Upcoming Events

Scholar Gateway invites students throughout Chiang Mai to showcase their English communication skills, creativity, confidence, and ideas. More than just a competition, this event gives students the chance to develop their public speaking, express their ideas with confidence, and gain recognition from a professional panel of judges.

At a glance

Entry fee

Free of charge

Language

English

Video format

.MP4 or .MOV

Entry limit

One entry per participant

Venue

Meechok Plaza Chiang Mai

Why participate?

• Build confidence

  Improve your confidence in public speaking and English communication.

• Enhance your portfolio

  Receive a certificate from Scholar Gateway to support your academic portfolio and achievements.

• Be recognised

  Top students will be honoured at a public award ceremony at Meechok Plaza Chiang Mai.

Who can join?

The competition is divided into three divisions, each with its own Stage 1 topic.

Time penalty: participants lose points if their speech is significantly shorter or longer than the time limit for their division and stage.

How to enter

How it works

1. 1

   Stage 1 — Video audition

   Every speech video is evaluated by the judging panel against the judging criteria. The top 10 finalists from each division advance to Stage 2, and their videos are featured on our official Facebook page for public voting.

2. 2

   Stage 2 — Public voting

   The Stage 1 videos of the top 10 finalists in each division are put to a public vote on our official Facebook page. Public voting runs 20 December 2026 to 23 January 2027 and makes up 40% of the final score.

3. 3

   Stage 3 — Live final

   The top 10 finalists from each division receive a brand-new speech topic between 23 and 25 December 2026 and are judged again on it by our panel. This Stage 3 judging makes up the remaining 60% of the final score.

Public voting runs from 20 December 2026 to 23 January 2027 on our official Facebook page. Votes are counted as the total Like and Love reactions on each finalist’s official post during the voting period; comments are not counted. Any fraudulent, manipulated or suspicious voting activity may result in disqualification.

Judging criteria

To ensure fairness, transparency and consistency, all submissions are evaluated by a qualified panel of judges on:

• Content & Structure
• Voice & Delivery
• Audience Engagement
• Body Language & Presentation
• Language & Style

Important dates

Submission deadline

14 December 2026, 11:59 PM

Top 10 finalists announced

20 December 2026

Stage 3 topic announced

23 – 25 December 2026

Public voting (Stage 2)

20 Dec 2026 – 23 Jan 2027

Winner announcement & award ceremony

23 January 2027

Late submissions will not be accepted. All finalists and their families are invited to the ceremony at Meechok Plaza Chiang Mai on 23 January 2027.

Prizes

Total prize value is the cash prize plus the Study Gift Voucher — it does not include the certificate or, for the winner, the trophy. Winners must attend the award ceremony in person at Meechok Plaza Chiang Mai to receive their prizes. Certificates for participants who do not reach the top 10 are sent to their registered email address after 23 January 2027.

Submission rules

• Your video must clearly show your face and upper body throughout, with clear audio, delivered in English.
• One continuous recording only — editing, voice-over, dubbing or combining recordings is not permitted. Cue cards are allowed.
• Name the file [Age Group]_[Full Name].mp4 — for example Junior_John Smith.mp4.
• All speeches must be your own original work. Entries may be screened with AI-detection and plagiarism software; unauthorised AI-generated content may lead to immediate disqualification.
• Simple, safe, self-setup props are allowed. Electronic presentations and heavy stage props need prior approval.
• Once submitted, entries cannot be edited, replaced or resubmitted.
• Rules and regulations may change at any time without prior notice.