Budding boffins impress at international Biology Olympiad, proving Thailand can science with the best

Secondary students from Thailand bagged three gold and one bronze medal at the International Biology Olympi-ad in Mumbai, India.

The Olympiad is open to secondary school students who have won domestic competitions. Each national team is four strong.

This year, Thana Thongsri-kham from Suankularb Witta-yalai School won a gold and recorded the ninth highest mark.

The other two gold medallists are Atiporn Therdyothin from Patumwan Demonstration School Srinakharinwirot Uni-versity and Chao Charoenkij-khachon from Triam Udom Suksa School. They recorded the eleventh and twentieth highest marks. A bronze medal is coming home with Pakhawat Jongsatitkiat from Suankularb Wittayalai School.

Thana scored top laboratory marks in animal anatomy and physiology and Atiporn scored top marks in plant anatomy and physiology, reports Naree Wongsirojkul, Institute of Promotion of Teaching Science and Technology acting director.

Naree says competitors from 55 countries entered this year. The institute will throw a welcome-home party at the airport this morning.

Thana, who won a bronze at the Biology Olympics in Canada last year, says he did his best to bring "fame to Thailand".

"This proves Thailand can compete with the best in the academic world," he says.

Kasetsart University lecturer Poonpirom Kasemsup heads the Olympics team and says ahead of the event the team trained for two weeks, including lab work.