World Children’s Haiku Competition:
Award Presentation Ceremony in Bangkok (June 27, 2008)

The tenth “World Children’s Haiku Competition” was ended on March 31, 2008, and the award winning works are being announced in each country or region.

In Thailand an award presentation ceremony was held in Bangkok on June 27 inviting 50 primary school students who are the composers of the winning haiku. The ceremony was hosted by Japan Airlines and The Japan Foundation, and was presided by HRH Princess Soamsawali of the Thai Royal Family.

In Thailand, some 1700 haiku works from 192 schools were submitted for the competition, and fifty were awarded prizes. The judges of the competition who also attended the ceremony were as follows;

Momrachawong Aurachatra Songthong
　Director of Cultural Center of Dhurakijbundit University and a well known poet of Thailand
Mrs.Chamaiporn Saengkrachang
　A well-known novelist, poet and literary critics under the pen-name of Pailin Rungrat.
Mrs.Duangchai Meekungwan
　Amateur writer & Senior program officer of the Japan Foundation, Bangkok

Princess Soamsawali handed the prize to each of the fifty students. The students looked strained but were very happy. The ceremony was aired on Thai televisions news programs that night.

Here are some of the award winning works by Thai primary school children.
(Only English translation shown here. Original work in Thai)

Multi-colored attractive kites
Veered along at the course of wind
Broken strings set them free
　　Thanakorn Kaewka (age 11, boy)

Expected it’s warmth to rest in
Dad’s hut building still in process
Our dream collapsed by the wind
　　Narintra Kumdee (age 12, boy)

Cold winter wind sweeps in
Missing Mom caused me shivers
Grandma’s embrace relieved at night
　　Sujitra Suthacheewa (age 10, girl)

When cold wind blows in
Leaves wave good-bye to its branches
Then blown away by the wind
　　Rungkarn Thammasanya(age 11, girl)

（2008．7．18）