Pattaya will host one of the world’s most prestigious computer science competitions later this month when it plays host to the 23rd International Olympiad in Informatics. The competition will be held between the 22nd and 29th July at the Pattaya Exhibition and Convention Hall part of the Royal Cliff Beach Resort Hotel and will feature competitors from 84 countries around the world.
The International Olympiad in Informatics (IOI) is an an nual competition for secondary school pupils and challenges competitors’ computer programming skills and the ability to solve problems of an algorithmic nature. The competitors who compete as individuals are given five hours to solve four problems. Each competitor must work on their own with only a computer and for most tasks have to write a computer programme and submit it by the set time limit.
The awarding of the event is a triumph for Thailand’s Ministry of Education who wish to promote the country’s willingness and capability to organise international academic events as well as promote the use of computer science as an area of the national education curriculum that is growing in importance.
The International Olympiad in Informatics is one of the most widely regarded events in computer science education and is strongly supported by UNESCO and the International Federation for Information Processing (IFIP) who are both patrons of the event. The Education Ministry hopes that hosting the event will inspire academics to develop the way in which computing is taught, as well as helping to nurture a base of future IT professionals among Thailand’s school children.
Traditionally, Thai competitors have celebrated great success at past Informatics Olympiads. Last year in Ontario Canada, Pasin Manurangsi a pupil of Bangkok Christian College, won a gold medal while two students from Udom Suksa School won silver medals. Since the annual competition first began Thailand has won a total of 11 gold, 26 silver and 32 bronze medals and hopes are high that they will continue the success this year on home soil.
The choice of Pattaya as the location for the event underlines the city’s increasing importance as an international convention centre and venue of world events. The city was chosen for its convenient proximity to Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport and its impressive range of services and amenities for visitors.
The international delegates will have a full range of attractions and sightseeing opportunities to enjoy after the rigours of the very challenging academic competition. The choice of Pattaya for an event for children of secondary school age also emphasises the city’s increasing reputation as one of the safest destinations in Thailand.
The Olympiad is also a big feather in the cap of the Pattaya Exhibitions and Convention Hall (PEACH) at the Royal Cliff Beach Resort Hotel. An event of this nature requires the ability to support and host state of the art technology as well as to provide adequate accommodation and services for the delegations from 84 countries. The fabulous view that participants will have of the Gulf of Thailand is a bonus that provides icing on the cake.