Thai Engineering Research Articles

Automation and ‘Thailand +1” Strategy of Japanese Companies in Thailand by Thai Engineers

<p><strong>Abstract</strong></p><p>Japanese companies have the second largest number of overseas manufacturing sites in Thailand after in China. To cope with labor cost increase, on one hand, they automate their production processes using robots. On the other hand, they establish satellite manufacturing sites in neighboring lower labor cost countries. This movement is called “Thailand+1” Strategy. The paper discusses these two movements comparing with the experiences of Japanese companies in Japan in the late 1980s coping with rapid Japanese Yen appreciation. The paper discusses that the automation in Thailand now is more systematic and needs system integrators and that local engineers need to be trained as system integrators since the technological operation in Thailand is already heavily localized. In the case of Japan in the late 1980s, shop-floor workers were needed to be mechatronics operators since individual machines became IT (Information Technology) -based. For the “Thailand +1” Strategy, only a part of production process, which is heavily labor-intensive, is moved out as a satellite factory, while in the case of Japan in the 1980s a whole assembling process was moved out and many parts suppliers followed. Another difference is that local engineers (Thai engineers) play an important role in technology transfer in the case of the “Thailand +1” Strategy, while Japanese engineers transferred technology to overseas factories in the case of Japanese companies in the late 1980s. Japanese companies have become globally operated from Japan-centered.</p><p> </p>Keywords: Automation, Thailand+1 Strategy, Japanese Companies, Thai Engineers

The Use of English Oral Communication Strategies of Thai Engineers in Manufacturing Industry

This study aims to investigate the types of communication strategies (CSs) employed by Thai engineers in their interaction with foreign colleagues and clients at the workplace. In addition, the study also explores the types of oral communication strategies that Thai engineers most frequently use in different tasks while communicating in English at the workplace. The findings of the present study revealed the types of communication strategies used to cope with speaking problems that are frequently used by Thai engineers in different tasks. The Oral Communication Strategy Inventory (OCSI) was used to collect quantitative data from 108 Thai engineers working in the manufacturing industry. The findings of this study revealed effective oral communication strategies in relation to different tasks which will help to improve Thai Engineers’ English oral communication skills in the engineering context based on the strategies they lack.

GENRE ANALYSIS OF MINUTES OF MEETINGS CONDUCTED IN ENGLISH BY THAI ENGINEERS

Meetings are one of the common activities that play an important role in the field of business. For the community of Thai engineers, meetings become the salient aspects of their work, and therefore the effective writing of minutes of meetings is required. As such a writing is essential in the field, analyzing the corpus of the minutes of meetings would shed a light the patterns of meaning instantiated through those minutes. A corpus of 115 minutes of meetings were collected and analyzed using the genre analysis framework (moves and steps) of Swales (1990), Bhatia (1993), and Thaweewong (2006). Further, the lexico-grammatical features e.g., tenses and voices instantiated through the meetings were examined. Results of the analysis showed that Thai engineers use e-mail as the medium in writing the minutes in two ways: using regular e-mail messages (e-mail form) and using the company form. In terms of moves, there were seven common moves observed in the writing of the minutes: (1) the heading; (2) an opening salutation; (3) establishing a correspondence chain; (4) the content of the meeting; (5) a closing correspondence chain; (6) a closing salutation; and (7) attaching a document. In terms of lexicogrammar, there are some prominent features such as the simple present tense, active voice, noun phrases, proper nouns, abbreviations, and key word lists. The results above can be further utilized by course designers when developing the materials for their course. It is expected that the knowledge of moves and lexico-gramamtical features can help engineering students and novice engineers practice writing the minutes of meetings effectively.

The Effects of Genre-Based Teaching on Enhancement of Thai Engineers’ Technical Writing Ability

The Effects of Genre-Based Teaching on Enhancement of Thai Engineers’ Technical Writing Ability

The Use of ‘5A Learning Portfolio’, a Technique of Learning Strategies Based on Self-Directed Learning and Metacognition to Enhance English Learning Skills of Thai Engineering Students

The Use of ‘5A Learning Portfolio’, a Technique of Learning Strategies Based on Self-Directed Learning and Metacognition to Enhance English Learning Skills of Thai Engineering Students

An analysis of competency, needs, and gap on Thai engineering capabilities within ASEAN

Just two nations in Southeast Asia have committed to programs and funding to prepare over 72,000 new PhD researchers and academics for specific industries. This study, therefore, conducted both a quantitative and qualitative analysis of 412 Thai engineers selected from a population of 1211 Thai Federation of Industries companies to investigate how need, gap, and competency affected Thai engineer work capability. The structural equation model was conducted with AMOS 21 software and from the analysis, competency (β = 0.16) and needs (β = 0.77) demonstrated a significant effect on capabilities, while needs demonstrated a significant effect on the gap. Additionally, cultural awareness of other Asian regional nations ranked as the weakest link in an engineer's capability perception.

Test-Taking Strategies Used in the Reading Section of the Test of English for Thai Engineers and Technologists: A Computerbased ESP Test

Test-Taking Strategies Used in the Reading Section of the Test of English for Thai Engineers and Technologists: A Computerbased ESP Test

An analysis of competency, needs, and gap on Thai engineering capabilities within ASEAN

An analysis of competency, needs, and gap on Thai engineering capabilities within ASEAN

Enhancing Thai Engineering Students’ Complaints and Apologies through Pragmatic Consciousness-Raising Approach (PCR)

Successful communication requires “Pragmatic Competence” or abilities to use appropriate language in transferring one’s needs while maintaining a positive relationship with the interactant (Thomas, 1995; Leech, 1983). This study was an attempt to investigate the pragmatic competence of Thai Engineering students when making complaints and apologies through twelve sessions of a pragmatic consciousness-raising approach (PCR). Perceptions toward the innovative teaching activities were also examined. Both qualitative and quantitative methods were used to collect data from forty-five engineering students (n=45) at a university in Thailand. Pre-test and posttest written discourse completion tests (WDCTs) were administered and a semi-structured interview was conducted. Three native speaker raters scored the performances through WDCTs using assessment criteria from Hudson (2001) and Duan (2008). For data analysis, paired-samples t-test was employed to compare the mean scores of students, while the researcher employed a Grounded Theory’s color coding technique (Strauss & Corbin, 1998) to generate the findings on students’ perceptions about the innovative methods implemented. The results revealed significant development of students’ pragmalinguistic and sociopragmatic abilities in both complaints and apologies. Furthermore, participants perceived the PCR class to be beneficial in four areas: having more awareness of the impacts of social factors in language use, realizing the favor of indirect strategies, more understanding of nonverbal communication, and provision of motivating class atmosphere. However, some participants concerned about three aspects: inadequate confidence to use expressions learned in class in real communication, insufficient endeavor to develop grammar knowledge, and the test abilities of the roleplay test. The results confirm the teachability of pragmatic and the benefits of PCR in EFL contexts; whereas, students’ concern about learning through the approach might be helpful for further teaching practices.

English on the job for Thai engineers: Application forms and work talk

English on the job for Thai engineers: Application forms and work talk

Perceptions and Problems of English Language and Communication Abilities: A Final Check on Thai Engineering Undergraduates

English language and communication abilities are an essential part of the global engineering community. However, non-native English speaking engineers and students tend to be unable to master these skills. This study aims to gauge the perceived levels of their general English language proficiency, to explore their English communicative problems, to investigate their perceived abilities when performing English-related tasks in an engineering workplace communication situation, and to obtain feedback on student performances from English instructors in English for Specific Purposes (ESP) courses. The participants included 130 Thai undergraduate students and two English instructors at a government university. There were two instruments; a questionnaire for the students and a series of interview questions for the instructors. The results revealed that (a) although the students perceived their abilities to be at a fair level, they experienced difficulty using productive skills in English communication; (b) the English-related tasks that the students performed best and worst in were reading and writing tasks respectively; and (c) in the ESP courses, the ability of the students to use English in the ‘real world’ was not dramatically improved, and (d) these students also had unrealistic language learning goals. These results would benefit both ESP instructors and stakeholders in terms of increasing awareness of both language and communication problems, and designing tailor-made courses that are a perfect fit for their students with regard to the contemporary engineering community.

EAP reading and lexis for Thai engineering undergraduates

EAP programmes typically aim to enable students to read their academic textbooks. In Thailand this has become a matter of policy for both the government and the university, and has implications well beyond the need for students (especially undergraduate students) to graduate. This study presents evidence that this aim is an ideal which cannot in present circumstances be attained. The study estimates average student vocabulary knowledge to cover only half the General Service Word List, and less than half of a foundation engineering word list – way below the level necessary for effective reading. Suggestions are made for dealing with the problem.

Heat treatment and surface engineering in the production of automotive components

Origin The conference was the outcome of a discussion held in Beijing in 1997 which considered the value of international collaboration with Thailand. The participants in that discussion were Professor Tom Bell, Robert Wood (as members of IFHTSE Executive Committee), and Dr John Pearce (MTEC and Chiang Mai University). The 1997 economic downturn in Asia ± Paci® c put planning on hold, but the idea was revived, and early in 2002 meetings were held between IFHTSE and MTEC contacts. The outcome was a plan for a small conference on an automotive theme, in or around Bangkok. A planning team, along with the IFHTSE Executive Committee, noted that investment by most of the major global carmakers had been attracted to Thailand early in the 1990s. The perception of the country and its engineering potential was very positive. It was also seen to offer political and social stability and there was a willingness to ease some of the usual dif® culties for investors. By 2001/2 Thailand showed signs of having pulled out of the trough rather better than some other countries in the region. Manufacturing companies are taking a more positive view of the stable position of Thailand, with China and India also giving considerable priority to automotive production. It is likely, therefore, that the Asia ± Paci® c region will see some interesting developments in supply and demand in the automotive industry. Thailand restarts from a promising baseline, and the big names are still there. There will, however, be no advantage in producing `old tech’ vehicles. Production will have to be state of the art with all the new global pressures for weight reduction, ef® ciency, and emissions reduction. Heat treatment and surface engineering processes play a crucial role in the successful production of reliable, wear resistant and recyclable automotive components. Success in this ® eld is not con® ned to the OEMs; increasingly, the whole supply chain is involved in process development and quality assurance. The gradual global adoption of TS 16949:2002 will change the way in which the suppliers relate to the vehicle manufacturer. In Thailand, the downturn arrested the development of a tier 1 and tier 2 automotive supplier structure. The remaining suppliers in Thailand tend to be Japanese or US owned, but a much more diverse and elaborate structure of suppliers and subcontractors will be needed to support growth. This offers considerable opportunities for SMEs as well as larger companies. A further implication is a demand for a domestic supply of competent engineers. The signs suggest that Thailand can satisfy that need very well. There are said to be around 100 engineering schools/departments in the country, turning out about 10 000 graduates annually across the engineering disciplines. One problem is that many of these engineers have been educated almost entirely in Thai; the authorities are now emphasising the need to distribute more English language education and training materials and to increase the capabilities of Thai engineers in the use of English and other world languages. It was therefore concluded that a degree of urgency was needed in scheduling the conference. The organisational and administrative time available was short, but enthusiasm was generated and the competence of the MTEC staff overcame the dif® culties involved.

On the Use of Computer Algebra Systems in a Calculus Course for Thai Engineering Students — Developing and Testing Modules for Visualisation —

On the Use of Computer Algebra Systems in a Calculus Course for Thai Engineering Students — Developing and Testing Modules for Visualisation —