The Kingdom of Thailand ambassador to the United States, whose embassy is in Washington, D.C., visited his student compatriots at BYU–Hawaii on November 15 and also toured the Polynesian Cultural Center.
About two dozen BYU–Hawaii Thai students and additional administration and faculty representatives greeted His Excellency Mr. Kasit Priomya and his wife, Chintana Piromya, in a special reception in the Aloha Center before they toured the PCC. The students sang a song written by the King of Thailand for the ambassador.
Then two students shared remarks on behalf of the group. Janjira Sirisarn, a senior political science major from Roi-et, Thailand, told the ambassador how much she enjoyed filling her internship last summer in the embassy. Sirisarn recalled he asked what her goal in life was, and she told him she was interested in working with non-government organizations. "He told me there are a lot of ways I can help my country," she said.
Sirisarn also expressed appreciation for the Church "for giving us this opportunity to study here. Most of the Thai students here, about 90 percent, have scholarships," she said, explaining how she and her fellow students work 19 hours a week either on campus or at the Polynesian Cultural Center.
"This coming December is my graduation, and I'm going to be the first person in my family to ever graduate from a university," she continued, adding that she plans to return home and apply to go on a mission.
Wirasak Saakha, a senior international business management major from Udornthanj, Thailand, told of coming to BYU–Hawaii three years ago after serving a mission in Toronto, Canada. He also served an internship this past summer in a large Thai company.
"Without the gospel of Jesus Christ, I don't think I would be here," Saakha said, noting that he, too, will be the first university graduate in his family. "I'm sure when I graduate, and all of us here, when we go back to Thailand we will be ambassadors of peace."
"Your Excellency, these are the quality of students you have shared with us," said Isileli Kongaika, BYU–Hawaii Vice President of Student Affairs. "We are thrilled that they are here, and hope that we do justice by preparing them to come back and serve their country, their families and the Church."
Ambassador Piromya responded by thanking everyone and saying that he felt very comfortable at BYU–Hawaii, as he had completed some of his undergraduate studies at a Presbyterian university in Bangkok and a Catholic school in Darjeeling, India. "I'm impressed by the Christian environment here," he said, adding with a laugh that he could probably "challenge some of the students here on The Bible." The ambassador was also happy to be in Hawaii, where his wife was based almost 40 years ago as a Pan American Airways flight attendant. "It's good to come back to what was our second home."
He said he believes Christian churches have played an important role in the development of education in Thailand. "I think it has a lot to do with the establishment and maintenance of the sovereignty of Thailand," Ambassador Piromya said.
"I also want to express my profound thanks ... that you have been kind enough to look after the Thai students whose families, or members of their families, have never seen a university before," he continued.
"To have this high level of education is a good thing for Thailand. What we need most is to have more educated people to close the gap with the more developed societies around the world."
The ambassador also cited the "rebirth of Christian values" he saw in the last U.S. presidential election as "a good sign. I think there's too much uninhibited freedom, too much divorce in the American society, children do not respect their elders...[and] people do not sit down and reflect and meditate; but I think it's coming around. I think the Church [of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints] and Brigham Young University have been doing this all along," he said.
Dr. Keith Roberts, Vice President of Academics, thanked the ambassador, and added, "We realize that the world is made up of many cultures, and that what we learn here at this campus is what we share - our similarities - are much more evident and much more important than our differences."
"We have the mission of preparing people to have a positive influence for peace internationally," Dr. Roberts continued. "We don't actually teach peace here. What we do is create a situation where students from all nations can come to study and work together."
"The basic teachings of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints deeply involve the idea that we are all brothers and sisters of a Heavenly Father," he said. "When these students return, not only will they be good husbands and wives, fathers and mothers, they will also be good citizens who make the kind of decisions that will help all of the world."