A1:  The scholarship money will be deposited into the studentﾍs bank account in Thailand and cannot be withdrawn without cosignatory of the student and his/her teacher.  This assures that the money is used only for educational purpose.

A2:  It depends on the situation. A general example is:

•   500 Baht for uniform
•   550 Baht for textbooks and other class material
•   200 Baht for excise wear
•   200 Baht for shoes
•    50 Baht for school activities

A3:  Some students have to quit school to work because of their family matters, and you may not support the same student throughout the three years.  In that case, the office sends you a letter explaining the circumstance.  If you receive documents of a different student without any notice, please contact us.  Also please be aware that there is no consistent rule to spelling Thai names in the Roman alphabet. Your studentﾍs name might on occasion be spelled differently.

A4:  Since C type scholarship is a single year support, there is no guarantee to offer scholarship in the following years and it is not suited for 1st year middle school students.  C type is mainly for students who cannot continue their study in junior high school because of financial difficulties.  It is also used to make up for cancellation of B type donations.

A5:  The school system in Thailand consists of 6 years of elementary school, 3 years of junior high school and 3 years of high school.  Compulsory education is only the 6 years at elementary level.  All Thai children can go to elementary school for free. Because of recent Thai government policy to improve the ratio of students, who go to junior high school, more junior high schools have been established as an annex to elementary schools.  In these cases, tuition is free for middle school as well.

A6:  Schools adopt the semester system.  The first semester starts from late May to the end of September and the second semester starts from early November to mid March.  Mid March to mid May, the hottest season, and the month of October are school vacation times.

A7:  The office does not currently conduct a formal follow-up of the students. If you wish to find out, the best way is to write to your student directly and ask.  Generally speaking, the opportunity for students to go to high school is very limited, and many must help their family or work away from home.

A8:  They need more scholarship money for students with financial difficulties. Thus, we need to continue the Darunee Scholarship Program

A9:  At the crack of dawn, they go to fetch water, which is very important because most of their homes have no running water supply or a well.  Then they prepare breakfast while their parents work in the field.  After school, they take care of their younger brothers and sisters and prepare dinner.  It is almost the same cycle on a holiday too.  Especially during the busy farming seasons (from June to August for rice planting and December for harvesting), they help their parents in the field even on weekdays, and many are absent from school.

A10:  Economic development has certainly brought prosperity to the nation of Thailand.  But at the same time, discrepancy in wealth between Bangkok and rural villages has been growing, which has caused many evil influences.  The market economy brought from the West has destroyed the traditional way of life in Thailand that did not require cash.  Now, cash is a necessity, and as a result, people are leaving the villages and living in slums in big cities like Bangkok.  Some children are even sold for money.  Thus the economic development has made the living of people in rural areas worse than before.

A11: In terms of number of scholars, Darunee Scholarship Program is one of the biggest scholarship programs in Thailand.  Our Thai office has the capability to cover a broad area and to reach the poorest children who are most in need.  The program has contributed greatly to the improvement of schooling rates in Northeast Thailand.  The Thai government as a tax-exempted organization officially approves the Thai office.

A12:  Yes.  There are still many poor families who cannot send their children to junior high school even with a scholarship.  If the compulsory education is extended to junior high school, they will be obliged to send their children to junior high school whether they have enough money or not.  That will make the financial situation of poor families much worse.  Thus, more scholarships will be needed.

A13: Yes. Please send a letter written in easy English address to their school.  Enclosing  picutures of yourself and/or your family, is reccomended.  We prepare and sell the Thai stump for their convenient, since the charge of an air mail from Thailand to Japan is very expensive in their usal life. Apply a Thai stump set in writing to the Tokyo Minsai Center with 1,000 yen and a stumped, self-addressed envelope.

A14: Yes.  Some volunteers could help to translate it into Japanese, but not English. Send a letter with 2 sets of stumped (80 yen)  blank envelop and an another stumped, self-addressed envelop to the Minsai Center.

A15: A personal and/or expensive present is not recommended because of the purport in the Darunee scholarship. If you strongly wish to send it, you are encurged to prepare the enough number of presents for other classmate and friends in the school.  The Minsai Center  has prepared the present consisted of school supplies for your student. Please ask it by mail with a stumped, self-addressed envelop.

A16:  Every May and November, the Minsai Center (MCT) plans the study ture for the donor  wishing to visit the scholarship student. Please have a contact the MCT by mail with a stumped, self-addressed envelop.