Phuket nine-year-old wins two world coding titles in Rome

Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has congratulated a nine-year-old Phuket student who won two world coding titles and was ranked No. 1 globally at an international competition in Rome.

Pavin “Pace” Pattanavekin, a Grade 3 student at True Coding School Phuket, achieved the results at the grand finals of the International STEM Olympiad & Coding Olympiad, held from July 2 to 8, government spokeswoman Rachada Dhanadirek said on Friday.

Pace became a global champion in two coding categories, competing in a group that included students from Grades 3 to 11. Organisers said the competition drew entries from more than 38,000 students in over 150 countries, while more than 700 finalists advanced to the grand final in Rome.

The achievement follows Pace’s success at last year’s Coding Olympiad Grand Final in New York, where he won three gold medals, including a first-place finish.

According to True Coding School, his record also includes two Global Top 3 Gold Awards and a gold medal in international coding contests. Outside coding, he received a Global Top 3 Gold Award at the Mathematics Olympiad Grand Final for Grades 3-5 and a gold medal at the Science Olympiad Grand Final in the same age group.

The school attributed his results to his computational thinking, coding, logical reasoning and problem-solving skills, as well as his determination to compete against older students.

Mr Anutin said Pace’s achievement showed that Thai children could compete internationally when given proper opportunities and support. He congratulated the boy’s family, teachers and supporters, and encouraged young people to believe in themselves, develop their creativity and continue learning.

The prime minister made the remarks before departing for the World AI Conference 2026 in Shanghai, where he was seeking opportunities for international cooperation in artificial intelligence and advanced technology for Thailand.