About Myself:

Sawasdi Krap. My name’s Siva Suwanich and my nickname is Takraw. I live in Khon Kaen. Khon Kaen is a big city in the notheastern part of Thailand or ‘Isaan’. It is about 445 kilometres from Bangkok. The city of Khon Kaen is the centre of communication in the upper notheastregion. University of Khon Kaen is located here.

My Family:

There are three people in my family. I’m the only child. Our house is in the Housing Project in the city. After dinner my parents and I usually talk about the events that have happened. If I have a problem, I can always ask my parents for help.

My School:

My school, Kaennakhonwitthayalai School, is a large school with about 3,700 students and 200 teachers. Our school is famous for its academic programmes and athletic events as well as pleasant school environment. The school has many teaching-learning centres, such as Centre for Science and Technology, English Language Centre for Physical Education Centre. I take the bus to school everyday.

Learning and Teaching Atmosphere:

Now I’m studying at Mathayomsuksa 1 or Grade 7. There are 51 students in my class, and I’m the class leader. Besides ordinary subjects, or school offers computer subjects, music and dancing. The foreign languages taught in our school are English and French.

Indoor Activities:

I help my mother cook wash the dishes. It’s my job to take care of our plants, flowes and fish. I keep beautiful fish in a glass bowl. I feed the fish and keep the water in the fish bowl clean. In the evening we usually watch television together.

Outdoor Activities:

When I’m free, I enjoy sports with my friends. My favourite sport is ‘Sepak Takraw’. ‘Takraw’ is a ball made from rattan and we kick it around in circle. We can use other parts of the bodty besides feet, such as head, elbows and knees. I sometimes go to the bee farm with my father. My parents’ part time job is bee farming. On religions holidays we go to the temple to make merit or go to the festivals. Sometimes we visit interesting places in other provinces.

My Parent's Occupations:

My parents are elementary school teachers, but they teach at different schools. My father is a Physical Education teacher, and my mother teaches general subjects. My parents’ part-time job is bee farming. Our bee farm is called Sivaporn Farm. The money that we get from selling honey is part of our family income. My mother is frequently invited to give talks on bee farming.

Careers in my Province:

Many people in Khon Kaen earn their living by growing rice, sugarcane and tapioca. Some of them raise animal farm, such as pigs and cattle. Silk cottage industries are well-known here. Some villagers raise silkworms. They use mulberry leaves to feed the worms. Some people work in the weaving factories. Mudmee silk is the finest silk of Khon Kaen. There are big trading business in Khon Kaen. Agricultural products of Khon Kaen are sent to other provinces in the northern part of Thailand and Bangkok.

My Special Times:

There are many special days to celebrate in my family. These are New Year’s Day, Songkran Day and family birthdays. On these days, we go to the temples, and have parties at home. Sometimes we go to see interesting places in the provinces. Our favourite sight seeing places are Bung Kaennakorn and Ubolrat Dam.

Special Occasions in my Province:

One of the most well-known festivals in my province is the Silk Festival. Many urban people as well as villages in this festival. There are many local activities, such as singing and dancing. Also we have grand display of silk and products made from silk in hundreds of stands and shops around the area. There are many customs and ceremonies in Khon Kaen that are differrent from those in other parts of the country. Most of the local customs are based on Buddhism. On religious days I usually go to make merit at the temple near my house. The most venerable religious place is Prathat Khamkaen, where the relic of the Lord Buddha is kept.

My Hometown and City:

Khon Kaen is a province on the highland of the Northeast. The city of Khon Kaen grows very fast. There are wide streets, modern office buildings, banks, business offices, schools and a university. Outside the city, in the areas where irrigation canals from Ubolrat Dam can reach, people can grow eucalyptuses. Khon Kaen silk industry is well- known all over the country. There are many interesting places in Khon Kaen, such as a small lake called Bung Kaennakorn and Phuviang National Museum which exhibits skeletons, fossils and footprints of dinosaurs.

Climate and Land around my Province:

There are three seasons in this area: rainy, cool and hot. From May to October there are monsoons. The cool season is from October to January. During these months the weather is dry and cold. February is the beginning of the hot seasons, which lasts till April.

The Area around my Province:

Khon Kaen is actually an area on the plateau of the Northeast. There are fertile plains along Chi River and Phong River. There is a lot of irrigation canals from Ubolrat Dam.

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