Thai Case Research Articles

Popular Understanding of Democracy During Democratic Transition: Focusing on Thai Case

Popular Understanding of Democracy During Democratic Transition: Focusing on Thai Case

Performance measurement of workplace change: in two different cultural contexts

Performance measurement of workplace change: in two different cultural contexts

Lexical Evaluation of Teacher-made Coursebooks: Thai Case Studies of Foundation English Courses at Tertiary Level

Coursebooks as one of the major issues of language teaching / learning instruction can relieve the overburden as well as under-prepared teacher of a great deal of stress, time and additional work. Currently, both commercial and teacher-made English language teaching (ELT) coursebooks are available for use and seem flexible at hands. In any respect, however, usefulness of the coursebooks needs to be evaluated as claimed. To this end, the study, proposed as a new approach to lexical evaluation, examines the words occurring in three teacher-made ELT coursebooks used for compulsory foundation English courses in a Thai university as lexical syllabi are required to prepare university students for academic study at tertiary level. The RANGE program was employed to analyze the wordlists of the three teacher-made ELT coursebooks and it was found that those ELT coursebooks provided insufficient vocabulary size of general service words and academic words which were crucial to academic study regardless of syntactic structures. In addition, the three ELT coursebooks were frustrated for learners to survive unassisted reading in and outside the class. Application and suggestions are given for concerns and pedagogical practices.

Varicella pneumonia: a summary of Thai cases

ObjectiveVaricella is an important viral infection. It can present with acute febrile illness with rash. In some case, the rare complication as varicella pneumonia can be seen. MethodsThis work is a retrospective study. The meta-analysis of previously documented papers was done. ResultsThe clinical characteristics of documented Thai cases were summarized and presented. ConclusionsIn this specific report, the authors summarize on the previous reports on varicella pneumonia from Thailand, a tropical country where high rate of varicella infection can be observed.

AQP4 antibody–positive Thai cases

To evaluate the prevalence of aquaporin-4 (AQP4) antibody in Thai patients with idiopathic inflammatory demyelinating CNS diseases (IIDCDs) and to analyze the significance of the autoantibody to distinguish neuromyelitis optica (NMO) and other NMO spectrum disorders (ONMOSDs) from other IIDCDs, especially multiple sclerosis (MS). We retrospectively evaluated 135 consecutive patients with IIDCDs seen at the MS clinic at Siriraj Hospital, Bangkok, Thailand, and classified them into NMO, ONMOSDs, optic-spinal MS (OSMS), classic MS (CMS), and clinically isolated syndrome (CIS) groups in this order with accepted diagnostic criteria. The patients' coded sera were tested separately for AQP4 antibody. Then the relations between the clinical diagnosis and the AQP4 antibody serologic status were analyzed. Among the 135 patients, 53 (39.3%) were AQP4 antibody-positive. Although the AQP4 antibody-positive group had features of NMO, such as female predominance, long cord lesions (>3 vertebral bodies), and CSF pleocytosis, only 18 patients (33% of 54) fully met Wingerchuk 2006 criteria except for AQP4 antibody-seropositive status. We also detected some AQP4 antibody-positive patients in the OSMS (4 of 7), CMS (11 of 46), and CIS (1 of 16) groups. These patients had been misdiagnosed with MS because they often had brain lesions and never underwent spinal cord MRI examination or lacked long cord lesions. AQP4 antibody was highly prevalent (almost 40%) in Thai patients with IIDCDs. Moreover, only one-third of AQP4 antibody-positive patients fully met Wingerchuk 2006 criteria, and many were misdiagnosed with MS. A sensitive AQP4 antibody assay is required in this region because the therapy for NMO is different from that for MS.

Government Policies and Institutional Diversity of Private Higher Education: Thailand in Regional Perspective

This article examines government policies on private higher education (PHE) in Thailand. Focusing on three aspects of public policy – the PHE Act and ministerial regulations, quality assurance and student loans, the article analyzes how such policies play out for different types of PHE (religious-/ cultural-oriented, semi-elite, demand-absorbing). The article seeks to illuminate the role of different PHE types and government policies influencing them based upon data collected by the author in Praphamontripong (2010). Where possible, the Thai case is placed in regional (East Asia) and global perspective.

Judicialization of politics or politicization of the judiciary? Considerations from recent events in Thailand

Courts are becoming major players in the political landscape of Southeast Asia. This paper seeks to examine the causes and consequences of this new trend with particular reference to Thailand. Our study primarily analyzes the behavior of the Thai Constitutional Court during the political crisis in 2006–2008; the findings suggest that recent judicial activism and assertiveness in political matters, while partly explained by the interests of judges themselves and by the constitutional rules guiding their activities, is best understood as a direct consequence of the intervention of the monarchy, to which the judiciary has traditionally been closely aligned. Accordingly, the Thai case not only provides new evidence about what may be driving the new judicialization trend, it also draws attention to problematic aspects of this trend, namely the gradual politicization of the Thai judiciary and with it the erosion of the rule of law in Thailand and its replacement with rule by law. Our findings may also illuminate some larger issues at the intersection of politics and the courts throughout the region in ways that advance the theoretical understanding of both.

House price‐stock price relations in Thailand: an empirical analysis

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to empirically evaluate the wealth and credit‐price effects in the relations between housing prices and stock prices for Thailand using quarterly data from 1995 to 2006.Design/methodology/approachThe analysis relies on a four‐variable vector autoregression (VAR) framework consisting of house prices, stock prices, real output and consumer prices. Granger causality tests, impulse‐response functions and variance decompositions simulated from the estimated VAR systems are adopted as bases for inferences.FindingsThe results obtained from Granger causality tests, impulse‐response functions and variance decompositions all suggest a unidirectional causality that runs from stock prices to house prices. Thus, the wealth effect is unequivocally supported for the Thai case. The paper also documents the importance of real activity in influencing both house and stock prices. Likewise, stock prices do exert significant effects on real output and to some extent the general price level. These results have an implication that stock market stability is critical for the stability of the housing market as well as the goods market.Originality/valueThe paper provides an emerging market perspective on stock price – house price relations, which seem to be lacking in the literature.

Enhancing the sustainable development contribution of future CDM projects in Asia

This article explores how future CDM projects can be designed to become more attractive for some Asian countries. This might be achieved by enhancing the social and environmental benefits of such projects, e.g., by transforming the existing energy supply systems, by increasing job opportunities connected to the projects and/or by using indigenous biomass resources as fuel thereby phasing out the use of fossil fuels. Thus, 'transformative technologies' – in this case biomass CHP with district heating – could also establish domestic technology manufacturing schemes in the South, and thus, enhance the development effect of CDM projects even further. How this can be achieved in Asian countries is exemplified by a Thai case study and a planning guide (PG) is developed to implement such CDM projects in Asia as a whole. In steps, it demonstrates how the contribution of the proposed CDM project activity to sustainable development can be achieved.

An Exploratory Cross-Cultural Analysis of Marketing Ethics: The Case of Turkish, Thai, and American Businesspeople

This study compares the ethical decision-making processes of Turkish, Thai, and American businesspeople, considering perceived moral intensity (PMI), corporate ethical values (CEV), and perceived importance of ethics (PIE). PMI describes the ethical decision making at the individual level, CEV assesses the influences of the organization’s ethical culture on the decisions of the individual, and PIE reveals what the businesspeople believe about the relationships among business, ethics, and long-run profitability. The survey respondents are professional marketers and businesspeople currently enrolled in or graduated from MBA programs in Turkey (n = 416), Thailand (n = 605), and US (n = 446). The ANOVA results reveal that American businesspeople are more likely to perceive the unethical marketing behaviors as more serious than their counterparts in Turkey and Thailand. American and Turkish organizations are found to have higher CEV than Thai organizations. On the other hand, Thai and American businesspeople perceived ethics to be more important for business success than Turkish businesspeople. The understanding of the differences and similarities in ethical perceptions of the businesspeople from various countries is valuable for a successful and harmonious working together when engaging in global marketing activities. This study is thus believed to be useful for people who plan to invest or manage businesses in these countries, and many of the implications are thought to be valuable in international business arena.

Detection and characterisation of β-globin gene cluster deletions in Chinese using multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification

Background:Deletions in the β-globin cluster causing thalassaemia and hereditary persistence of fetal haemoglobin (HPFH) are uncommon and difficult to detect. Data in Chinese are very scarce.Aims:To use a recently available...

Social movements and political opposition in contemporary Thailand

There is an underlying optimism in much of the literature that considers the emergence of social movements as being associated with deepening processes of democratization. The expansion of civil society is seen to expand political space. This paper takes a critical lens to this perspective, using recent political events in Thailand as a case study of the political strategies and alliances of social movements. We examine the debates that saw many social movements and their leaderships initially support elected Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and his Thai Rak Thai Party only to see this support drain away as these same movements called on their followers to bring down the government. More importantly, we examine how these movements came to ally with conservative forces associated with the palace and military. Based on the Thai case study, we suggest that these seemingly unlikely outcomes result from the very nature of social movements. Leadership by middle-class activists, the need for alliances, the development of networks, and a focus on single issues and identities leads social movements to make substantial political compromises. The consequences can be negative for democratic development.

2009 Swine-Origin Influenza A (H1N1) Resembles Previous Influenza Isolates

BackgroundIn April 2009, novel swine-origin influenza viruses (S-OIV) were identified in patients from Mexico and the United States. The viruses were genetically characterized as a novel influenza A (H1N1) strain originating in swine, and within a very short time the S-OIV strain spread across the globe via human-to-human contact.MethodologyWe conducted a comprehensive computational search of all available sequences of the surface proteins of H1N1 swine influenza isolates and found that a similar strain to S-OIV appeared in Thailand in 2000. The earlier isolates caused infections in pigs but only one sequenced human case, A/Thailand/271/2005 (H1N1).SignificanceDifferences between the Thai cases and S-OIV may help shed light on the ability of the current outbreak strain to spread rapidly among humans.

Relationship marketing: a Thai case

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore the impact of relationship marketing in a Thai context by gathering both quantitative and qualitative data.Design/methodology/approachThis research adopts a multi method approach. A preliminary model is developed from existing literature, and then tested with data collected from a mail survey completed by 166 salespeople in 30 steel pipe firms in Thailand. Finally, to better understand the quantitative results from a different perspective, in‐depth interviews with 15 sales managers are undertaken and the model further refined.FindingsThe quantitative findings indicate that from the perspective of industrial sales people, the key success factor of relationship marketing is trust. However, the results of the in‐depth interviews with sales managers did not support the views of the salespeople. The sales managers endorse four variables: bonding, empathy, reciprocity, and trust, as affecting the success of relationship marketing. Further, company image, information exchange, and time are identified as key factors that contribute to the building of these variables, which in turn contribute to performance.Research limitations/implicationsThe data are gathered from one industry in one country only, hence future research could extend these findings to other industries and countries to test their general application.Practical implicationsThe key implications of these findings for marketing managers include support for the use of relationship marketing programs at a strategic level as well as suggestions for successful implementation of these programs. These findings suggest that the existence of needs analysis and response adaptation characteristics in salespeople have a strong, significant, and positive association with buyer‐seller relationship development.Originality/valueThis paper contributes to relationship marketing research because a scarcity of empirical research still exists in this field, particularly in emerging markets such as Thailand.

FAILED INTERNATIONALISM AND SOCIAL MOVEMENT DECLINE

In the late 1980s and into the 1990s, South Korean social movements converted a former military dictatorship into a more democratic regime, while raising hopes for yet more improvements in the position of Korean workers and farmers. In the 1990s, Thai social movements also cast aside a military dictatorship and opened a period in which popular movements seemed poised to make yet greater gains. Yet as of 2008 it is apparent that social movements in both South Korea and Thailand have faced increased difficulties and have seen a number of significant setbacks. The authors of this article analyze what they take to be one of the reasons for these setbacks: the failure of social movements in both of these countries to more successfully internationalize their efforts. Failed internationalism is far from being the only significant factor in this social movement decline, and, moreover, it has not necessarily occurred in precisely the same way in the South Korean and Thai cases. The authors show, however, that by analyzing similarities and differences in the patterns of social movement decline between South Korea and Thailand one can discern some common conundrums faced quite generally by social movements in an era of neoliberalism and neoconservatism.

Refuge, Governmentality and Citizenship: Capturing ‘Illegal Migrants’ in Malaysia and Thailand

AbstractThis article directs attention to dynamics of refuge and governmentality in a region of the ‘global South’, South-East Asia, and brings into focus the major recipients of (forced) migrants, Malaysia and Thailand, neither of which is a signatory to the 1951 Refugee Convention, or the 1967 Protocol. Against the backdrop of the illuminating contrast offered by the Thai case, this article argues that, in the case of Malaysia, the mobilization of ‘volunteers of the nation’ in campaigns against ‘illegal migrants’ serves as a performative (re)enactment of ethnic identity and national citizenship in the making of Malays and Malaysians in this postcolonial ‘plural society’. The article explores the wider consequences of the (re)production of (il)legality and identity as a social reality experienced not merely by (forced) migrants, and not only at the border, but also by government officials and national citizens actively mobilized in high-profile campaigns to flush out ‘illegal migrants’ from markets, construction and plantation sites, as well as dwellings inkampongneighbourhoods, city blocks and jungle sites across Malaysia.

Weekly gemcitabine and cisplatin concurrent with pelvic irradiation for primary therapy of cervical cancer: report of the first seven cases in Thai women

The aim of this study was to evaluate the compliance, response, and side effects of weekly gemcitabine (125 mg/m(2)) given concomitantly with standard weekly cisplatin (40 mg/m(2)) and pelvic radiotherapy for primary treatment of cervical cancer stage IB2-IVA in the first seven Thai cases. Weekly gemcitabine at a dose of 125 mg/m(2) was given concomitantly with cisplatin at 40 mg/m(2) for six cycles with concurrent radiotherapy in primary therapy of stage IB2-IVA cervical cancer. Radiation consisted of 5000 cGy in 25 daily fractions combined with brachytherapy to take point A to about 8600 cGy. Using weekly gemcitabine at a dose of 125 mg/m(2) with cisplatin at a dose of 40 mg/m(2), five of seven patients demonstrated a dose-limiting toxicity (DLT). DLTs consisted of nephrotoxicity in three cases and bone marrow suppression in two cases. Only one of seven patients could go through six cycles. All 5 living patients had a clinically complete response. Weekly gemcitabine at a dose of 125 mg/m(2) with cisplatin at a dose of 40 mg/m(2) given concurrently with primary pelvic radiotherapy resulted in an excellent response but unacceptable toxicities for Thai women. The trial protocol was changed by reducing the cisplatin dosage to 20 mg/m(2).

Student Impressions of Portfolio Assessment: A Thai Case Study

Student Impressions of Portfolio Assessment: A Thai Case Study

Filling know-do gaps in road safety policy in developing countries: a case study of Thailand

In developing countries, a trend in increasing road traffic injuries (RTIs) has been observed over several decades; while in many developed countries there has been an observed decrease, due to road safety policy and specific intervention application. The authors discuss a Thai case study aimed at demonstrating how, within a complex and dynamic socio-political context, policies and actions are translated from existing knowledge. The authors offer potential system reform success factor identification and road safety system analysis. They conclude that effective and relevant road safety policies and actions require, in the context of the specific country they are to be developed in, additional economic, social, and political knowledge.

Lexical innovation and “the genius of the Thai language”

Lexical resources in Thai have been increased through the interplay of communicative need, institutional intervention, and popular resolve. This study reviews how the interaction was given cohesion by Prince Wan Waithayakorn (1891–1976), a scholar-bureaucrat whose impact on Thai has been substantial through hundreds of neologisms in common usage. To explain popular uptake of some proposed neologisms but rejection of others, he referred to the “genius of the Thai language.” The study probes this explanation, which may seem odd to contemporary sociolinguists. The linguistic background of “genius of language” is summarized, showing that issues of theoretical weight have been coded by the term. These involve sound, meaning, and morphophonemics. Relevance is indicated for sociolinguistic analysis as well as for typological claims associated with innate parameters. Some themes appear to apply in the Thai case, and the study concludes by pointing to what Prince Wan may have had in mind when he proposed “genius of language” as a Thai sociolinguistic mechanism.