Comments from the Scholarship Students

“There is certain pride I'm sure everyone feels in being a scholarship student and knowing that you are serving your country…at the start, there are few certain challenges you will face…do not worry. It comes with time and as you go along, your skill will gradually improve. I did really badly in one of my subjects in the first mock exams but in the second mock, my mark in that subject just shot up…”

Ms Pimchanok Narenpithak (Maggie)

Current course of study: A-levels School: D'Overbroeck's College Scholarship: European Literature/ CHE(Commission of Higher Education) from A-levels to Master “I am honoured and very grateful to be a scholarship student but I do not feel special or superior or anything. To me it means constantly reminding myself to take what I learn here and put it in a perspective of my country. .. I am studying the way of thinking, problem-solving methods and approach, and not copying western architecture or certain style. …It is a peace of mind having the OEA here in the UK. Every staff at the OEA are friendly and help us a great deal. Not just dealing with our scholarship and monitoring our progress and things, they also give us insights into living in the UK…”

Ms Nawanwaj Yudhanahas (Orm)

Current course of study: BSc Architecture. Year3 School: Bartlett School of Architecture, University College of London Scholarship

:

Undergraduate to Master degree

CSC , OCSC and Scholarship Management

The Civil Service Commission (CSC) is a committee body appointed by the His Majesty the King. Its authority and duties are to make proposals and give advice to the Cabinet concerning policies and standards of managing public human resource as well as to formulate civil service human resource management policies, rules, regulations and directives in accordance with the Civil Service Act According to the Civil Service Act, the

CSC

is comprised of the Prime Minister or Deputy Prime Minister designated by the Prime Minister as Chairman, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Finance, Director of the Budget Bureau and Secretary General of the Office of the National Economic and Social Development Board as

officio ex

commissioners, and no fewer than five but not more than seven commissioners appointed by the King from persons qualified in human resource management, administration and management and law whose works are renowned in the relevant fields and being persons recruited under the rules, procedures and conditions prescribed by CSC Regulation, and the Secretary-General of the Civil Service Commission shall be a commissioner and secretary.

The Office of the Civil Service Commission (OCSC)

serves as the secretariat to the CSC and is the operational unit assigned to undertake the CSC functions mentioned above. The OCSC is headed by a Secretary-General who is in charge of its civil servants and administration, and is accountable directly to the Prime Minister. Duties of the OCSC are prescribed in Section 13 of the Act and one of such duties is to

carry out acts in relation to King’s scholarships and government scholarships in accordance with policies or rules of the CSC.

Royal Thai Scholarship System in Brief

The Main Objectives of Royal Thai Government Scholarship are as follows ;

1. To support the public sector in keeping up with its human resource capability within the dynamic environment; 2. To ensure the flow of talents to replace retiring government officials 3. To serve as a strategic recruitment tool in bringing talents to the public sector. The government scholarship program has been recognized as a key mechanism to recruit highly competent civil servants and those with special qualifications needed in civil service. Usually, around 70-80% of candidates in the final selection stage are first or second degree honour students.

Comments from the Scholarship Students

“…I really feel honoured to be a scholarship student and at the same time feel quite a high responsibility on performing well in my education …I am pushing my best to achieve as much as possible in hope of using my knowledge to help other people after my graduation… …I think having OEA here is actually helping me a lot with the advices during different stages in my education. All the officers are so nice to me and treat me like someone in their family. Really raise my spirit up a lot during my living here. Thank you very much.”

Mr Atipat Patharagulpong (Ming)

Current Course of Study: MSc. Biomedical Engineering Place of Study: Imperial College London Scholarship. : Ministry of Science and Technology (A-level to PhD)

Office of Educational Affairs: OEA

Office of Educational Affairs (OEA

) is a division of the Office of the Civil Service Commission (OCSC). The evolution of the OEA is indistinguishable from the history of taking care of Thai students in the UK. This can be dated back as far as 1881 when Prince Prisdang, a son of King Rama IV, was bestowed by King Rama V (King Chulalongkorn) the responsibility of taking the first group of 9 students to Europe in 1881, finding the schools for them and supervising their studies so that none would be "idling or lagging behind in his work.“ Prince Prisdang therefore became the first de facto person to superintend Siamese students in the United Kingdom i.e. the Superintendent. Since then there are 21 Superintendents –a title later changed to Minister (for Education) - taking care of the Royal Thai government scholarship and privately funded students.

9 10 11 12 13 14 18 19 20 21 15 16 17 NUMBER 1

MINISTERS (FOR EDUCATION)

NAME MR. JAMES ALGERNON BROWN, M.A. OXON YEAR 1904 - 1906 2 3 4 COL. C.V. HUME, M.V.O., M.A.

MR.A. CECIL CARTON, M.A.

PHYA BHARATA 1912 1915 - 1921 1922 - 1925 5 6 7 8 MR. A.E. CARDEW PHYA PRICHANUSORN PHRA SUVABHAND LUANG PRAMODYA 1926 – 1931 1949 - 1950 1951 - 1955 1956 - 1963 MR. SNGAT SRIVANIG MR. SAMRAN THAWARAYUSM MR. SOMSALA JEERAPANDH MR. ALAI INGAWANIJ M.R CHAYATAVAT SRITAVAJ MR. SUWAN XANASONGGRAM DR. SOMPHOCH NOPHAKOON MR. SATHAPORN SAKOLRAK MRS. CHOMNARD PONGPONRAT MR. CHARNVIT KRAIRIKSH MRS. SUCHADA RUNGSINAN M.L PATCHARAPAKORN DEVAKULA DR. PIYAWAT SIVARAKS 1964 - 1972 1973 - 1977 1978 - 1981 1981 -1985 1985 - 1989 1989 - 1993 1993 - 1997 1997- 1998 1998 - 2001 2001 - 2005 2005 - 2008 2008 - 2011 2011 - PRESENT

Prince Prisdang was born on Feb 23, 1851 to Prince Jumsai, the fourth eldest son of King Rama III and went with King Rama V and other royal cousins to Singapore for his education. He did very well and later was sent to England to study engineering. He became "the first known Thai to study and graduate from a Western University", and won many distinctions and awards. Even the Times Magazine reported the Prince taking the first prizes in so many fields of studies upon his graduation at King's College in 1876. The prince was the core member of the Young Siam Society. (M.L.Manich Jumsai, “Prince Prisdang's Files on His Diplomatic Activities in Europe 1880-1886)