Rob Parker named Educational Innovator of the Year — Thai Award 2026

On 21 August 2026, at the Office of the Private Education Commission's award ceremony in Bangkok, RAT Foundation co-founder Rob Parker was presented with a Certificate of Honour — the “Thai Award” (รางวัลไทย) 2026 for Educational Innovation of the Year, in the category of Outstanding Educational Innovation — with Privy Councillor Air Chief Marshal Chom Rungsawang presiding over the ceremony.

The award citation named Rob as head of the VEX Robotics competition programme at St Andrews International School Bangkok — the work this recognition is built on. What began as the RAT Race at Charter International School in 2015 grew through eight years of hosting VEX at St Andrews, five seasons of Thailand's VEX IQ and V5 National Championships, and into today's Thailand Cups and RAT Opens — now the largest VEX robotics events in Thailand, bringing together thousands of students from schools across the country and the region.

In Rob's own words: “What started as a passion for robotics and education has grown into a powerful movement” — one he credits to the students, teachers, families and schools behind every event, to St Andrews and School Director Khru Noke, who attended the ceremony alongside him, and to the foundation's ongoing work giving back to Thai society. You can read his full reflection on LinkedIn.

Everyone at the foundation congratulates Rob on a recognition ten years in the making. The story of how those ten years unfolded is on our history page.

This story is also on the foundation's own channels — Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.

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