March 11, 1996
Ms. Cholthanee Koerojna
President
ThaiLink
Dear Ms. Koerojna,
I am writing to thank you for inviting me to participate in the ThaiLink Job Fair 1996. In addition, below are some comments on the success of the seminar and the strong emotional feeling of wanting to return to Thailand that the discussion panel session evoked.
Firstly, I found the presentation regarding the Reverse Brain Drain project to be very informative. The thought of returning home to Thailand, to work and to contribute to the country's development has often entered my mind. When you presented the fact that there is a concerted effort to bring educated Thai's back to Thailand to strengthen the countries skilled work force, my thoughts of one day returning to Thailand to live took on a new meaning. The feeling of duty and responsibility to the Reverse Brain Drain project was so ever present during your speech. It is also reassuring to know that the Thai government is a factor in sponsoring this idea.
Secondly, like the Reverse Brain Drain lecture, the panel discussion covering the members personal experiences and view of returning to Thailand also struck an emotional cord. I could never imagine that there were so many people that express the same feelings as I do. These sentiments concern the reality of my current life in the US and the vision of someday being back in Thailand on a long term basis.
Currently, my family and I live in the suburb of Boston in a house we just recently built. I work a one of the major banks in Boston and have been employed at the bank for just about ten years. I hold a position as Assistant Vice President in the Capital Markets area. My spouse is an RN at a hospital in Boston, where she has worked for over six years. In addition, we have a six year old daughter, who has just entered into kindergarten this year. Given this fact, my expectations are somewhat grand when considering returning to Thailand on a long term basis.
In returning to Thailand, I must be able to provide the same standard of living for my family as they have here in the US. These translate to the fact that I would have to find equable employment, housing and schooling opportunities for our family. Furthermore, I would have to insure that my spouse and child's transition to Thai culture and customs occur smoothly. What has begun as personnel emotions' feelings of duty and responsibility to return to Thailand, takes on a new meaning when one considers one's family in this equation.
Lastly, ThaiLink serves a critical purpose for me in providing connections to my Thai heritage. Your program is very successful in that you bring several Thais together to share a common vision of returning home to Thailand. Although the chances may be remote for my family and me returning to Thailand for the long term, your organization has succeeded in providing me a link to the Thai community in the US. I look forward to having more opportunities through your organization to meet with other Thais and share thoughts and visions of Thailand. In closing, thank you for inviting me to the ThaiLink Job Fair in Boston.
Sincerely,
Michael