Government Of Thailand Research Articles

Measurement of the Whole Body, Eye Lens and Extremity Occupational Doses in Nuclear Medicine Staff at King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital

Nuclear medicine staff have handled several radionuclides of gamma and beta emitters which result in obtaining occupational radiation risk. In 2018, the Government of Thailand announced the reduction of the eye lens dose limit from 150 to 20 mSv per year for the consecutive 5 years as of ICRP No. 118 in 2011. In Thailand, the personal effective dose to whole body, Hp(10) and the personal equivalent dose to the extremity, Hp(0.07) have been measured using optically stimulated luminescence dosimeter (OSLD) in nuclear medicine staffs while the personal equivalent dose to the eye lens, Hp(3) has never been measured. The objective is to measure Hp(10), Hp(3), and Hp(0.07) using OSLD in nuclear medicine staff who dispense high activity of radionuclides at King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital (KCMH). The correlations between the Hp(10), Hp(3) and Hp(0.07) were analyzed. The personal occupational dose has been measured in 10 nuclear medicine staff. Three sets of OSLD are attached at whole body, finger, and eye lens (left and right) of each personnel arranged by Thailand Institute of Nuclear Technology (TINT). As some radionuclides emit beta and gamma, most staff perform best practice in routine work, the short exposure time and the short range of beta rays to reach eye dosimeters which result in the estimated annual whole body, eye lens and extremity were less than the annual dose limit. The correlations between Hp(3) and Hp(10), Hp(0.07) and Hp(10), Hp(3) and Hp(0.07) had been recorded, while Hp(3) could be estimated from Hp(10).

Education Quality Management: A Way Forward to Promote Sustainable Development Goals by Encouraging Wellbeing’s and Discouraging Inequality Among the Societies

The objective of this study was to promote sustainable development goals through education quality management. The role of wellbeing and inequality was also considered. To attain the objective of this study, a survey was preferred. Survey questionnaires were distributed among the universities of Thailand. Total number of 382 survey questionnaires were used in survey. Partial Least Square (PLS) was preferred to analyse the collected data. Findings proved that education quality management has positive role to promote sustainable development goals in Thailand. In addition, it is found that education quality management has positive role to enhance wellbeing and decrease inequality among the society which ultimately effect positively to promote sustainable development goals. Increase in wellbeing increases the sustainable development goals, however, increase in inequality decreases the sustainable development goals. Therefore, government of Thailand should focus on university education quality management to promote sustainable development goals by encouraging wellbeing’s and discouraging inequality among the society.

Which eroding site is more urgent for the government?: a reflection from coastal communities

The study investigated what coastal communities perceived as influencing criteria used by the government of Thailand to choose a particular location for coastal protection. Every sea-connected local governmental unit in Chonburi province was approached. All 69 seafront villages/communities were requested for interviews, and 51 of them accepted. During the criteria assimilation stage, the research found 7 perceived influencing factors: important natural resources, urban area and cultural heritage, political orders, previous budget allocation, erosion severity, social media, and resistance to conservationists. Ranking of the criteria was subsequently undertaken using an analytical hierarchical process. As the result, the factor perceived by the public to be most influential was previous budget allocation, while the least influential criterion perceived to play the role in selecting the eroding site was political orders. Assessing the weights of all criteria reflected that the Thai government currently had a positive public perception. Trust from the public is crucial for integrated coastal erosion management.

The geopolitical economy of Thailand's marine plastic pollution crisis

Currently approximately 9 million tons of plastic enter the world's oceans annually. This is a major transboundary problem on a global scale that threatens marine wildlife, coastal ecologies, human health and livelihoods. Our concern in this paper is with the environmental governance of marine plastic pollution that emanates from Thailand, the sixth biggest contributor globally. By zooming in on land‐based polluters in Thailand, we highlight both the systemic nature of the marine plastic problem and the relative impunity with which drivers of transboundary environmental harm function at all levels of governance. Drawing from 19 interviews conducted with actors from the public, private and non‐profit sectors, we examine three stages of the problem: production, consumption and waste management. We found that three major barriers prevent Thailand's government, private sector and citizens from engaging in the sort collective action needed to reduce marine plastic pollution. They are: (i) insufficient incentives to enact political change; (ii) scalar disconnects in waste management; and (iii) inadequate public and private sector ownership over plastic waste reduction. As the state alone cannot change corporate and consumer behaviour, we argue that multi‐stakeholder efforts across organisational scales of governance and administrative boundaries are needed to address the barriers.

Realities of offering advice to governments on CITES.

What happens when those who provide conservation advice are required to take policy and management action based on that advice? Conservation advocates and scientists often try to prompt regulatory change that has significant implications for government without facing the challenge of managing such change. Through a case study, we placed ourselves in the role of the government of Thailand, facing obligations to seahorses (Hippocampus spp.) under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). These obligations include ensuring that its exports of seahorses do not damage wild populations. We applied a CITES-approved framework (which we developed) to evaluate the risks of such exports to 2 seahorse species. We used the framework to evaluate the pressures that put wild populations of the species at risk; whether current management mitigates the risk or offsets these pressures; and whether the species is responding as hoped to management policy. We based our analysis on information in published and grey literature, local knowledge, citizen science data, results of government research, and expert opinion. To meet CITES obligations, exports of both species would need to be prohibited until more precautionary adaptive management emerged. The risk of any exports of Hippocampus trimaculatus was above a tolerable level because of a lack of appropriate management to mitigate risks. In contrast, the risk of any exports of Hippocampus kuda could become tolerable if monitoring were put in place to assess the species' response to management. The process we developed for Authorities to determine risk in response to CITES guidelines was challenging to implement even without the need for government to consider social implications of conservation action. Despite the imperfections of our risk evaluation, however, it still served to support adaptive management. Conservationists need to keep implementation in mind when offering advice.

Protecting sex workers in Thailand during the COVID-19 pandemic: opportunities to build back better.

The Government of Thailand was prompt to launch social and economic measures to mitigate the effects on the general population following lockdown measures to counter coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). However, sex workers were one of the vulnerable groups who were unable to access state support. A rapid survey of sex workers in Thailand showed that almost all had become unemployed and lost their income as a consequence of the lockdown, restrictions on international flights into the country and the closure of entertainment venues. Most were unable to cover the costs of food and shelter for themselves and their dependents. COVID-19 had also disrupted testing and treatment for sexually transmitted infections and HIV services for sex workers. As in other countries, community-based organizations were essential to providing an immediate, short-term COVID-19 response for sex workers. Also as in other countries, the pandemic has demonstrated that many people's health and well-being depends on very fragile foundations. This presents a clear opportunity to build back better by committing to a longer-term vision for the overall societal inclusion of sex workers. Thailand should advocate for decriminalization of sex work and ensure sex workers are entitled to equal labour rights and inclusion in the government social protection programme. Progress in innovative government initiatives aimed at ending HIV stigma and discrimination show how structural change can come about through harnessing community-based organizations. In turn, HIV services for sex workers need to expand and incorporate targeted interventions to reduce sex workers' occupational susceptibility to COVID-19.

Inclusive Smart City Development: A Lesson Learned from Thailand

This paper aims to analyze how smart cities can deal with the idea of inclusivity. This study would like to present the concept and the practical approach that can drive the concept of the smart city into action in a case study of Thailand. This study would like to portray the implementation of the idea of inclusivity in smart city development in Khon Khen city municipality. The study will use the critical discourse analysis to describe the smart city issued by the Thailand government, especially in Khon Kaen city municipal. This paper will use critical discourse analysis to unpack the development of inclusiveness in smart city projects based on involving parties in the project from the beginning to the end of the event. This study found that there are nine steps of actions that Khon Kaen city municipality applied to mobilize those aspects to be advanced satisfactorily. This study found that the success of the smart city development operations of Khon Kaen city municipality, as shown in the finding, depends on the three crucial adjustments of the city, such as adjust of thinking, method, and practice.

Malaysia-Thailand Cross Border Trade and Cross Border Special Economic Zone Potential: A Case Study of Rantau Panjang ­Sungai Kolok Cross Border Town

Towns along the Malaysia-Thailand border have always been associated with backwardness and being low-income regions. This is mainly because policy development in these border regions is based more on defence and security rather than economic considerations. Economic structures and cross-border trade towns of Sg. Kolok (Narathiwat, Southern Thailand) and Rantau Panjang (Kelantan, Malaysia) were examined with the objective to measure cross-border economic activity and the feasibility of establishing a Cross Border Special Economic Zone. Both towns are a shopping haven among local and foreign tourists, and have the potential to become a leading cross-border tourism product of the Malaysia-Thailand border. The Malaysian government has also implemented the Eastern Corridor Economic Region to develop the East Coast region including Kelantan. Meanwhile, the Thailand Government has carried out the Southern Border Provinces Special Zone to develop its Southern region, including Narathiwat. With the security assurance in Southern Thailand coupled with both development plans being implemented, this may intensify economic activities in the towns of Rantau Panjang and Sg. Kolok. It was revealed that this has a spill-over effect in the border areas and the potential of creating a Cross Border Special Economic Zone at these border towns.

The Dynamics of Ethnic Conflict in Southern Province Thailand

This paper explains how the ethnic conflict process that occurred in the Southern Province of Thailand to the process of resolving conflicts between the Government of Thailand and local residents in the Southern Province of Thailand. The conflict is based on the history of the Southern Thailand region between the Thai Government and the Malay Muslim population. Then, it caused conflicting attitudes and behaviors in responding to this conflict from each of the warring parties. This paper uses the concept of the conflict triangle from Johan Galtung where this conflict comes from perceptions based on historical differences, then followed by differences in conflicting behavior from each party and differences in interests. Then, using the concept of the source of conflict from Bernard Meyer, the source of the conflict that comes from historical differences so that it affects how to communicate, emotional reactions, values ??and structures owned. Then, using the concept of the stage of conflict resolution from Johan Galtung, this conflict is at the peacekeeping level where Malaysia is the mediator between the two warring parties. In resolving conflicts, both parties need to change attitudes and behavior in transforming different interests.

“They will not automatically benefit”: The politics of infrastructure development in Laos's Northern Economic Corridor

At a time when the shortcomings of neoliberal development are well known, China's Belt and Road Initiative offers both an opportunity and a requirement to revisit the question of a more inclusive, equitable approach to infrastructure development. This article examines the case of the Northern Economic Corridor, a highway-centered regional trade corridor constructed through northwestern Laos in the early-mid 2000s that was co-financed by the Asian Development Bank and the governments of China and Thailand, and that has been subsequently included in the BRI as one of a group of regional corridors following the historical trajectories of the Silk Road. By examining the discursive politics of infrastructure's formal geography – and focusing on the practices that manage how publicly funded projects address predictable, negative impacts – this paper engages with emerging research on the BRI, wider scholarship on infrastructure, and the political geography of transnational development cooperation and financing at multiple scales. Specifically, I show how vulnerable populations were excluded from the protections of infrastructure mitigation along an early BRI project, and use this to argue that scholars, community advocates, infrastructure planners, financiers, regulators and others engaged with the BRI and other new infrastructure initiatives should rethink established conventions that demote the attention paid to “indirect” impacts. I highlight the arena of formal-geographic mitigation planning as a key field of engagement in the struggle to make new infrastructure live up to expectations about inclusive and equitable development.

The Comparative Dialectic of Islam, Politics, and Government in Indonesia and Thailand

The religion particularly Islam has a considerable influence on the politics and governmental system in a country generally. But of course the role of Islam in politics and government will be different when Islam as the majority religion compared when Islam became a minority religion. It becomes interesting to be explored further, so as to see concrete evidence the authors determined to compare the dialectic of Islam in the politics and government in Indonesia and Thailand. The results of research showed that there is a significant imbalance between the role of Islam in Indonesia and Thailand for politics and government. In Indonesia since the struggle until independence era, the Muslim leaders and activists are aware that in order to improve the condition of the country, it takes a political struggle to deal with attempts to obtain power to influence government and public policy making. This can be evidenced by the existence of Islamic party or Islamic mass-based party from the first general election to date. In addition, at the level of government the role of Muslim activists and scholars are also greatly affected. Instead, in Thailand show that Islam has a small portion in politics and government. This is evidenced by the lack of political access and opportunity to participate in the governmental system. Even in a particular regime, Muslims get very discriminatory treatment. Like as in the administration of Prime Minister Phibul Songkhram and Thaksin Shinawatra. This condition is supported by the prevailing political system in Thailand, where the authority of the regime is absolute and inviolable. As an impact, insurgents groups in Southern Thailand namely National Revolution Row (BRN) and Pattani United Liberation Organization (PULO) continued to express special autonomy. With the special autonomy it is expected that the conflict in Southern Thailand will subside.

Fragmentasi Pemberontak Dan Durasi Perang Sipil: Thailand Selatan Pasca Dimediasi Organisasi Kerjasama Islam

Southern Thailand violent conflict, a civil war faced by Thailand Government against Pattani groups, has been lasted since 2004 without significant reconciliation.International organization, i.e., Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) has participated as the third actor striving for resolution. However, the conflict has been trapped in stagnancy. This study examines how three involving actors contributes to civil war duration. Third parties’ incapabilities, rebel fragmentation, and state’s power are the main reason why such a civil conflict could not reach a mutual agreement. Such conclusion is deduced based on qualitative data through two frameworks: Hourglass model and bargaining theory.

Managing workers in Thai social enterprises: the role of founders

PurposeThe purpose of this paper primarily contributes to the social enterprises and human resource management (HRM) literature by examining the roles of founders in shaping how workers in social enterprises are managed.Design/methodology/approachThis paper uses a cross-case analysis of three social enterprises in the food and agricultural products and food and beverage industries in Thailand. The case study evidence in this paper draws on semi-structured interviews with each social enterprise’s founders, managers and employees; field visits to each social enterprise in Bangkok and other provinces in Thailand; and a review of archival documents and web-based reports and resources. This paper uses thematic analysis to pinpoint, examine and record the patterns or themes found in the data.FindingsThis paper proposes that the founders of social enterprises play a variety of roles in shaping the human resource (HR) systems and practices used in these enterprises. First, founders serve as role models for managers and employees of social enterprises. Second, founders serve as succession planners for social enterprises. Third, the founders serve as builders and enforcers of corporate culture in social enterprises. Finally, founders serve as builders and enforcers of the HR systems and practices used in these enterprises. Put simply, without the roles of founders, the corporate culture and HR systems and practices of social enterprises might not be sustainable over time.Research limitations/implicationsBecause this research is based on case studies of three social enterprises located in Thailand, the findings may not be generalizable to all other social enterprises across countries. Rather, the aim of this paper is to further the discussion regarding the roles of founders in shaping the HR systems and practices used in social enterprises. Another limitation of this research is that it does not include social enterprises in several other industries, including the entertainment and media, printing and publishing and hotel and restaurant industries. Future research may explore how the founders of social enterprises in other industries shape the HR systems and practices used in those enterprises. Moreover, quantitative studies using large samples of social enterprises across industries might also be useful in deepening the understanding of a topic that is important from the perspectives of both social enterprises and HRM.Practical implicationsThis paper has practical implications for founders and/or top managers of social enterprises is not only Thailand but also other countries. It also has social/policy implications for the government and/or relevant public agencies in Thailand and for several other developing countries/emerging market economies.Originality/valueVery little research has examined the various roles of founders in shaping how workers in social enterprises are managed. In addition, there has been relatively little research focusing on the characteristics of social enterprises’ founders in developing countries, including Thailand. This paper aims to fill this gap in the literature on social enterprises and HRM regarding how the founders of small, hybrid organizations such as social enterprises in Thailand play their roles as builders and enforcers of HR systems and practices and other roles relevant to the management of workers.

The key role of institution pressure on green supply chain practice and the firm's performance

Purpose: This study was conducted to investigate the influence of isomorphism institutional theory on green supply chain management (GSCM) and firm performance by using the structural equation model (SEM) to explain the driving factors of reducing the impact of environmental processes on the firm.Design/methodology/approach: Structural equation model (SEM) to explain the driving factors of reducing the impact of environmental processes on the firm.Findings: Isomorphism institutional factors showed a statistically significant positive effect on GSCM practices. Moreover, GSCM practices showed a statistically significant positive effect on firm performance. Under the literature review, customer pressure and top management support are primary factors to achieve GSCM practices and potential to establish firm performance.Research limitations/implications: First, the common hypothesizes do not provide insight into all the relationships that warrant additional inspection. Second, Thailand manufacturers have experiences pressures from foreign customers and competitors but they have opportunities to learn from them to better improvement GSCM practices.Practical implications: Results may highlight pressure for greening and which more efforts are needed for GSCM practices. GSCM practices generally require more effort due to need for collaborating with customer and competitor. Thailand manufacturers are increasingly confronted with isomorphism institutional pressure to implement GSCM practices.Social implications: It is useful the Thailand government promotes GSCM by creating an awareness of the benefits. GSCM can help to alleviate the question of the followers about implementing GSCM and decrease their risk association with the environmental adoption.Originality/value: Research creates clarity of the relationship between isomorphism institutional pressures, top management support, and performance in Thailand, which is a developing country with environmental investment concerns that affect profits from the operations of the firm.

Analyzing the impact of organic certification on product and sustainable attributes on the importance of organic food certification in Thailand: Mediating role of perceived benefits of organic food

AbstractTime has come to cope with severe food shortage as well as quality which is resulting in the stunted growth of children and many other diseases. The answer to all these problems lies in organic food which is becoming increasingly common in developed countries as many brands are moving toward organic certification of their products as well as sustainable attributes. This study has aimed to analyze the importance of the role of organic certification of products as well as sustainable attributes in Thailand. Moreover, this study has also assessed the mediating role of perceived benefits of organic food in respective relationships. Around 301 residents of Thailand were included in data gathering and analysis of the study which was later run on SPSS and AMOS. Descriptive tests, CFA, and SEM were run for data screening, validity, and hypotheses testing, respectively. The results have shown that certification of product attributes has a significant impact on the importance of organic certification while sustainable attributes do not have a significant effect on the same. The mediating role of perceived benefits has been proved in both relationships. This study is novel because no previous study has analyzed the mediating role of perceived benefits in given relationships. This study has important implications for theory, management of restaurants, food sector and government of Thailand's.

Enhancing organic food identity through green marketing in Thailand: Mediating role of environmental, health, and social consciousness

AbstractGreen marketing is revolutionizing all aspects of business including organic food industry. Few years back, it was hard for consumers to identify themselves with organic food but with a developed consciousness through green marketing, they are consuming such food in a larger quantity. The purpose of this study was to check the impact of green marketing on organic food identity and also to see the mediating roles of environmental, health, and social consciousness in this respective relationship. Thailand is emerging as one of the largest consumers of organic food and this study has collected data from its 308 residents through questionnaire‐based survey. The results of structural equation modeling have shown that green marketing enhances organic food identity while social and health consciousness significantly mediate the relationship between them. However, the mediating role of environmental consciousness was observed insignificant in the relationship between green marketing and organic food identity. Originality of this study is in the mediating roles of consciousness dimensions which were not observed previously. Implications of this study are for food consumers, organic food manufacturers and the government of Thailand.

Road to shared prosperity: The elaboration and influence of a transboundary policy narrative for regional economic integration

In the Mekong Region, the Asian Development Bank and partners have promoted economic corridors as a way to achieve regional economic integration and growth. This study evaluates how a transboundary policy narrative of shared prosperity around the East–West Economic Corridor programme emerged, and then how it was elaborated and used, taking a set of border policies of the government of Thailand as cases. For two decades the shared prosperity narrative has been used by a coalition of elite actors to support a programme of investments in road infrastructure, as well as to push for agreements on trade, border logistics, investment and tourism. The shared prosperity narrative has helped maintain support for the programme despite its failures to meet projections and expectations. Although criticised by civil society and experts from time to time, no coherent shared counter‐narrative emerged. Policy elites in Thailand have used the transboundary narrative to justify investments in special economic zones, and transport infrastructure near the border and inside neighbouring countries. Thailand has also reproduced the narrative in support of efforts to bolster tourism cooperation, and negotiate cross‐border trade and logistics agreements. Roads and bridges have been built, underlining how discursive practices have material consequences and reinforce the narrative.

Time-series evidence on corporate governance in Thailand: the effect on expected stock returns

This paper presents an empirical evidence of a time-varying relationship between corporate governance and its impacts on stock returns in Thailand. The governance grades assessed by the Thai Institute of Directors are used as governance measurement for the analysis. The parameters estimated by Fama-Macbeth regression indicate that firms with higher governance ratings generate greater expected stock returns in a long run. However, on yearly basis, the positive relationship deteriorates and loses explanatory power in the most of the tested years. The coefficients of governance ratings estimated by fixed effect regression are examined for statistical difference, which confirms that effect of corporate governance on stock returns differs year by year. While there are some distinct years that governance ratings affect stock prices positively, higher governance ratings lead to lower returns in other particular years. The both positive and negative magnitudes of corporate governance’s impact on expected returns do not stay the same over time. Good governance practice at a firm does not always yield positive returns to investors.

International Freight Transportation Problems Under GMS-CBTA: Case Study of Thailand-Cambodia

The governments of Thailand and Cambodia have enacted a policy under the GMS agreement to facilitate and increase trade and transport capacity. One of the key components is to improve land transport performance on the designated routes between Bangkok and Phnom Penh under the GMS-CBTA. However, the policy has not been considered effective as expected because licensed logistic companies still do not use that privilege. They also use the traditional method in which cargo is transhipped by local trucks at the borderline. In light of the problem, this study systematically investigated the root causes of the agreement ineffectiveness. Some recommendations for improving the performance of operation are given.

Swimming in their own direction: Explaining domestic variation in homegrown sustainability governance for aquaculture in Asia

Agricultural commodity production in the Global South is accompanied by a range of social and environmental problems ranging from pollution and deforestation to labor rights violations. Accordingly, governments and non-state actors have responded through various governance initiatives aimed at promoting sustainable commodity production. While the existing literature focuses largely on transnational standards originating in the North, we investigate “homegrown” approaches in the South by asking: what explains variation in the design and features of sustainable commodity governance led by Southern actors? By comparing sustainable aquaculture governance in Thailand, Vietnam, and China, we derive a novel conceptualization of two distinct types of homegrown governance approaches – certification standards and capability-building programs – and suggest that the choice between the two is contingent on the supply of, and demand for, sustainable commodity governance. We find decisions by Southern governments to supply governance can lock in top-down approaches and exclude potentially more impactful bottom-up approaches. We therefore argue that the material resources and normative concerns of Southern governance entrepreneurs lead to different homegrown approaches. Our findings contribute theoretical insights to the literature on transnational governance interactions and practical observations about the utility of different approaches to sustainability concerns in the Global South.