At Scrabble’s Biggest Tournament, Thailand Punches Above Its Weight

Known locally as Crossword, Scrabble took off in Thailand in the 1980s after schools embraced it as a teaching aid and pathway to advancement. Much like athletic scholarships in the US, strong players can secure financial assistance and preferential admission to top universities, creating a pipeline of talent for Thailand’s competitive Scrabble circuit and helping produce a string of world champio