Natnaree Siriwon, 17, Korawich Niyomsatian, 18, and Nathaporn Supokaivanich, 18, won the honour for securing the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (Intel ISEF) awards.

The trio are students at the prestigious Triam Udom Suksa School.

Intel ISEF is the world's largest pre-college celebration of science. Held annually in May, Intel ISEF brings together nearly 1,500 students from more than 40 nations to compete for scholarships, tuition grants, internships, science field trips and a grand prize.

Having one's name on a planet is part of the prize for taking home a top Intel ISEF award. Prizes include US$3,000 (BtBt103,000) in cash and an all-expenses paid trip to attend the European Union Contest for Young Scientists in Valencia, Spain, in September.

The three-member team from Thailand has been recognised for their "Secret in Mimosa's Leaf Folding Pattern" project, which can detect earthquakes by examining the plant's leaf-folding pattern.

Mimosa is widely known as a sensitive plant.

The three students will return home today.

Science Service and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Lincoln Laboratory promote science education through the Ceres Connection programme.It names minor planets after students in its competitions. First- and second-placed winners' names will be sent to the International Astronomical Union to put on near-earth asteroids.

The Near-Earth Asteroid Research programme at the Lincoln Laboratory discovered all minor planets named in the Ceres Connection Programme.