From our global reporters

Here is our first story from a Bangkok Post learning channel reporter. It comes from Chatchawan Chawengkul, a Thai living in the United States. He has many ideas for stories so you will likely be hearing from him again. You can be a learning channel reporter as well. Look to the end of the story for details.

A view from above Hot Springs Arkansas.

Thai communities in America.

Chatchawan  Chawengkul

There are many Thais living and working in the "States" (short for United States of America).  Most of them reside and work in the big cities, such as: Los Angeles, California; San Francisco, California; Chicago, Illinois; New York City, and Miami, Florida. Others live and work in other states, but the concentration is not as large as in the big cities. 

I, myself, currently work and live in the city of Little Rock, in the state of Arkansas, the home state of William Jefferson " Bill" Clinton, the 42nd President of the United States who held office from 1993 to 2001. He was born in the city of Hope, Arkansas.  He is a very famous president.  I love Bill Clinton.

Not many Thais reside in the State of Arkansas.  Most of the Thais who live there are U.S Air Force military, their wives and children.  Some have opened their own businesses such as Thai restaurants; some work for companies like me.

Our children are going to college and universities to pursue their careers of choice just like in Thailand.  Some want to be engineers; some want to be doctors.  Some have joined the military. Life goes on.          

Arkansas is known as the “Natural State”, meaning that it has a lot of wooded areas and natural resources. The City of Hot Springs has natural hot springs that come from underground and it is famous as a tourist destination.  It was the first resort city of the United State of America.

community –  the people who live in an area ชุมชน
reside – to live in a particular place อยู่อาศัย
concentration – a lot of something in one place แหล่งชุมนุม  หรือ ศูนย์รวม
currently – at this time; now ในปัจจุบัน
hold office – to have a position in a large and powerful organisation, especially a government ดำรงตำแหน่ง
pursue – to try to achieve something ดำเนินตาม, พยายามเพื่อให้ได้มาซึ่ง
career – a job or series of related jobs that you do, especially a profession that you spend a lot of your working life in  อาชีพ
wooded – filled with trees มีต้นไม้มาก, เป็นป่า
natural resources –  things such as coal, trees, and oil that exist in nature and can be used by people [N] ทรัพยากรธรรมชาติ
spring – water that flows up from under the ground and forms a small stream or pool น้ำพุใต้ดิน
destination – the place where someone or something is going  จุดหมายปลายทาง

Be a Bangkok Post learning channel reporter

If you have a news story you want to tell, let me know. Try to keep it below 300 words and try to include photos as well, including a photo of yourself. Send it to me at:

If we think it will interest our audience, we'll publish it.