ASSIGNMENT 2: ARTICLE ANALYSIS

[Chamise Thompson]

KBTG calls for educational reforms to prepare for AI https://www.bangkokpost.com/life/tech/2625465/kbtg-calls-for-educational-reforms-to-prepare-for-ai
This article speaks on how Thailand must prepare for AI in the country by revamping the educational system. This is being monitored by the KBTG also known as Kasikorn Business-Technology Group. The chairman of KBTG, Ruangroj Poonpol seeks to overhaul the education system by providing AI knowledge, training and tools to students and teachers. The chairman has the firm belief that AI can empower learning with augmentation of individuals, relearning skills and changing learning methods. Ruangroj then discusses the idea of “4C” principles that AI can collaborate with people to make them super learners. Those principles are co-imagining, co-creating, co-exploring, co-thinking. These paired with the “4P” concept, standing for project, peers, passion and play, AI will be a companion for learning and an amplifier for teachers.
Co-creating encourages the use of innovation with AI, co-imagining encourages students to dream and imagine, co-exploring wants students to be inspired by new possibilities and co-thinking is for students to us AI to develop their way of critical thinking. One of the important notes that Ruangroj gives is that AI will help reduce the gap between teacher to student ratio. AI in the classrooms will be a major assistance to teachers in helping them plan lessons and material and designing exams. Ruangroj wants the education minister to revamp the curriculum to be in line with the future of educational needs. Ruangroj also notes that Pre-school level should be the start of the cultivation of the culture of loving to learn.
The KBTG is making moves to support their vision of AI in the classrooms in various ways. Firstly, they are pairing with King Mongkut’s Institute of Technology Ladkrabang to provide internships for technical engineering students. Secondly, KGBT also pairing with MIT Media Lab will also present the Thai AI-Augmented Literacy guidelines to the public on how to use AI for the future.
In regards to teachers, Ruangroj stresses the point of teachers having AI literacy and English literacy as a priority. Becoming a teacher myself, I think about the long term outlook of this system and how it may become integrated in the educational system. Not only will classrooms look different than what some teachers may be used to, the culture in general in regards to AI will come with a transition that not only reflects the educational system. This shows that Thailand is forward thinking of how their country can grow through technology and teachers can very well be part of this growth. What new standards for teachers will come out of this plan? How positive will the reactions to such a plan be?

[Ivy Pharr]

Chelsea,
This article is really eye-opening to the problems mahouts have faced caring for elephants for the past few years. In travels, particularly in India, I have seen some really heartbreaking treatment of elephants, and that experience has made me leery of elephant tourism. Elephants are incredible beings, and I would love to find a place that prioritizes their well-being over tourists interests.

[Riley Eurton]

https://www.unicef.org/thailand/press-releases/unicef-report-finds-children-thailand-high-risk-climate-change-and-environmental

This Unicef article from March 2023 explains how, according to research, children in Thailand are at “high risk” from the dangers of climate change. Children living in Northeastern and Southern provinces are considered the most at risk of these climate hazards. Specifically, Thailand is experiencing heat waves, droughts and floods, which in turn creates more water pollution, increases the spread of diseases, and limits the availability of nutritional foods. Children in particular are more susceptible to health issues from climate change due to the fact that their immune and nervous systems are not fully developed yet. Children also must rely on adults to keep them healthy and safe. Therefore, their wellbeing is often out of their control. In addition, as it does in every country, climate change in Thailand disproportionately affects different groups of people across the country. The most vulnerable groups of children being those from low-income households, those in rural areas, those with disabilities, and those who have immigrated to Thailand.

A study mentioned in this article suggests multiple strategies for taking action and making a positive difference to help minimize the effects of the climate crisis on children in Thailand. Of these actions listed, there are multiple possible ways that I can personally help reduce the harmful effects of environmental degradation. For instance, by educating myself I can then spread awareness of the issue and help people recognize the dangers they are being exposed to and teach them how they can make changes in their lives to protect themselves and others. It is also crucial as a new member of the Thai community that I do what I can to support actions taken wherever I am living in order to prevent climate damage as well as help prepare for and respond to environmental degradation.

[Riley Eurton]

Replying to Kholofelo Koko’s Post #22210:

Thank you for sharing this article as it was very informative regarding the education system in Thailand. At a glance, their educational system seems quite similar to the United States as well. The United States also provides 12 years of free basic education which can then be followed by undergraduate and graduate studies if desired. Although, these additional years must be paid for and can get very expensive without scholarships. It seems that informal education is of higher priority in Thailand when compared to the standard it is held in the United States. This is very interesting to me and something that I greatly appreciate and value as a future educator.

• This reply was modified 2 years, 7 months ago by Riley Eurton.

[Lorelei Jilek]

“Huawei to build AI, cloud training centre in Thailand”
https://www.bangkokpost.com/business/general/2650922/huawei-to-build-ai-cloud-training-centre-in-thailand

Digital Economy and Society Miniser Prasert Jantararuangtong announced that Huawei, a Chinese “technology giant” is planning to develop artificial intelligence and cloud literacy in Thailand. Huawei plans to have trained over 50,000 people by 2027.
This is part of a larger plan for Thailand to become a hub of technology investment. AI literacy would focus on expanding possibilities and refining technologies in weather forecasting, the state sector, and retail, medical, and manufacturing industries.
Having advanced technology in a wide range of fields would improve the lives of Thai citizens, adding to convenience and taking workloads off of people, making their work lives easier. While AI continues to be controversial in creative fields, it has potential to take every other industry to a higher level.
As a computer teacher in Thailand, I’ll be able to introduce students to the possibilities of AI, and inspire them to contribute to this new revolution.

[Lorelei Jilek]

It’s important to understand the education system we’re entering and how it got that way, but also to understand how we can make it better. Each student will have individual needs, and learning styles, and the system needs to reflect that the best that it can.
Technology is also advancing, an keeping students from learning with the technology could alienate them from it, and they may be behind from the rest of the world. I personally know many people who don’t know how to type or use “basic” computer programs such as Word, and their job options are limited for it.
We can definitely use this article to guide us in helping our students.

[Eve Percival]

https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/2650439/tourist-overload-at-si-thep

Si Thep Historical Park was identified as a world heritage site in 2019. This is now the fourth cultural World Heritage Site in Thailand. However, there are concerns that this status overwhelms the capacity of the site, because of the sudden influx of visitors expected. This is due to the limited infrastructure and road system in this area.

There is also concern that the site is still undiscovered and that the influx of interest and tourism could lead to looting. This could lead to undiscovered artefacts being stolen, damaged or sold on. This would replicate incidents that occurred in the 1970s and 1980s where Si Thep was reported to be one of the most looted cities.

[Eve Percival]

Hi Camille, Your article is interesting and of particular interest as I have experience in the events industry, where drug use was evident. I can relate the drug/ crime crisis in the United Kingdom. I also agree that rehabilitation programmes are crucial in supporting individuals.

[Jameil Hall]

Article: https://thethaiger.com/news/national/thai-teachers-owe-1-4-trillion-baht-in-debt-calls-for-stricter-financial-regulations

This article covers the issue/argument that Thai teachers are making poor financial, leading to large amounts of debt for the teachers, and a total of 1.4 trillion baht owed to several organizations, with 64% of that being owed to Teacher’s Savings Cooperative and 28% to the Government Savings Bank.

The article discusses the fact that increasing debt of teachers is a big issue in Thailand, nationwide. Some of the debt is good debt used to purchase homes and such, however, a big part of the issue is Thai educators making poor financial decisions, including gambling which is illegal. It has become such a problem that the Thai government is discussing imposing laws and regulations “impose penalties on teachers who incur inappropriate debt.”

This is important for us traveling to Thailand to be teachers because being aware of this issue, we should be mindful of our own spending habits and ensure we do not accumulate unnecessary losses/debt. As it has been mentioned through the process, prices in Thailand are lower but purchases can add up quickly. Budget, spend wisely, don’t accumulate a bunch of unnecessary items, and respect the law to not partake in illegal/unsafe activities.

[Jameil Hall]

Replying to Kholofelo Koko:

This is a great article. It explains the full structure of the Thai education system clearly. I can appreciate the article as a soon to be English teachers as it shows how Thailand is making serious efforts to improve the education of their future generations. I greatly respect the large portion of the national budget that goes toward education and I look forward to respectfully doing my part.

[Molly Barron]

English Language Teaching and Learning in Thailand (psu.edu)

This article discusses the increase of English teachers in Thailand, their beneficial impact on Thai communities as well as some of the problems faced when taking on the teaching role. Looking into the history of Thailand the article presents a stable nation with a united language that has an emerging need to integrate other languages in order to help trade and commerce, to boost the economic.
It is due to the low proficiency of English speakers that difficulties have arisen in the classroom. The differences between syntax, tone and a lack of cultural knowledge makes the transmission and communication difficult. Furthermore, outside of tourism there is a lack of opportunity to use English in their daily lives. This presents learning English as extremely challenging and a large task to take on. However, the article also touches on how this is changing as the education and curriculum changes the level of English competence rises, with this the economic and tourist potential of Thailand also increases.

[Oliver Sharpe]

Source: https://www.holidify.com/pages/history-of-ayutthaya-2716.html
History of Ayutthaya – A Tale of How This Ancient City Came to Being
This article details the rise, fall and restoration of the Ancient city of Ayutthaya. Ayutthaya was founded as a part of the Sukhothai kingdom in the 13th Century and during the latter half of that century, Ayutthaya flourished into a grand and important trading hub. Ayutthaya had over a million citizens and was massively wealthy for around 500 years. They underwent several bouts of conflict in and over the city with various forces wanting to gain control over the wealthy city. In 1431 Ayutthaya invaded Angkor and towards the end of that century, Ayutthaya defeated the Sukhothai kingdom and absorbed it into Ayutthaya’s kingdom.

Ayutthaya’s downfall came over the 17th to 18th century when the Burmese Kingdom constantly attempted to attack Ayutthaya, weaking it from constant assault. This led to the raid of the city in 1767 where the Burmese burned down the city, wiping out all its wooden structures and leaving only the grand stone temples. After this the city was abandoned and the Thai kingdom’s capital was later moved to where Bangkok now stands, leaving the old capital to be forgotten.

In the 60’s the restoration of Ayutthaya was started to regather the lost history of the forgotten city. In the 90s the towers and monasteries were excavated, and the city became a tourist hotspot and UNESCO world heritage site.

This article related to me as I am teaching in Ayutthaya when I visit and when visiting big historical monuments I think its good to know the real historical context of these locations and when taking in the culture of any place I think knowing the historical background of that culture enriches the experience greatly.

[Emma Holmes]

https://www.unicef.org/thailand/press-releases/unicef-report-finds-children-thailand-high-risk-climate-change-and-environmental

– UNICEF report finds children in Thailand at ‘high risk’ from climate change and environmental degradation

This article is a heart-breaking read. A representative of UNICEF explains the extent to which climate change is affecting Thai children, including “illnesses, malnutrition, stress, anxiety and even death, and creates lifelong damage to children’s development and well-being”. This is, of course, most distressing for Thai people, however, it is quite stressful to read as someone moving to Thailand. It is a beautiful country where I could see myself living for a long time, but this may no longer be an option in the future due to the impact of climate change.

This article also really touched me because I am going to be teaching young Thai children soon. I hope to one day become an EFL teacher that can inspire children to become lifelong learners of English, which could help them in their future. Unfortunately, learning English may be more than an aspiration. Because they are at a high risk of facing climate disasters, they are unfortunately more likely to become climate migrants. It’s sad to think about how their English language may be used out of necessity from fleeing to a safer country, rather than a choice they made to pursue their dreams

[Lily Hutt]

Article: https://www.thaienquirer.com/38325/women-in-modern-thailand-still-face-obstacles-discrimination-in-the-workplace/

Titled: Women in modern Thailand still face obstacles, discrimination in the workplace

This article explores the ongoing struggles that women in Thailand face in the workplace and the constant pressure to overcome obstacles that gender stereotyping creates. It also applauds women for breaking through barriers that have been put in place to pull them down. Whilst this is a nice sentiment, it is not a woman’s responsibility to constantly fix what she did not create.

Darunee “Dara” is a 27-year-old woman who has been rejected from a job as a civil engineer 17 times before finally landing her dream occupation. She states, “I must work harder than everyone to show I’m capable of making contributions.” It saddens me to think that negative preconceptions about her talent and skills are determined by the fact she is a woman. Before she has even entered the room, she is looked down upon and underestimated. She also states, “Before I got accepted to this job, my employer asked me whether I can provide the same contributions as men do with the company”. This instant undermining and comparison to the opposite sex shows that it does not matter if she is equally qualified, or more qualified, than her colleagues, she has already been put into a box.

This being said, women’s rights are protected in the workplace. Whilst this may seem comforting, often allegations of discrimination are ignored as many of the “protectors” who are of high importance, are men. This is the case in many countries, not just Thailand.

Girajade Wisetdonwail, a 24-year-old activist, states “The distrust and underestimation towards women hold women back from developing themselves. Women don’t receive the opportunity to grow as they should,” and therefore “It makes it difficult for women to build confidence to grow in their career.” As a young woman who is about to embark on a wonderful journey of educating children, equality in the classroom is a top priority of mine. Societal standards and sexism are taught at an early age, especially as Thai children are often raised in a patriarchal household. It is important to me that I install confidence into all the children no matter their gender so that they feel uplifted and inspired to create the life that they want. Emilie Pradichit, an international human rights lawyer, says to “Allow yourself to create your own woman … Little by little, we can make a change.”

The world is not always made for women to thrive, but if we start to change these ideals in the adaptable and intelligent minds of children, our forthcoming generations of adults may show us a brighter future.

[Lily Hutt]

Hi Poppy, your summary of this article is very detailed and informative so thank you for that. It is such a sad topic that us humans were blissfully unaware of during the pandemic. I was aware of the economic impact on many organisations that rely on tourism, however, I did not realise the extent of the effects this would have on zoo animals. Zoos are a good place for animals with additional needs to be taken care of, but not exploited for our entertainment. The fact that we are enabling them to survive in the wild rather than encouraging them is very sad. It makes you wonder the power that petitions hold, or lack of, if 115,000 people have signed to no avail. Thanks for sharing.

[Author]

Posts