About Myself:

Sawasdi Kha. My name is Arinchaya Changlek. My nickname is Fon. My house is in Pattani which is in the South of Thailand. In Pattani the people have different religions. The majority are Muslims, but there are Buddhists and Christians as well. There is a very beautiful mosque in Pattani.

My Family:

My house is a small twostorey house. There are five people in our family. My grandmother lives with us too. We are good Muslims, and we live a very simple life. Everyday my parents and I like to talk about what has happened, and we like to listen to each other’s idea too.

My School:

I go to Dechapattanayanukul School. There are about 2,600 students and 150 teachers in my school. My school is well-known for its academic programmes and good disciplines. The activities that student enjoys the most are the school athletic events we have every year. The students also take part in keeping the school clean and beautiful all year round. I go to school with my parents everyday.

Learning and Teaching Atmosphere:

I am studying at Mathayomsuksa 1. I have 39 classmates. The teachers use materials like overhead projector, video, and display boards when they teach. I like Science, and I like to experiment in the lab. My friends and I like to study in the library. Our school encourages every student to join athletic activities, such as soccer, basketball, volleyball and table tennis. I like table tennis very much.

Indoor Activities:

When I’m at home I help my mother do the housework. Sometimes I read a book or watch television. I like to practice playing ‘Sawduang’, a Thai musical instrument. We usually watch television together. Sometimes my grandma tells us very interesting stories.

Outdoor Activities:

I like to swim, play badminton, table tennis and basketball. During holidays I sometimes go to the bookshop with my grandmother to buy some books. Sometimes I go to play with my friends. If my father is free, he will take us to the seaside or the waterfalls. Sometimes we go shopping at Hat Yai.

My Parent's Occupations:

My father’s job is shrimp farming. Our black tiger shrimp farm is outside the city. There are three big shrimp ponds in our farm. Sometimes I go to watch my father work on the farm. It’s a very difficult job. It takes three months for shrimps to grow up to the standard size, then we sell them. Shrimp merchants come to our farm to buy the shrimps in the ponds. My mother is a teacher. She teaches English at a secondary school in the city. My parents also have houses for rent.

Careers in my Province:

Many people in Pattani work in rubber plantations and fruit orchards. Some people work in the fishing boats. There are two kinds of fishing in Pattani, shallow water fishing and deep sea fishing, the fishermen use a special kind of boat called ‘Korlae’. Deep sea fishermen use ordinary kind of fishing boats, which is bigger than the ‘Korlae’. Some people work on fish and shrimp farms, or canned food factories. Cars and motorcycles are vehicles used by most people in Pattani.

My Special Times:

During holidays, Father usually takes us to the waterfalls, the seaside or go shopping at Hat Yai. During summer breaks, we visit our relatives at Phiket Island and go to the mosque there. On Islamic religious days which are twice a year, we decorate our house beautifully. We go to the mosque in the morning, then we go to the Muslims’ cemetery to help cleaning the surrounding area. After that all our relatives have a party together and all children receive gifts from adults. Before we leave, we ask for forgiveness for the wrong we might have done to one another.

Special Occasions in my Province:

“Ramadan” or the month of fasting is a very important ceremony of all Muslims in Pattani. The last day of Ramadan is called “Hareerayor”. Another important day is “Maulid-An-Nabi”. On this occasion, we celebrate the birthday of our religious leader, Nabi Mohammad. Buddhists in Pattani also have many ceremonies and festivals, such as the autumnal merit-making ceremony or ‘Ching Pret’, Chinese New Year, Songkran and Loy Krathong. One important ceremony is to pay homage to their ancestors. For this occasion, there is a celebration at the shrine of ‘Lim Koh Niew’. Interesting performances in Pattani are ‘Rong-ngeng’ dancing and traditional plays of ‘Manora’ and ‘Li-Ke Hulu’.

My Hometown and City:

Pattani is a province on the southern border between Thailand and Malaysia. Everywhere in the province looks green because it rains a lot. Besides rubber plantations, fruit orchards, and fields, Pattani has many beautiful beaches, waterfalls and parks. Historical and archeological sites such as mosques, temples, and the old City of Yarang also draw a lot of tourists to Pattani every year.

Climate and Land around my Province:

Pattani has a tropical climate. It has only two seasons: hot and rainy. It rains heavily in November and December. During these months fishermen with small fishing boats cannot go out to the sea. They go to the sea in the other monthes.

The Area around my Province:

There are fertile plains along the coast of the South China Sea, and around Pattani Rivar. The South of Pattani is mountainous. Most of the area is cultivated land for agriculture.

Information from: "We are Thailand - A Project of the APEC HRD Working Group" by the Department of Curriculum and Instruction Developoment Ministry of Education.