Thai teen earns bachelor’s degree with honours at 16

2026-03-09 - 08:43

BANGKOK — A Thai teenager has drawn attention after graduating with a bachelor’s degree with second-class honours at the age of 16 while also building an impressive career in figure skating. Srisupha Kesavapitak, known as “Beijing”, enrolled at Ramkhamhaeng University in 2020 at the age of 13 after passing the IGCSE equivalency exam. She studied in two faculties simultaneously: English in the Faculty of Humanities and Optometry. After three years of study, she completed her first bachelor’s degree in English with second-class honours from the Faculty of Humanities. Beijing said the honours degree was part of her goal to pursue a master’s programme that accepts only students who graduate with honours. She later enrolled in an MSc in Strategic Accounting and Finance at University College London, which she is currently studying online and expects to complete this year. Alongside her studies, Beijing has also worked as a figure skating coach at Thailand International Ice Hockey and Theatre of Dreams. She previously won the Asian figure skating championship for two consecutive years in 2017–2018, organised by the Ice Skating Institute Asia. Balancing academics and work, Beijing said she studied optometry courses during weekdays while completing humanities classes through the university’s course-on-demand system, sometimes taking up to 14 subjects in a single semester while working on weekends. She has temporarily paused her optometry studies to focus on completing her master’s degree at UCL, with plans to resume the programme later. In the long term, she hopes to open an optometry clinic, combining her knowledge of eye care, finance and English communication to serve both Thai and international clients.