmese boy caused a big stir in Tak province when he won the first prize of the Thai Handwriting Competition held by the Office of the Basic Education Commission on the occasion of the Thai National Language Day on Tuesday.

Yaza is studying in Prathom 3 at Arunmetha school in Pob Phra district of Tak where about 30 percent of the students are poor and live near the Thai-Burmese border. Although born and grew up in Thailand, Yaza is considered as a Burmese immigrant.

His Thai teacher, Mrs Sang-aroon Sornchai, described Yaza as very deligent and dedicated to study and has represented the school at several handwriting competitions.

The boy said he was very happy to be awarded the top prize and to bring fame to his school and family.

(Pic : manager.co.th)

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/burmese-boy-won-top-prize-thai-handwriting-contest/


-- Thai PBS 2014-07-30

[pitrevie]

Wonderful, nice to read some good news for a change, good luck to the young man, I wish him a good future.

[BSJ]

That's really funny!

[ChrisY1]

Says a lot.........good luck to the young guy.....

Nice to have good news and that he's very "deligant"??

Edited July 30, 2014 by ChrisY1

[thesetat2013]

He has brought fame to the school. What they dont say is that a foreign immigrant gas mastered thai writing and shown through his diligence and dedication to study how lazy thai students are. Hats off to this burmese kid. Maybe somewhere in this country a thai student will see the shame of having a foreigner do better than a thai writing in thai language.

Sent from my GT-S5310 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[Bender]

For some this prize might means nothing, but for him, his family and people who welcome this good news, that mean a lot!

Congratulation to this little genius, i wish him a good life!

[GentlemanJim]

<

He has brought fame to the school. What they dont say is that a foreign immigrant gas mastered thai writing and shown through his diligence and dedication to study how lazy thai students are. Hats off to this burmese kid. Maybe somewhere in this country a thai student will see the shame of having a foreigner do better than a thai writing in thai language.

Sent from my GT-S5310 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

By God it didn't take long did it till someone came along and slagged off an entire Nations children because one young hard working student who is not considered Thai won a prize! Do you know anything about the school work life of children aged 5-16 in this country? My 6 year old daughter currently has an hour or more of homework every single night, more homework than a kid in the UK the same age would get in a month. EVERY night (and that is without the time she takes to practice reading in Thai and English). Her mates have to go to 2 hrs extra classes on a Saturday AND Sunday, I simply refuse to cave in and send my daughter as she has little enough time to be a child as it is. She has also just had exams! Studying for exams at 6 years old! Do not tell me Thai kids are lazy because of one gifted young boy!!

Back to the OP, I was disappointed by this statement

Although born and grew up in Thailand, Yaza is considered as a Burmese immigrant.

Thailand really needs to sort itself out in respect of immigration, birth rights etc etc.

Congratulations to the young boy, his achievements will bring untold pride to his parents if he is from a poor back ground. I hope he continues to have the chance to develop and achieve.

Edited July 30, 2014 by GentlemanJim

[timmyp]

Wonderful for the boy and his school. He is clearly a talented kid, and I hope his talent is recognized more than he is seen as an example of a foreign threat or an example of how ethnic Thais are falling being. It is just an example that kids who work hard and have talent will perform well.

[jaltsc]

" Although born and grew up in Thailand, Yaza is considered as a Burmese immigrant...His Thai teacher, Mrs Sang-aroon Sornchai, described Yaza as very deligent and dedicated to study and has represented the school ..."

So, what does someone who was born in Thailand and represents his community in the best way, have to do before he is considered to be Thai?

[jerrybuice]

My dad married a Thai lady who had a young son. They came to the US when he was about 7. His English was not great but he did awesome in school, all the way thru high school and went on to be tops in his class in college. I am proud of him for what he has achieved. Thai's are or can be as smart as they want to be. I am proud for this young man as well. I hope he achieves great things in his future that will assist he and his family out of poverty.

[TimCM]

Well done to the young lad. Great to see academic achievement being supported

[timmyp]

Wonderful for the boy and his school. He is clearly a talented kid, and I hope his talent is recognized more than he is seen as an example of a foreign threat or an example of how ethnic Thais are falling being. It is just an example that kids who work hard and have talent will perform well.

I am listening to the morning news right now, and sadly the news anchors are just focusing on this exactly as i feared they might. They are just comparing Thai. vs. Burmese and Thai vs. Foreigners. And aside from this being twisted into a threat of national identity, it's just an insignificant handwriting contest for kids.

Some kids just work really hard and have talent. That's all... I wish people wouldn't make this kid's trivial success any more than that. Looking in the mirror each morning and saying, "I am [insert national identity: Thai/Japanese/Somali/Kurdish/Mexican/German]! What does that mean?? I must strive to be [insert nationalistic stereotype]." just makes you a brain dead idiot.

[noitom]

Congratulations to Tak! It's shameful that Thais don't recognize hi, born in Thailand, as a natural Thai citizen. This discrimination is a stain on Thailand.

[Yann55]

PRICELESS !!

Congratulations, kid !!!!

[Payboy]

" Although born and grew up in Thailand, Yaza is considered as a Burmese immigrant...His Thai teacher, Mrs Sang-aroon Sornchai, described Yaza as very deligent and dedicated to study and has represented the school ..."

So, what does someone who was born in Thailand and represents his community in the best way, have to do before he is considered to be Thai?

Winning a PGA grand slam just might work, but then you don't want to be Thai anymore.

[LuckyLew]

Congrats to the young student and may it be the first of many academic achievements he reaches

but it sure does look bad on Thai students teachers and parents that a Thai cannot even win a contest in spelling in their own language 555555

[Pii Kate]

Good for you Yaza!~ How shocking to everyone that a Burmese child should succeed! I met a young Burmese student on scholarship at a university who told me it was very difficult to get housing when the landlord realized she was from Burma and that she doesn't have friends for the same reason. Must be equally shocking for them to have a Burmese girl on scholarship! I doubt I will live long enough to see a change in this attitude.

[thesetat2013]

<

He has brought fame to the school. What they dont say is that a foreign immigrant gas mastered thai writing and shown through his diligence and dedication to study how lazy thai students are. Hats off to this burmese kid. Maybe somewhere in this country a thai student will see the shame of having a foreigner do better than a thai writing in thai language.

Sent from my GT-S5310 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

By God it didn't take long did it till someone came along and slagged off an entire Nations children because one young hard working student who is not considered Thai won a prize! Do you know anything about the school work life of children aged 5-16 in this country? My 6 year old daughter currently has an hour or more of homework every single night, more homework than a kid in the UK the same age would get in a month. EVERY night (and that is without the time she takes to practice reading in Thai and English). Her mates have to go to 2 hrs extra classes on a Saturday AND Sunday, I simply refuse to cave in and send my daughter as she has little enough time to be a child as it is. She has also just had exams! Studying for exams at 6 years old! Do not tell me Thai kids are lazy because of one gifted young boy!!

Back to the OP, I was disappointed by this statement

Although born and grew up in Thailand, Yaza is considered as a Burmese immigrant.

Thailand really needs to sort itself out in respect of immigration, birth rights etc etc.

Congratulations to the young boy, his achievements will bring untold pride to his parents if he is from a poor back ground. I hope he continues to have the chance to develop and achieve.

Apperently you dont read the news very often about thai students. They have the most classroom hours per week than any other country. The families pay more per annum for education than most in the world. Their testing skills are beloe average than most kids in the world and the percentage of students who can read and write their own language even after graduation from universities is riduculiuously low. Who cares how many classes they take if they dont practise and if they are not diligent and dedicated and try. The Burmese boy went above and beyond what the normal thai kid is willing to do and it shows now with this contest

Sent from my GT-S5310 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[Seastallion]

Says a lot.........good luck to the young guy.....

Nice to have good news and that he's very "deligant"??

It's a wonderful neologism meaning "intelligent and diligent"

I think I will use it some time.

[Strangebrew]

Excuse me but mt kids get more homework than Thai kids get in a year and maintain above 85% score level on all test 85% is passing. And speak 3 languages and write in all three. Oldest also speaks Thai.

[Paulzed]

Its a shame that Thailand has no problem throwing up the race card, children should not be exposed to something as ugly as racism.

He was born in Thailand, he lives in Thailand and he goes to a Thai school and he was motivated to do well in a handwriting contest and won for his efforts.

I hope that he doesn't loose his motivation to do well in his future studies by Thais giving him a hard time about his heritage.

[willyumiii]

Is this an old story?

Burmese boy?

Where is Burma?

Is',t that a shaving cream? BURMASHAVE?

Can you write Myanmar in Thai?? ?

[Borzandy]

Seems impossible, Thais are very good...

[Crazy88]

i am Happy for him. maybe he should compete for Myanmar next time

[Morakot]

caused a big stir in Tak province when he won the first prize of the Thai Handwriting Competition

[...]

born and grew up in Thailand

Very sad indeed, such a reaction.

Congratulations to the young man!!

[kamahele]

Good for him. Although ethnically Burmese, he was born and grew up in Thailand. To me, he's just a bright Thai kid no matter what his ethnic background is. Kudos to his parents and teachers and to him for his hard work.

[ThaidDown]

Congrats to the kid.

Probably some consternation at the MoE.

Think of the shame if next year another foreigner won, a Cambodian even, that would never do.

So maybe a change in the rules, from next year only Thais can enter. Problem solved.

[kurnell]

Something is not right here. Nobody wins anything in Thailand without an ulterior motive

[MrBrad]

Just maybe the fact that they don't consider him Thai is a good thing for all Burmese. Since the Burmese are the lowest persons on the neighborhood totem pole, all Burmese should take great pride in the small--but embarrassing--act that this boy pulled off. It's especially gratifying that the judges were apparently unbiased in their decision.

[Cuchulainn]

Well done, young man!

Edited July 30, 2014 by Cuchulainn