In Thailand, January 16 is Thailand’s Teachers’ Day.  Dr.Sopon Pornchokchai, President, Agency for Real Estate Affairs writes this to honor of his teachers. This will showcase examples of truly exceptional teachers that should exist in society. Dr. Sopon hopes that the government will develop and recruit better teachers to foster the development of children and the nation.

 

My first teacher was my kind and wonderful grandmother – mother of my mother.  She taught me to work hard and be a good man in the society.  She was very much educated indeed.  My second teacher in life was my mother, who at that time was a factory worker saving money to send me to school because the tuition was considerably more expensive than public schools. 

 

Prompan Wittaya School

Prompam Wittaya School is a very prestigious private school.  Ms.Prompan Siripat,  the director of Prompan Wittaya School where I studied from preschool to grade 7 (1964-1971), is 96 years old this year and still very healthy. She is a remarkable person whom I respect immensely; a great teacher and mother figure, one of the greatest people I had the opportunity to meet in my life – a true angel on earth. During my time as a student, I saw her as a courageous and dedicated teacher with strict discipline, and the academics were equally rigorous. It was a prestigious private school that many parents wanted to send their children to. Even now, the school continues to provide excellent education and offers scholarships to underprivileged students.

 

 Mr. Somchai Boonplod,  my English teacher, was the teacher I respected and loved most when I was a child. He was very selfless. When I was in the fourth grade at Prompan Wittaya School, he scheduled extra lessons for the students in my class on Saturdays, even though he didn't receive any payment for it. The school didn't order it either, but out of love and goodwill towards the children, he arranged it. On the way home, we took the bus. Back then, I looked taller than my classmates, and the bus conductor collected bus fares from me. Mr. Somchai even helped pay my fare. I later learned that he had passed away, so I never had the opportunity to pay my respects to him.

 

 At Debsirin School,

I have many teachers whom I deeply respect and whose contributions I believe should be publicized to the world. They are excellent role models for current teachers. I would like to share the names of my teachers in alphabetical order. Please note that some of the female teachers may have changed their surnames. These teachers taught me from the first year of secondary school (1972) until the fourth year (1975). After that, I passed the equivalency exam to enter Thammasat University.

 

Mr.Kamol Pukthong,  I remember him as a handsome, tall young teacher. But what impressed me most was his calm demeanor and dedication to teaching. If I remember correctly, he taught mathematics. I felt comfortable and understood the subject well in his classes. He even appointed me as a class leader. I remember being the head of classes 2/7 and 4/11, and the vice-head of classes 1/3 and 3/1. He was also a truly inquisitive teacher. Later, he wrote several textbooks on mathematics and statistics.

 

Ms.Jiraporn Phattarasen, an English teacher, was very disciplined but had an incredibly kind heart. Even when her students misbehaved, she would kindly admonish them. Once, I saw that she had given me a slightly lower grade than I deserved (not a perfect score), so I quickly pointed it out. She corrected it and told me, "Why are you so overly excited over something so small?". This made me realize that sometimes we need to look beyond our own self-interest.

 

Ms.Niramon Asanuwat was one of the best teachers I have ever met. She taught with patience, always included notes during lectures, and emphasized ensuring students learned to their fullest potential. I believe she cared more about her students' learning than her own career advancement. She was a small lady but had a huge kindness towards her students. I learned both knowledge and exemplary conduct from her.     

 

Mr.Pracha Patisamphita  was a truly exceptional teacher. I understand that he later became the Assistant Director of Administration at our school. He was a patient teacher, a crucial quality for imparting knowledge to students.  He was a strict teacher but he is reasonable and impartial.  He demonstrates great compassion towards his students.

 

Ms.Praphan Mongkolveerapan taught me Thai language.  She was a strict teacher. She was small lady but seemed very energetic, strong, and healthy. She taught his students with good intentions, focusing on making sure they understood the material. She emphasized effective teaching, meaning she emphasized on child-centred philosophy to pay attention to all students.

 

Mr.Prasert Thiansawat was a tall, slender, polite, and diligent teacher. I studied Art and Business Administration, which he taught, and it was very interesting. That was why I tried to took the entrance exam for Bophit Phimuk Commerce School, hoping to graduate from two schools to look cool. I ranked among the top students, but I failed the interview! The reason was that I was too proud of my school. I told the interviewing teacher that normally, students from Debsirin did not move to other school; our school was great. So, he I was fail in that interview!

 

Ms.Phichitra Charuwanich  was another outstanding teacher who helped me become among top students in science at my school. I often represented the school in science and mathematics competitions. As a child, many of us wanted to be a medical doctor or engineer. But it felt like I was being unfairly treated in my third year of high school; I didn't get first place in science. So, in protest, I switched to studying French in the arts stream for just one semester, and then took the equivalency exam for the arts and mathematics stream.

 

 Ms.Wanthanee Suntorncijitra was another greatest teachers. Her house was near Din Daeng Road, close to Sri Din Daeng Market in Phaya Thai, just like my neighborhood. She taught me geography, which sparked my interest and love for exploring and researching the wider world. This led me to further my studies in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and creating statistical models for property valuation linked to information systems.

 

Thammasat University

This is my pride and joy because "I love Thammasat because Thammasat taught me to love the people." (But I wonder if professors these days think like that?)

 

Professor Rangsarn Thanapornphan, a Senior Research Fellow in Economics, was a young professor when I was a first-year student. He was very popular, with 700 students taking his introductory economics course. I liked him because he had a strong foundation of principles and solid knowledge. I was one of only seven students he gave an 'A+' grade to. Initially, I planned to major in economics when Thammasat University at that time allowed students to choose their major in their second year, but an accident prevented me from continuing my studies with him. However, I still took elective courses in institutional economics and the Fiscal Policy Institute.

 

Associate Professor Jira Sakornphan was a professor in the Faculty of Social Work who surveyed slum communities since 1970 (when I was still in 6th grade). She was one of the first to use computers for data analysis and was even awarded a distinguished national researcher. Believe it or not, when I was a student, I disliked or had a prejudice against her because I believed another group of professors. However, after I graduated and started working, and after seeing her research, I learned of her virtues. So, almost ten years later, I went to visit her at her home to pay my respects.

 

      

Professor Yupa Wongchai was an outstanding teacher in the field of social policy and a mentor to me. During my studies, I wrote my paper and conducted research with her. She gave me opportunity to teach me to write research papers from my undergraduate years onwards. After graduating from Thammasat University, she even took me to work on the Social Volunteer Project at the Social Research Institute of Chulalongkorn University.

 

Associate Professor Nipath Chitprasong,  former Dean of the Faculty of Commerce and Accountancy, taught property valuation in 1986 and invited me to teach the same subject in 1999.  I became the first lecturer in the valuation graduate certificate program. He is a very kind person. Currently, he is also graciously serving as the chairman of the Thai Real Estate Business School, where I am the director.

   

Assistant Professor Dr. Bandorn Ondam, a lecturer in the Faculty of Sociology, teaches rural social studies. What I respect most about him is that he sides with the ordinary people, opposes authoritarianism, and his teaching style is engaging, easy to understand, and he's the most good-natured university professor. I consider him to possess the true spirit of a teacher. I did not see him much in decades and he already passed away.

 

Asian Institute of Technology

The Asian Institute of Technology is an international institution offering master's and doctoral degrees. There are few Thai faculty and students; most are foreigners. The institute has many world-class professors, but those I particularly respect include:

 

Professor Dr. Shlomo Angel, my Jewish dean, is an architect who currently resides in New York City and frequently teaches at leading universities in America. He is truly one of the greatest professors of my life. Besides teaching me urban planning, he also taught me finance, planning, and practical management. Later, he became my employer on several research projects. He continued to mentor me during my doctoral studies. I still keep in touch with him occasionally.

 

Professor Dr.Karl E. Weber, a  German dean who succeeded Dr. Angel, taught research, a subject I still use in my career today. I remember he was very strict when I studied with him. I got A's in almost every subject except his research course. I refused to accept this, confident I had gotten an A, so I asked to see my exam scores. It turned out I answered all the questions correctly, but I was late for several assignments, resulting in a B+ grade of only 89.5%. He was therefore a teacher who instilled discipline in me. I still keep in touch with him occasionally.    

 

Professor Raymond W. Archer, an Australian professor, imparted his knowledge of land law and land administration to me with utmost dedication. He was the strictest professor among all the professors, yet I received an A in every subject he taught, except for my master's degree exam, where he refused to give me an Excellent grade. However, his three advisors insisted, and eventually he agreed. Incredibly, even after I graduated with a master's degree from him in 1984, he continued to teach and share his knowledge with me frequently at my company, as our homes were not far apart. Sadly, he passed away at the age of 90 last year.

 

Professor June Gonzalez is from the Philippines. During my master's studies, in addition to my dissertation, I also wrote a research paper because I enjoyed research. She taught me computer skills, starting with punching cards on a mainframe computer. At that time, the Asian Institute of Technology's computer center was one of the most advanced in the region. But she kindly gave me extra tutoring; in addition to SPSS, he taught me “Quantification Theory 4” to analyze numbers more systematically. He taught me exceptionally well, demonstrating true teacher-kindness.

Other institutions

There are also many other professors from various institutions who imparted knowledge to me and were truly great teachers, whose names I may not be able to mention all of them.

 

Professor David A. Doval, an American, taught me how to use cutting-edge software for its time in 1986, such as Harvard Graphics/Mapping. He was also the head of a research team that taught me many subjects in international research projects. Importantly, he encouraged me to pursue further studies with him, giving me the choice of attending Harvard or Berkeley, where he taught. However, at that time, I felt that a master's degree was sufficient, and I wanted to get married and spend time with my family rather than spend another 3-5 years studying. Later, he kindly appointed me as the head of the doctoral dissertation examination.

 

Professor Arlo D. Woollery, another American professor and former director of the Lincoln Institute for Land Policy in Borson City, imparted to me the most excellent knowledge of property valuation, which I have used in my profession to this day. Even now, when I teach in various countries around the world, I still apply the knowledge he taught me. He lived in Phoenix, Arizona, and he continued to kindly share his knowledge with me. Sadly, he passed away at the age of 89 in 2011.

 

The knowledge I possess today is thanks to these teachers—from teachers at the elementary, secondary and university levels. I will never forget their kindness in giving me the opportunities I have today.  They were truly great teachers, sharing their knowledge wholeheartedly, without expecting any personal gain or benefit from their students. They imparted vast knowledge, making them teachers whose students will never forget. We need many more teachers like them to develop society and ensure that future generations can catch up with future generations, thus propelling our nation to prosperity.