PATTAYA/Japan:
Deputy Mayor Kritsana Boonsawat joined teachers and students from Pattaya City School 9, competing under the name Wan Lang Studio, on a trip to Japan for the 10th TOKYO TANPEN fest 2026, a three-minute short film competition.
The delegation received a warm welcome from Nagano Mayor Naoto Sakai.
The team’s film tells the story of a girl from Bangkok and the son of a fisherman in Pattaya. It shows local knowledge of incubating squid eggs and releasing them safely back into the sea. The central idea is that “love is like the sea, it is about nurturing, not possessing.”
The trip gives the students a chance to compete on an international stage and share Pattaya’s way of life and traditional knowledge with audiences abroad. The group travelled using personal funds with support from relevant agencies.
Pattaya City has sent its encouragement to Wan Lang Studio, wishing the team success and hoping they will bring the experience home to help develop young people in the city.
Source: Siraprapha Thongsamut, Public Relations Division, Pattaya City Office of Tourism and Sports