Government Of Thailand Research Articles

Convergence of corporate governance in Malaysia and Thailand

Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to examine whether there is a firm-level corporate governance (CG) convergence in two emerging economies, namely Malaysia and Thailand in post-Asian financial crisis periods, and how the level of convergence is moderated by different firm-specific factors.Design/methodology/approach– Using data collected from annual reports of top Malaysian and Thai companies in two point of times 2005 and 2008, this research examines the attributes of board of directors to find the firm-level CG convergence. This study, based on prior literature, identified firm-specific factors to assess their moderating impact on the level of convergence. This paper exploits beta and sigma convergence technique to measure the CG convergence.Findings– Results show that top Malaysian and Thai companies have developed internal CG practices in similar way with increasing board independent, separate board leadership, important board committees, board education, and participation in the post-crisis reform regime. Accordingly, there is a firm-level CG convergence within companies of an individual country, i.e. intra-convergence, and companies across the countries, i.e. inter-convergence. Notwithstanding, the study does not find the unconditional convergence in all CG variables. Additionally, it observes that the firm-level CG convergence is moderated by firm-specific factors.Practical implications– Outcomes of the study have the implication to understand the complicated changing aspects of internal CG practices in emerging economies which, in turn, can help to formulate and implement effective CG structure so that firms can tackle adverse effects of any further economic crisis. Because this paper highlights that the firms in these emerging economies have enough room yet to improve their CG practices to become internationally competitive.Originality/value– This paper demonstrates how internal CG practices may evolve and converge in emerging Southeast Asian economies. Results related to moderating factors of firm-level CG convergence contribute in literature by exploring a new dimension of CG convergence.

The Potential of Biomass Energy from Agricultural Residues for Small Electricity Generation in Thailand

The demand for energy in Thailand has been continually increasing as the economic and social country grows. Approximately 60% of Thailand's primary energy is imported, mostly petroleum products. In 2008, Thailand's total energy consumption was 80,971 ktoe and the net price of energy imported was up to 1,161 billion Baht, which is equivalent to 12.8% of the GDP at the current price. Energy consumption or energy demand has been growing at an annual compounded growth rate of 6.42% and the peak electric power demand and electricity consumption was recorded at 22,568 MW and 148,264 GWh and grew at a rate of 7.0 and 7.5% per annum during the period from 1989 to 2008. The gross agriculture production in 2008 was recorded at 135.4 Mt, representing agriculture residue for energy at 65.73 Mt, which is equivalent to an energy potential of about 561.64 PJ or 13,292 ktoe (an increase in average of 5.59 and 5.44% per year, respectively). The agricultural residues can be converted to 15,600 GWh/year or 1,780 MW of power capacity. So, if Thailand's government plans to install small biomass gasification for electricity generation 200 kW for Sub-district Administrative Organization. The residue agricultural is available for 8,900 plants nationwide. The small biomass gasification for electricity generation not only reduces the energy imports, it also makes jobs and income for people in rural areas as well. This article's aim is to report the energy situation in Thailand, and it has studied five main agricultural products with high residue energy potential, namely, sugarcane, paddy, oil palm, cassava, and maize, appropriate for small electricity production. These agricultural products can be found planted in many rural areas throughout Thailand. Finally, the article discusses the situation, methods, and policies that the government uses to promote small private power producers supplying electricity into the grid.

Factors Affecting Adoption of Vegetable Growing Using Organic System:A Case Study of Royal Project Foundation, Thailand

This study aims to investigate the factors affecting the adoption of an organic vegetable growing system, and the problems faced by and the suggestions of 600 farmers related to vegetable growing in the Royal Project Foundation covering 15 Royal Project development centers in Thailand. A questionnaire was used to collect the answers as responses to the objectives of this study. Logit model was also employed in the study. The results revealed that, of all the samples, there were 304 farmers participating in the project of vegetable growing according to the organic system; the findings also showed that the factors affecting the decision making in growing vegetables in the organic system the most were the willingness of farmers, and the meeting or training in organic vegetable growing, in that order. It was also found that non-Hmong farmers had the opportunity to willingly participate in the project. The results of this study will be used to encourage farmers working in the Royal Project areas to increasingly adopt vegetable growing according to the organic system. In addition, it is expected that the government of Thailand will be able to apply the results of the study to encourage more Thai farmers to grow a variety of vegetables using the organic system.

Investment Incentive of Grid Connected Solar Photovoltaic Power Plant under Proposed Feed-in Tariffs Framework in Thailand

This study aims to present the proposed feed-in tariffs in grid connected photovoltaic power plants in Thailand. Under the Renewable and Alternative Energy Development Plan for 25 percent of final energy consumption in 10 years (AEDP 2012-2021), The government of Thailand has planed that the electricity generated by solar power will be 2,000 MW or 2,484 GWh. Thailand has moderate solar potential with average annual global radiation of 17-18 MJ/m2.day. Until recently, the incentive of investment to produce electricity from solar power is under government subsidization scheme, or Adder. However, the Adder itself has many constraints such as the limitation of the period of subsidization within 10 years for solar power. This paper investigates the proposed feed-in tariffs in solar photovoltaic through the whole lifetime of the projects by an energy model (RETscreen model) in three categories; (1) residential rooftop, (2) integrated ground mounted and rooftop solar photovoltaic, and (3) utility scale with the installed capacity larger than 1 MW. The result of this study found that the proposed feed-in tariffs with after tax return to equity of 11.0% are: $0.48/kWh for residential rooftop, $0.31/kWh for the integrated ground mounted and rooftop solar photovoltaic, and $0.28/kWh for the utility scale.

Mediums, Monks and Amulets: Thai Popular Buddhism Today

Mediums, Monks, and Amulets is a sophisticated yet accessible study of the state of popular Buddhist beliefs as they are practiced in Thailand today. Using a combination of focused case studies and analysis, Pattana Kitiarsa explores the nature and evolution of popular Buddhism over the past three decades by focusing on those individuals who practice, popularize, and profit from it. The case studies profiled include prominent spirit mediums and magic monks, the lottery fever surrounding the posthumous cult of folk singer Phumphuang Duangchan, the Chatukham-Rammathep amulet craze, and the cult of wealth attributed to preeminent monk Luang Pho Khun. It also explores the history of both popular and official opinion surrounding supernatural Buddhism, and its clashes with the rationalist, modernizing policies of Thailand's monarchy and government. Mediums, Monks, and Amulets contests the viewpoint that supernatural elements within popular Buddhism are a symptom of the decline of the religion. Instead, it argues that this hybridity between traditional Buddhist beliefs and elements from other religions is in fact indicative of the health and wealth of Buddhism as it negotiates large-scale commercialization and global modernity.

Participatory Development Communication for Natural Resources Management in Ratchaburi Province, Thailand

The participatory development communication is a key process of bringing stakeholders together to cooperate towards addressing the problem of dissolution of the environment and natural resources. It let them work together towards a sustainable social change away from individual behaviour change. It is a set of techniques to make people change their knowledge, attitudes, and practices that allow people to voluntarily engage in the activities related to natural resource management. In the case of natural resources management, multiple stakeholders are involved in administration and implementation. The model of this study assumes that all levels of participatory development communication will relate knowledge, attitude and practice of stakeholder's concerning natural resources management.Ratchaburi province is a major agricultural area in Thailand. The area is prone to severe natural disasters in the past few years such as drought, inundation, hurricane and conflagration due to climate change. The government of Thailand allocates an increasing budget for natural resources management in the area, but this does not solve the problem alone. The government needs an effective strategy in mitigating the problems. The participatory development communication in community based natural resources management can help the government in formulating effective strategies to alleviate future disasters. This means that the community where the disasters occur helps in solving and mitigating the problems caused by natural disasters and natural resources degradation respectively.The study centers the following variables; the levels of participatory development communication which is (1) information sharing, (2) consultation, (3) collaboration, and (4) empowerment and knowledge, attitude and practice. The research assumes that the levels of participatory development communication affect the knowledge, attitude and practice of stakeholders. Which means higher the level of participatory development communication corresponds to higher knowledge, attitude and practice measure on natural resources management. Considering the relationship between these variables and theneed to address the growing problem on natural resources management, it is important that the government using participatory development communication explore the different ways in conserving nature and lessen its expenses on unprepared disasters. The result assumes that levels of participatory development communication are correlated to stakeholder's knowledge, attitude and practice measure. There is a relationship between stakeholder's knowledge, attitude and practice towards natural resources management and participatory development communication practice. Particularly it puts into assumption that: (1) participatory development communication is directly correlated to knowledge, attitude and practice, which means that as participatory development communication level increases, knowledge, attitude and practice among stakeholders also increases, and (2) participatory development communication levels are inversely correlated to knowledge, attitude and practice, thus, as participatory development communication increases, knowledge, attitude and practice decreases or vice versa.Looking at the situation of Ratchaburi province, the increasing budget on natural resources management can be lessen if there is proper communication and participation between stakeholders and the government. Thus, study will give a new government approach towards natural resources management and increasing knowledge, attitude and practice of stakeholders.

From Disease to Pandemic

From Disease to Pandemic

Barriers to employment: voices of physically disabled rural women in Thailand

Employment is an essential activity that can generate income for people with disabilities, but very little is known about the interplay between disabled women, family and paid jobs. This article, therefore, sets forth a qualitative method for examining barriers that affect the employment opportunities of physically disabled women. Findings drawn from face-to-face interviews with 20 physically disabled women who live in rural poverty in Thailand clearly indicate that physical barriers from built environment, personal limitations; attitudinal barriers from the non-disabled community, especially employers; and over-protection from families limit their employment opportunities. Despite showing their interests in the labour market, these women are still left behind and trapped in rural poverty. The author argues that this situation is due to the non-disabled community ignoring the potential of these women. The author also recommends that the government of Thailand, NGOs and disability organisations should introduce strong tailored interventions and a multifaceted approach to address the medical, social and legal aspects of restricted participation in the labour market in order to improve the employment prospects of women with physical disabilities.

A Survey of Remote Household Energy Use in Rural Thailand

In the past, a goal of the Government of Thailand was for all households in the country to have access to electric power. Consequently, the installation of electric power generation system from renewable energy project was created in villages without electric power. The aim of the government project is to promote the use of renewable energy, especially solar PV systems. Solar Home System (SHS) will be the first solution to the no power supply problem. The purpose of this research was survey and distributive questionnaire in a sample solar home system use of rural villages in Thailand that are located in different regions. The main components of the systems (inverter and control unit) more than 50% were broken. The main cause of components broken because of, the SHS users have not enough knowledge for operate and maintenance system. The SHS user needs to increase electricity for use every day Result of studies as shown 78% of the households generate electricity only by SHS, 16.9% usage both of SHS and agriculture diesel engine and 5.1% generate electricity only by agriculture diesel engine. To satisfy the growing demand of energy in a village, a PV hybrid system can be designed by integrating an agriculture diesel engine. This is in order to supply greater power reliability to the community through introduction of a community micro grid.

Impacts of Tourism Development in Ban had Rin Community at Koh Phangan Island, Thailand: A Sustainable Tourism Perspective

This paper documents the problems and impacts of the tourism development in Ban Had Rin Community at Koh Phangan Island. The study focuses on sustainable tourism including the environment, socio-culture and economic aspects. This study investigates the qualitative data from the second-hand materials as the Thailand government’s publication, research papers and website on tourism involved in the phase one, and the first-hand materials as the field survey to assess the impacts of tourism on the community in the phase two. In conclusion, the study suggests that if tourism development will be successful, Ban Had Rin Community should be planned and managed in a sustainable manner.

Real‐time forecasting of the April 11, 2012 Sumatra tsunami

The April 11, 2012, magnitude 8.6 earthquake off the northern coast of Sumatra generated a tsunami that was recorded at sea‐level stations as far as 4800 km from the epicenter and at four ocean bottom pressure sensors (DARTs) in the Indian Ocean. The governments of India, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Maldives issued tsunami warnings for their coastlines. The United States' Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC) issued an Indian Ocean‐wide Tsunami Watch Bulletin in its role as an Interim Service Provider for the region. Using an experimental real‐time tsunami forecast model (RIFT), PTWC produced a series of tsunami forecasts during the event that were based on rapidly derived earthquake parameters, including initial location and Mwp magnitude estimates and the W‐phase centroid moment tensor solutions (W‐phase CMTs) obtained at PTWC and at the U. S. Geological Survey (USGS). We discuss the real‐time forecast methodology and how successive, real‐time tsunami forecasts using the latest W‐phase CMT solutions improved the accuracy of the forecast.

Counseling in Thailand: Development From a Buddhist Perspective

The authors present historical and current accounts of the counseling profession in Thailand. In addition to the influences of Buddhism on counselor training and practices, professional issues such as licensure, professional organizations, and the relationship between counselors and other mental health professionals are summarized. The role of counselors in recent political and natural disasters is highlighted, along with the importance of adapting Western counselor training and service practices to better meet the needs of the Thai population.

The Roles and Responsibilities in Natural Resources and Environmental Management of Local Government in Thailand

The Roles and Responsibilities in Natural Resources and Environmental Management of Local Government in Thailand

Governance and Poverty Reduction in Thailand

The objective of this study is to find out how Thailand achieves her economic growth along with poverty reduction without good governance practice. The relationships among economic growth, poverty indicators and governance indi- cators are computed by using Pearson’s correlation. The computed results show that the poverty reduction in Thailand is achieved through populist policies which are exercised with low quality of governance, not through growth. It sup- ports general belief that the “pro-poor growth” policy alone without good governance performance is insufficient for enhancing poverty reduction equally. A strategy for reducing poverty and income inequality for Thailand is not to en- hance economic growth but to promote major improvements in governance especially in variable that reflect the per- ception in three governance composite indicators namely Voice and Accountability, Political Stability and Absence of Violence, and Rule of Law.

Status and financial performance of organic vegetable farming in northeast Thailand

In line with the national sustainable agriculture development policy of the Government of Thailand, organic vegetable farming (OVF) promotion projects have been implemented in several provinces of the country. Based on data collected through a questionnaire survey of 172 sample vegetable farmers in Mahasarakham Province of northeast Thailand, this study firstly assessed the status of OVF and then, analyzed the financial performance of three main vegetables cultivated, namely: morning glory, green onion and Chinese kale. Finally, sensitivity analyses of the financial performances for all three vegetables were conducted under four assumed scenarios with respect to price of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides, and yield and price of organic vegetables. The findings of the analysis on the status of OVF revealed that organic vegetable farms accounted for very small percentage of the total area used for all vegetables in the study area. Results of the financial analysis also showed that OVF was much less financially attractive than conventional vegetable farming due to low yield which usually does not come with premium price of the vegetables. Still farmers are growing organic vegetables on small scale primarily for household consumption. The findings of the sensitivity analyses indicated that the removal of direct or indirect subsidies for synthetic fertilizers and pesticides, and appreciation in the yield and price of organic vegetables can enhance the financial performance of OVF. In view of the possible rejection of radical policies that encourage OVF by discouraging conventional vegetable farming, this study suggests appropriate policy measures that could directly provide incentives for organic vegetable production and consumption.

Municipal Service Quality and Citizen Satisfaction in Southern Thailand

The objectives of the research are two-folds: (1) to examine the quality of municipal services provided by local government in southern Thailand; and (2) to identify the most important service quality dimensions that determine citizen satisfaction. The questionnaires were distributed to 234 respondents in Tambon Khok Pho, a subdistrict of Khok Pho in Pattani Province of southern Thailand. Descriptive statistics, exploratory factor analysis, Pearson correlation and stepwise multiple regression were conducted to analyze the data. Results indicate that (1) the five dimensions of SERVQUAL represent a valid instrument to measure municipal service quality in Thai setting; and (2) four service quality dimensions, namely tangibility, empathy, assurance and responsiveness significantly predicted citizen satisfaction, with an adjusted R2 of 0.5. The findings can be used as a guide for municipal officials to improve the crucial quality attributes and enhance citizen satisfaction.

Option Games in Water Infrastructure Investment

AbstractThis paper proposes the use of option games as a tool to evaluate trade-offs between flexibility and strategic commitment in industrial water infrastructure projects. Option games meet the challenge of balancing competitive pressure to commit to big-budget projects against a more flexible approach that keeps investment options open. This hybrid approach, which combines real options and game theory, overcomes the shortcoming of traditional investment valuation methods, such as net present value or real option analysis, which do not resolve the challenge. The option games are enumerated by combining a real-options binomial tree and a payoff matrix under conditions of two investment competitors with four strategic scenarios. The calculated results are compared with traditional net present value and real option analysis to show the final value of investment. The application methodology is illustrated through the case of Government of Thailand (GoT) investments in tap and industrial water supplies and/...

The interpretive flexibility of oil and gas pipelines: Case studies from Southeast Asia and the Caspian Sea

Based on research interviews and field research, this article explores the “interpretive flexibility” of two large pipelines: the $4.6 billion Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) oil pipeline exporting petroleum from the Caspian Sea near Azerbaijan and then traversing parts of Georgia and Turkey; and parts of the $14.2 billion Trans-ASEAN Gas Pipeline (TAGP) Network connecting the gas reserves of Indonesia, Myanmar, and Thailand with each other and Singapore. Each pipeline is the product of differing interpretations and ideologies, meaning they have “interpretive flexibility” because their meaning is under constant interpretation. The article depicts four differing interpretive frames for each pipeline, revealing the views of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, government of Thailand, government of Myanmar, and state-owned energy Malaysian energy company Petronas for the TAGP, and the World Bank Group, British Petroleum, European Union, and the government of Azerbaijan for the BTC. The article finds that pipelines not only mark the physical landscape and distribute energy fuels, they also transfer what were once customary public resources into private hands, concentrate political power, facilitate human rights abuses and possible acts of genocide, become intertwined in national discourses of revitalization and strength, and validate distinct approaches to economic and social development.

Policies and pattern of industrial development in Thailand

Spatial concentration of manufacturing always ends up with regional inequalities. This phenomenon is also true in the case of Thailand. The pattern of industrial development in Thailand from 1996 to 2005 was examined using composite index in analyzing the pattern, the results of which are described in this paper. The review was aimed at assessing the effects of development policies and the factors that influenced the concentration of industrial development in the country. Results of the analysis indicated that most industries are concentrated only in Bangkok and its vicinity even if the Government of Thailand has promoted investment policies to support and develop provincial industries in the remote rural areas. Moreover, the results also showed that capital intensive based industries are concentrated in the urban areas, while the resources-based industries are mainly found in the rural areas. Despite wide zonal variation of industrial development within Thailand, the outcomes of the industrial decentralization policy are very impressive and leading to the path of greater success in coming decades.

Prototype KPIs for rural infrastructure development

PurposeIt is difficult to manage and measure the effectiveness of infrastructure development efforts of the sub‐district local governments called Tambon Administrative Organizations (TAOs), the lowest level of local governments in Thailand. This paper aims to develop and demonstrate the applicability of key performance indicators (KPIs) based on the integration of balanced scorecard (BSC) and value chain approaches.Design/methodology/approachThe processes of designing KPIs are described with emphasis of how to apply a value chain model into designing BSC's KPIs. Expert focus groups and case studies from various parts of Thailand were conducted to give an insight into the adaptation of the performance measures in infrastructure development of TAOs.FindingsThe application of a value chain model is critical for the design of practical BSC's KPIs because they can be conveniently embedded into existing practices. The case studies of prototype KPIs demonstrate the performance measurement of infrastructure development, which associates executive and operational views with the hierarchy of scorecards.Practical implicationsThe prototype KPIs illustrate a quantifiable measure that the councils and staffs can use to communicate infrastructure development performance for target setting and accomplishment.Originality/valueThis paper addresses the key issue of how to design KPIs based on the balanced scorecard and value chain model. The integration of a value chain framework reflects the delivery process of infrastructure development.