KHON KAEN, 5 April 2026 – Students from the Faculty of Engineering, Department of Computer Engineering, have brought great honour to Khon Kaen University after their team, “Ngam Kak Lai,” won first place at the Youth Hackathon: Inspired by the Royal Initiatives of the Queen Mother. The team received a seeding fund of THB 100,000 and a special prize of THB 30,000, totalling THB 130,000, at the final competition held at the Krungthai Bank Training Centre in Nakhon Ratchasima Province.

The “Ngam Kak Lai” team comprises two third-year Computer Engineering students from the Faculty of Engineering, Ms. Natthiya Chakaew and Mr. Apichet Thammaraksa. They collaborated with an interdisciplinary group of students: Mr. Prasopchok Somwongsa from the College of Computing, Ms. Sirikanda Songkhramyot from the Faculty of Nursing, and Mr. Teerapat Rattanachai from the Faculty of Business Administration and Accountancy.

The team presented their innovative idea, “A Cutting-Edge Thai Fabric Marketplace Platform: Elevating Handicrafts with AI Customisation.” This new e-commerce platform integrates the unique beauty of local Thai textiles with artificial intelligence, allowing users to design their own custom patterns, colours, and styles. The platform not only provides consumers with access to distinctive Thai fabrics but also empowers local entrepreneurs and weavers to enter the digital market, adding value to Thai handicrafts through technological innovation.

This project aligns with the competition’s objective, organised by the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation in partnership with public and private sectors, to inspire youth to carry on the royal aspirations of the Queen Mother and develop innovations for the sustainable enhancement of community economies. This achievement reflects the students’ potential to integrate interdisciplinary knowledge to create innovations of significant value to Thai society.