NUS Pro Bono Group’s Thai-ed With Love Project

From 4 to 8 January 2023, a team of 18 NUS Law students from the NUS Pro Bono Group (PBG) embarked on a five-day trip to Bangkok for Project Thai-ed With Love. The project was started in 2015, and its latest iteration was organised in collaboration with students from the Thammasat University Pro Bono Society (TU PBS).

The objective of the project was to allow students to develop a global perspective on pro bono, through a comparison between the laws and pro bono cultures of Singapore and Thailand. The main theme of discussion was the laws surrounding sex workers in Singapore and Thailand.

Students from both NUS PBG and TU PBS had the privilege to attend a panel discussion with Assistant Professor Mataluk Orungrot (Researcher, Thammasat University Faculty of Law) and Ms Vanessa Ho (Representative, Project X). Project X is a non-governmental organisation (NGO) in Singapore that provides assistance to members of the sex worker industry. The panel discussion covered a spectrum of topics, ranging from the state of the law and enforcement in both countries to the role that governments and NGOs play in the sex work industry. Armed with newfound perspectives, students from both universities broke into smaller groups to carry out further discussions before reconvening to present the ideas and views that were generated.

In addition, the students also had the opportunity to attend a workshop conducted by Amnesty International Thailand. This exposed both NUS PBG and TU PBS students to the views of an international NGO and the activities that they conduct.

NUS PBG and TU PBS also engaged in a Pro Bono Culture Exchange, where they shared about their respective societies and the various pro bono projects that were organised. In this segment, Associate Professor Munin Pongsapan, Former Dean of TU Faculty of Law, shared about the pro bono culture in Thailand, while Associate Professor Helena Whalen-Bridge, PBG Faculty Adviser, shared learning points on student pro bono and pro bono culture in Singapore. This session allowed both NUS and TU students to learn from each other’s best practices and broaden their horizons as to the possible initiatives that could be kickstarted in each society.

The NUS students were also privileged to have the opportunity to visit the Central Intellectual Property and International Trade Court of Thailand. Through an introductory lecture into the court systems and the procedures of the Central Intellectual Property and International Trade Court as one of the four Specialised Courts, they gained a deeper understanding of the Thai judiciary and its legal system.

The NUS students were also glad to have made new friends with counterparts from TU PBS.

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The NUS Pro Bono Group would like to express immense gratitude to the following individuals:

• Mr Pornchai Wangpasertkul (Deputy Chief Justice, Central Intellectual Property and International Trade Court), Mr Sakkapan Chitchong (Secretary, Central Intellectual Property and International Trade Court), and Mr Worrawong Atcharawongchai (LLM’08) (Vice-Presiding Judge, Central Intellectual Property and International Trade Court) for kindly hosting our visit to the Central Intellectual Property and International Trade Court;
• Associate Professor Munin Pongsapan (Former Dean, Thammasat University Faculty of Law) for the gracious hospitality and warm welcome;
• Associate Professor Helena Whalen-Bridge (Faculty Adviser, NUS Pro Bono Group) and Mr Clement Cheong (Manager, Student Affairs, NUS Faculty of Law) for their kind assistance throughout the organisation and preparation process, and Associate Professor Helena Whalen-Bridge’s remarks during the pro bono sharing session;
• Assistant Professor Mataluk Orungrot (Researcher, Thammasat University Faculty of Law) and Ms Vanessa Ho (Representative, Project X) for their valuable insights and time;
• Ms Kitiarsa Rungnapa (Lecturer, Centre for Language Studies, NUS Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences) for accompanying us on the trip and always looking out for our well-being.