MANILA, Philippines – A Facebook ‘joke’ landed Pinoy student Angelo Fernandez Virgo a real Thai university scholarship - and it’s great to know that social media can still be a useful tool with wonderful outcomes.
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| The young dreamer completed his degree at the Thai university. Photo credit: Angelo Fernandez Virgo |
The opportunity presented itself at the height of the pandemic back in April 2020. The then-17-year-old Angelo from Valencia, Bukidnon, had just graduated from senior high school at Central Mindanao University – Senior High School. At the time, he had already set his eyes on studying with a DOST (Department of Science and Technology) scholarship.
When a professor from Mindanao State University (MSU) shared on Facebook about the Royal Scholarship for ASEAN students offered at Suranaree University of Technology (SUT) in Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand, Angelo’s friends tagged him as a joke.
Instead of simply laughing it off, the post sparked Angelo’s interest and curiosity. The program offered full scholarships for engineering and technology courses. What’s quite amazing is that it was endorsed by Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn of Thailand.
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| Angelo Fernandez Virgo poses in the Thai university where he finished his engineering degree. Photo credit: Angelo Fernandez Virgo |
Angelo explained to the Philippine Daily Inquirer, “I read the terms and conditions for the Royal scholarship grant, it is like the DOST Scholarship but without the return service condition and no refund policy in case the scholarship gets terminated during study (e.g., failing to meet the minimum average grade). It’s also a chance to explore Thailand and study for free.”
So, he decided to apply, stating in his introductory speech, “None among my siblings has ever finished college, that is why finishing college and becoming a professional is very crucial for me. I want to prove that poverty is not a hindrance to achieve success.”
After passing all the interviews and exams, the young dreamer made it to the list of 7 Filipino students who were granted the scholarships.
Overcoming hardships
Like many foreign students, Angelo faced a number of obstacles. Considering that they began their studies during the pandemic, they had to start their journey with online classes. Because they didn’t have a computer or internet connection at home, he had to stay at the house of another Filipino scholar.
When they actually had to travel to Thailand, he and his family had to raise money for the plane ticket, quarantine hotel (which cost 28,000 THB or around Php47,000), and medical insurance.
In Thailand, he also had to deal with homesickness and the language barrier. He spent many weeks crying because he missed his family. He found life difficult because outside the international section of the university, most of the people didn’t speak English and the signs were in Thai.
He eventually learned the language and found solace with the other Filipino scholars and a small community of fellow Pinoys in Nakhon Ratchasima.
Angelo is among the first batch of Filipino ASEAN scholars who graduated on March 23, 2025. The ceremony itself was attended by the princess, who personally handed the diploma to the graduates.
He actually completed his bachelor’s degree last October 2024, and was able to return home before the graduation.
Amazingly, even before the graduation ceremony, he received another scholarship, this time the One Research One Grant (OROG) Scholarship for Master of Engineering (M.Eng) through the endorsement of Asst. Professor Dr. Theerawat Sinsiri, his adviser.
He’s the first Filipino recipient of the scholarship.
The Royal Asean Scholarship (interadmission.sut.ac.th/royal-scholarship/) is available every year for select bachelor’s degrees, with 5 slots available for each course:
- Civil Engineering (CE)
- Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering (MAE)
- Petrochemical and Polymer Engineering (PPE)
- Innovative Agripreneur (IA)
