ASSIGNMENT 2: ARTICLE ANALYSIS

[Roda Anshur]

The article discusses the significance of Constitution Day in Thailand, celebrated annually on the 10th of December. This public holiday holds historical and cultural importance, commemorating the transition from absolute monarchy to constitutional monarchy in Thailand. The day is marked by various activities, including displaying portraits of past and present Thai kings, illuminating government offices, and organising parades. It’s also a time for education, with seminars and exhibitions held to enlighten citizens about the constitution and encourage their participation in the political process.

For travellers and residents in Thailand, Constitution Day offers a unique opportunity to witness the nation’s respect for its history and its ongoing journey towards democratic governance. Visiting Bangkok’s Democracy Monument, adorned with representations of the constitution and symbols of armed forces, provides insight into Thailand’s struggle for democratic principles. Observing the ceremonial procession at the Ananta Samakhom Throne Hall offers a glimpse into the country’s cultural heritage and its commitment to preserving historical landmarks.

For those living in Thailand, Constitution Day fosters a sense of unity as citizens come together to celebrate their shared history and values. Understanding the significance of this holiday can deepen the appreciation for Thailand’s political evolution and inspire expatriates and residents to engage more actively in the country’s socio-political matters. Overall, the article highlights how Constitution Day is not only a holiday of historical importance but also an occasion that reflects Thailand’s commitment to democracy and civic participation.

[Lucy Whiteford]

Hi Kate!!

I really enjoyed reading the article you chose, as well as your summary/response. Growing up in the United States, I am familiar with some improvements we need to implement into our education system, but it’s so interesting to understand from a Thai perspective, especially since we’re going to be apart of said system. I was also given access to iPads and laptops as a tool to help me learn, and I don’t always think about how different of an education you get depending on what country you’re from. I agree with the article that there is no need to delay upgrading our young people’s educational experiences and outcomes, when it’s possible to start today! This should be prioritized, and I hope we can make a difference.

[Lucy Whiteford]

Hi Kate!!
I really enjoyed reading the article you chose, as well as your summary/response. Growing up in the United States, I am familiar with some improvements we need to implement into our education system, but it’s so interesting to understand from a Thai perspective, especially since we’re going to be apart of said system. I was also given access to iPads and laptops as a tool to help me learn, and I don’t always think about how different of an education you get depending on what country you’re from. I agree with the article that there is no need to delay upgrading our young people’s educational experiences and outcomes, when it’s possible to start today! This should be prioritized, and I hope we can make a difference.

[Ian Happy]

Related Article: https://englishkyoto-seas.org/2018/08/vol-7-no-2-malee-sitthikriengkrai-and-nathan-porath/
The Article: “Understanding the Importance of “Patient’s Choice” in the Early Environmental Justice Activism of the Karen of Klity Creek (Thailand)”
The Karen people in Thailand were coerced to do work that would allow them to stay on their indigenous land and make a living at a personal cost that permanently disrupted the ecosystem and their own health and safety. The lack of any formal education became clear when shortly after the mining of lead minerals started, adverse effects arose. It was clear the problems shared some correlation with the mining, but unable to prove it and relying on the water still for food and sustenance the Karen people slowly poisoned themselves, their livestock and their future. When the cattle dropped dead the signs could not be ignored and the mine was closed for about a month during which the mining company grossly exploited the acute education and large language barrier to trick some Karen people into signing a paper cleansing the mine of any liability or responsibility for the poisoned water. The Karen people are not unintelligent, they were lewdly tricked and exploited, but they knew injustice was being dealt and they fought it. Eventually the Karen people did get reparations from the court cases; it is not enough to repair or replace everything damaged or rehabilitate the stream.
Ecological citizenry is a term coined in this article that surrounds a disappointing ability for humans to voice their opinions and be heard without any relevance or help for the people or places in harm’s way. Blame can be shifted onto the victims as partly responsible and it becomes an absolute bloody mess to try and resolve to get the proper resources allocated to the proper people or place in distress. I think this principle was one of the more prominent takeaways from the article to explain why there is injustice and why it seems so hard to get justice for or resolve in any form. The problem becomes systemic, like racism in America, if we turn a blind eye or cannot relate to another group’s culture on a personal level we do not object to its eradication. I believe by acknowledging these truths and keeping a conscious awareness and understanding of the systemic exploitation and lack of formal education in the margins of Thai society we can become even more effective teachers. As guests in Thailand, and as traveling ambassadors for our home countries it is paramount that what we take away from articles such as this, is that knowledge is power and it becomes an inherent responsibility for those that possess the keys to knowledge to share it with those willing to learn while remaining cognizant, respectful, and open to the culture and history at hand. It is encouraging to see the trending rise of a civil society concerned with so much activism for the betterment of the nation, I believe it really exemplifies the values of the Thai collectivist culture that we have explored in this course.

[Ian Happy]

Hi Kirsten! I really enjoyed reading your analysis of that Vogue article. My parents are from the East Coast and I was born and raised on the West Coast arguable nurturing characteristics of the most “Type A” hustling and bustling lifestyle like you described. Studying abroad in Thailand my Junior year of university was most enlightening and one of the most intense forms of immersive therapy you could imagine for someone learning to accept that “go with the flow” mentality. It did wonders for my patience and anxiety in the long run, but at the time points of frustration and agitation approached new limits. The Thai expression “mai pben rai” also encompasses this easy going energy found in the country and since traveling I can say I have strived to incorporate it in my daily life for the purposes of an overall healthier lifestyle. However, it is my take away that certain environments will foster this “no worries, no problems” creed more than others, and that is actually one of the many reasons I have chosen to return to Thailand in order to carry on in a culture that cultivates individual satisfaction. Furthermore, I believe your assumption that Bangkok as a large city will be a much more amenable adjustment is well founded I think you will still be shocked to experience just how deeply rooted this cultural phenomena is, even in the city. I look forward to hearing your feedback and am excited for you to have that experience as someone found in similar circumstances.

[Maria Potjomkina]

Hello everybody 🙂

I chose the article:

Thailand to escalate the creative economy through Bangkok Design Week

Article title – Thailand boosts creative economy with Bangkok Design Week 2023.

In February 2023 in Bangkok was organized Design Week 2023 event, which addressed topics such as a Thailand’s economy prosperity, health, sustainability, well-being, new opportunities and professions, collaboration and various projects through creative, design, innovation, with support for development in global and local markets, in different companies and communities.

This article begins by informing that CEA (Creative Economy Agency) has organized a number of events and campaigns bringing together think tanks and experts, talents and creative minds to share their insights, explore best practices and address a common ground for future growth since it launched in 2019. The three main annual projects under design week platforms that contribute to Thailand’s GDP each year are Bangkok Design Week, Chiang Mai Design Week, and Isan Creative Festival.
In 2019, Bangkok was selected by UNESCO as a Сreative city. This event has brought many benefits for whole Thailand. The Royal Thai Government is also pleased to announce that since 2019 Bangkok was designated as a member of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network under the Design category.
UNESCO’s designation of creative cities involves rigorous evaluation and selection processes. Below are some of the attributes that successfully landed Bangkok in the latest listing of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network:
Availability of design projects and events in the chosen creative field; Distinctive human capital, and support for cultural and economic development and employment opportunities in local communities; Use of creativity in the development of local communities.
Additional information that, the Network of Creative Cities covers seven fields: Crafts and Folk Art, Design, Film, Gastronomy, Media Arts, Literature and Music. Currently, the Network is made up of 246 cities from all around the world. For Thailand, Phuket joined the Network of gastronomic creative cities in 2015, while Chiang Mai has been recognized as a creative city in Crafts and Folk Art since 2017. In 30 October 2019, Bangkok was the latest creative city to join the Network in Design and Sukhothai in Crafts and Folk Art along with 64 other cities. CEA has put together a Creative City Index to collect data of creative economy growth and factors that encourage creative economy in five key cities in Thailand. The lessons learned from data collection have been used to further develop other 33 cities through Thailand Creative District Network.
Mr. Chakrit Pichyangkul, Executive Director of the Creative Economy Agency explained that CEA is working in support of the government’s policy in driving Thailand’s creative economy through creative individuals, businesses and places. The past five Bangkok Design Weeks during 2018 – 2022 helped generate an economic value of some 1.368 billion Baht (40 million US dollars) and were attended by over 1.75 million visitors.
The Bangkok Design Week 2023 event was organized under the concept “urban’NICE’zation”, placing special emphasis on design and creative concepts/ideas to improve living conditions and surrounding areas of Bangkok.
In this article was also a dialogue about reinforcing the ideas of using creativity to overcome the challenges of Bangkok under the topic “Transforming Bangkok with Design and Creativity”.
Design has been highlighted as an element to help solve existing situations for Bangkok with the aim of promoting better welfare of the people. For example: City design focuses on increasing green areas and effective use of available areas; Transportation under the Green City policy such as the introduction of electric boats to reduce water pollution.
The article also notes that Bangkok Design Week continues to play an important role in promoting the creative industry and creating economic value for the country. This program relies on cooperation with and among governmental agencies, private organizations, and educational institutions. Cities globally are connected together through local policies, forming a network that aims at strengthening creative industries for sustainable economic development. In conjunction with the Bangkok Design Week 2023, the Bangkok Creative City Dialogue, an equally important event was held, bringing together member cities from the Asian and European regions including the People’s Republic of China, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, South Korea, Singapore, Thailand and the United Kingdom.
CEA and other related organizations are committed to putting together a robust framework and roadmap to success for Thailand’s creative economy, making Bangkok a hub for good living location, travel, and investment.

Thank you for this assignment, it was interesting and informative. I found very interesting information about development of the design industry in Thailand, about the projects that are supported in development and expansion of opportunities for people in these professions. I was also interested to know that in Thailand creativity is given attention and there are plans to further expand and develop projects that give people the opportunity to express their talents, realize ideas, expand the range of creative professions, and transform the lives of people, neighborhoods, towns, districts, buildings, economies and welfare of the whole country. I have not been to Thailand yet and I am going to move there and live as a teacher, I would like to explore this inside the country, since the creativity and design are also close to me as one of the ways of development.

Thank you!

[Maria Potjomkina]

Replying to Kian Shah post.
Thank you Kian for such interesting and tasty topic about Traditional Thai Food. Due to your article, I found out exiting information about five distinct culinary regions, variety of food and dishes and the specialty of culinary delights in the regions of the country, and I will definitely try the desserts as well when i will be in Thailand and explore regions to try different deliciousness :).

[Lucy Whiteford]

https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/2559096/pros-cons-of-thai-education

The article I chose, “Pros, cons of Thai education”, talks about the rise of international students looking to study in Thailand, and what they like and dislike about the Thai education. First, The Bangkok Post interviewed a Cambodian student, who said that studying in Thailand is not only enjoyable, but also conducive to further learning, specifically mentioning the many facilities her university has which support students’ creative endeavors. Another student from Mexico said that she found Thai people to be very welcoming and helpful, however she did feel a strong language barrier. Overall, the article explains that while studying abroad may be a rewarding experience, it is not without its obstacles.

As someone who is about to live in Thailand for the foreseeable future, reading this article relates to me heavily. Although I will be a teacher, rather than a student, the teacher-student relationship will definitely be a prevalent factor in my life. Although in the article, one of the students said there was a barrier between students and professors (unlike in Mexico where teachers and students were “almost like friends”), I think that I’ll be able to break this barrier and have close interpersonal relations with my students. I am excited to challenge this stigma! Another obstacle the article mentions is the language barrier, which I’m sure without a doubt will be a little bit of an issue. However, I am eager and willing to put in the work to lessen that gap and spend time on my Thai! Obviously it will be difficult at times, but I will try my best to be patient and learn from the Thai people.

[Jordan ‘Taylor’ Gathman]

Roda,
Very interesting article on Constitution day in Thailand. It sounds like a great holiday. I hope to experience that holiday during my time there.

[Victoria Cacioppo]

Article link: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/361434439_Recent_Developments_in_Basic_Education_in_Thailand_Issues_and_Challenges
This article discusses the recent developments in basic education in Thailand. It has been found that Thai students are performing below the international average in core subjects. The authors strongly believe this is due to two main reasons: differentiated management of small versus large schools and inefficient resource allocation in public spending on education. Thailand initiated its inaugural education reform through the enactment of the 1999 National Education Act. This resulted in substantial modifications to the management and administrative framework, with a particular focus on devolving administrative duties to the local level. The Thai government also dedicates a substantial portion of its resources to bolster this initiative. Approximately 15 to 20 percent of the national budget is allocated to fund primary education annually.
Thailand has made notable progress in expanding primary and secondary enrollment in recent decades, yet concerns about education quality and learning outcomes persist. While adult literacy rates have improved, students’ performance in national and international assessments remains subpar. This suggests a problem with the quality of education at the primary and secondary levels, with Warr (2019) suggesting that Thailand’s under-resourced educational system has contributed to its middle-income trap. Recent studies emphasize the growing issue of low learning outcomes and academic disparities in Thailand’s basic education system. A key factor in these disparities is the significant difference in educational quality between rural and urban areas. Rural students often attend small schools with fewer than 120 students, which lack high-quality teachers and adequate infrastructure. In 2020, roughly half of Thailand’s 29,642 schools were classified as small schools, highlighting the extent of this challenge in the country’s educational landscape.
The gap in education quality between urban and rural areas in Thailand is connected to resource allocation. Addressing issues like teacher shortages and inadequate infrastructure requires substantial public investment. Despite significant annual investments in primary and secondary schools, greater educational resources are needed but remain insufficient to reduce educational inequality. Additionally, intangible factors like accountability, autonomy, management, and perceptions of staff and students play crucial roles in enhancing education quality. Furthermore, limited improvements in learning levels could harm Thailand’s economy, which has shifted from a low-income, agriculture-based economy to a middle-income, industrialized, and export-oriented one. Concerns of being trapped in a middle-income status call for a focus on both workforce quantity and quality, emphasizing the importance of expanding human capital through substantial public investment and educational curriculum reform, given the poor learning outcomes and academic performance disparities across the country.
While substantial public and private investments have increased primary and secondary school enrollments, the study reveals that students’ learning outcomes remain unsatisfactory and have not shown significant improvement. Particularly in national examinations for Grades 6 and 9 students, performance in subjects like Maths, Science, and English remains low. Thai students’ PISA scores fall below international standards and haven’t improved in the past decade. Additionally, a notable achievement gap persists between urban and rural students, raising questions about the effectiveness of policies aimed at ensuring equal access and quality education for all citizens. This disparity in learning quality is attributed to insufficient educational resources and physical infrastructure in rural areas, highlighting the need for better distribution of public education expenditure to narrow these gaps.
This article specifically relates to me as I will be teaching math in Thailand over the course of the next several months. This article was eye-opening to see how much a well-certified, high-quality teacher is needed in the school system in Thailand to teach their students. It is rewarding to know I fit those categories and will be making a positive impact on the Thailand education system and on students’ lives throughout the school district I am placed in.

[Victoria Cacioppo]

• This reply was modified 2 years, 8 months ago by Victoria Cacioppo.

[Victoria Cacioppo]

Hi Kian! I greatly enjoyed reading about the different cuisine various regions of Thai has to offer. I strongly believe it is beneficial to learn about the different types of food that are offered in different regions in Thailand. Especially if someone has dietary restrictions or if they are a picky eater it is very useful to learn about which region offers what food! I am looking forward to traveling all over Thailand and trying the different cuisine within each area. I also heard that the mango sticky rice is a must-have!!

[Mia Kerrigan]

Article: ‘The Guardian view on Thailand’s elections: can the country move forward?’
This article offers an overview of recent elections in Thailand which occurred in May 2023. The article particularly discusses how political parties in Thailand draw on social issues and regional differences to gain support, and acknowledges how existing structures (eg. the monarchy) impact politics in Thailand. Through reading this article I realized some of the many differences between the political system in Thailand and the political system in the UK. I think that being aware of these differences forms the first step to understanding Thai culture and to managing the culture shock of moving to a country that is very different politically to my own. I also think that being aware of these social and political issues will help me to avoid bringing up difficult or controversial topics when it is not appropriate, which will help to maintain professional relationships with Thai colleagues. The article is critical of the Thai establishment, however whilst reading it I tried to keep in mind values which are important in Thailand such as avoiding conflict and showing respect to the monarchy.

[Mia Kerrigan]

Response to Victoria Cacioppo:
This was a very interesting and thorough summary of the article which brings attention to very important topics regarding education in Thailand. As somebody who is moving to Thailand to teach I found this very informative and I think that it will impact my approach to teaching. In particular, I think that learning about the issues facing Thai education will inspire me to really commit to teaching and to give my students the best education possible regardless of funding or resource issues.

[Kafi Wharton-Baum]

Link to article: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00094056.2022.2108293?journalCode=uced20
The article ‘Learn-Earn-Return: Working With Underprivileged Youth in Thailand’ investigates the work that the Thai Child Development Foundation (TCDF) do supporting vulnerable children (including children with special educational needs, who live in poverty, have lost parental care, or are forced to live on the streets in rural areas of Thailand). In the article, they state that UNICEF estimates around one million children live in vulnerable conditions in Thailand. Most of these children are based in the rural areas of Thailand where there is a ‘dire’ lack of provision and support for these children.
Hence, the charity aims to develop vulnerable children and young people’s independence and self-sufficiency by addressing their physical challenges and learning challenges, providing protection and support in unsafe home situations, and meeting socioeconomic challenges. They do this by working with parents, caregivers, teachers, community leaders and the village headman to provide customised support for children to break out of negative cycles. This ensures that the children can give back to their community as a young adult with sufficient skills and attitudes. This is an important topic for me as someone going to teach in Thailand as I have been able to understand the support available to vulnerable children in Thailand and when working in a Thai school I will hopefully be able to support these children in the most appropriate way. I have recently written a dissertation about vulnerable children in England and it has been very interesting to compare the support available from a teacher’s perspective in Thailand and England.

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