“When you first go to a foreign country you don’t know what to do, where to buy food and all. As an organized student organization someone who’s been here already can help the newcomer to adjust to the new life here to help each other out,” said Wannarat Simpson, senior in accounting from Thailand.
Simpson said the Thai Student Association has been around for many years and has about 20 members.
Susit Chaiprakaikeow, civil engineering Ph.D. student from Thailand, said his father participated in the group when he studied at USU more than 25 years ago. He said it’s been tradition to have the association. The group meets officially about once a week to plan activities, but spend a lot of time just hanging out together.
Chaiprakaikeow said, “We are like a big family, rather than an organization. We look like that more. We hang out, cook together, eat together, live near each other.”
Simpson said the group also enjoys traveling together, often taking sightseeing trips during school breaks.
“As a foreign student we want to explore the country,” she said. “We want to get the most out of the country, the best out of it.”
Simpson said the group also has activities with the Thai student group at the University of Utah. She said they play volleyball each year for a trophy. She said there is also a Student Alumni of Thailand, a group of Thai students who have studied in Utah.
Simpson said most students in the association are here studying permanently after getting scholarships from their home country. One may wonder how students in Thailand have even heard of USU, let alone Logan. Simpson said many students have family who have studied here or have professors from their undergraduate studies in Thailand who have recommended USU.
Nisa Leksungnoen, a plants, soils and climate Ph.D. student from Thailand, said she met a USU professor on sabbatical in Thailand, who suggested she study in Logan.
Tawan Sridama, civil engineering graduate student and president of the association, said a professor from his undergraduate studies in Thailand also taught at USU and recommended he study here.
Simpson said many of the students in the association had similar recommendations from family or undergraduate professors about USU.
“Many students here have parents that graduated from here. They know people, know it’s safe and send their kids here,” she said. “They spread the word of USU, how great it is to study here. It’s really beautiful here.”
Simpson said although she would typically prefer a bigger city, Logan is a perfect place to concentrate on school. She said her friends that have visited from Thailand are impressed with Logan and USU.
“Even some of my friends who came to visit me said, ‘Wow, this is good,’ and tried to find a scholarship to come here,” she said.
Chaiprakaikeow said another good thing about studying in Utah are the people.
“It surprised me when I first came here; people in the USA tried to help me. They’re very friendly,” he said.
On Oct. 20 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Taggart Student Center, the association will put on its annual cookout of authentic Thai food. It will serve green curry with steamed rice, pad Thai stir fry and noodles and deep fry wontons with sweet and sour sauce. Simpson said the combo of both the curry and pad Thai will be $6 and they will be $3 individually. She said she encourages everyone to come try the food.
“Test the real Thai food. You hardly get it here,” she said. “If you want good Thai food you have to go to a big city. Now there’s the opportunity to get authentic Thai food here.”
Simpson said just like their food, Thai people have their own unique culture.
“It’s hard to show what Thai people are all about. You see other foreign students – Chinese, Japanese – and they carry their own culture and you can see it obviously. With Thai people it’s hard to say what is so unique of ours. Get to know us and you will know that we are different,” she said.
–karlie.brand@aggiemail.usu.edu