One of the important problems on studying arts for students whose families have little income is the expense on studying tools. Sometime this problem limits many young people who love arts not to be able to fully express their ability in creating arts. Some people even can’t finish their study because their families can’t effort the expense anymore.

“Thawan – SCB Fund” was established in 1998 by the desire of Dr.Thawan Duchanee, the national artist in visual arts(paintings) in 2001, and the Siam Commercial Bank Public Company Limited.  The Siam Commercial Foundation put it into action. Thus, the fund was established in order to give the scholarships to students, and college students in arts, who have good behaviour and excellent study, yet don’t have enough money, in order to let them continue their study.

The giving fund event of “Thawan – SCB Fund” of the year 2009  was held on 11 November 2009, which is the consecutive 11th year, at Siam Commercial Room1, The Siam Commercial Bank, head office, Bangkok . Dr.Thawan presided over the ceremony of giving scholarships to college students in the Faculties of Fine Arts, Silpakorn University, college students in the Faculty of Fine and Applied Arts, Chulalongkorn University and college students in Poh Chang College, University of Technology Rachamongkon Rattanakosin. There were18 scholarships in total.

         Dr.Thawan says that he is happy to have a chance to come to grant these scholarships, which is an important occasion. When he was 14 years old and still studied in the province, he received a scholarship himself to come to continue his study in Poh Chang College, Bangkok. Then, when he was about16-17 years old and was going to study onhis first year at Silpakorn University, he received the kindness from M.R. Khukrit Pramoj to be able to follow him and learn from him. If he didn’t get those chances, he wouldn’t have been what he is today. So, when he has a chance, he shares parts of his income from painting to establish the fund for supporting education for young people who are interested in arts, whether they are in primary school, secondary school, professional field, or university. Coming to grant these scholarships makes him see the reflection of his own life in the past. He believes every person who receives the scholarships today will grow up and find his own ways in the future.

Mr. Attaset Sanjan, a college student in the fifth year at the Faculty of Fine Arts, Silpakorn University, who has been receiving the scholarships from Thawan – SCB Fund for 5 consecutive years, says about his background that he lived in Chiang Rai with a sick mom who couldn’t work. So, his family is rather poor. That’s why when he came to study at Bangkok, which had high cost of living, he had to work to support his study and to send the money back to his mom at home.

“Normally I receive part-time work from my senior in order to gain money enough to afford necessary art materials, which sometime cost as high as 6-7 thousands baht, and even more than 10 thousands baht. The benefit of working for my senior is that I can gain money, yet I have to frequently skip my classes. In the last term, I got an F because, my professor said, I skipped too many classes.” he says. Receiving the scholarships from Thawan Duchanee – SCB Fund makes him proud. This is because he has admired and respected Dr. Thawan for a long time. Also, it helps lessen his financial stress; thus, he can concentrate more on his study.

                As for Miss Kamonchanok Preukngern, a college student in the first year at the Faculty of Fine and Applied Arts, Chulalongkorn University, says that she, her mom, her older brother, and her younger sister live in Bangplad, Bangkok. Mom has been the breadwinner of the family since she was 9 years old; she prepares and sells Thai food (Kao Kang) to gain money for her children’s education. Everyday she gets up at 4 in the morning to go shopping for ingredients at fresh market, helps her mom arranging the shop, and sells food before going to school. She has been doing this since she was in secondary school. However, when she just attended university, the expense increased and the earnings from selling was not stable, so she became worried and tried to lessen her mom’s burden at her best.

“Though my mom was happy that I could get in one of the most famous universities, which has good and broad society, I could not help myself feeling so sorry for her. So, I told her I would not further my study and would work for her instead. Still, my mom insisted that she wanted me to study even though it was a very heavy burden because she had to respond of all the expense in our home”, she says. When she knew that she received the scholarship, she was very happy. She would use this scholarship to pay her tuition fee and she promised that she would do at her best
Miss Mintra Promchart, a college student in the 2 nd year at the Faculty of Fine and Applied Arts, majoring handcraft, Poh Chang College, University of Technology Rachamongkon Rattanakosin also has good intention. She says that her family has 4 members; her dad, her mom, herself, and her younger sister, who is only 7 months old. They live in Bang Khun Tien, Bangkok. Both of her parents work in the company around Bang Bon and their total income together are only 14,000 baht, which is not sufficient for the family expenses and for her to continue her study.   
                Therefore, she has to work and collect money for her study herself. She used to work with the teachers after the class every day and gained 1,000 baht per week. However, in her new term, she couldn’t collect money enough to pay the tuition fee because the expense both in her home and for her study is expensive. So, she borrowed 10,000 baht from the teacher, who kindly lent her the money which later she pays the money back 500 baht per month.