One of the most fun and exciting days of the year for Thai students, whether at grade school or a university, is Sports Day. But a Thai school Sports Day goes above and beyond sports competitions. In fact, we’ll say it’s more about the parades, marching bands, costumes, and the cheerleading!
Back when Chris and I were in elementary school, we were ecstatic when Field Day came around. We got to wear play clothes to school and spend an afternoon racing around outside, playing competitive games (water sports included!), and picnicking. It also signaled the end of the school year and the beginning of summer break.
Every Student Looks Forward to Their Thai School Sports Day
So it came as no surprise that my Thai students were beyond excited about their upcoming Thai school Sports Day.
I taught at a school that had Anuban (kindergarten), Prathom Levels 1 through 6 (elementary school) and Matthayom (junior high) Levels 1 through 3. Everyone, regardless of age, looked forward to this special day.
The Thai school I taught at separated its students into four houses with assigned colors – think the Hogwarts Houses in Harry Potter for a second. The students were assigned a color from the moment they enrolled in the school – red, yellow, green, or blue.
On Sports Day, the students competed against others in their same grade level but on teams based on their house colors.
The Events
And oh how cute they were! The younger students rode bicycles and tricycles, and the older girls competed in sprinting and long distance running. Badminton, volleyball, and soccer were played competitively, too.

These little ones were pedaling so fast, a teacher had to catch them at the end of the circuit.
Although good ol’ sports competitions were in the works, Sports Day truly seemed to be centered around the parades of flags, the marching bands, and the team spirit of the color-coded teams. Each team attempted to outdo each other’s spirit. Whoever could scream cheer the loudest and shake their pompoms and noise makers with the most enthusiasm was the true winner!
The Thai and foreign teachers participated in the Thai school Sports Day, too. We were split into colored houses and asked to play a few rounds of soccer. I was randomly assigned to the green house. How did they know that (lime) green was one of my favorite colors?!
These pictures make me look way more athletic than I actually am. Go cameraman! For anyone who knows me, I’m horrible at anything that requires hand-eye coordination with a round object. But I’m really good at playing defense, er, getting in people’s way.
The foreign English teachers handed out medals afterwards to the girls who won in their division.
At the end of Sports Day, the girls from Matthayom put on a show. Each house spent an entire month designing homemade costumes and putting together a choreographed dance that showed off their team spirit.
And then a true surprise, Native Americans! I couldn’t resist a photo. I never figured out why the students dressed up like this, but I got a kick out of it!
Kids Will Be Kids
I learned a few things after participating in a Thai school Sports Day. For starters, it was a friendly reminder that my students are playful, creative, and incredibly enthusiastic children.
Two, they had more school spirit and pride than I ever remember having as a kid at my school. Not to say that the lovely little American country town where I grew up didn’t have school spirit, it was just less intense than what I experienced in Chiang Mai.
And lastly, games are key! As a first year ESL teacher in Thailand, I sometimes lost track of making sure my students were actually learning because I was so focuses on going through the motions of teaching. Making learning fun by incorporating games, team-building exercises, and interactive projects is better for the children. And ultimately, you’ll have every student itching to come to your class rather than simply being known as another foreign face to walk through the halls of a Thai school.
We just had our Sports Day here in Lom Sak and it was so amazing! I can totally relate to the struggle of being a first time ESL teacher and being too focused on going through the motions of teaching. It’s definitely challenging at times, but it seems like you’re doing great!
Thanks for commenting, Rithi! Hope you’re having fun in Lom Sak :)
Would be cool to check out. They do something similar in Oz, where you are assigned a sports house on day one and you remain a part of that house until the day you leave. They are all colour based also and have the spirit awards etc. It looks as the Thais take it to a whole new level though, and great to see an obvious respect and admiration for the teaching staff. Cheers. Jim
Thai’s definitely have the enthusiasm! You may be able to watch some some of their sports day activities if the school has a sports field near a main road. You can hear the commotion from a block down the road!
Wonderful!!! Have you experienced Wai Khru day yet?
Yes! I received a handmade/hand written card made by some students and was also gifted a small hilltribe style key ring that I use to this day. Made my heart go a little soft. But the celebration was huge and official – all the teachers went up on a big stage and students came by with flowers and our cards and gifts. And then the students simultaneously gave us all a hug. I can’t imagine somethings like this being organized in America! It was a nice day :)