SUKHOTHAI, Thailand — In a rural village where seasonal floods often cut off roads and isolate communities, one teacher has turned ingenuity into action. Using just 200,000 Baht of his own savings, Mr. Somchai Rattanaporn, a 42-year-old vocational instructor at Ban Wang Thong School, designed and built a custom four-wheel-drive electric vehicle (EV) — not for profit, but for purpose.
"I wanted my students to see that engineering isn't just theory in a textbook," Somchai explained. "And when the rains come, I wanted a way to reach families who are stranded. This vehicle is both a classroom on wheels and a lifeline."