I was born August 17, 1979 in a small town named Amphoe Photharam in Ratchaburi province, in the southwest of Bangkok, Thailand, to a middle-class family. My parents are merchants whose family emigrated from China. They both are uneducated and unable to read and write. However, they are aware how important education is. They worked tirelessly to earn money so that they could give me good education.

I attended the standard elementary school in the neighberhood of my home. I remember that I was a smartest boy and always ranked on the top of my class. My parents expected me to be a doctor for which most of the brightest boys in Thailand prospect, so they encuraged me to move to a better school. After completion of elementary study, I moved to the most famous high school in Nakhon Pathom province, a big city quiet far from my home. This was a turning point of my life. As I grew up into a teenager, I changed from a studious and obedient boy to lazy and mischievous one. I went out from my home every morning, but I seldom arrived at the school. I preferred skipping school to hang out with a group of my mischievous friends. Because of my misdeed, most of my teachers disliked me, so I was always punished every time I enter the classes. Ultimately I had to drop out from the school when I was in Mattayom 4 (grade 10). I still remember that in the last semester I got only one 1.0 (D) grade point for the Thai Language but 0s (F) for all other courses. I also remember the picture of my mother bursting into tear when I told her that I did not want to go to school anymore. Certainly, this is the most regrettable mistake of my life. After dropping out, I just lived my life pointlessly from day to day. I neither worked nor helped my family. I usually enjoyed my life by playing and hanging around with my friends. My mother feared that I would grow up into a bad guy. She attempted very hard to induce me to study again by both persuading and especially complaining even though I often turned a deaf ear to her. Finally I surrendered to her complaint, so I turned back to study again. But this time I registered for the non-formal education.

After I obtained the certificate equivalent to Mattayom 6 (grade 12), unlike other average students, I directly went to Ramkamhaeng University, the open university, without taking the Entrance Examination, i.e. the standardized test required to enter universities in Thailand. In the freshman year, I was unchangeably indolent and rarely went to classes. I registered for 48 credits in total, but I was able to collect only 22 credits with little GPA. However, my life took a turn again in the sophomore year. I went to a class in which I fortunately got acquainted with a group of learned students. They all got very high GPA. I, at first, felt envious of their success but later wanted to be like them. I had a change of heart and decided to try to read textbooks after I had not touched them so long.  Surprisingly, I enjoyed learning a lot of things from books. The more I read, the more I knew how much I still did not know. As a result of studying hard my GPA went up continuously. Incredibly, I got GPA of 4.0 for the last two semesters, thereby graduating my first degree in economics with second class honors.

I still was in need of knowledge, so I decided to continue studying instead of working. I was able to get in the Master of Economics program at the Faculty of Economics, Thammasat University at which I got acquainted with many scholarly students and faculty and learned much from them. When I was doing my Master’s thesis in the third year, I had opportunity to work as a research and teaching assistant to a group of the excellent faculty. I was inspired a lot by them, and I was fond of this job. Since then, I was strongly determined to work in academia. Therefore, as soon as I graduated, I applied for a lecturer position of the faculty. Even though I graduated with highest score in the class and was among few students who took only 3 acedamic years, the minimum duration, to acquire the degree, I was not good enough to get the acceptance. I was so disappointed and did not know what I had to do next. I had to bide my time for months utill Kasetsart University kindly offered me a lecturer position. My life turned upward since then. Not only did I get the job that I had dreamed of so long, but also I was awarded the scholarship from the royal Thai government to do Ph.D aboard despite the fact that only 45 out of 600 applicants were selected.

I have heard of the reputation of a group of  excellent American universities called the Ivy League in which Cornell University is one  of my dreamed schools. Finally my dream came true. Now I am called a Cornellian. Every time I look backward to my teenage, I confess that I wonder how I can stand at this point. What I have to do next is to complete the Ph.D. I realize that the scholarship, supported by all Thais, comes with the great responsibility. Thus, the most significant goal of mine is to pass the invaluable knowledge from education on to the students. I am convinced that my devotion to academia will be the greatest asset of all.