Monday, 29 June 2026, Patong Beach, Phuket, Thailand: The two-day Pearl of the Andaman: Grom of the Sea 2026 junior surfing competition concluded yesterday afternoon with champions crowned across six divisions after a memorable weekend of competition at Patong Beach.
More than 40 young surfers from Thailand, Singapore, Japan, Germany and the United Kingdom gathered for the event, enjoying everything from clean, playful surf on the opening day to far more challenging conditions during Sunday’s finals. Despite the changing weather and inconsistent waves, the young competitors displayed determination, sportsmanship and impressive performances before celebrating together during the awards presentation.
The event also marked an important milestone for junior surfing in Thailand as it became the country’s first ASC-sanctioned junior competition to be included in the newly launched Asian Ranking System (ARS). Beyond competing for trophies and prizes, the athletes were also earning valuable ranking points that will help establish a competitive pathway linking Thailand’s junior surfers with all ASC events across Asia.
Photo Credits: Asian Surf Co / Tim Hain
Taking home the biggest haul of the weekend was 14-year-old Bunyarit Khansiri from the small island of Koh Phayam, who completed a remarkable double by winning both the Under 14 Boys Shortboard Division and the Under 18 Boys Longboard Division.
Having surfed for only six years, Bunyarit’s talent and energy were on full display and he never let up despite competing in two finals.
“I’m so happy to win both shortboard and longboard today,” he said with a smile. “Shortboard is my favourite, but I always join longboard and shortboard when I can because longboards are fun too. The wave conditions were difficult today in the finals, but I like it here in Phuket so I had fun.”
Photo Credits: Asian Surf Co / Tim Hain
Another competitor pulling double duty throughout the event was Aonnarin Engsrisawang, who reached the finals in both girls divisions. After narrowly finishing runner-up to Jirapat Chulasukontha in the Under 14 Girls Shortboard final, she bounced back to reverse the result and capture the Under 18 Girls Shortboard title later in the day.
“I’m really happy to get the win, especially because it was hard to find the good waves,” said Engsrisawang. “I knew I had to be patient and wait for the sets because they weren’t easy to read. I just focused on doing my best, and today it was enough to win. I’m super happy!”
The Under 18 Boys Shortboard Final proved to be one of the closest battles of the weekend, with Macan Johnson edging Ramil Aaromchuen by just 0.23 points after back-and-forth exchanges throughout the 15-minute final.
The Khao Lak surfer was competing at Patong Beach for the very first time and admitted he wasn’t entirely sure what to expect.
“Since I’d never surfed or competed here before, I wasn’t 100 percent confident,” Johnson explained. “But I just kept telling myself that it didn’t matter and that whoever found the best waves could win. Yesterday’s waves were super fun, while today’s conditions were definitely more challenging. I’m just really happy I found the waves I needed.”
Johnson also shared a glimpse into his long-term ambitions.
“My goal is to someday represent Thailand in the Olympics, so I need to keep training and competing. But most of all, I just love surfing and having fun in the water.”
For many of Thailand’s young surfers, the Pearl of the Andaman; Grom of the Sea represented much more than just a contest. After the cancellation of the scheduled Tipi Jabrik’s Grom Patrol event in Khao Lak earlier this year, this became the first opportunity in 2026 for many of them to measure the progress they had made over months of training. Just as importantly, with the event sanctioned by the Asian Surf Cooperative and included in the new Asian Ranking System, every heat contributed toward a regional ranking that now connects Thailand’s young surfers with future competitive opportunities throughout Asia.
The success of the event also highlighted the growing commitment of local organizers, sponsors and the surfing community to creating more opportunities for junior athletes. Several additional junior competitions are already being planned in Thailand during the remainder of the year, giving young surfers more chances to develop both their skills and competitive experience. Next scheduled event is the Memories Grom Competition that will be held in Khao Lak on 1-2 August.
Few people have dedicated more of their lives to developing surfing in Thailand than Patong local Decha Sithidej. A former ASC Masters Champion who has spent more than two decades organizing competitions and mentoring young surfers, Sithidej said seeing so many smiling faces throughout the weekend made every hour of preparation worthwhile.
“Yes, for sure, I’m so happy with the results,” he said. “Seeing all these boys and girls here competing and enjoying this event over the last two days really makes all the hard work worthwhile.
“Back when I was young and started surfing, we didn’t have much support and there were really no junior-only events. Most competitions were open events with no real focus on the kids. But now my passion is with the kids—to give them more opportunities here in Thailand and also help them travel, surf and compete in other places. With the new ranking system and ASC sanctioning they have a way to measure their progress, build a future and be proud of their achievements. I’m really happy to give back to surfing by doing this.”
As the sun set over Patong Beach, the weekend had delivered much more than six new champions. New friendships had been formed, families and local supporters celebrated together, and Thailand’s next generation of surfers took another important step forward in their competitive journeys.
With strong community support, growing participation and the introduction of the Asian Ranking System, the Pearl of the Andaman: Grom of the Sea 2026 is more than simply a junior surfing competition. It’s an important building block in the continued growth of surfing in Thailand and another milestone in creating a genuine development pathway for young surfers throughout Asia.
Photo Credits: Asian Surf Co / Tim Hain
Complete results and heat scores are available on LiveHeats at: https://liveheats.com/events/524517
Contest Division Winners:
- Under 18 Boys Shortboard: Macam Johnson
- Under 18 Girl Shortboard: Aonnarin Engsrisawang
- Under 18 Boys Longboard: Bunyarit Khansiri
- Under 18 Girls Longboard: Montita Na Takuathung
- Under 14 Boys Shortboard: Bunyarit Khansiri
- Under 14 Girls Shortboard: Jirapat Chulasukontha
Official Sponsors & Supporting Partners
HoverAir Thailand • Patong Development Foundation • Patong Bay Hill Resort • Thailand Surfing Federation • Nestlé Pure Life Drinking Water • Barakuda Beach Club • Nicky Hidden Bar Hotel & Restaurant • Quiksilver Thailand • Roxy Thailand • Memories Surfhouse • Beach Boy Commu • Phuket Provincial Administrative Organization • Patong Municipality • Patong Beach Umbrella & Beach Chair Community Enterprise • Patong Entertainment Business Association • Khit Jetski • Hightide Labour • Big Kui