My Journey……

My journey to study abroad began 15 years ago when I had to accompany my sister to the United States of America for a short 5 weeks English Summer course.  I felt in love with the American experience so much that I asked my parents if I could go back there again and again. On my third visit to Los Angeles, in 1997 when I went there to look for courses and universities for my post graduate degree, I was the victim of a hit and run by local racists in the University of Southern California's car park. My parents were very concerned about the incident, and asked me to consider the United Kingdom as an alternative. They sent me to the UK on my next university holiday for 5 weeks. That was it! Liverpool football club and British culture have got me!

Every holiday, you could find me here in the United Kingdom doing research about the universities and their courses as well as studying English and other short courses related to what I wanted to study for my post graduate degree to help me improve my English as well as to help me gain an understanding in the subject I wanted to pursue.  

After graduating from Thammasat University in 2000, I went on to beat over 500 applicants to be one of 30 students and only 4 overseas students to get a place on the MBA Music Industries course at the University of Liverpool.  It was a very new course at the time and there were only a few places in the world where you could find similar courses.  It was so new that none of the agents in Thailand I went to see knew about it.  I was told by many of them that I wouldn’t be able to get into it as my first degree wasn’t related to music at all.  I was so determined to get in so I wrote the best letter of purpose I could and provided all the evidence possible to show that I was keen to do the course.  I was lucky that I did a few short courses related to the music business in London and attended seminars in music industry in the UK prior to applying to the course. Like every one else, I was spending all my time searching and looking for courses and universities, so much so that I didn’t spend enough time researching where I was going to live. Before moving to Liverpool, I lived and spent most of my time in London.  I knew London quite well.  As I was moving to a new city, I was so determined that I would stay away from other Thai students to make the most of the “English experience” and booked a very lovely brand new one bedroom apartment just less than 5 minutes drive from the main university campus.  

Little did I know that I was about to experience the dark side of living the UK. I parked my car just outside the main gate.My car was broken into and it wasn’t even dark.They took the car radio and my Dad’s Buddha. I was so shocked and when the police arrived, they didn’t do anything apart from give me an incident number. The worst thing was that the thieves came back and intimidated me right in front of the police.I didn’t tell the police it was them as my mother told me not to for my own safety. Luckily, I knew a few Thai senior students who then helped me to find a new place to stay. I moved straight away into a new apartment, but I still had to pay rent on the old place as I didn’t have much knowledge about UK law. If I had known, I might have been able to get out of the contract or I could have signed a short tenancy agreement in the first place instead.My parents were so worried hence, my mother stayed with me until she made sure she knew all the Thai students and I was with them.

Who said that being with a lot of other Thai students while studying abroad will stop you from improving your English?  It’s not true, mixing with other Thai people in the UK greatly enhanced my learning experience.I had the best time of my life meeting a lot of new friends; Thai, English and other overseas students. Luckily, my father had bought me a car which created more opportunities to explore the country and get to know more about British culture, people and places. My English improved significantly. My friends and I did so many activities together and went to many places helping us improve our English whilst most other overseas students I knew spent most of their time on the University campus and felt quite isolated. I had a part time job in a Chinese restaurant owned by a wonderful Thai person who also got me an internship job with a Liverpool DJ whose his club mix went to number 1 in the charts. I also got unpaid work experience with a photographer who shoots Atomic Kitten and other artist’s album covers.I worked there for a short period for fun and a valuable experience.

My plan was that my DJ boss was going to put me in touch with his contact who works in music business in London and I would be an intern for his company after my graduation.  Well, that didn’t happen, instead, I met my future husband through a mutual friend half way through my studies and we got engaged in Thailand and married a year later.  He didn’t want me to move permanently to London and we moved to Manchester instead.  At the same time, my sister, her friends and my best friends were coming to study in England.  I was busy helping them research and find their courses & their accommodation as well as to be their guardian.  My sister got 2 offers, one at SOAS and another one at University of Liverpool.  She decided to study in London and studied English and a short course related to her subject in London for over 6 months prior to the course starting but then changed her mind last minute to go to University of Liverpool instead.  I had to commute between London, Liverpool, and Manchester nearly every week for over a year.

My journey in the UK still continues.  I worked for a Thai-UK company being an import director as well as an interpreter.  I have owned an exclusive Thai spa in the heart of Alderley Edge, Cheshire one of the most affluent places in the country.  This is the village where David & Victoria Beckham lived at the time, David was a regular client at my spa along with many other famous people in sports, TV, music and politics.  I now own a lovely Thai restaurant in Wales.

Whilst I don’t work in the restaurant, I spend my time looking after my daughter.  In the past 5 years, I have unintentionally developed my knowledge about the UK Education system for under 16’s due to the fact that my daughter would start school soon.  I wanted to know absolutely everything about the system and school choices.  Unlike most overseas students, my daughter is able to attend state school as she is a British citizen, but after thorough research and careful consideration, we chose to send her to the prestigious Terra Nova School in Cheshire.  It is an independent school famous for helping young student achieve their best and build a firm academic knowledge.  It was recommended by many of my clients as one of the best school in the North West.  Brooklyn Beckham attended this school before his parents left the UK.

Even though I have been involved in many businesses, one thing that I haven’t stopped doing is researching about schools, English courses, universities, helping and advising newcomers about studying and living in the UK.  Hence, my father suggested I should use my experience and my knowledge to help other overseas students settle down smoothly in the UK without interrupting their study. This is a service that my father would have found very valuable when sending me and my sister here for the first time. He tried very hard to find this kind of service, but he said although there were many agents in Thailand none of them had a Thai representative in the UK. He would have been happy to pay for their services if there was one.

Since I graduated, I have been recommended more and more students through friends, relatives, or other contacts asking me to help them, my husband and I had been legal guardians for a close family friend’s daughter when she was at boarding school at Malvern & Badminton before she went on to Imperial College.  

In 2007, my father decided that it was about time that I should start to offer services professionally.  That was when Thai Student Solutions UK began.

In 2009, we have extended our services not only for Thai students but also students from all over the world. Our students come from Libya, China, Saudi Arabia, Europe, Japan and Korea.

In 2010, our new office in Thailand will be open and operated by my best friends, Santi, who has spent a few years in London as a student as well as frequent traveller to the UK. He will help me run office in Thailand along with other UK graduates

I would like to take this opportunity to say Thank you to

My friends from Thammasat and Liverpool university  who always support me whatever i do and recommend my services to your friends and family

My parents friends and my relatives who trust me to be their daughter's guardian.  I have learnt a lot about being a guardian and developed  my skills so that I can provide high standard services

Parents of my students all over the world for allowing me  and my team to look after your sons and daughters. I 'm glad that your son and daughter had a fastastic time while staying with us as much as me and Julian had. I have learnt a lot of different culture and languages.

My UK teams, Marie, Mot, P' Narm and others for being wonderful to work with and helping me develop  good services. Thank you for being there for me when I have diificult time and helping my business run smoothly. I couldn't ask for a better team. Well done !!! Hopefully, we can organise a short trip to Europe together with our students ( Sorry ! you guys still have to work while on holiday)

My daughter for being so wonderful daughter and host family to our homestay students. Thanks a lot for teaching English to our students.

My husband for sharing the same vision and be patience with me. I could have not done it without your support.

Last be not least, my parents for always supporting me through good and difficult time and giving me advice.  Thank you for pushing me so hard to get ThSSUK up and running properly. I'm sorry that it took me over 6 years to realise what I know and can do best. I should have done it sooner.  I love every minute of this job and will do my best to keep our stadard high.

Thank you for spending time to read my journey, hope you all enjoy it. If you have any question about studying and living in the UK, Please do not hesitate to contact me.

Hope to hear from you soon,

POM