Two young students from Phuket have earned international recognition after achieving outstanding results at the International STEM Olympiad & Coding Olympiad Grand Final 2026 in Rome, Italy, showcasing Thailand’s emerging talent in competitive coding.
Nine year old Pavin Pattanavekin, a Grade 3 student at True Coding School Phuket, claimed two Global Champion first-place titles in coding and secured the World No. 1 ranking at the competition.
Despite competing in a division open to students from Grades 3 to 11, Pavin finished first in two events against contestants from around the world.
Fellow Phuket student, 12 year old Nipun Skyz Lua, a Year 7 student at HeadStart International School, also delivered an impressive performance, winning one gold medal and one silver medal in two coding categories.
Phuketandamannews reported that the competition attracted more than 10,000 participants from 150 countries during the online qualifying rounds. The finalists competed in Rome on July 2, with the awards ceremony held on July 7.
The achievements of Pavin and Nipun highlight the growing success of young Thai students in international STEM and coding competitions.
According to the organisers, the International STEM Olympiad is an online competition for students from Grades 1 to 12, with questions based on the principles of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).
The competition aims to give students greater access to STEM-focused learning and international competition, particularly those who may have limited access to specialist resources.
Elsewhere, Rajsima Wittayalai marching band has won two championship titles at the European Music Contest 2026 in Rastatt, Germany, after representing Thailand in the international competition.
The all-boys school from Nakhon Ratchasima competed in two major overseas events between June 30 and July 14, following its national championship victory in Thailand.
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