3-Year-Old Thai Boy Teaches Himself to Read Thai and English

CHIANGRAI TIMES – Thanwa Woratunkaew who is 3-years, 2-month old stuns everyone with his amazing abilities to read both Thai and English despite not receiving any schooling.

Reporters were invited to house number 40, Moo 1 in Ban Mae Chang, Nasak Subdistrict, Maemoh District in Lampang to prove the genius of Thanwa Woratunkaew, who’s 3 years and 3 months old.

Upon reporters’ urging, the boy read a lot of different things including publications, name cards, identification cards although he still can’t enunciate properly.

The boy was then taken to the Ban Mae Chang School’s library to read the signs there, as well as the charts used to teach elementary school children.

A teacher at the school Pranom Chaichana said she met the boy when he visited the school with his parents earlier and he was able to read everything on the elementary school chart she was carrying. She was surprised at his reading ability which is superior for his age so she showed him off to her students to motivate them to study harder.

The boy’s mother Bualoy said she has 2 children. The older is an 18-year-old girl and the younger being Thanwa. When he was younger, she became worried as he hardly emits a sound and never tried to talk until he was 2. He was still talking gibberish at the age of 2 and her relatives would tease that he’s talking in Korean because she only watched Korean series while pregnant with him. He liked to open books and watch karaoke music videos.

About 3 months ago, his uncle, who is the village headman, brought the boy to the Mae Moh District Office on an errand during which the boy was able to read all the signs posted there.

Since then, the boy’s been reading everything in sight. The mother added that he loves to eat fish but doesn’t really like meat. She hasn’t had his IQ and EQ tested as the family is poor.