Thai Student Wins British Funding for Solar Water Pump
A Thai student studying in the UK won British funding to install a solar-powered water pump at a temple in Nakhon Sawan, solving severe water shortages affecting a rural village during dry season.
After visiting Samyaek Phattana Temple in Village 10, Mae Luay subdistrict, Mae Wong district, Nakhon Sawan province in 2566, where residents faced inadequate, dirty, and foul-smelling water during dry season, 17-year-old Varuntor Kangsanun, a Grade 11 student at United World College of the Atlantic in the United Kingdom, was inspired to apply for funding from the Lighthouse program. This UWC Atlantic initiative supports students in developing projects to address community problems in their home countries while nurturing social innovation.
Varuntor interviewed residents in Village 10, Mae Luay, and found that the community suffered from severe water shortages, especially during dry season, and that municipal water was contaminated. Villagers relied on a groundwater well at the temple installed by the Department of Water Resources over 20 years earlier, but the hand pump supplied only limited water per operation. She proposed a solar-powered groundwater pump and storage tank project to replace the manual pump and submitted it to Lighthouse, which awarded her funding to develop it.
After receiving the grant, Varuntor hired contractors specializing in groundwater drilling to test water volume and install a 1 HP solar-powered pump with a 2,000-liter storage tank. The system now supplies 4,000–5,000 liters daily. Once the tank was completed, villagers collectively installed additional piping and storage tanks for dry-season use and connected water lines to the temple's kitchen and bathrooms. The project was completed on 25 July 2569 and transferred to Samyaek Phattana Temple, supported by the subdistrict administration and community residents.
Varuntor noted that while this project solved one community's crisis, many villages still lack access to clean drinking water. She called on the government to allocate budgets for developing quality water systems and groundwater access across rural areas, ensuring long-term health and quality of life improvements.
"This project demonstrates how solar power can operate groundwater pumps instead of relying on electricity," Varuntor said. "I hope everyone will see the value in renewable energy."
Varuntor has been recognized as an outstanding youth by the Ministry of Education in 2564, received ASEAN scholarships in 2567, and was selected by the UWC international committee to study at United World College of the Atlantic in 2568. She won the Lighthouse Prize in 2569 worth 6,500 pounds from UWC Atlantic to support her community development work. She is also accomplished in mathematics, economics, and English, winning medals in domestic and international competitions, and is active in social, sports, cultural, and health initiatives.
