A native of Thailand, Nutdanai Wongsathitsathaporn has been fond of dance and musical performances since he was a child. Through the internet, he was introduced to Taiwanese pop music which led to a growing interest in Taiwan and its culture. This spurred him to visit Taiwan on several occasions, as well as start his study of Mandarin. This foundation meant that his matriculation into the National Taiwan Normal University Department of Chinese as a Second Language was smooth and allowed him to graduate in only three years. Following, he made a decision to stay in Taiwan.

Nutdanai is full of confidence as he talks, as if setbacks and difficulties are nothing more than a puzzle that need to be unlocked—certainly nothing that would stop him from achieving his goals. Thanks to his love for Taiwan, Nutdanai was able to achieve a good foundation in Mandarin even before arriving in Taiwan. He also believes that his personality helped him adapt to the culture in Taiwan without major problems. From the start, he approached his time in Taiwan with a willingness to explore new things and challenge himself, and to turn setbacks during his studies into food for growth. Doing so has allowed him to be flexible and adjust when necessary and thus perform better on each successive occasion.

Looking back to his undergraduate years at NTNU, Nutdanai says that this was a period in which not only did he immerse himself in his studies, but a time when he was constantly trying new things. Whether it was singing, event planning, graphic design, film editing, and even regular coursework, he treated it all as if it were a show of creative performance; that is to say, he did his utmost to inject effort and ingenuity into every area. These efforts did not go unnoticed. In one class, for example, his finished assignment was kept by the instructor of the class who intended to use it as model for future students to follow and learn.

Nutdanai recounts how upper classmates of his were set to graduate during COVID. As such, there was to be no graduation ceremony to mark this occasion. Nutdanai, therefore, shot and edited a video collage which he gifted to them so that they would have something by which to remember this special occasion. It is precisely because of occasions like these that Nutdanai has been able to build up personal connections and life experiences that, in turn, have led to opportunities both in and outside of school.

Regardless if it was choir, event host, video dubbing, teaching Thai, or acting as a Thai interpreter, he has tried them all. A proficient performer, Nutdanai has not limited himself to stage performances, but has also worked with stage lighting, stage management, even directing the flow of an entire performance. It seems as if nothing is too difficult for him.

Nutdanai currently works at the Thailand Trade and Economic Office in Taipei where he serves in the Business Consulting Center. Although he is busy with work during the week, he continues to leverage his prior experience to organize exchange activities between Thailand and Taiwan, design logos and optimize his employer’s websites. His efforts and initiative have won him the notice and praise of his superiors on multiple occasions.

Nutdanai says that there are many Thai students like him. They love being in Taiwan and hope to stay. However, many lack the connections to do so. Therefore, despite being busy with his job, Nutdanai consistently makes an effort to stay connected with these students, offering them possible work opportunities where they can shine, and encouraging them to find the courage to try new things, as every experience can be a lesson learned and a new door opened. Nutdanai is currently organizing activities for the Thai Students Association in Taiwan and hopes that it can be a platform through which Taiwanese companies and Thai students can find each other, thus helping more Thai students working in Taiwan to find their own path forward.

Finding success in both his studies and in his work, Nutdanai has not only received plentiful personal feedback but has been able to consistently add to his skillset and knowledge base. Even more impressive is that he has not forgotten about those who have come after him. His hope that his fellow Thais can shine bright in Taiwan—and his actions in this regard—has given him both confidence and joy.