Khon Kaen Municipality Research Articles

Facing Storm: Context of Vulnerability of Marginalized People in Thai-Isan Urban Areas during COVID-19

This study examines the context of vulnerability of marginalized people in urban area of the Northeastern Thailand during the Covid – 19 pandemics. This study employed a qualitative research methodology to collect data through in-depth interview with the key informants who were marginalized people in urban area of Nakhon Ratchasima Municipality, Khon Kaen Municipality, and Udon Thani Municipality, totaling thirty persons. The study results indicate that the phenomena of marginalized people towards the situation of the coronavirus disease outbreak, including shock, seasonal changes, and trends that occur during the time of the outbreak.

The eco-city indicators from the local perspectives in the Northeast of Thailand

This research aims to delineate the ecocity indicators from the local perspectives in urban communities in the Northeast of Thailand. The research was quantitative survey research. Data was collected from a sample of 400 people who live in Khon Kaen Municipality and Udon Thani Municipality using a questionnaire. Data was analyzed by descriptive statistics and factor analysis. We found that the eco-city indicators from the perspective of people in the urban communities in the Northeast of Thailand were divided into three main criteria: a) economic perspectives; b) social perspectives; and c) environmental perspectives. When considering each aspect, it was found that the economic perspective had a total of 9 issues with an average of 3.06 out of 5.00, the social perspective had a total of 16 issues with an average of 3.76 out of 5.00, and the environmental perspective had a total of 14 issues with an average at 3.00 out of 5.00.

Still Standing Defiantly: Guidelines for Reducing Inequality of Human capital in the Northeast of Thailand during the Covid-19 pandemic

This study aimed to develop an approach to reduce human capital inequality of marginalized people in the northeastern of Thailand during the Covid – 19 pandemics. This study employed a qualitative research methodology to collect data through focus group discussions with the focus group discussion guideline from a group of key informants who were stakeholders in urban development and the quality-of-life development in Nakhon Ratchasima Municipality, Khon Kaen Municipality, and Udon Thani Municipality, totaling thirty-six persons. The study results indicate that there were three approaches to reducing human capital inequality of marginalized people in northeastern Thailand during the Covid – 19 pandemic as were follows: a) Promote the civil society networks, 2) Develop Human capital of marginal households, and3) Develop a tripartite inequality reduction mechanism between government agencies, the public sector, and civil society to coordinate cooperation between agencies to share information and problems for further resolutions.

A Geospatial Analysis of Motorcycle Accident Risk Factors in Khon Kaen Municipality, Thailand: Examining the Chain of Survival and Potential Strategies

A Geospatial Analysis of Motorcycle Accident Risk Factors in Khon Kaen Municipality, Thailand: Examining the Chain of Survival and Potential Strategies

Multiple Logistic Regression Model for Assessing the Risk Factors of Traffic Accidents: Khon Kaen Model.

Thailand has consistently held the highest global ranking in traffic accidents since 2017, with Khon Kaen displaying the highest mortality rate in the Department of Disease Control Region 7. This study aims to utilize Injury Surveillance (IS) data to identify risk factors associated with emergency room (ER) outcomes at the Emergency Department of Khon Kaen hospital in Khon Kaen Municipality. Data from the Injury Surveillance system's (IS system) database were collected, focusing on severity outcomes, time of events, and risk behaviors from January 1, 2008, to December 31, 2021. Data analysis was conducted using the R program, employing the Chi-square or independent T test to compare results and analyze associations between potential risk factors and ER outcomes. Multiple logistic regression (MLR) was used for classification analysis, and a confusion matrix was applied to evaluate the performance of the models. MLR analysis revealed that being male, age, alcohol consumption, and nighttime driving were more likely to increase the probability of severity outcomes. Being male, age, alcohol consumption, and nighttime driving are identified as potential risk factors contributing to the development of severity outcomes following traffic accidents.

Spatial Distribution and Cluster Analysis of Road Traffic Accidents in Khon Kaen Municipality, Thailand

Spatial Distribution and Cluster Analysis of Road Traffic Accidents in Khon Kaen Municipality, Thailand

I Can See Your Voice! Analyzing Public Opinions on Urban Issues in Thailand’s Khon Kaen Municipality Through Social Media

I Can See Your Voice! Analyzing Public Opinions on Urban Issues in Thailand’s Khon Kaen Municipality Through Social Media

Decision-Making Experiences to use Medicinal Cannabis: Perspectives from Patients with Knee Osteoarthritis and Their Care Providers.

This study investigated the experience of making a decision to use medicinal cannabis among patients with knee osteoarthritis and their care providers. This qualitative research used a phenomenological approach to collect information by purposive sampling. Informants included 7 patients with knee osteoarthritis and 18 care providers in Khon Kaen municipality. Data were collected from June until December 2021using in-depth interviews, field records and participatory observation. After 6 months of data collection, the modified Colaizzi’s seven-step method was used for data analysis. The results show that the content from all informants can be categorized into 7 distinct themes about their decision-making on using medicinal cannabis (MC): 1) The needs for MC: Recognizing the painful nature of osteoarthritic pain and the limited treatment options available 2) Beliefs and attitudes towards MC with two sub-themes identified as 2.1) Belief in the MC’s efficacy that denotes informants’ positive perception and 2.2) Attitudes towards MC that show doubt, hesitation, or lack of confidence in MC’s effectiveness 3) Evidence on efficacy and safety of MC products: Considering cannabis as a viable treatment option 4) Trustworthiness of information and communication about MC. 5) Influence of other people: Three key influencers in the decision-making process including 5.1) Patients themselves 5.2) Friends and peers 5.3) Doctors and healthcare professionals 6) Legitimacy status of MC and 7) Product designs regarding forms of therapeutic use. The findings yielded 7 distinct themes concerning the decision to use medicinal cannabis (MC). The most important component is the need for pain relief among knee osteoarthritis patients. They clearly need MC for relieving their symptoms. Evidence on efficacy and legalization status of MC are also the main factors, while other 4 components are less important or not the vital factors for making decision on MC’s utilization. Policies on MC need to address these factors.

The Role of the Ethnic Thai-Chinese in Economy in Khon Kaen Municipality

The Role of the Ethnic Thai-Chinese in Economy in Khon Kaen Municipality

Different paths for inclusion in Thailand: improving special teachers as leaders in the development of inclusive education

This study investigated how support from other organisations compliments or reinforces the activities of teachers and parents in order to optimise the development and improvement of students in inclusive classrooms in Thailand. The objectives of this study include: (1) investigating the changes in teachers and parents who joined a municipal Human Resource Development (HRD) program in Khon Kaen Municipality; (2) evaluating the success of the program against its expected results; and (3) analysing the results and proposing improvements to the program to benefit students with disabilities. In order to examine the overall outcomes of the program for the concerned parties, qualitative survey‐based research involving questionnaires, interviews and focus group discussions, employed with school administrators, teachers and parents, was used. The major findings are that school administrators and teachers paid more attention to students with a diversity of needs after joining the program, although participating parents’ acceptance of students with disabilities was low. The program evaluation revealed that participating teachers managed their classrooms better. Lastly, in order to improve the program in the Thai context, more acceptance and awareness must be created among both teachers and parents.

Entrepreneurial Characteristics Affecting the Success of Service Businesses in Tourism Industry of Entrepreneurs in Khon Kaen Municipality, Thailand

The objectives of the research were to: (1) study entrepreneurial characteristics affecting the success of service businesses in tourism industry of intrepreneurs in Khon Kaen Municipality, (2) study service business of intrepreneurs in tourism industry, (3) analyze the success of the intrepreneurs in tourism industry and (4) design entrepreneurial characteristics affecting the success of service businesses in tourism industry of intrepreneurs in Khon, Kaen Municipality Mueang District, Khon Kaen Province. The mixed research method consisting of quantitative research and qualitative research was employed for the study. The sample subjects of the study were 385 tourism entrepreneurs in Khon Kaen Municipality. The data was collected by a questionnaire with a.978 reliable index. The research statistics used were percentage, mean, standard deviation and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) analyzed by Mplus. The research study showed that: (1) the characteristic of entrepreneurs affected directly the success in tourism business. The coefficient value was .203 and the positive influence value in the success of entrepreneurs was.912. (2) The efficient value of service business affecting directly and positively the success of the tourism entrepreneurs was .771 and (3) the coefficient value of the causal entrepreneurial characteristics affecting indirectly tourism entrepreneurs regarding the service business was .704.

Occurrence of trihalomethanes and haloacetonitriles in water distribution networks of Khon Kaen Municipality, Thailand

Abstract The occurrence of trihalomethanes (THMs) and haloacetonitriles (HANs) in three water distribution networks (Thapra, Kota, and Khon Kaen University (KKU)) in Khon Kaen Municipality, Thailand, from November 2015 to December 2016 was investigated. The highest THMs and HANs were 584 μg/L and 30 μg/L, respectively. Chloroform was the dominant species of the THM pool and trichloroacetonitriles were the dominant species for HANs. Water treatment plants using free chlorine (Thapra and Kota) formed more THMs than the plant using ClO2 (KKU). In the summer season, more brominate THMs were observed. In many locations, total THM concentrations were found to be higher than the drinking water standard of the Provincial Water Authority of Thailand. The concentration of THMs tended to increase with greater distance from the water plants (as water aged), while HAN concentrations decreased with distance, potentially because they were undergoing hydrolysis in the pipeline.

Understanding inclusive education practices in schools under local government jurisdiction: a study of Khon Kaen Municipality in Thailand

ABSTRACTThis article investigates inclusive education practices in schools under the jurisdiction of Thai local government through a study of schools in Khon Kaen Municipality in Northeastern Thailand. Thailand’s 1997 Constitution and 1999 National Education Act both legislated that the educational system must become inclusive, and under these laws schools are required to admit all groups of children, including children with special educational needs (SEN). This study sheds light on the situation of inclusive education in schools with regard to administrators’ policy implementation, teachers’ practices, and parents’ perception of inclusive education management. The findings derive from a survey of 11 school administrators, 114 teachers, and 274 parents (of 137 regular and 137 students with SEN), together with six focus groups with administrators and teachers from six schools. The results demonstrate that most school leaders support inclusive classrooms, most teachers are willing to work with SEN students, and parents of regular students accept the concept of inclusion. Actual practices of inclusive education vary, however, depending upon the perception of administrators and the will of the teachers to implement inclusive education. Furthermore, the results demonstrate that the policy of the municipality may have resulted in the development of inclusive practices in schools under its jurisdiction.

Re-Employability of Older People in Khon Kaen Municipality (KKM)

The employability of older people is a key issue worldwide due to changing demographics. This study aimed to investigate employers’ demand for re-employing older people, specifically in two major areas: 1) the current employers’ behavior or experience as well as attitude towards older employees, and 2) what will stimulate the employment of older people. The data were gathered by face-to-face interviews employing a structured questionnaire from 301 owners of or the CEOs of business establishments in Khon Kaen Municipality (KKM), Thailand. These were selected from business establishments in KKM proportionally via a stratified sampling procedure, by business sector, legality classification and size. More than half of those businesses with older employees were pleased with them, larger manufacturing businesses retain most of the older employees, and no indication was found that these employers discharge their employees even if they reach official retirement age, nor do older employees stay with an organization for shorter periods of time than any other employees. Furthermore, we found no significant difference in level of satisfaction between the manufacturing sector and the commercial sector. Formal business operators (e.g. limited liability partnerships, limited companies, etc.) were more satisfied with their older employees rather than informal ones. Additionally, size of corporation was related to the level of satisfaction. Lastly, the most desired intervention measures were intermediary mechanisms to link potential employers closer to potential employees. Preferred choices of government incentives to boost the employment of older people, by both business sector are tax incentives and wage subsidies.

Household Structure and Sources of Income in a Rice-Growing Village in Northeast Thailand

IntroductionAs part of the ongoing agrarian transformation in Northeast Thailand (commonly called Isan), major changes of rural households have been occurring. For instance, the average size of households has decreased, and nuclear households, formerly the predominant type, have declined in number, and new household types have been emerging. Associated with changes in household structure are changes in sources of income, which are becoming increasingly diversified, with a decline in the contribution made by agriculture and a growing share of income coming from non-agricultural sources. So marked is this shift that contemporary Isan agricultural households have been called part-time (Takeuchi 2004; Rigg 2005; Grandstaff et al. 2008).Although many of these broad changes in rural households and their sources of income have been discussed by other researchers at a rather general level (Smith 1978; Grandstaff et al. 2008; Rigg and Salamanca 2009; 2011; Keyes 2010; Rigg et al. 2012; Chawanote and Barrett 2013), no detailed descriptions of the nature of changes occurring at the village level have been published. Moreover, many members of the general public, as well as academics, journalists, and policy makers, continue to cling to the old stereotype of rural Isan villagers as poor rainfed rice farmers and have not yet perceived the extent to which rural society and economy in the region have changed. Understanding the reality of rural people's livelihoods in Isan is essential in order to formulate more realistic development policies that will truly serve the interests of local people in the region. Therefore, we undertook this study in a village in Khon Kaen Province in Northeast Thailand in order to describe the current structure of rural households and identify their sources of income. In this paper, we seek to: (1) describe the composition of rural households and classify them into structural types; (2) examine changes that have occurred in the size and types of households over the past 50 years; (3) examine the relationship of household structures and age distribution, types of livelihoods, and agricultural activities; (4) identify the income sources of different types of households; and (5) examine the relationship of household structures with levels of income and debt.Overview of Nong Ben VillageThis research was carried out in Nong Ben village (16°37T2N, 102°49'59E) in Khon Kaen Province. The village is located approximately 20 kilometers northeast of Khon Kaen Municipality along National Highway No. 2 (Fig. 1). Nong Ben village is one of 10 villages in Non Thon Subdistrict (tambol). Nong Ben was a single village (Muban) until 2006, when it was divided into two administrative villages, each with its own headman.The village area of Nong Ben is about 6,291 rai (1,007 ha) (Sunantha 2002). The total agricultural area was about 5,039 rai (806 ha) in 2005 but had declined to around 4,111 rai (658 ha) in 2011. Water for irrigation is supplied by a canal from the Ubolratana dam in Nam Phong District, which is around 30 kilometers from the village. After irrigation first came to the village in 1968, the household economy of the villagers changed dramatically because it became possible to plant a second rice crop in the dry season and to cultivate other valuable crops such as flowers and vegetables.There are three different agricultural land-use in the village: (1) rainfed upland cash crop fields (cassava, sugarcane, and rubber); (2) irrigated fields used to grow rice and other crops (e.g., flowers and vegetables); and (3) rainfed paddy fields. The total area of paddy fields in 2002 was about 3,019 rai (483 ha), which had declined to 2,501 rai (400 ha) in 2011. In 2006, about 53% of village households had only irrigated paddy fields, 11% had only rainfed paddy fields, and 36% had both types of paddy fields (Shirai et al. 2007). The villagers plant glutinous rice (RD6 variety), mostly for self-consumption, and jasmine rice (KDML105 variety) for sale. …

USING CULTURAL CAPITAL FOR URBAN MANAGEMENT, KHON KAEN MUNICIPALITY, THAILAND

Creative economy development is an invaluable way to develop Thailand economy, moreover, the cultural capital development is also the important tool to develop creative economy. This qualitative research aimed to evaluate the cultural capital application in the members of KhonKaen municipal council and others for the urban management. The data were collected by using the participatory observation and in-depth interview. The results show that 1) “Isan wooden buddha statues”, a cultural capital in Isan region, have been used as “tool” of urban management which encouraged by members of KhonKaen municipal council and 2) KhonKaen municipality applied “Isan wooden buddha statues” as a “tool” and “issue” in KhonKaen urban management affairs. In conclusion, this provides an opportunity for promote people participation to conduct a new kind of related to creative the sustainable urban developmentor put the cultural content as a part of the social bonds strategies. Keywords: Urban Management/ Cultural Capital Management/ Sustainable Development

Indonesia's Changing Political Economy: Governing the Roads

The Isan Culture Maintenance and Revitalization Programme was a four-year, 500,000- euro programme devised and implemented by four municipalities in Khon Kaen Province together with the College of Local Administration of Khon Kaen University in Northeast Thailand. The programme pursued five different action lines, with Ban Phai Municipality being responsible for traditionally made ethnic uniforms, Chum Phae Municipality for designing and installing multilingual signage, Khon Kaen Municipality for implementing the teaching of the Isan language as a subject in municipal schools, and Mueang Phon Municipality responsible for a multimedia collection of cultural performances. In effect, the programme piloted each of these four action lines in a given municipality and then sought to introduce each into the other three municipalities. The College of Local Administration was responsible for project coordination, research and visibility. The latter mainly took the forms of academic papers, research articles and newspaper columns. The principal results and outcomes of the programme included the first municipal multilingual Thai–Isan–English road signage in Northeast Thailand, the first Thai–Isan–English dictionary using a heritage script, the first Isan subject curriculum, a unique archive of Isan cultural performances, and the production of ethnic municipal and school uniforms.

Prevalence of Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli and Salmonella spp. isolated from meat and cooked meat at Khon Kaen Municipality Schools

Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli and Salmonella spp. are important causes of enteric illness. Foods of animal origin have been consistently implicated as the main sources of enteritis in school children.

Towards a curriculum for the Thai Lao of Northeast Thailand?

This article considers a fundamental issue in language planning, namely, whether or not to introduce a curriculum for the mother tongue (MT), in the wider context of a complex language planning situation in Thailand. It details recent moves in the consideration of this issue for the Thai Lao (Isan) of Northeast Thailand, Thailand's largest ethnolinguistic minority. The curriculum is being spearheaded by the Isan Culture Maintenance and Revitalization Programme (ICMRP), a four-year programme 90% funded by the European Union. The article reports on a 2012 attitude survey of 1500 purposively sampled citizens of Khon Kaen Municipality, a decentralized Thai municipality, in a comprehensive community-based mixed-method research study designed to determine whether or not to introduce the MT as a subject in the formal curriculum as part of a multilingual education. This article reports on the results of this survey, which were seen as positive, especially for the revitalization of a community script, Tai Noi. The article concludes with a discussion, referring to Hornberger's 1994 language planning matrix, of the implications for language planning, including limitations in a sensitive area of ethnic relations and national identity.

Tourist Transportation Problems and Guidelines for Developing the Tourism Industry in Khon Kaen, Thailand

Lack of public transportation and traffic jams are major issues in many tourist destinations. In this study, we present the tourism-related problems of Khon Kaen, Thailand, and provide guidelines to develop its tourism industry. We performed in-depth interviews with 30 tourists, 20 local residents, and 5 government agencies in the Khon Kaen municipality. In addition, we did a small group discussion by inviting 5 tourists, 5 local residents, 5 government agencies, and 3 academicians to discuss ways to improve tourist transportation in Khon Kaen. From the study, we found that Khon Kaen lacks public transportation. We also found that, although the city can be reached by air, the current flight options are not enough to meet the needs of passengers; furthermore, the city’s rail transportation needs to be developed, and there is no municipal bus service around the city or between the city and the airport. To develop transportation guidelines for the tourism industry, local governments, especially in the Khon Kaen municipality, should host an initiative and bring all stakeholders together to solve the problem. In addition, a city bus system needs to be developed immediately, and a public transportation network that links to tourist attractions is also important because it is difficult for tourists to access attractions if they do not have private transportation. Finally, public facilities such as toilets, as well as walkways for disabled people and elderly, also need to be developed, but with environmentally sustainable designs.