Most Thai varsities downgraded in new educational listings

[Happyman58]

18 hours ago, stephen tracy said:

Was it Assumption?

Spot on what you are saying. It doesn't matter if they don't pass the exams or even attend class they all still will pass.It's a bloody joke.  Oldest step daughter goes to university in Bangkok. Who knows what she is studying she won't tell me. But one day by mistake I saw her results  Out of 9 subjects she got a 1 in all the 9 subjects   Showed her mother but she said that ok she still get degree It's just a bloody joke and when they finish this so-called degree what do most of them do?

[Happyman58]

3 hours ago, Odysseus123 said:

Then what was your point exactly?

 

If you are not directly addressing the issue of Thailand?

 

Just needed finger exercises today?

lol lol yeah what was his point Ody ?

[Happyman58]

13 hours ago, DrTuner said:

Unfortunately that photo is so old she's probably in her 40's now. The current generation needs about 5 sizes bigger clothes.

I reckon since they let McDonalds and KFC into Thailand the Thai ladies have piled on the beef lol

[Odysseus123]

11 minutes ago, Happyman58 said:

lol lol yeah what was his point Ody ?

Perhaps I was too quick to judge-if so then my apologies to Zydeco.

 

If he/she is implying that there is a "closed" shop

 

operating here than I would agree altho' I would see that as the norm rather than the exception.

[kaorop]

On Thu May 10 2018 at 3:56 PM, Eligius said:

I would also add, AntDee, that Thais are generally the most helpful people I have ever met in my life (for the most part) - quite amazingly so, often going out of their way to be helpful. They will really put themselves out for me in a way that my compatriots would rarely do. This striking willingness to help others (certainly me) is one of the things I appreciate most about the Thais - and which I think I (personally) and many of my countrymen and countrywomen could learn from.

 

Thailand's education system, however - is the pits!

agreed, i have been subjected to amazing help, from total strangers with no thought of recompense..

eg: out of benzin, already pushed bike 400 metres with around 1km more, said people asked what the prob was, went and got benzin and then would not accept payment for that petrol...

that said, ive recently been subjected to horrible gossiping and derision, with in ear shot, day after day, rude ignorant pigs who do nothing but play "lucky numbers" day and night..as usual this place is a dicotomy, on one hand astonishly good and the other totally disscusting.

[Eligius]

2 hours ago, kaorop said:

agreed, i have been subjected to amazing help, from total strangers with no thought of recompense..

eg: out of benzin, already pushed bike 400 metres with around 1km more, said people asked what the prob was, went and got benzin and then would not accept payment for that petrol...

that said, ive recently been subjected to horrible gossiping and derision, with in ear shot, day after day, rude ignorant pigs who do nothing but play "lucky numbers" day and night..as usual this place is a dicotomy, on one hand astonishly good and the other totally disscusting.

I agree with you, Kaorop. I think that is why (probably) most of us are rather ambivalent about the Thais - we have a love-hate relationship with them, perhaps. In my own case, I would definitely say I love them (I don't hate them at all - I only reserve that for the junta!) - I love them for their charm, beauty and great helpfulness; but there certainly is a mixed picture as regards the bad and the good of the Thais. They are the most nosy people I have ever met - always trying to see what is in my shopping bag - even taking things out, if they get the chance, to see what I have just bought at Big C! So the picture is not all of one colour!

[Odysseus123]

I think that the whole approach to life is ( or was until mobile phones) entirely different to the West and more akin to say,the black South African (primarily Zulu) or the peoples of Melanesia that I have lived with and observed.They are great story tellers and absorb you into their drama of life.Such cultures also enjoy music and dancing in a much more sociable way,as well.To a westerner two of the most prized possessions are privacy and space whereas these qualities are much less apparent in the cultures that I have mentioned above.So,living in the boonies as I did,I became absorbed into the 'play' and the stories became rather fun-but they could be rather dire too.

 

The best 'story' put about was that I was a retired colonel from the Vietnam War who had lost a leg in combat.The result of which was that local police would draw themselves up and perform snappy salutes!I tried for seven years to correct this but to no avail.

 

So whenever I see these lengthy articles in the Nation I think to myself "Oh,another story.." and,truth be told,I would prefer the Thai to be themselves rather than ersatz Westerners.

Edited May 11, 2018 by Odysseus123

[Eligius]

3 hours ago, Odysseus123 said:

I think that the whole approach to life is ( or was until mobile phones) entirely different to the West and more akin to say,the black South African (primarily Zulu) or the peoples of Melanesia that I have lived with and observed.They are great story tellers and absorb you into their drama of life.Such cultures also enjoy music and dancing in a much more sociable way,as well.To a westerner two of the most prized possessions are privacy and space whereas these qualities are much less apparent in the cultures that I have mentioned above.So,living in the boonies as I did,I became absorbed into the 'play' and the stories became rather fun-but they could be rather dire too.

 

The best 'story' put about was that I was a retired colonel from the Vietnam War who had lost a leg in combat.The result of which was that local police would draw themselves up and perform snappy salutes!I tried for seven years to correct this but to no avail.

 

So whenever I see these lengthy articles in the Nation I think to myself "Oh,another story.." and,truth be told,I would prefer the Thai to be themselves rather than ersatz Westerners.

Loved your post, Ody - especially the story about how you 'lost your leg fighting in the Vietnam War'. You must tell us all about that one one day - ha ha! 

 

I (and that great soldier, Prawit) salute you (and your heroic lost leg)!

 

 I hope, by the way, that in actuality you do still have both legs, right?!!

 

[Rhys]

Oh my, how are they going to fill those new buildings that have been under construction forever at most campuses...

[Rhys]

18 hours ago, Happyman58 said:

Spot on what you are saying. It doesn't matter if they don't pass the exams or even attend class they all still will pass.It's a bloody joke.  Oldest step daughter goes to university in Bangkok. Who knows what she is studying she won't tell me. But one day by mistake I saw her results  Out of 9 subjects she got a 1 in all the 9 subjects   Showed her mother but she said that ok she still get degree It's just a bloody joke and when they finish this so-called degree what do most of them do?

 

...teachers suffer from the thrill of poor ratings by students thus the teacher give them flying mark offs..

[pearciderman]

On 5/10/2018 at 7:07 AM, Odysseus123 said:

They certainly do not want an educated,sophisticated, middle class-that is for sure.

 

It is always from that social/economic group that revolutions or great changes occur.

 

Really?

 

Russia - "The Russian Revolution took place in 1917 when the peasants and working class people of Russia revolted against the government of Tsar Nicholas II."

 

Cuba - "To this end, he and his brother Raúl founded a paramilitary organization known as "The Movement", stockpiling weapons and recruiting around 1,200 followers from Havana's disgruntled working class by the end of 1952."

 

 

 

 

[pearciderman]

On 5/10/2018 at 7:21 AM, Eligius said:

The universities say they are encouraging 'critical and analytical thinking' - but you just try to initiate an undergraduate discussion group in which Republicanism vs Monarchism is discussed, for example - and out of the door will go your 'critical thinking' and you yourself! And you will be lucky if you are not charged with lese-majeste.

 

Only if you were talking about them in specific terms relating to Thailand. Discussing them as concepts for "a" country is fine.

[pearciderman]

On 5/10/2018 at 7:43 AM, Odysseus123 said:

Let's face it.Education as we Westerners understand it-really originated in a small group of Northern European,Protestant countries and from there was exported to North America and the antipodes.

 

Really?

 

The academic form of curricular education was originated by the pagan Greek philosopher Plato, 427-347 b.c. He was the founder of education of regular curriculum in a fixed place. He called it the academy.

At the beginning of the Christian era, pagan schools, on the Plato model, dotted the Roman Empire. No Christian schools existed.

Printing had not yet been invented. Textbooks had to be prepared, laboriously, entirely by hand, one at a time. All textbooks were pagan.

 

You are referring to the much later Prussian method, that is not where education originated.

[pearciderman]

On 5/10/2018 at 8:07 AM, Eligius said:

And the irony of ironies, Ody, is that India's great son - the Buddha - whose teachings are allegedly at the heart of Thai history and society, insisted (and I paraphrase): 'Don't follow tradition just because it is tradition; don't believe your teacher, just because he is your teacher. Only when you yourself know, through your own direct knowledge and investigation, that something is good - follow that way'.

 

Funny that I have NEVER heard that sermon of the Buddha's promulgated by ANY of the Thai leaders, teachers and opinion-shapers!

 

I wonder why?

 

 

You might want to amend your post.

 

https://fakebuddhaquotes.com/do-not-believe-in-anything-simply-because-you-have-heard-it/

[Eligius]

31 minutes ago, pearciderman said:

 

You might want to amend your post.

 

https://fakebuddhaquotes.com/do-not-believe-in-anything-simply-because-you-have-heard-it/

I do not need to amend my quote or post, because I specifically stated that I was paraphrasing. And in any case, the substantive point (which you have clearly missed) remains that the Buddha urged people not to (blindly, uncritically) follow ('go by') tradition, or what one's teacher has said, etc. 

 

That approach is the opposite of what is urged and inculcated in Thailand!

 

Look at how the 'good people' tell us that regular coups are necessary, for the welfare of the Thai people. Direct experience (which is one of the things the Buddha appealed to as a guide) tells us that all these coups are not good and achieve nothing positive. In fact - they are very bad. In fact - they drag Thailand backwards - and none more so than the coup by 'General' Prayut. Wonder if coup-making will be discussed in Thai universities in relation to the essentially peaceful teachings of the Buddha. Hmm  ...

 

Ever hear of the Buddha advocating coups - still less a whole chain of them? Thought not. And Thailand is supposed to uphold the Dharma (Buddhist Truth) as one of its central pillars. What hypocrisy!

 

 

 

 

Edited May 12, 2018 by Eligius

[Sir Dude]

Well, to take away something positive from this (which is not much)...well done Suranaree University of Technology, at least you improved your position.

[Odysseus123]

1 hour ago, pearciderman said:

 

Really?

 

Russia - "The Russian Revolution took place in 1917 when the peasants and working class people of Russia revolted against the government of Tsar Nicholas II."

 

Cuba - "To this end, he and his brother Raúl founded a paramilitary organization known as "The Movement", stockpiling weapons and recruiting around 1,200 followers from Havana's disgruntled working class by the end of 1952."

 

 

 

 

The leadership (and ideology)of the French,Russian and Cuban revolutions was heavily provided by the intelligentsia-generally lower upper class or upper middle class.

 

A popular revolt does not make a revolution.

 

Robespierre,prince Kropotkin,Karl Marx,Frederick Engels,V.I Lenin,Mao Zedong, Fidel Castro and Che Guevara all came from this group.

Edited May 12, 2018 by Odysseus123

[Odysseus123]

5 hours ago, Odysseus123 said:

The leadership (and ideology)of the French,Russian and Cuban revolutions was heavily provided by the intelligentsia-generally lower upper class or upper middle class.

 

A popular revolt does not make a revolution.

 

Robespierre,prince Kropotkin,Karl Marx,Frederick Engels,V.I Lenin,Mao Zedong, Fidel Castro and Che Guevara all came from this group.

Here is another list (off the top of my head) of great thinkers or movers and shakers who either came from the ranks of the lower aristocracy,the landed gentry or the professional middle classes.

 

John Pym

John Hampden

Oliver Cromwell

John Locke

Voltaire

George Washington

John Hancock

John Adams

Patrick Henry

Jean-Jacques Rousseau

Count Mirabeau

Jean-Paul Marat

Georges Danton

Napoleon Bonaparte

Count Leo Tolstoy

Augtuste Comte

Thomas Malthus

John Stuart Mill

Charles Darwin

Herbert Spencer

Mahatma Gandhi

Ho Chi Minh....

 

The list is endless,really.

 

 

 

Edited May 12, 2018 by Odysseus123

[DrTuner]

In Thailand the lower upper class does not revolt, they get assimilated to higher echelon. If ever, it'll be the upper middle class and from what BoT showed with the bank account balances,  not many out there. Big P can sleep restfully.

[Odysseus123]

30 minutes ago, DrTuner said:

In Thailand the lower upper class does not revolt, they get assimilated to higher echelon. If ever, it'll be the upper middle class and from what BoT showed with the bank account balances,  not many out there. Big P can sleep restfully.

That is so true.

 

One should not forget that one of the mightiest rebellions-that of the Taipings-was led by Hong Xiuquan who failed the imperial examinations three times.

 

If only the Manchu had given him a job,an expense account,a car and access to corruption on a fulsome scale.

Edited May 12, 2018 by Odysseus123

[zydeco]

On 5/11/2018 at 11:09 AM, Odysseus123 said:

Then what was your point exactly?

 

If you are not directly addressing the issue of Thailand?

 

Just needed finger exercises today?

I still work in this sector. I need to be careful about what I say and how I say it. Thus the necessary disclaimers. 

[metisdead]

Some off topic posts and the replies have been removed. 

[Odysseus123]

1 hour ago, zydeco said:

I still work in this sector. I need to be careful about what I say and how I say it. Thus the necessary disclaimers. 

Yes,I understand that now and proffer my apologies as I was too hasty in my reply.

 

Ody.

Edited May 13, 2018 by Odysseus123