Thailand’s Prime Minister ’85 Joins Worcester Academy Reunion

Charnvirakul met with Academy leadership and spoke with fellow graduates about their years on the Hilltop and the friendships they have carried with them.

Thailand’s Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul ’85 joined fellow Worcester Academy graduates at an alumni reunion in Bangkok on Saturday, November 7, 2026. He addressed the gathering and met with Head of School Kevin Breen and Larry Gordon ’72, chair of Worcester Academy’s Board of Trustees.

The reunion was part of a trip to Asia for Breen and Gordon to meet with alumni, current parents, and prospective families. In Bangkok, the evening gave graduates a chance to catch up with one another and spend time with school leaders visiting from Worcester.

In his remarks, Charnvirakul recalled Dexter Hall and spoke about what he learned living far from home. He described becoming more independent, taking responsibility for himself, and getting to know people from different backgrounds. He also recalled the school’s motto, “Achieve the Honorable,” and spoke about scholarship opportunities for students from Thailand.

One of his stories began with a chance encounter the previous month at the IMF and World Bank meetings in Bangkok. Meeting a delegate from Panama reminded Charnvirakul of José Luis García de Paredes Chiari, a student from Panama who had lived next door to him at Worcester Academy. He asked the delegate to pass along a message. Within a day, José reached out on WhatsApp, about four decades after the two had last seen each other. “Without Worcester Academy, I would not have met this long-lost friend,” Charnvirakul told the gathering.

Charnvirakul spoke about what the evening meant for the graduates who had come together in Bangkok.

“Tonight’s reunion is a reminder that our school, Worcester Academy, is more than just a school. It’s a community that brings people together across generations, professions, and countries. And we have all taken different paths since our school days, but wherever life has taken us, we share a common bond through our Worcester Academy.

“So I believe that it is something worth celebrating tonight. Not simply the friendships we have built, but the values we share and the many ways in which we continue to carry the spirit of Worcester Academy into the world.”

Photographs courtesy of the prime minister’s communications team.