Amsterdam School of International Business

Pummarin Kakaen climbs to success thanks to ODOS Programme

Testimonial

Many years ago Pummarin Kakaen was lucky enough to come all the way from a remote area of Thailand to study at the Amsterdam School of International Business. Today, he is back in Thailand working successfully as a consultant for foreign investors.

The ODOS scholarship has changed my life, and I think other underprivileged children with good academic achievements should also have the same opportunity

Pummarin Kakaen - AMSIB alumnus from Thailand

One District One Scholarship’ (ODOS) is a programme established by the Education Ministry of Thailand in 2004 to give Thai students from low-income families the opportunity to study overseas in non-English speaking countries. Since its establishment, the ODOS programme has received criticism because many recipients were unsuccessful or unable to graduate. Considering the language requirements, this is not surprising, as students are given only one year to learn the foreign language before commencing their studies.

Pummarin Kakaen, who comes from a rural village in the Tak province of Thailand, had always dreamt of studying abroad. After seeing a television commercial for the ODOS programme, Pummarin dreams came true when he applied for the very first round of the scholarship, and was accepted. He chose to come to the Netherlands to study international business at the Amsterdam School of International Business (AMSIB).

Despite all the odds, Pummarin became proficient in both English and Dutch within a year and was able to start his studies. After years of hard work, he successfully graduated with his Bachelor of Business Administration and returned to Thailand to begin his career.

Now 30 years old, Pummarin works at the Osos investment centre, where he provides foreign investors with information and consultancy on doing business in Thailand. Pummarin is proof that the ODOS scholarship can change lives. He was recently quoted in the Bangkok Post saying, “the ODOS scholarship has changed my life, and I think other underprivileged children with good academic achievements should also have the same opportunity.”