A Global Education
Ariane Rodel née Stuetzel (Ryetonian, 1956–59) reflects on her global travels and her mother’s legacy as the founder of Bangkok Patana School.
Growing up in Thailand, Ariane’s parents sought an English Catholic education—specifically one without nuns. At the time, Rye was led by Miss Ivy King (namesake of King House) and Miss Elizabeth Rendall, supported by Miss King’s siblings, Herbert and Gwen.
What do you remember thinking when you first arrived at Rye?
I was scared at first, arriving in a biting cold England from Thailand at age 14. The culture felt entirely foreign, and I was deeply homesick. However, Miss Rendall would kindly read to our year group in her office. I also found comfort in weekly calls to my brother at Bryanston School, Dorset; a rare and special treat in those days. The biggest hurdle was British cuisine. I had to get used to the food! I was accustomed to fresh Thai food, but I arrived during post-war rationing; sweets were non-existent, and the food was often soft and mushy. However, the shepherd’s pie served every second Saturday was lovely. I loved English lessons with Miss Merry and ‘crocodiling’ to the Thames to watch the races. Eventually I was named joint Head Girl, teaching me the foundations of responsibility and leadership. I am still in touch with my co-Head Girl, Mary Taylor, to this day.
An outing on a Catholic feast day. Izumi Wajima, Ann Maher, Jill Carlson, Veronica Evans, Hilary Burford.
From left to right: Veronica Evans, Rose Fenwick, Ariane Stuetzel, Mr deLancastre, Marie-Luisa deLancastre and another friend in Portugal.
When did you leave Rye?
I left in 1959. Marie-Luisa invited the whole class to her home in Lisbon, which was a very exciting idea for those of us who were leaving school. Four people signed up and I organized the trip: we travelled by train, 3rd class to Lisbon with a short stop at San Sebastian in Spain.
One of the girls, Veronica Evans, stayed on the train looking after the luggage, while the rest of us got out to shop at the station. Unexpectedly we saw a train pulling out and leaving! We hastily jumped on. We walked towards the back and suddenly realized we had come to the end of the last carriage and were obviously on the wrong train. I saw the emergency cord and pulled down hard. The train came to a slow stop in the middle of an empty field. We jumped off to the horror of the remaining passengers and the train staff, and ran towards the road making the ‘hitch hiking’ thumb. A kind van stopped and returned us to San Sebastian station. Meanwhile Veronica went on to Lisbon where she met up with Marie-Luisa. Veronica had no passport or money – it was all with me! A kind stationmaster found us a room in this small town which was celebrating a packed festival. Next morning, we were welcomed with relief and open arms to Lisbon. I think my interest and career in the travel business might have been a result of this ‘incident’!
Where did life take you after Rye?
My mother noticed my natural aptitude for travel, sparking a career in a fledgling industry. At the time, Bangkok hosted only one well-known travel agent! I joined the World Travel Service. Thanks to my language skills - especially being fluent in Thai - I was soon put in charge of ticketing for a sales agency representing Pan Am, Air France, Lufthansa, Alitalia, and Air Cambodia. As the Vietnam War escalated, the US bases in Thailand totally transformed our office. Whether the soldiers were arriving or departing, they relied on us. In those days, every itinerary was crafted by hand; hundreds of tickets for servicemen, Esso and Shell employees planning their home leave were hand-written.
I married a Swiss man and am a mother of three; Switzerland has become a cornerstone of our lives. It provided a sense of roots and belonging - which I had never truly felt before. My children attended Catholic boarding schools in Switzerland and forged successful paths. One lives in Switzerland, whilst the other two have now returned to Thailand: one of them in the travel business! Today the legacy continues as my grandchildren have also benefited from a Swiss education and the Bangkok Patana School.
Miss King in front of Langley Lodge, containing all the classrooms, dining rooms and kitchen.
While on a ‘free’ trip in 1967, I was denied standby-seats on a flight to Australia: that plane subsequently crashed with no survivors. God spared us - we were able to take the next flight for the completion of our global honeymoon; exploring Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, Peru, Mexico, the Caribbean and Europe. Frequent other ‘free’ travels took me and my husband to Japan, China, all through the Middle East and even down to Ushuaia - the most southern town in Argentina. From there we spent two weeks on a Russian ice-breaker in the Antarctic - an unforgettable experience.
Ariane’s mother, Rosamund Stuetzel, founded the Bangkok Patana School in 1957. Bangkok Patana is the oldest British International School in Thailand, educating over 2,200 pupils from age 2-18. Next year, it will be celebrating its 70th Jubilee. Ariane shared what motivated her mother to start the school.
After the war, expats did not have access to proper schools. The US Embassy founded the International School in 1951, however my mother did not want an American education for (all) her children: so whilst my brother and I attended UK boarding schools, she founded a British school in Bangkok for my younger sister Linda. The idea was to create a school where expat families could keep together whilst receiving an education equivalent to one in the UK. The Thai Ministry gladly saw that a British education would attract overseas investment and English-speaking professionals to Thailand.
My Mother had no background in education. Undaunted, she took the British National Education Unit Correspondence courses. British Airways offered to ship out the books and materials. The teachers were all foreign women, many of whom were qualified teachers and took the same correspondence course. The school occupied a bungalow with three rooms and a play house on the grounds of the house our family rented in Bangkok. The original student roll was only nine students! The school gradually became too big for the bungalow and moved onto a new campus. It is now on its fifth site - a huge school with over 2200 students.
I think British boarding schools will continue to be very important in the future. For Thai parents, a good British education is high on their wish list. International schools are valued. Boarding schools are valued as they offer safety and protection. There definitely is competition from Germany because of their technology, but the British system is still the one people prefer.
What are you up to today?
I am a member of a senior citizens’ group which undertakes local and international walking tours, luncheons, music, and lectures on Thai culture, the Buddhist religion and even AI. I still travel globally each year; to Europe to see family and recently I have visited Turkey, Armenia, Uzbekistan, Laos and Sumatra. In July, I will travel to Mongolia for the Naadam Festival to experience traditional horse racing, wrestling and archery.
I keep in touch with many of my school friends across the globe: in the UK, Portugal, Austria, USA and Japan. For me, Rye remains an essential part of my life; it is the glue holding us all together. My annual Christmas round-robins to my friends have become a tradition, chronicling my life through the generations and across the globe.
Ariane Stuetzel and Veronica Evans fooling around in their winter uniform of grey woollen pleated skirt, worn with a bright red woollen twin-set.