Tang-kwa was 18 when Fund Isaan granted her a scholarship. She was studying Accounting in her final year of secondary school at Sangkha Industrial and Community Education College. She continued her education at the same college in pursuit of a high certificate.
Her parents divorced when she was only four years old. She lived with her mother and her grandmother. The family had a small rice farm. Tang-kwa always helped on the farm. To make some extra money she sold fish in the morning market, starting at 04.00 AM.