Manita Farmer (Miss Thailand) Boosts English in Sakon Nakhon
On July 18th, Sakon Nakhon Rakabhat University will welcome Thai cultural ambassador Manita “Nita” Duangkham Farmer (มานิต้า ดวงคำ ฟาร์มเมอร์), winner of the 2022 Miss Thailand competition. Nita was born of a Thai mother and American father, becoming the first “look kreung” (ลูกครึ่ง) or half Thai/half foreigner to win the pageant’s crown.
Nita Manita (นิต้า มานิตา), as she is often called in Thai, impressed the Miss Thailand judges and audience with her strong and inspiring answers to challenging questions.
For example, in the final round when asked what she could do to help reduce domestic violence, Nita stated that part of the problem is that Thai women are taught to be submissive and weak, when in reality that is not true. She said that women must fight:
“We must have the courage to walk out. Dare to help ourselves. Dare to say I won’t put up with this any longer. Dare to be a strong woman in this society.” (เราจะต้องกล้าที่จะเดินออกมา กล้าที่จะช่วยเหลือตัวเอง กล้าที่จะบอกว่าฉันจะไม่ทนกับสิ่งนี้อีกต่อไป กล้าที่จะเป็นผู้หญิงที่เข้มแข็งในสังคมนี้)
Manita Farmer will visit Sakon Nakhon Rajabhat University (SNRU) as a guest speaker to inspire English Language learning among students attending the International Language and Culture Festival. Her inspirational talk will be held from 10am – 1130am at Chamchuri Auditorium 1 (หอประชุมจามจุรี 1) on July 18th. The event is open to the public.
The SNRU festival runs until the 19th and includes cultural performances, exhibitions, and language highlights from 10 countries, including China, the United States, Vietnam, Laos, England, and more.
English education is one of several areas that Nita has focused on as a Miss Thailand cultural ambassador. She graduated with first-class honors from Bangkok University’s International College, earning a degree in Communication Arts. And she has applied her education and fluency in English as a volunteer teacher at Wat Bang Phai Nart School in an underprivileged area of Nakhon Pathom Province.
Her experience has a teacher revealed many surprises, including how many “non-teaching” tasks and paperwork her Thai colleagues had to do, so much so that teachers often are bogged down with administrative tasks, leaving little to no time to improve their classrooms and lessons.
As far as her philosophy for English teaching, Manita Farmer strives to get her students talking, without fear of making mistakes or speaking with an accent. She wants Thai students to get rid of thoughts about right and wrong. The important thing is to simply try to communicate!
Manita Farmer as Fitness Role Model
In addition to inspiring young Thai people to speak English, Nita Manita is also viewed as a role model for health and fitness. With the Thai diet becoming more Westernized over the past 2 decades, more Thais are struggling with weight issues (although obesity is still rare)
Prior to entering her first beauty pageant (Miss Grand Phuket, 2017), Nita weighed close to 100 kgs (220 lbs). But she changed her diet and began exercising, losing 40 kgs (88 lbs) as she powered her way to 1st runner-up, and the following year a top 12 spot in the Miss Thailand World competition.
Manita “Nita” Duangkham Farmer’s success at winning the 53rd Miss Thailand (2022/2565) crown came as a surprise to some Thais, because of her more Western physical appearance. Although several Thais of mixed race parentage have won pageants, such as “Miss Universe Thailand”, the Miss Thailand competition, known in the Thai language as “Nang Sao Thai” (นางสาวไทย), had been viewed as a pageant where only the contestants who looked traditionally Thai had a chance at winning.
However, Manita won over the hearts of the Thai judges and audience. Despite her more European face, everyone could see that she proudly identifies as a Thai woman and that her cultural upbringing in Thailand and Thai language fluency were more important than her mixed race.
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