Part Of Thailand Research Articles

A molecular epidemiological analysis of Burkholderia pseudomallei in southern Thailand.

Melioidosis, a severe bacterial illness caused by Burkholderia pseudomallei, is prevalent in most parts of Thailand, including its southern region situated within the Malay Peninsula. Despite a lower reported incidence rate of melioidosis in the South compared to the Northeast, the mortality rate remains persistently high. This study aimed to better understand the epidemiology and investigate the presence of B. pseudomallei in the natural environment of southern Thailand. Using multi-locus sequence typing (MLST), we characterized B. pseudomallei isolates derived from human cases and compared them with previously reported sequence types (STs) from the same region. A total of 263 clinical isolates retrieved from 156 melioidosis patients between 2014 and 2020 were analyzed, revealing 72 distinct STs, with 25 (35%) matching STs from Finkelstein's environmental isolates collected in southern Thailand during 1964-1967. Notably, strains bearing STs 288, 84, 54, 289, and 46 were frequently found among patients. Additionally, we observed strain diversity with multiple STs in 13 of 59 patients, indicating exposure to various B. pseudomallei genotypes in the environmental sources of the infection. Environmental surveys were conducted in Songkhla Province to detect B. pseudomallei in soil and water samples where local patients lived. Of the 2737 soil samples from 208 locations and 244 water samples from diverse sources, 52 (25%) soil sampling locations and 63 (26%) water sources were cultured positive for B. pseudomallei. Positive soil samples were predominantly found in animal farming area and non-agricultural zones like mountains and grasslands, while water samples were frequently positive in waterfalls, streams, and surface runoffs, with only 9% of rice paddies testing positive. Collectively, a significant proportion of recent melioidosis cases in Songkhla Province can be attributed to known B. pseudomallei STs persisting in the environment for at least the past six decades. Further characterization of B. pseudomallei isolates from recent environment surveys is warranted. These findings illuminate the contemporary landscape of B. pseudomallei infections and their environmental prevalence in southern Thailand, contributing to the regional threat assessment in Thailand and Southeast Asia.

Banana Flour Goes to Market: the Marketing Parameters to Introduce Banana Flour to the Consumer Market

Purpose: With the main points to be researched being, the consumer perspectives on the four Ps of marketing: product, price, place, and promotion. We also explored the consumer attitude towards the banana flour being introduced to the market place. Design/Methodology/approach: These quantitative and qualitative research projects focused on the reactions of consumers to the marketing mix of banana flour in Thailand. The study was conducted with a random sample of four hundred participants by using questionnaires as the tool among shoppers in local grocery stores in Surin Province, Nakhon Ratchasima Province and Buri Ram Province This research project concentrated on the perceptions of the banana flour shoppers. Finding: The results show that the consumers are aware of the banana flour product. The product has the right consistency is in unbleached and sold in packages of pound or a kilogram. The banana flour price, the health conscious consumers do not mind to pay a premium price for premium product. Sales promotions help introduce banana flour to the general consumers and the promotion on-line appears to be more effective than printed media. The sales person may actually be the most effective way of promoting the product as it still requires a lot of education and convincing Promotion and distribution appears to go hand in hand importance from the perception of the consumers. Research limitation/implication: This study has certain limitations that suggest future research. First, its findings are based on data from Thailand, whose consumer experience may not be easily transferable to other economies (Ahlstrom & Ding, 2014). Thus, it is vital to explore whether the findings can be generalized beyond the banana flour industry. It is highly recommended to follow up the study with a larger sample in other parts of Thailand and Asia. Original/Value: Most people think Banana flour is the flower of the banana tree – wrong. Banana flower is still relatively unknown in the western world. Banana flour (BF) is in fact the starch of green bananas (Musa spp.) and has been used as substitute for wheat flour in Africa Asia and South America – as it is hard to grow wheat in those regions. However, banana flour needs to be introduced to consumers world-wide through the design of an appropriate marketing mix.

On the pre-adaptation of Mitragyna species to urban environments of Thailand

ABSTRACT As trees growing in urban environments are subjected to various stresses, it is important to select species that are naturally tolerant to such stresses. We compared the adaptability of three native Mitragyna species (M. diversifolia, M. hirsuta, and M. rotundifolia) from various parts of Thailand, growing in a wide range of environments and stresses. Various leaf morphological and physiological traits of trees growing along the roadside with their counterparts in the natural habitat were compared. The adaptability potential of the species, quantified through the plasticity index (PI), indicated an overall low plasticity for all traits. We attribute the low observed plasticity to the three species having a wide distribution range spanning diverse abiotic conditions. This includes low resource environments, and as such, they are pre-adapted to conditions similar to their native habitat. As the Mitragyna species already grow in diverse abiotic conditions, their ecological performance under stressful conditions (roadside) is not vastly different, potentially making them viable for planting in urban environments. We conclude that such species with similar trait level of PIs in both native and urban environments can successfully establish and thrive in urban green spaces under highly stressful urban conditions and provide sustained valuable ecosystem services.

The Report from the 2023 annual meeting of thoracic radiologists in Thailand: The development and reviews of the standards, guidelines, and advice concerning diagnostic radiology of thoracic disorders in Thailand

The rising issues in practice related with thoracic diagnostic imaging in both private and public sectors were presented to a panel consisting of thoracic radiologist experts from all parts of Thailand in a meeting held on 20 October 2023 by the Royal College of Radiologists of Thailand (RCRT) in collaboration with Foundation of Orphan and Rare Lung Disease (FORLD) at Asoke Conference Room on the fourth floor of Eastin Grand Hotel, Phaya Thai, Bangkok. The issues were grouped into 3 agendas: a post implementation review of the National HRCT Protocol, the safety and effectiveness of the diagnostic imaging, the standard report of HRCT in patients with fibrotic lung disease, and the recommended CT protocol for patients with thoracic malignancy in the public health universal coverage system.

Prefabricated Shelter for Local Community in Khon Kaen, Thailand

Nowadays, rapid development and growth of the economic and social changed the ways of living in the community. For low-income people, they try to adjust themselves to survive in this changing world. One of the main problems for this group of people is lack of living places. A temporary shelter in a rural area as well as in an urban area is socially a direct solution in responding to their fundamental needs. Based on the study of temporary shelter in Khon Kaen, Thailand, the normal space within the shelter includes multipurpose area and sleeping area with size of 6 sq.m. for each area. This information is used for this study. The idea of the study is to make a low cost prefabricate temporary shelter. The process of the study began with transform the information from previous research to be a prototype one. An architectural drawing is made and discuss with local shop base on the requirement of using local materials, suitable for simple transportation, easy for construction and limited budget. The final prefabrication shelter has been built and installed for checking the problem of building. However, this study showed a few problems that have to be noted such as too many elements that need good organize process for example. Also, the study has found that the prefabricated shelter can be built to suit local need of Khon Kaen city and other parts of Thailand as well. Finally, this prototype can be applied for other function beside a shelter for living. It can be temporary site office, shop, or others.

The Effect of Thailand’s Subcultures on Other Southeast Asia States’ Countercultures

Southeast Asia (SEA) is geographically divided into two sub-regions, mainland and insular. This region consists of 11 states that consistently oppose social liberal changes and uphold traditional values. Conservatism in politics, economy and society, including the legal realm, is always favoured in this region. However, recent developments in Thailand could test the conservative beliefs and practices in this region. In June 2022, Thailand decriminalised the cultivation and consumption of cannabis. This new law allows people in Thailand to consume marijuana edibles, marijuana-infused drinks and use marijuana for medical purposes. This is not the first time Thailand has liberalised its laws. For example, unlike other SEA countries, Thailand does not regulate the use clothing in private spaces; therefore, there has been a significant increase in the number of clothing-optional resorts in Thailand over recent years. Meanwhile, in 2015, Thailand became the first SEA country to recognise and protect the rights of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) individuals. Such laws and tolerance have now become part of Thailand's practices and subculture but remain taboo in other SEA states. Hence, this research has investigated the impact of developments in Thailand’s subculture on the SEA sub-regions, with a particular focus on cannabis law reform. Therefore, this research addresses the primary research question: in the context of ‘weed tourism’, could Thailand's recent cannabis culture impact other Southeast Asian countries? Due to the infancy of this research, a qualitative and digital ethnographical research method was chosen. The thematic analysis was adopted from the secondary government-published data by eliciting key themes. The findings revealed that weed tourism activities would encourage the people in this region to understand, respect, or even practice Thailand's subculture themselves. The mainland states may tend to accept and observe Thailand's cannabis subculture in their states. However, the insular states will not accept such subcultures and will always consider such activities as countercultural.

Reduction in Soil Compaction by Utilization of Waste Tire Rubber

Hardpan is one of the major problems found in many parts of Thailand where monocropping and repeated plowing at the same depth are conducted. This work aimed to study the feasibility of using crumb rubber produced from waste tires to alleviate the soil compaction problem. Effects of particle size and loading of crumb rubber on the degree of soil compaction were investigated. The quality of water extracted from crumb rubber was also analyzed to determine the severity of environmental contamination. The scope of work was further extended into field tests. The results reveal that the addition of crumb rubber into sandy loam subsoil significantly reduced the bulk density of the compacted soil and permitted greater water permeation through the compacted soil layer. The effects were more pronounced with either increasing crumb rubber loading or reducing crumb rubber particle size. For the field test, the addition of small crumb rubber (S-crumb) at 30%wt. resulted in a significant reduction in penetration force in conjunction with a considerable increase in water permeability. The results clearly confirm the reduction in soil compaction by the addition of crumb rubber. From a quality analysis of the extracted water, most poisonous heavy metals were below the detection limits of the test equipment, except zinc.

Development and propagation of hydrologic drought from meteorological and agricultural drought in the Mekong River Basin

AbstractMekong River Basin (MRB) experiences extreme droughts and floods frequently, due to the precipitation deficit across the basin. The meteorological droughts will have a profound impact on the distribution of soil moisture and hence agricultural productivity, which will lead to the reduction of surface water resources. It is therefore important to evaluate the deficits in hydrometeorological extremes, that is, precipitation, soil moisture, and streamflow to help decipher how one drought results in the other. In this study, a streamflow deficit index (SDI) has been proposed and applied to understand the changes in hydrology due to the fluctuations in precipitation and soil moisture in the Mekong River Basin (MRB). The study used percent normal (PN), a precipitation deficit index, and soil moisture deficit index (SMDI) to identify the initiation and sustenance of hydrological drought using SDI. The SMDI was obtained from soil moisture simulated using the soil and water assessment tool (SWAT) for the periods of 1980–2008. The study results suggested that the proposed index was able to represent the historical river flow deficit that persisted in the basin in the year 1992. Increasing variation in the streamflow deficit in parts of Thailand, Lao PDR, Vietnam, and Cambodia from the year 1992 was also captured by SDI. The flooding year 2000, which resulted in an economic loss of over 200 million USD, was also effectively captured by the proposed index. The lengthening of the streamflow drought, a metric used to represent drought propagation, was shorter by at least 2 months in forested catchments compared with that of agricultural catchments, which implies that any deficit in precipitation and soil moisture, will have a severe impact on agricultural basins. Similarly, the attenuation of both agricultural and hydrological drought was found to be smaller in forested subbasins than those in agricultural subbasins. The findings of the study will be useful for the timely identification of extreme hydrological events and for planning mitigation measures.

Revisiting and updating molecular epidemiology of α-thalassemia mutations in Thailand using MLPA and new multiplex gap-PCR for nine α-thalassemia deletion

α-thalassemia is an inherited blood disorder that is most frequently found in Southeast Asian populations. In Thailand, molecular characterization can diagnose most patients with α-thalassemia; however, several atypical patients are also observed in routine analyses. Here, we characterized α-thalassemia mutations among 137 Hemoglobin H (Hb H) disease patients and three fetuses of Hb Bart’s hydrops, a fatal clinical phenotype of α-thalassemia. Specifically, we performed multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA) followed by direct DNA sequencing. We noticed common genotypes in 129 patients and eight patients had rare Hb H disease caused by compound heterozygous α0-thalassemia (--CR or --SA deletion) with α+-thalassemia (-α3.7/-α4.2/αConstant Springα). Furthermore, two affected fetuses had the --SA/--SEA and one had the --CR/--SEA genotypes. Next, we developed and validated a new multiplex gap-PCR and applied this method to 844 subjects with microcytic red blood cells (RBCs) from various parts of Thailand. The frequency of heterozygous α0-thalassemia was dominated by --SEA 363/844 (43%), followed by --THAI 3/844 (0.4%), --SA 2/844 (0.2%), and --CR 2/844 (0.2%) mutations. These findings suggest that aforementioned four mutations should be routinely applied to increase the effectiveness of diagnosis and genetic counseling in this region.

Incidence, genetic diversity, and antimicrobial resistance profiles of Vibrio parahaemolyticus in seafood in Bangkok and eastern Thailand.

Emergence of Vibrio parahaemolyticus pandemic strain O3:K6 was first documented in 1996. Since then it has been accounted for large outbreaks of diarrhea globally. In Thailand, prior studies on pandemic and non-pandemic V. parahaemolyticus had mostly been done in the south. The incidence and molecular characterization of pandemic and non-pandemic strains in other parts of Thailand have not been fully characterized. This study examined the incidence of V. parahaemolyticus in seafood samples purchased in Bangkok and collected in eastern Thailand and characterized V. parahaemolyticus isolates. Potential virulence genes, VPaI-7, T3SS2, and biofilm were examined. Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) profiles and AMR genes (ARGs) were determined. V. parahaemolyticus was isolated from 190 marketed and farmed seafood samples by a culture method and confirmed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The incidence of pandemic and non-pandemic V. parahaemolyticus and VPaI-7, T3SS2, and biofilm genes was examined by PCR. AMR profiles were verified by a broth microdilution technique. The presence of ARGs was verified by genome analysis. V. parahaemolyticus characterization was done by multilocus sequence typing (MLST). A phylogenomic tree was built from nucleotide sequences by UBCG2.0 and RAxML softwares. All 50 V. parahaemolyticus isolates including 21 pathogenic and 29 non-pathogenic strains from 190 samples had the toxRS/old sequence, indicating non-pandemic strains. All isolates had biofilm genes (VP0950, VP0952, and VP0962). None carried T3SS2 genes (VP1346 and VP1367), while VPaI-7 gene (VP1321) was seen in two isolates. Antimicrobial susceptibility profiles obtained from 36 V. parahaemolyticus isolates revealed high frequency of resistance to colistin (100%, 36/36) and ampicillin (83%, 30/36), but susceptibility to amoxicillin/clavulanic acid and piperacillin/tazobactam (100%, 36/36). Multidrug resistance (MDR) was seen in 11 isolates (31%, 11/36). Genome analysis revealed ARGs including blaCARB (100%, 36/36), tet(34) (83%, 30/36), tet(35) (42%, 15/36), qnrC (6%, 2/36), dfrA6 (3%, 1/36), and blaCTX-M-55 (3%, 1/36). Phylogenomic and MLST analyses classified 36 V. parahaemolyticus isolates into 5 clades, with 12 known and 13 novel sequence types (STs), suggesting high genetic variation among the isolates. Although none V. parahaemolyticus strains isolated from seafood samples purchased in Bangkok and collected in eastern Thailand were pandemic strains, around one third of isolates were MDR V. parahaemolyticus strains. The presence of resistance genes of the first-line antibiotics for V. parahaemolyticus infection raises a major concern for clinical treatment outcome since these resistance genes could be highly expressed under suitable circumstances.

Airborne particulate matter from biomass burning in Thailand: Recent issues, challenges, and options

Many of the current atmospheric environmental problems facing Thailand are linked to air pollution that is largely derived from biomass burning. Different parts of Thailand have distinctive sources of biomass emissions that affect air quality. The main contributors to atmospheric particulate matter (PM), especially the PM2.5 fraction in Thailand, were highlighted in a recent study of PM derived from biomass burning. This review is divided into six sections. Section one is an introduction to biomass burning in Thailand. Section two covers issues related to biomass burning for each of the four main regions in Thailand, including Northern, Northeastern, Central, and Southern Thailand. In northern Thailand, forest fires and the burning of crop residues have contributed to air quality in the past decade. The northeast region is mainly affected by the burning of agricultural residues. However, the main contributor to PM in the Bangkok Metropolitan Region is motor vehicles and crop burning. In Southern Thailand, the impact of agoindustries, biomass combustion, and possible agricultural residue burning are the primary sources, and cross-border pollution is also important. The third section concerns the effect of biomass burning on human health. Finally, perspectives, new challenges, and policy recommendations are made concerning improving air quality in Thailand, e.g., forest fuel management and biomass utilization. The overall conclusions point to issues that will have a long-term impact on achieving a blue sky over Thailand through the development of coherent policies and the management of air pollution and sharing this knowledge with a broader audience.

Students' adoption towards behavioral intention of digital learning platform.

The purpose of this research was to investigate students' behavioral intentions toward a digital learning platform. In the framework of Thai education, an empirical study evaluated and applied the adoption model. The recommended research model was tested using structural equation modeling with a sample of 1406 students from every part of Thailand. According to the findings, the best facilitator for students' recognition of using digital learning platforms is attitude (ATT), followed by internal factors such as perceived usefulness (PU) and perceived ease of use (PEU). Furthermore, technology self-efficacy (TSE), subjective norms (SN), and facilitating conditions (FC) are peripheral factors that enhance comprehension of a digital learning platform's approval. These results are consistent with past research, with the exception that PU is the only factor that has a negative influence on behavioral intention. Consequently, this study will be useful to academics and researchers by bridging a research gap in the literature review whilst also demonstrating the practical application of an impactful digital learning platform relating to academic accomplishment.

Bambara groundnut production, grain composition and nutritional value: opportunities for improvements

AbstractBambara groundnut (Vigna subterranea L. Verdc; BGN) is an important legume grown mainly by small-scale subsistence farmers in sub-Saharan Africa, in parts of Thailand and Indonesia. It has a high concentration of seed carbohydrate (55–70%), protein (17–25%), fat (1.4–12%) and dietary fibre (5.2–6.4%). A range of biotic and abiotic stresses together with socio-economic constraints affect its productivity, yield and quality. The changing climate and a growing world population are putting pressure on food production, as world food supply is heavily reliant on few crops. As such, there is a need to broaden crop usage and increase yield of minor crops such as BGN. Improvements in production can potentially be achieved by a combination of advanced phenotyping, genotyping, environmental characterization and overall management approaches. Breeding for advanced lines is complicated by overreliance on landraces. This review aims to provide the current status of BGN production, production constraints and approaches to overcome these, as well as its grain composition and nutritional value. It further discusses and elaborates on potentially available opportunities for overall improvement, so that BGN, like all neglected crops, can play a valuable role in world food security. Efforts should be intensified to improve the overall utilization of BGN and its constituents to make it an economically viable crop.

Structural behavior of full‐scale precast posttensioned girder with substandard transverse reinforcement–experimental and analytical study

AbstractRapid expansion of developed cities create problems mainly attributed to traffic congestions. Recently, Bangkok has faced rapid growth and the expanded neighborhoods require convenient public transport to be linked with central Bangkok and other parts of Thailand. Monorails can be an exceptional alternative to conventional skylines and subways thankfully to their excellent climbing abilities, lower noise, shorter constructions periods, and their capabilities to be adapted within limited spaces. Recently, Mass Rapid Transit Authority adopted monorail system to facilitate public in Bangkok's expanding neighborhoods. A four‐span continuous posttensioned girder system has been proposed for the straddle monorail system. Current study focuses on the structural response of full‐scale precast posttensioned (FPP) end girders in the proposed monorail system. Results suggested that the girder remained undamaged under service load while exhibiting a linear load versus vertical deflection response. Failure under ultimate load was accompanied by crushing of concrete, buckling of compression longitudinal bars and posttension tendons at the midspan. Further, experimental rosette strains suggested that concrete strains remained well below the ultimate of strains in the vicinity of high shear zones of the girder. Therefore, these results augment that the proposed design practice is safe against shear and the proposed girder can safely be used as the end girder in four‐span straddle monorail system. Nonlinear analysis of the girder was performed using advanced tool for engineering nonlinear analysis by adopting its built‐in constitutive laws for concrete and steel reinforcement. Predicted analytical response of FPP was in good agreement with experimental results in terms of load‐deflection curves, crack patterns, and failure mode.

Developing Public Sector Transparency Measures in Thailand

As part of Thailand’s ongoing administrative reform, the objective of this study is to identify appropriate transparency measures for the public sector. Constructing a conceptual framework based on David Heald's anatomy of transparency complexity and Bauhr & Grimes’ study, as well as practices widely accepted around the world in countries such as the United States of America, Thailand FOIA, and transparency assessment tools in Thailand, to derive appropriate measures for assessing transparency practices in Thai public agencies with regard to the term's foundation, applicability in practice, and comprehensibility. The author provides seven primary indices for evaluating the transparency of Thai government agencies.

Relationship and Knowledge Management in Construction Projects in Thailand Part 2: The Studies of Knowledge Management Process and the Three-stage Project Development Performance Improvement Framework

The study of network relationship using UCINET program in part 1 was inspired by the problematicfragmented structure of a construction project development team. In this paper, the multi-stage projectdevelopment process as another key factor that underlies the construction industry’s poor performance isaddressed. Knowledge management is then proposed as another key solution to achieve the more effectiveproject development in Thailand context. Based on Nonaka and Takeuchi’s 1995 knowledge conversion model,representatives from key project members’ organisations that developed recently complete large commercialresidential projects in Bangkok central business area were asked in semi-structured interviews aboutorganisational knowledge management process using a set of standardised questions. The outcomes show themoderate efficiency due to key project members’ unawareness of knowledge potentials. A three-stage frameworkis also proposed to identify key project members, strengthen network relationship and improve organisationalknowledge management capability to achieve the better project development performance.

The Assessment of Organophosphate Pesticide Exposure among School Children in Four Regions of Thailand: Analysis of Dialkyl Phosphate Metabolites in Students' Urine and Organophosphate Pesticide Residues in Vegetables for School Lunch.

In Thailand, pesticides containing organophosphates (OP) are frequently applied to crops to suppress insects. School children can be exposed to OPs on a daily basis, from food consumption to breathing and touching pesticides drifted near classrooms. Living in an agricultural area can also be one of the causes. As a result, it is important to monitor OPs residues in the food chain and biomarkers of exposure. The Gas Chromatography–Flame Photometric Detector method was employed to examine the relationship between OPs residue and DAPs (Diakly phosphate) in four targeted locations in Thailand, as well as to examine the residues of OPs in vegetable samples and DAPs in 395 school children’s urine samples. Vegetables were found to contain at least one OP, with chlorpyrifos being the most prevalent. The OPs detected frequencies for Sakon Nakhon, Chiang Mai, Phang Nga, and Pathum Thani are 96.1%, 94%, 91.7%, and 83.3%, respectively. The overall centration level of OPs showed 0.3261 mg/kg, 0.0636 mg/kg, 0.0023 mg/kg, 0.0150 mg/kg, 0.2003 mg/kg, 0.0295 mg/kg, and 0.0034 mg/kg for diazinon, dimethoate, pirimiphos-methyl, chlorpyrifos, profenofos, ethion, and triazophos, respectively. Nearly 98% of school children were detected with at least one DAP. The overall level of dimethyl phosphate metabolites (5.258 µmole/mole creatinine) in urine samples is higher than diethyl phosphate metabolites (2.884 µmole/mole creatinine), especially in the case of Pathum Thani. Our findings show a consistent relationship between OPs in vegetables from wet markets and DAPs in urine samples of school children in various parts of Thailand.

Effectiveness of Using Animated Videos via Google Sites in Enhancing Socio-culture of Native English-Speaking Countries

This research aimed at 1) studying the second-year university students’ achievement after using animated videos through Google Sites to enhance socio-culture of native English-speaking countries, 2) examining the efficiency of animated videos with an efficiency criterion of 75/75, and 3) exploring the students' level of satisfaction after using animated videos. The samples of the study selected purposively were 48 third-year students majoring in English for Communication program at a university in the southern part of Thailand. 15 aminated videos on Socio-culture of native English-speaking countries, pre-test, post-test, and a questionnaire asking for the users’ satisfaction were used to collect data which were analyzed by means of average value ( ), standard deviation (S.D), T-test, and E1/E2. The results were as follows: 1) pre-test scores averaged to 13.81 ( = 13.81) while post-tests averaged to 22.52 ( = 22.52). This revealed a statistically significant different level of .00, 2) the efficiency of the created animated videos on Socio-culture of native English-speaking countries was at 75.09/75.06 which was higher than the set efficiency criterion of 75/75, and 3) the students had a positive satisfaction towards the animated video at the highest level with the overall mean scores of 4.55 ( = 4.55). The results pointed out that using animated videos to enhance Socio-culture of native English-speaking countries can effectively help the students increase their knowledge and understanding.

Supporting Sustainable Development by Identifying Ways to Enhance and Conserve Local Food Wisdom, Loei Province, Thailand

Traditional diets are generally nutrient-rich and utilise locally available resources. Strategies to help conserve local food wisdom and increase its value could facilitate a reduction in the burden of all forms of malnutrition and achieve global goals. Our objectives were to: (1) investigate the variety of local foods and food preparation methods in Loei province, Thailand; (2) investigate ways of increasing the nutritional, social, and economic value of local food in this province; and (3) construct a local food database to catalogue and conserve the local food wisdom. Nine out of fourteen districts in Loei province were purposively selected. All were designated key sustainable tourist destinations and represented a range of terrains. There were 423 interview participants, representing all villages in one subdistrict of each of the nine selected districts. We also conducted nine focus group discussions with a total of 90 participants. Data were analysed and categorised, based on the content analysis technique, and we created an online database of the catalogued recipes. There were 240 dishes, placed into seven categories of recipe type. Many of the characteristics of the local dishes from Loei province today remain closely connected to the history of this part of Thailand. We identified that the value of local foods could be improved by investing in technology used for home preservation, actively engaging younger generations to improve the transfer of local food wisdom, investment in technology to utilise local biodegradable materials, and tourist activities based around local food heritage. Future work will involve further development of the local food database, and research to evaluate the application of the database. Moreover, this research can serve as a model for retaining and valuing local food wisdom elsewhere, to promote food security, combat malnutrition, and benefit the local economy.

Lithocarpus eiadthongii (Fagaceae), a new stone oak species from southern part of Thailand

A new species of the genus Lithocarpus, L. eiadthongii, from southern part of Thailand is described and illustrated. Its colour photographs are also provided and its conservation status is assessed. The new species is superficially similar to L. melataiensis, L. pusillus and L. vuquangensis in terms of leaf and fruit size. Notwithstanding, it differs from the three species in several aspects e.g. leaf apex, leaf blade covering, cupule stalk, cupule size, nut size and nut enclosure.