Thai Context Research Articles

Sufficiency economy philosophy: Buddhism‐based sustainability framework in Thailand

AbstractDrawing upon institutional theory, sustainability scholars have demonstrated that various institutional factors, such as environmental regulations, national business systems, and global sustainability standards, shape legitimate sustainability frameworks. However, most of the studies have focused on formal institutions that have law‐like regulations and procedures. Owing to the skewed attention, the role of informal institutions in shaping sustainability frameworks has remained largely unexplored. The present study suggests that an informal institution, particularly religion, can play a significant role in developing a locally driven sustainability framework. In particular, this study investigates Thai context where Buddhism has shaped people's mindset, moral principles and day‐to‐day economic activity. For the past few decades, Thailand has theorized its own unique sustainability framework—sufficiency economy philosophy—based on Buddhist worldview on interrelationships of economy, society, and environment. By shedding light on how religion is formalized as a sustainability framework, this research contributes to institutional approach to sustainability.

Guidelines to Build a Smooth Transition from Home to Preschool: Parental Roles in the Thai Context

Preschool has become, for a majority of children, the introduction to learning in a structured environment with teachers and other children. It...

Thai Translation and Psychometric Testing of the Measure of Moral Distress for Healthcare Professionals

Objective: This study aimed to describe the translation process and to test the psychometric properties of the Measure of Moral Distress for Healthcare Professionals (MMD-HP) among Thai nurses.Material and Methods: The MMD-HP was administered via an electronic survey to registered nurses at 2 large tertiary care hospitals in a southern province in Thailand. The MMD-HP was translated into the Thai language using the modified Brislin’s cross-cultural instrument translation method. Reliability was analyzed using Cronbach’s alpha coefficient and validity was assessed using exploratory factor analysis with promax rotation.Results: In total, 448 surveys were included in the final analysis. A three-factor structure was understandable and appropriate. The 3 factors were labeled as system-level, team-level, and patient/family-level root causes of moral distress. The overall internal consistency of the MMD-HP was 0.94; with 0.89, 0.89, and 0.85 for the system-level, team-level, and patient/family-level root causes, respectively.Conclusion: Our analysis found that the 3-factor solutions of the Thai version of the MMD-HP was most appropriate in our context. Our study found it to be a reliable, valid, and useful tool to measure moral distress among nurses in the Thai context. It is an appropriate tool to be used cross-culturally.

Risk attitude, time preference and health behaviours in the Bangkok Metropolitan Area

Individual risk and time preferences are related with economic behaviours under uncertainty, as well as health-related risky behaviours. Using a novel dataset collected from 1,330 households in the Bangkok Metropolitan Area in 2015 and 2016, this study quantitatively examines the factors that are associated with overweight and physical health screening, focusing on individual risk and time preferences. In contrast to studies using data from Western countries, the risk attitude measure is positively associated with obesity and BMI, i.e. risk averse individuals are more likely to be obese and tend to have a higher BMI, suggesting that overweight may be considered a symbol of health and prosperity and a protection against future uncertainties in the Thai context. A statistically significant link between time preference and the BMI measures was not found. The regression results further show that, in line with the literature, risk averse individuals and individuals with a low time preference are less likely to forgo routine physical check-ups. More emphasis needs to be placed on understanding the decisions that underlie health-related risky behaviours in a particular cultural setting to be able to design effective interventions.

Ritual Treatment of Fortunate and Unfortunate Dead by the Chinese Redemptive Society Déjiāo in Thailand

This paper compares the ritual management of fortunate and unfortunate dead (hungry ghosts) by a Chinese new religious movement named Déjiāo 徳教 (lit. Teaching of Virtue), which emerged in Chaozhou (the northeast of Guangdong province) in 1939, before spreading to Southeast Asia after World War II. Based on ethnographic data collected in Chaozhou and Thailand between 1993 and 2005, the analysis reveals significant differences concerning both the ideological and performative aspects of the ritual processing of the two categories of dead. The funeral care of orphaned dead by Déjiāo conforms to the Chaozhou tradition of xiū gūgú 修孤骨, a festival of second burial allegedly devised during the Song dynasty by a local Buddhist monk; most of his sequences require the activity of mediums. Turned toward the salvation of the unfortunate dead, this festival was enriched by a universalist ambition through its adaptation to the Thai context. In doing so, it perfectly expresses the moral and religious goals of Déjiāo, one of the most active Chinese redemptive societies.

The impact of ethnicity on the sociocultural adjustment of international students in Thai higher education

International tertiary student mobility will continue to rise as governments and universities support diversity in education and prioritize international experience. With this mind, it should be a priority to study the impacts and impediments of student adjustment in their chosen countries. The authors advance a line of inquiry, which seeks to explore personal experiences of four distinct groups of tertiary students and identify the positives, and in particular the negative aspects of their study abroad experience. The central argument which heretofore has been understudied is that student ethnicity and incompatibility of ethnic group identities and their expressions mark the central feature inhibiting student adjustment within the Thai context.

The Presentation of Sources of Culture in English Textbooks in Thai Context

This study focused on the analysis of the presentation of sources of culture in a series of English Textbooks used in Thailand and their presentation in the receptive skills and productive skills of language learning. It was revealed that source culture or Thai culture and international culture or culture of the foreign countries where English is used as a second or foreign language were presented in each series of textbooks in a much smaller proportion when compared to the target culture or the culture of America or Britain that accounted for almost half of the total units analysed. It was also shown that more than half of the units analysed were presented in receptive skills that show the target culture and less than half in productive skills that show the source culture. The results of this study provide implications for authors, publishers, and educational institutions on how sources of culture should be treated in English textbooks to better prepare Thai students for a wider range of international communicative settings.

Mentors' approach to practicum mentoring in the Spanish and Thai contexts: a two-cohort comparison using the Mentoring Profile Inventory

PurposeThe purpose of this study was to better understand the work of mentors or cooperating teachers (CTs) in Spain and Thailand, by comparing how mentors in both contexts conceive of their work in teacher education.Design/methodology/approachA comparative study based on a crossnational research (CNR) approach was used. An internationally validated instrument, the Mentoring Profile Inventory (MPI), was given to 171 Spanish and 170 Thai CTs, and an analysis using t tests and constant comparative methods was conducted.FindingsThe main results indicate that the Spanish cohort reported being significantly more challenged than their Thai counterparts in working with preservice teachers (PSTs). Both groups indicated a similar degree of motivation. The comparative analysis revealed that the Thai CTs emphasized the importance of ethics in teaching and being a role model for PSTs, whereas the Spanish CTs emphasized the need for strong interpersonal relationships as being central to successful mentoring.Research limitations/implicationsUnderstanding mentors' challenges and motivations can form the basis for reflecting upon the essential components of teacher preparation in both contexts. Furthermore, comparative cross-context analyses, as demonstrated in this paper, are vital for the identification of important differences that might otherwise remain invisible or unrecognized from a single-context perspective.Originality/valueThe study is original in its focus in that it offers insights that help better understand attitudes and performance within and across contexts – in this case, a European and an Asian country – using a common metric, the MPI. This study serves as an exemplar for other comparison studies for countries of mentors.

Sex offender registry system: a challenging task for Thai’s police policy and practice

ABSTRACT This exploratory research studies the provision of sex offender registry systems and identifies whether a suitable model can be applied to the Thai context. To examine these perspectives, a qualitative methodology has been applied via focus group discussions and in-depth interviews with figures involved in the administration of Thai criminal justice. Most of the research participants believed that the introduction of a Thai sex offender registry system would be appropriate, but that this must be produced in response to the cultural and societal specificity of Thailand and an appropriate criterion must be established to classify offenders here. Ultimately, this research demonstrates that a sex offender registry would be suitable for Thailand, but only if this system learns from the advantages/disadvantages of other national systems and if the final legislative approach responds strongly to the needs of Thai society and to the capabilities of the agencies involved in its operations.

Vicarious Learning From Innovative Women Entrepreneurs in Thailand

The Problem The number of Thai women entrepreneurs has increased to nearly half of all Thai entrepreneurs over the past years with 80% of them reported to have entered into opportunity-driven entrepreneurship. This growing social phenomenon, however, remains underexplored by limited numbers of academic studies on Thai women entrepreneurship. Extending the understanding of opportunity-driven women entrepreneurs in the changing Thai context is therefore significant for developing national human resources. The Solution This study highlights the opportunity-driven category of women entrepreneurs defined by Cromie and Hayes as Innovators. Taking the phenomenological approach as a research method, in-depth interviews from 13 innovative women business owners in Thailand were analyzed to understand their motivations, challenges, and success factors, as well as the contemporary worldview of the Thai culture and values concerning gender roles and social norms. The Stakeholders National policymakers, educators, human resource development professionals, and parents can craft policies and practices that align with key learnings from the lived experiences of women entrepreneurs. Aspiring women entrepreneurs can also vicariously learn from the study participants who serve as role models.

‘Professionalism’ in English as a Foreign Language Teachers’ Perspectives: A Qualitative Study in a Thai Context

This study presents the meanings, attributes, and roles of ‘professionalism’ synthesized from 20 Thai EFL teachers’ perspectives.  Qualitative research methods were utilized to collect four sources of data including classroom observation transcripts, semi-structured interview transcripts, on-line discussion entries, and field-note recordings.  The findings indicated that professionalism refers to the big picture of exemplar, effective teachers.  Proficient English skills with an emphasis on oral communication, lesson planning abilities, lesson delivery skills, and commitment to successful student learning were believed to form professionalism which, also, plays multi-roles in teaching.

Needs Assessment of Stakeholders for Promoting Intergenerational Learning Program in Thai Context

“Intergenerational learning program” or “IP” has been increasingly important nowadays since it is considered as one of the significant tools in solving some social problems arising from changes in social structure and roles of family members. However, this concept is needed and new to Thai educational stakeholders. The objective of this study is to explore the learning needs of stakeholders for promoting intergenerational learning program in Thailand. It aims to study the awareness and knowledge of the stakeholders towards IP and identify their current program managemental skills when running general learning programs. The qualitative research design was used in this study. The semi-structured in-depth interview is a tool to capture the rich context. The key informants consisted of 3 groups of experienced stakeholders total of 26 people including 1) community educators 2) school principals and teachers and 3) local wisdom and volunteers. Each group was purposively selected from respectful educators in rural and urban areas equally. Thematic content analysis was used to analyze the interview data. Despite the fact that the stakeholders were aware of current situations of intergenerational relationships and had a good attitude towards the meaning and benefits of IP, there were only 65.38% of key informants who viewed that it was needed in the Thai context, and only 45.80% were ready to bring IP to its community. However, about 73.60% of those who showed positive responses to IP would determine the success of the program. Knowledge and understanding about objectives of IP showed needs to improve self-esteem, solve social problems, and promote physical and mental health. Ways of practice IP indicated needs to promote understanding of reciprocal learning between the aging and children, as well as ability to design activities following IP concepts. For program managemental skills, there were 4 skills when considering the problem skills above 30% were needs to improve.

Authenticating Factor Analysis of Attitude towards Mathematics Inventory (ATMI) in Thailand

The study examine the psychometric properties of Attitudes towards Mathematics Inventory (ATMI) in the Thai context. To achieve the objective set by the authors, 259 students from 10 different primary schools in Nakhon Si Thammarat province, Thailand were selected. Furthermore, a forty items ATMI questionnaire having four scales that is, 15 items measuring self-confidence, 10 items measuring value, 10 items measuring enjoyment, and 5 items measuring motivation from the study of Khine and Afari (2014) was adapted. The questionnaire adapted was translated to Thai language by expert English Thai lecturer. Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO) measure of sampling adequacy and Bartlett’s test of sphericity were carried out to ascertain the factorability of the correlation matrix. That ATMI can be a viable scale to measure students’ attitudes toward mathematics in Thai context.

The Challenges of Implementing Content Language Integrated Learning in Tertiary Education in Thailand: A Review and Implication of Materials

The trends of globalization and intercultural communication influence education in most countries of the world. The implementation of content and language integrated learning (CLIL) is a big challenge for Thai content teachers and professional development programs. It is not easy for both teachers and learners who are non-native speakers of English. In Thailand, English is used as a foreign language, so teachers try to find out the most appropriate teaching approach to develop learners’ English skills in order to serve the trends of globalization. This article expresses the idea of CLIL in Thailand, including challenges of implementing CLIL in Thai context, CLIL materials, and steps to successful material development in the Thai context. Additionally, it explains the problems of using CLIL among Thai teachers and learners. The goal is to understand principles that should be considered when adapting or designing CLIL materials for teaching in classrooms. Consecutive steps to implement materials to CLIL class are alternative for teachers to create the successful teaching. It can incorporate elements of the learner’s first language and culture effectively. Furthermore, appropriate materials can be used in the classroom to help motivate learners.

Toward a new paradigm on food literacy and learning development in the Thai context

Toward a new paradigm on food literacy and learning development in the Thai context

Seasonality in the Thai stock market: The lottery effect

This study focuses on the influence of the lottery day effect in the Thai stock market. Daily stock index of the Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) from January 1, 1990 to October 3, 2018 are used to examine the impact of the lottery effect on the return and volatility of the stock indices. For robustness test, we also investigate this effect in three periods, the Asian financial crisis period, the global crisis period, and the whole period. Using the GARCH(1,1) and TGARCH(1,1) models, the results show that there is the persistence of volatility and volatility patterns of clustering, asymmetry and leverage effect in the Thai context. The results significantly suggest that lottery day is priced as a systematic risk factor in the Thai stock market and plays an important role to predict the future returns and volatility for the Asian crisis period.

Can an integrated reporting system in Thai context create sustainable value to users

Can an integrated reporting system in Thai context create sustainable value to users

Can an Integrated Reporting System in Thai Context Create Sustainable Value to Users

This study examines an integrated reporting system of Thai-listed companies for incorporating business information in annual reports to create sustainable value. A set of questionnaires is employed to conduct the integrated information in the annual reports of the sample companies. A multiple regression analysis is utilised to test the hypotheses. Results reveal that the integrated reporting of the sample companies enables them to satisfy the information needs of the stakeholders. Business information in relation to the environmental and social performance, effective investment decision and sustainability targets in the annual reports of the sample companies create sustainable value from the perspective of stakeholders.

Needs Assessment of Stakeholders for Promoting Intergenerational Learning Program in Thai Context

“Intergenerational learning program” or “IP” has been increasingly important nowadays since it is considered as one of the significant tools in solving some social problems arising from changes in social structure and roles of family members. However, this concept is needed and new to Thai educational stakeholders. The objective of this study is to explore the learning needs of stakeholders for promoting intergenerational learning program in Thailand. It aims to study the awareness and knowledge of the stakeholders towards IP and identify their current program managemental skills when running general learning programs. The qualitative research design was used in this study. The semi-structured in-depth interview is a tool to capture the rich context. The key informants consisted of 3 groups of experienced stakeholders total of 26 people including 1) community educators 2) school principals and teachers and 3) local wisdom and volunteers. Each group was purposively selected from respectful educators in rural and urban areas equally. Thematic content analysis was used to analyze the interview data. Despite the fact that the stakeholders were aware of current situations of intergenerational relationships and had a good attitude towards the meaning and benefits of IP, there were only 65.38% of key informants who viewed that it was needed in the Thai context, and only 45.80% were ready to bring IP to its community. However, about 73.60% of those who showed positive responses to IP would determine the success of the program. Knowledge and understanding about objectives of IP showed needs to improve self-esteem, solve social problems, and promote physical and mental health. Ways of practice IP indicated needs to promote understanding of reciprocal learning between the aging and children, as well as ability to design activities following IP concepts. For program managemental skills, there were 4 skills when considering the problem skills above 30% were needs to improve.

86 Developing the Adapted Lifestyle - Integrated Functional Exercise Programme in Thai Context (TLIFE) to Prevent Falls among Older Adults in Thailand: A Mixed Methods Study

Abstract Introduction Falls are the leading cause of injuries in older Thai adults. There is a need to develop a fall prevention exercise programme to encourage participation and adherence. The adapted Lifestyle-integrated Functional Exercise (aLiFE) programme may be suitable by integrating exercise into daily routines as opposed to attending an exercise class. This study aimed to explore the acceptability and feasibility of the aLiFE programme in Thai context (TLiFE) among older Thai adults. Methods Based on the findings of a prior qualitative study, a feasibility randomised controlled trial (RCT) of TLiFE was conducted among community-dwelling older adults, comparing the TLiFE intervention group with a usual care control group. Outcome measures were analysed at baseline, 3 months, and after 6 months of the intervention. Results We recruited a total of 72 older adults into the RCT, randomised to TLiFE (n=36) and control (n=36). The retention rate at 6 months was 91.7%. Attendance in the intervention group (3 home visits and 4 follow-up calls) was 82.9%. There were no differences in fall incidence between the groups. The acceptability survey reveals TLiFE is easy to perform in daily life, safe, and useful. No adverse events were reported. Conclusion The TLiFE programme appears to be acceptable and feasible to deliver to community-dwelling older Thai adults. This feasibility study was not powered to detect a difference between groups. A further fully powered definitive randomised controlled trial of TLiFE is needed to evaluate long-term outcomes and cost-effectiveness before it is integrated within the healthcare system in Thailand.