From March 19-25, Model United Nations (MUN) and Seoulite travelled to Thailand to participate in the annual THAIMUN conference. Advised by Angela Campbell and Christopher Van Swol, MUN members participated in traditional conference committees, while Seoulite members took a new opportunity to participate in the Press Corps at THAIMUN, a committee dedicated to reporting on THAIMUN events. While Seoulite had a history of only reporting on SEOMUN, a notable Korean MUN conference, this year, the club expanded to include international travel opportunities.
Of the five days the students spent in Thailand, three were spent at Brighton College, an international school located close to the Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok. Students woke in the early hours to dress in professional attire while preparing for the day’s conference, and returned only in the late afternoon, drained from the long sessions of debate.
“It was at first difficult to keep up with the pace of the committee,” Claire Shin (9), delegate of Pakistan at Thaimun, said. “There were crisis updates constantly changing the topic/debate we were discussing. Consequently, you have to be thinking two or three steps ahead at all times.”
In the closing ceremony of the conference, students’ efforts resulted in significant success. SIS students won various awards amongst their committees. Alex Lee (10) and Jacob Sung (9) won the Best Delegate award from their respective committees, while Claire Shin (9) and Nate Kim (9) won the Honorable Mention for Best Delegate awards.
“I was deeply honored that I won the Best Delegate award,” Jacob Sung (9), delegate of Libya, said. “It was great that my efforts preparing for this conference were well recognized by the chairs, and hopefully I can win more awards in the future.”
After the last day of the conference, students enjoyed a relaxing dinner cruise along the Chao Phraya River. Students celebrated their efforts with a buffet dinner on the top floor of the cruise with with Thai entertainers enlivening the spirit with traditional Thai dances.With the request of Charlotte Kim (11), the staff played Gangnam Style, a popular K-pop song that brought the students to the stage, dancing wildly along to the familiar music.
On the last day of the trip, students visited Wat Arun, a Buddhist temple located in the heart of the Chao Phraya River. The temple, built more than 400 years ago, struck awe in the students with its magnificent architecture and deep history. After the brief visit to Wat Arun, students made a stop at Bangkok’s Chinatown, a vibrant tourist attraction with a chaotic atmosphere. Students were able to navigate the winding streets freely, ending the rather hectic trip on a positive note.
