Pattra Chantarachote a.k.a. Pukky is an 18-year-old Thai student who is preparing herself for an entire year to spend in the country of her choice, Denmark.
“I think the people in Denmark are very kind,” she said when asked why she chose Denmark.
She is one of the three students who were accepted by the Youth Exchange and Study (YES) programme to be participating in the one-year exchange programme.
Joining this programme required Pukky to sit for an English competence examination, which tested her English writing, reading and listening skills. She had done well in the
examination and qualified as one of the participants of the programme.
When asked how she was feeling, Pukky happily expressed her excitement in going to a country which is very different from her own which would help her understand and appreciate a different culture than what she is used to.
She is still unsure of her host family placement and school arrangements. She will receive a call from the YES office to confirm these soon.
Pukky studies in a local school and had been encouraged by one of her teachers to join the YES programme since she was 15 but because she felt unprepared for such an experience, she hadn’t applied. Now, a few years later, she is finally ready and excited to get going on this journey.
Before she leaves, Pukky is trying to get herself prepared with some exposure to the Danish language. She also plans to get some appropriate attire as the weather in Denmark is much colder than the weather in Thailand.
The YES programme allows students, from the age of 15 to 18, to go on one-year programmes to countries including Denmark, Norway, Germany and even South Africa. There they would be placed under the care of a host family, whom they would stay with.
Like a typical exchange student programme, the students would be arranged to study in a local school, convenient to the host family, and learn different aspects of the host culture, such as the language and food.
For more information on the YES programme, visit http://www.yesthailand.org/
