Catholic school students in Thailand marked National Teachers’ Day by turning a commemorative concert into an act of solidarity, raising more than 500,000 Thai baht to support schools for the blind.
The fundraising concert, titled “Pay It Forward,” was held on Jan. 16 at the Suryadhep Music Auditorium of Rangsit University in northern Bangkok, coinciding with National Teachers’ Day and the 62nd anniversary of the founding of Sarasas – one of the country’s largest network of private Catholic schools.
Organizers said the event was staged as a tribute to Queen Sirikit, the Queen Mother, widely honored as the “mother teacher of the nation,” who died on Oct. 24, 2025, at the age of 93.
Students from more than 40 schools nationwide spearheaded the effort, performing alongside teachers as part of the Sarasas Affiliated Chorus, Sarasas Cantabile Chorus, and Sarasas Jazz Band. Proceeds of more than 500,000 Baht (approximately 14,000 Euros) from the concert were donated to five schools for the blind.
Archbishop Francis Xavier Vira Arpondratana of Bangkok, the guest of honor at the event, highlighted the formative dimension of student involvement.
“The children who are involved in this event are not just learning and collaborating, but also dedicating themselves for others,” the archbishop said. “This plants the seed of love and spirit of service, which are the roots of a society of love and peace. I share a reflection that in giving, however small, when you give with your heart that is full of love, the result can be great indeed.”
School officials described the initiative as an expression of the holistic formation promoted across the network, articulated through the so-called “5 Wises”: Habitual Wise, Body Wise, Visual Wise, Digital Wise, and Music Wise.
Beyond musical training, the schools emphasize practices aimed at concentration and interior discipline, including the continued use of calligraphy exercises for all students as part of classroom learning.
Organizers said the initiative reflects what they described as the spirit of Dilexi Te in action, translating formation rooted in love and responsibility into concrete service for others, particularly the most vulnerable.
Pisut Yongkamol, director of Sarasas Ektra School, credited the success of the event to collective participation and generosity.
“Today’s event and smooth running was only possible because of the combined power of giving,” he said. “I hope the light of teachers will shine into your hearts and will provide inspirations for all of us to bring this light, to ‘pay it forward’, to others so that we can go on to indefinitely create good and beauty together.”
Founded and owned by a lay Catholic family, the school group serves around 70,000 students nationwide and is widely recognized for its campuses marked by distinctive terracotta domes.
All photos by Peter Monthienvichienchai
