A typical walk along Sukhumvit Road takes you into the bustling heart of Bangkok, past high-rise buildings and construction sites, where towering structures spring up like mushrooms.
But if you venture down Sukhumvit Soi 8 on a weekday — the entrance to which is beneath Nana BTS station — you will hear a familiar sound, transporting many people back to their childhood in a flash.
“Ring ring, ring ring.” The noise of the old-fashioned bell can be heard coming from a hidden location approximately 200 metres into the soi.
It doesn’t take long to realise the sound has to be coming from a school. But the concrete jungle of Nana, with its office buildings, condominiums, hotels, bars and restaurants, seems like the last place for children or learning.
Take a break: A member of staff rings the school bell to signal a class has ended.
BLAST FROM THE PAST
Wannawit School is the only connection that links past and present in the area. The wooden school was built after World War II in 1946 and remains unchanged to this day.
Sukhumvit Soi 8 is located near one of Bangkok’s busiest tourist hubs and notorious red light districts: Soi Nana. As such, the street has become home to many hotels, restaurants and massage parlours.
Located a short walk from the main Sukhumvit Road, the school is easy to miss unless you look for it carefully.
Its gateway is tiny compared to the 30-storey building that stands next door. But the small metal fence is flung wide open, and a wooden sign for the school sits on top.
At first glance, it almost looks as though the school entrance has been built onto someone’s private house.
But once visitors pass through the main entrance, the two-storey traditional wooden building slowly reveals itself. The open space outside the L-shaped school is used for gym classes. A basketball hoop and football goal occupy the same spot, to make best use of limited space on the three-rai plot of land.
The school building may be nearly 70 years old, but is still in good condition. The floors are clean and shiny and the wood looks well cared for. None of the classrooms has air-conditioning, but a natural breeze flows throughout the building.
Other schools in Bangkok switched to using electric bells long ago. But Wannawit School still uses a rather more manual way of sounding the bell: a rope. A lady calmly walks over and pulls the rope at the end of each lesson, notifying pupils that class is over.
Attention please: Elementary students interact with the teacher, who gives them integrated lessons between mathematics and the Thai language.
CALL ME GRANDMA
The owner and current principal of the school is Mom Rajawongse Ruchisamara Suksawadi. At the age of 94, MR Ruchisamara is still very active and makes the short walk from her house to the school every day. Her vision is as sharp as ever, and so is her hearing.
Visiting the school, Spectrum addressed MR Ruchisamara using her royal title, but she smiled broadly and insisted: “You can call me yai,” which means grandmother in Thai.
She explains that her mother, Mom Phew Suksawasdi Na Ayudhya, set up the school in June 1946. She was widowed when her husband — Second Lieutenant Mom Chao Tinnatat Suksawasdi — died, so bought the land in Soi Prida, now known as Sukhumvit Soi 8.
“My mother established the school because she wanted local children to have a place to study,” MR Ruchisamara said.
She explained that back in those days, the entire area was a hub for food vendors. Mom Phew saw that many of the vendors were unable to pay to send their children to school.
As a scholar and author, she decided to open her own house and taught the first group of students.
Mom Phew ran the school until 1954 before she let her youngest daughter, MR Ruchisamara, take over. The school has been accredited by the Ministry of Education so its status is equal to a government school. The only difference is that the school survives entirely on its own budget instead of government cash.
MR Ruchisamara used to teach Thai lessons, since she holds a bachelor’s degree in Thai language, but she now oversees the management of the school full-time as its principal. However, she still loves interacting with the kids.
Her desk has been turned into a miniature stationery shop selling pencils, pens, erasers and notebooks. When a child stops to buy something, they kneel down in front of her office and walk on their knees to her desk. MR Ruchisamara, who personally dispenses the stationery, asks each of them how they are.
“How’s your day going? Are you happy today? Come over here,” she says, beckoning each child over and giving them a pat on the back and a hug. “I run this school like my family. These kids are like my own children.”
Starting their day: Students line up in front of their classroom during the morning flag ceremony. The school is old but well maintained.
NOT FOR SALE
MR Ruchisamara told Spectrum she had been approached by numerous developers seeking to buy the land beneath the school. Property developers see the plot as a gold mine, given its prime location.
“I told them no, this school is not for sale,” MR Ruchisamara said. The school has been struggling for some time, but she is adamant its gates will remain open no matter what.
There are now 514 students and 37 teachers at the school. It doesn’t really generate money from tuition fees, since MR Ruchisamara keeps the price low so the children of parents without much money are still able to access a good education.
The school charges 1,702 baht each term for primary school children and 1,318 baht for those at secondary level. Pupils pay an extra 600 baht every semester for computer lessons.
The school earns some income from vendors who sell food to students and pay 300 baht per day to operate out of the school’s canteen. But MR Ruchisamara said the school usually ends up paying out more than what it earns, after taking into account the cost of the water and electricity used by the vendors.
“I can’t ask for more money because the food vendors would increase the price of the food and that would affect the children,” she said.
Headmistress: Mom Rajawongse Ruchisamara Suksawadi, the principal of Wannawit School, in her office where she sells stationery to the pupils.
Meals in the school canteen now sell for 20 baht.
MR Ruchisamara told Spectrum that the number of students on the roll has been steadily decreasing each year due to the economic climate and the popularity of other schools.
Wannawit School had more than 800 students at its peak. MR Ruchisamara admitted the tuition fees alone were not enough to keep the school afloat, but she managed to balance the books by using personal money left to her by her mother.
“My mother made enough money from selling her stories and books,” MR Ruchisamara said. “The money was meant to be for me to spend however I want, and this is exactly how I want to spend it.”
MR Ruchisamara understands what its like to be unable to pay for education from personal experience. She studied at Chulalongkorn University for one year in the faculty of Liberal Arts, but could not afford to pay for the second year and was forced to leave.
Even though her school is grappling to cover its expenses, MR Ruchisamara made it clear that she doesn’t want any donations.
“I don’t want to bother other people. I have my own money to cover all costs. However, I don’t mind if the alumni come back to help,” she said, adding that former pupils often return to visit and assist with maintenance work, such as painting and improving the school. This, she said, brings her a great deal of pleasure.
Play time: Students enjoy themselves on the school's only playground while waiting for the morning flag ceremony to start. Despite limited space, there is room to play.
WE LOVE OUR SCHOOL
Taweechai Kamgaew and Santipong Gaew-udon are both 11 and studying in Prathom 5.
They have just popped into the principal's office to buy pencils and notebooks. The pair have been at the school since Prathom 1 and say they love it.
Taweechai and his parents moved from Phayao province to Bangkok five years ago. They were living in the Prakanong area when they found out about the school.
“My parents heard from a neighbour that Wannawit School was a good school that charged incredibly low fees,” Taweechai said.
Santipong is a local boy from the Klong Toey area. The school was also recommended to his family by neighbours.
“Wannawit School is not famous like other schools, but I get a very good education here. I am proud of my school,” he said.
Another student explained that she was sent to the school because of her older sister.
“My sister was doing very well academically, so my parents decided to send me here too because they want me to be smart,” said Pranpreeya Jarujan, 13, who is in Prathom 6.
A school official said the school is not outstanding in academic terms, but pupils leave well prepared to move onto bigger institutions with more distinguished attainment records. She added that Wannawit students often excel in Buddhist studies, frequently winning prizes for their achievements in religious education.
MR Ruchisamara’s home is next to the school. She lives alone in the small colonial-style house. She told Spectrum that the school is her life and she will run it for as long as she physically can.
As a single woman, MR Ruchisamara has spent her life alone. Her parents have long since died, and she is the last of the three daughters.
But she plans to bequeath the school to her nephew and niece.
“Thank you for being interested in our small and humble school,” she said, with a bright smile on her face.
“I run this school for children who struggle financially to have an equal opportunity to education as other kids. I will continue supporting those children.” n