Thai team wins big

Pornpan Vitayangkorn, deputy director of the Institute for the Promotion of Teaching Science and Technology (IPST), said yesterday that a team member - Pinnaree Tiamangkornpan from Triam Udon Suksa School - also got full marks in the theory exam.

A total of 267 students from 68 countries competed in this Olympiad. China, Russia and South Korea won the highest scores. Thai students Alif Noikham of Mahidol Wittayanusorn School, Khetpakorn Chakhornwet of Triam Udon Suksa School, and Pinnaree won gold medals, while Jiraborirak Charoenpatpreeda of Suan Kularp Wittayalai School received a silver medal, Pornpan said.

Alif, who also won a silver medal at the 41st IChO in England, said he read textbooks and practised on chemistry questions to prepare for the Olympiad. After class he liked playing basketball with friends and also played computer games after completing his reading routines.

Khetpakorn said that representing Thailand in such a competition helped increase educational opportunities for him, especially in chemical experimenting, because there were few lab experiments in class that focused on theory. Experimenting was important as it helped students test their knowledge and find solutions.

Pinnaree, who also won a silver medal at the 41st IChO, said Olympiads gave children life experience and a chance to do what interested them. To succeed in life, she said, she followed Buddhism's principle of four miraculous powers (itthibat) comprising firm determination, earnest meditation, persevering exertion and close investigation. The team's sole female member said she also liked studying mathematics, English language and piano.

Jiraborirak said he had worked hard for three years to become the country's representative and this year he had finally made it. He said he loved chemistry because he could do experiments and work on challenging questions. He said he wanted to become a university teacher, as he would love to pass on knowledge to new generations.