Eleven years ago, a corn farmer's son who was at high school in Umphang district of Tak province heard about the "One District, One Scholarship" (Odos) project from television in his modest house in the middle of a corn field.
Pummarin Kakaen, then 18, eventually achieved his dream through perseverance and determination and after studying overseas under the scheme, now has a job at the One Start One Stop Investment Centre (Osos).
Mr Pummarin said seeing the TV announcement triggered his dream to study overseas which he never thought would be possible.
"Before the Odos project was launched, it was impossible for a student from a low-income family in a remote area like me to have a chance to study overseas without financial support," he said.
He applied for the first round of the scholarship programme and was accepted.
"There were only two applicants at the time and at the last minute my competitor withdrew because he wanted to be a policeman, so I was selected as a recipient," Mr Pummarin, now 30, said.
Having won the scholarship, Mr Pummarin chose to study in the Netherlands because the Thai government at the time required those in the Odos programme to study in a country where English is not the official language.
"Living abroad was very tough and full of pressure at that stage because my life changed a lot. I used to live in rural areas in Thailand and I moved to one of the world's most developed countries," he said.
Recipients were given only a year to study their new language before being admitted to a university. Many found it too difficult to adjust to the new environment, so they returned to Thailand.
Mr Pummarin considered the option, but rejected it. "I was wary of the criticism I might face for giving up on higher education abroad, so I chose to fight and work harder to speed up my language skills," he said.
After reaching proficiency in English and Dutch, he was eventually able to enter the business administration undergraduate programme at Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences.
Mr Pummarin's job as an officer at Osos, which operates as a part of the Board of Investment (BOI), helps to provide information and consultancy related to doing business in Thailand for foreign investors.
Mr Pummarin said the government should keep running the Odos project as the scheme helps provide higher education opportunities for talented children from low-income families.
"I can say the Odos scholarship has changed my life, and I think other underprivileged children with good academic achievements should also have the same opportunity as I had," he said.