"The vigorous development of Chinese language education in Thailand has injected a lasting impetus into the deepening of friendly relations between Thailand and China." Su Cha, former minister of the Ministry of Education of Thailand, said recently in an interview with our reporter that with the continuous progress of high-quality joint construction of the "the Belt and Road" between Thailand and China, Chinese language education has increasingly become an important bridge to enhance youth exchanges and promote people to people exchanges.

After stepping down as Minister of Education in 2012, Su Cha studied Chinese at Peking University for two months. After returning to his home country, he walked into the Confucius Institute at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok to continue learning Chinese. Sucha said that although his residence is an hour's drive from the Confucius Institute, he insists on attending classes twice a week without interruption for many years. He believed that Chinese characters were an art, so he gave himself the Chinese name - Zhang Guotai.

For me, every Chinese class is a cultural journey, "Su Cha said. Learning Chinese is not only about mastering a language, but also about understanding Chinese culture and comprehending China. As his interest grew stronger, Su Cha took the initiative to increase his class hours and dabbled in calligraphy, Chinese painting, Chinese chess, and more. I often read "The Art of War" and "The Analects" by Sun Tzu, and gain insights into China's excellent traditional culture from them. During the interview, he occasionally quoted Chinese historical allusions, saying that he had just watched Chinese films and TV dramas such as "The Great Qin Empire" and "Romance of the Three Kingdoms", and was deeply impressed by many historical figures. I often listen to Chinese history podcasts while driving, and the more I listen, the more addicted I become, "Su Cha said.

During his tenure as Minister of Education of Thailand, Sukhothai vigorously promoted the development of Chinese education in Thailand. By continuously deepening cooperation with the Chinese side, the scale of Chinese teacher volunteers in Thailand continues to expand. Sucha said, "Chinese courses are offered at all stages of education in Thailand, from primary school to university." Currently, Thailand has received over 20000 Chinese teacher volunteers and thousands of schools provide Chinese learning opportunities for about 4 million students.

In Su Cha's view, learning Chinese is not only a link to promote cultural exchanges and mutual learning of civilizations between the two countries, but also the foundation for expanding cooperation and working together. Sucha once encountered a group of Thai youths studying Chinese on the campus of South China Normal University. At that time, most of these young people had already entered the workplace. Some of them told me that learning Chinese well would help me better connect with Chinese customers, "Su Cha said." With the continuous rise of China's influence and the popularization of Chinese education, it opened the door to a wider world for Thai youth

It's never too late to learn, "Su Cha said in Chinese." Learning Chinese has made me feel the thickness of Chinese civilization, and also made me believe that communication and cooperation can bring a better future