BA Sociology and Thai and Southeast Asian Studies, graduated 2011

If you choose to study Japanese, Russian or Thai at Leeds, you inevitably encounter the following question on a regular basis: what made you decide to study that of all things?

Whether the answer to this boils down to a gap year, coincidence or even sheer curiosity, one thing remains certain: speaking as a graduate of Thai, there are some major advantages to choosing Thai as part of your degree. Despite being relatively well-visited by Western tourists, Thailand remains a world apart to the culture and lifestyle that informs our lives in Britain. There is a great deal to explore over the course of the degree, from the country's unique political context to the influences behind the traditional lifestyle of Thai people. All this, I would say, leaves you well prepared to study any culture away from home. Several of my classmates feel that learning a European language will now be easy in comparison, having learnt a tongue with little similarity to that of English.

As well as this, I am of the opinion that graduates of Thai at Leeds have great opportunity to progress with a career in politics, diplomacy or development. The ability of a Westerner to speak Thai is highly regarded by international organizations which have branches in the Southeast Asian region. Also, the teachers of Thai at Leeds have a number of useful connections with the Thai Government, and several of my classmates have worked as interns at the Ministry of Education, and the Royal Thai Embassy in London.

Following my year abroad, I was an intern at the Embassy over the summer. As well as translation work, I was able to work with students who were coming to study in England with government scholarships.

Last year, I found that I was in a position to obtain government experience almost anywhere in the world, and applied to the Royal Thai Embassy in Buenos Aires, Argentina. In part this was due to a wish to live in a Spanish-speaking country for two months and learn about South America. It also enabled me to share in the responsibility of the diplomats there, and help organise events that raised awareness as to Thailand's unique culture. The staff at the embassy were very helpful and friendly, and as a member of staff I was even able to participate in the sports competitions between the diplomats of the ASEAN countries. When I voiced an interest in practising some Spanish, the ministers arranged for me to conduct a report on the prospects for a Thai discipline to be introduced at some of the Argentinean universities, which involved interviewing students and teachers alike. I also translated documents, answered the embassy phone, arranged events and made some friends that I expect to have for life.

Thanks to the experience gained during my degree at Leeds, I have been fortunate enough to obtain a placement at a UN agency in Laos for the coming year, whose language and culture is remarkably similar to those of Thailand. This is an example of something which I believe that most applied graduates of Thai at Leeds are in a position to do.

So, while Thai is admittedly a lesser studied language at university, its benefits are undeniable, both in terms of personal development and prospects for future career goals. Along with its challenges, the degree has given me a range of skills and experience needed to work well in an international environment.