Are Thais Taught Anything About The World Outside Of Thailand

[StreetCowboy]

Guess I've been hanging around the wrong Thai's. Most of the people I know here only have gone to 6th grade and think the world is flat. A few made it to High School and know a little more, however, some of the questions you are asking I seem to remember taking as a freshman or sophomore in college. Seems to me, not too many make it there in this country due to the poor economic conditions they are born in to.

Sounds like you need to expand your social contacts.

We're not all social climbers. We don't all have imaginary friends in the highest circles of society who were educated at Eton and Oxford. Most of our imaginary Thai friends are minor police officers who tell us they are more senior than they are, or aspiring local petty gangsters.

SC

[Richard4849]

You don't have to be a social climber to go out and meet some educated locals. It's not difficult, and could change some people's negative impressions of Thai people.

[kerryk]

You don't have to be a social climber to go out and meet some educated locals. It's not difficult, and could change some people's negative impressions of Thai people.

Depending on whether you like sitting around listening to people carp about how farmers are too dumb to vote and that children of our class should not have to get part time jobs in college and are above doing any kind of manual labor. And don't forget the lessons about how people can be judged by their accents or skin color.

[StreetCowboy]

You don't have to be a social climber to go out and meet some educated locals. It's not difficult, and could change some people's negative impressions of Thai people.

When I lived in England, I thought it was condescending and patronising to refer to the indigenous peoples as "locals", and when categorising them, preferred to make a clearer distinction between Mancs and Scousers. Of course, most of my friends were migrant workers like myself.

SC

[bonobo]

I am writing this in the Vienna airport waiting for my flight back to Bangkok. Last night, at a dinner in Barcelona, I was in discussion with a German and a Tunisian about the Islamic occupation of much of Europe and its influence on history, and we eventually got around to Charles the Hammer's victory at the Battle of Poitiers/Tours which halted the Islamic expansion. An Austrian woman with us asked who Charles was, and to be honest, we were taken somewhat aback. We asked the other Austrian with us, the co-owner of a large manufacturing company. He had no clue. Curious, we imposed on a table of Spaniards with whom we had previously chatted, and not one of the 6 or 7 of them had heard of him. This opened up a long discussion on education in Europe and the USA.

When this thread started, most of what was written was about how Thais don't know about the Battle of Britain and other European-centric events. But we were in Barcelona, where Islamic expansion and occupation helped form the Catalan region as we know it today. And Charles' victory kept Germany and Austria from being occupied. So I am not sure how the Thais are so egregious in their education when from this one single incident, at least, even Europeans are not overly cognizant of their own history.

Education around the world sucks, if I can quote some previous posters. But I think ignorance of basic history is not limited to Thais.

Also, we only know what we are taught (or choose to learn).

I don't think Charles the Hammer features at the top of the list of 'basic history' - interesting though it might be.

I would have to disagree here. The Islamic occupation of Europe, well, at least the Iberian Peninsula, Southern Italy, and France, had a huge impact on European history (and that is not even considering what was going on in Eastern Europe). The Battle of Poitiers was the first real halt in Islamic expansion, and without it, or at least without another major Christian European battle victory, much of Europe could now be Islamic. And while that may not mean that much to Thais or Japanese, it certainly should be of historical interest to Europeans and to those nationalities which were colonized by Europeans. Charles was a pivotal figure in European history, with influence easily as great, if not greater, than Charlemagne, William, Hitler, Julius Ceasar, and others.

The point I was trying to make was that while some posters are denigrating Thais for supposedly not knowing world history that well, the Battle of Britain being one referenced event, I just ran into several Austrians and Spaniards who were not familiar with a pivotal figure in their own history.

Ignorance is a sad consequence of our educational shortcomings, in my opinion, but it is hardly something isolated to Thais.

[exeter]

You know Singapore isn't that far away. I was there 40 years ago and then again a few years ago. Big changes. I am asking here as I know little about it, are the students in Singapore more cosmopolitan? Do they know a lot about history and the world around them? I realize the two countries are not comparable but being so close geographically and generally with the same trade opportunities one can't help but ask what was the difference in post WW II behavior. Can Thailand learn anything from Singapore? And if so why don't they? Anyone know anything about education in Singapore?

I've lived in SIngapore for 8 years. Singaporean education is often criticized for being to imbalanced towards academic studies and stifling towards creative development, yet singaporeans (at least the ones I have conversed with over the years) are certainly aware of the world around them and capable of holding a conversation about past world events. Definitely more so that comparably educated Thais. Singaporeans ade definitely taught more about being part of a global community (which is reflected in their far superior English proficiency).

That being said, I have more Thai friends than Singaporeans and find them to be more open and sociable, even if we can't discuss the global impact of Brazilian deforestation.

I do business in China and a recent survey of the G20 nations put China at the top for Mathematics, but 19th equal for Imagination and Creative studies. I have a lot of very sharp and sociable Chinese friends, mainly degree educated. A group of these friends finished their studies in the UK, and the running joke amongst them is they cannot believe how insular they were before going to the UK.

I refer to my Chinese friends as the predominant ethnic group in Singapore is of Chinese heritage, and I believe that there is severe pressure put on Singaporean children to do well in their academic studies. However at the same time Singaporean children are surrounded by some quite excellent museums, art galleries and architecture. Most Singaporean children are trilingual, and international trade is the bread and butter of the Singaporean economy. On top of that they are proud and active members of the Commonwealth and many other co-operative associations such as ASEAN.

Singapore seems to have taken the best of all worlds, and I can only see a fabulous prosperous future for the country. Malaysia is going the same way too, I reckon in about 15 / 20 years time these two countries will be at the top of their game. Thailand is having to play catch up.

Fair comment. I wonder why Thailand maybe does not see things the way you do. Maybe Thailand looks at Burma, Laos and Cambodia and thinks we are better than theses countries. Malaysia well at least equal and Singapore mmmmmmmmm long way away and not really a country more of a city state so not a fair comparison so yes Thailand regionally is doing ok. These have nothing to teach us, or time to put the head back in the sand,the Chinese look and learn, whilst an Indian once told me that they had a big advatage over the Chinese and that was that more Indians speak English as opposed to Chinese, they see that as abig bussiness advantage. How many times have heard "this is the way Thailand does it." Try and offer an alternative and it is hardly listened to. Too many closed minds that need opening, is it a pandoras box that they afraid of?

[kerryk]

You know Singapore isn't that far away. I was there 40 years ago and then again a few years ago. Big changes. I am asking here as I know little about it, are the students in Singapore more cosmopolitan? Do they know a lot about history and the world around them? I realize the two countries are not comparable but being so close geographically and generally with the same trade opportunities one can't help but ask what was the difference in post WW II behavior. Can Thailand learn anything from Singapore? And if so why don't they? Anyone know anything about education in Singapore?

I've lived in SIngapore for 8 years. Singaporean education is often criticized for being to imbalanced towards academic studies and stifling towards creative development, yet singaporeans (at least the ones I have conversed with over the years) are certainly aware of the world around them and capable of holding a conversation about past world events. Definitely more so that comparably educated Thais. Singaporeans ade definitely taught more about being part of a global community (which is reflected in their far superior English proficiency).

That being said, I have more Thai friends than Singaporeans and find them to be more open and sociable, even if we can't discuss the global impact of Brazilian deforestation.

I do business in China and a recent survey of the G20 nations put China at the top for Mathematics, but 19th equal for Imagination and Creative studies. I have a lot of very sharp and sociable Chinese friends, mainly degree educated. A group of these friends finished their studies in the UK, and the running joke amongst them is they cannot believe how insular they were before going to the UK.

I refer to my Chinese friends as the predominant ethnic group in Singapore is of Chinese heritage, and I believe that there is severe pressure put on Singaporean children to do well in their academic studies. However at the same time Singaporean children are surrounded by some quite excellent museums, art galleries and architecture. Most Singaporean children are trilingual, and international trade is the bread and butter of the Singaporean economy. On top of that they are proud and active members of the Commonwealth and many other co-operative associations such as ASEAN.

Singapore seems to have taken the best of all worlds, and I can only see a fabulous prosperous future for the country. Malaysia is going the same way too, I reckon in about 15 / 20 years time these two countries will be at the top of their game. Thailand is having to play catch up.

Fair comment. I wonder why Thailand maybe does not see things the way you do. Maybe Thailand looks at Burma, Laos and Cambodia and thinks we are better than theses countries. Malaysia well at least equal and Singapore mmmmmmmmm long way away and not really a country more of a city state so not a fair comparison so yes Thailand regionally is doing ok. These have nothing to teach us, or time to put the head back in the sand,the Chinese look and learn, whilst an Indian once told me that they had a big advatage over the Chinese and that was that more Indians speak English as opposed to Chinese, they see that as abig bussiness advantage. How many times have heard "this is the way Thailand does it." Try and offer an alternative and it is hardly listened to. Too many closed minds that need opening, is it a pandoras box that they afraid of?

In one area Thailand is way ahead of China. China leads the world in female suicide. The exact amount escapes me right now but it is a very high figure.

[theblether]

I read a report last week that says what kids want most is.......time with their parents.

Money doesn't buy happiness. The pressure in Shanghai is unbelievable, on the one hand you witness a 21st Century Gold Rush, and at the lower end there are teenage girls working

27 days a month for 1000 yuan, and having to send 800 yuan home to their parents. That is an extreme example to be fair, but an example nonetheless.

15 years ago the Chinese queued up to get factory jobs, now they are fleeing them in their droves. Chinese factory owners are now reduced to importing illegal labour from Vietnam, and if they are able to entice the Chinese workforce back from the provinces they're having to increase wages, sometimes dramatically.

SO!!! The costs of goods are going through the roof, one particular item which is core to my business in the UK has risen in cost by over 70% in the last three years. People who are foretelling the Rise of China are forgetting that if it get's too expensive then the production will move to cheaper countries, such as Vietnam.

Nothing is certain, the rise of China is not as certain as many people think. There is a serious wave of unrest, there were 200,000 protests and riots last year. Social cohesion is under threat, and the Communist Party are struggling to keep a lid on it.

Thailand needs a deep water port and it should follow the Chinese model of a special economic area at that port, reduce taxes, allow foreign manufacturers to own land within this area, reduce taxation and red tape in that area, and then you will see a boom like you cannot believe.

Edited September 26, 2011 by theblether

[F1fanatic]

I am writing this in the Vienna airport waiting for my flight back to Bangkok. Last night, at a dinner in Barcelona, I was in discussion with a German and a Tunisian about the Islamic occupation of much of Europe and its influence on history, and we eventually got around to Charles the Hammer's victory at the Battle of Poitiers/Tours which halted the Islamic expansion. An Austrian woman with us asked who Charles was, and to be honest, we were taken somewhat aback. We asked the other Austrian with us, the co-owner of a large manufacturing company. He had no clue. Curious, we imposed on a table of Spaniards with whom we had previously chatted, and not one of the 6 or 7 of them had heard of him. This opened up a long discussion on education in Europe and the USA.

When this thread started, most of what was written was about how Thais don't know about the Battle of Britain and other European-centric events. But we were in Barcelona, where Islamic expansion and occupation helped form the Catalan region as we know it today. And Charles' victory kept Germany and Austria from being occupied. So I am not sure how the Thais are so egregious in their education when from this one single incident, at least, even Europeans are not overly cognizant of their own history.

Education around the world sucks, if I can quote some previous posters. But I think ignorance of basic history is not limited to Thais.

Also, we only know what we are taught (or choose to learn).

I don't think Charles the Hammer features at the top of the list of 'basic history' - interesting though it might be.

I would have to disagree here. The Islamic occupation of Europe, well, at least the Iberian Peninsula, Southern Italy, and France, had a huge impact on European history (and that is not even considering what was going on in Eastern Europe). The Battle of Poitiers was the first real halt in Islamic expansion, and without it, or at least without another major Christian European battle victory, much of Europe could now be Islamic. And while that may not mean that much to Thais or Japanese, it certainly should be of historical interest to Europeans and to those nationalities which were colonized by Europeans. Charles was a pivotal figure in European history, with influence easily as great, if not greater, than Charlemagne, William, Hitler, Julius Ceasar, and others.

The point I was trying to make was that while some posters are denigrating Thais for supposedly not knowing world history that well, the Battle of Britain being one referenced event, I just ran into several Austrians and Spaniards who were not familiar with a pivotal figure in their own history.

Ignorance is a sad consequence of our educational shortcomings, in my opinion, but it is hardly something isolated to Thais.

I agree that ignorance of basic history is not limited to Thais, but it is hard to argue that the average Thai has the same knowledge of what is going on in the world as the average European.

The average American is similarly ignorant of 'outside' events though, so its not fair to just blame the Thais.

Edited September 26, 2011 by F1fanatic

[F1fanatic]

I read a report last week that says what kids want most is.......time with their parents.

Money doesn't buy happiness. The pressure in Shanghai is unbelievable, on the one hand you witness a 21st Century Gold Rush, and at the lower end there are teenage girls working

27 days a month for 1000 yuan, and having to send 800 yuan home to their parents. That is an extreme example to be fair, but an example nonetheless.

15 years ago the Chinese queued up to get factory jobs, now they are fleeing them in their droves. Chinese factory owners are now reduced to importing illegal labour from Vietnam, and if they are able to entice the Chinese workforce back from the provinces they're having to increase wages, sometimes dramatically.

SO!!! The costs of goods are going through the roof, one particular item which is core to my business in the UK has risen in cost by over 70% in the last three years. People who are foretelling the Rise of China are forgetting that if it get's too expensive then the production will move to cheaper countries, such as Vietnam.

Nothing is certain, the rise of China is not as certain as many people think. There is a serious wave of unrest, there were 200,000 protests and riots last year. Social cohesion is under threat, and the Communist Party are struggling to keep a lid on it.

Thailand needs a deep water port and it should follow the Chinese model of a special economic area at that port, reduce taxes, allow foreign companies to own the land, reduce taxation and red tape in that area, and then you will see a boom like you cannot believe.

Taxes in Thailand are already v low. Allowing foreign companies to own land?? Why on earth would that create a sudden boom that would benefit the average Thai?

[theblether]

I read a report last week that says what kids want most is.......time with their parents.

Money doesn't buy happiness. The pressure in Shanghai is unbelievable, on the one hand you witness a 21st Century Gold Rush, and at the lower end there are teenage girls working

27 days a month for 1000 yuan, and having to send 800 yuan home to their parents. That is an extreme example to be fair, but an example nonetheless.

15 years ago the Chinese queued up to get factory jobs, now they are fleeing them in their droves. Chinese factory owners are now reduced to importing illegal labour from Vietnam, and if they are able to entice the Chinese workforce back from the provinces they're having to increase wages, sometimes dramatically.

SO!!! The costs of goods are going through the roof, one particular item which is core to my business in the UK has risen in cost by over 70% in the last three years. People who are foretelling the Rise of China are forgetting that if it get's too expensive then the production will move to cheaper countries, such as Vietnam.

Nothing is certain, the rise of China is not as certain as many people think. There is a serious wave of unrest, there were 200,000 protests and riots last year. Social cohesion is under threat, and the Communist Party are struggling to keep a lid on it.

Thailand needs a deep water port and it should follow the Chinese model of a special economic area at that port, reduce taxes, allow foreign companies to own the land, reduce taxation and red tape in that area, and then you will see a boom like you cannot believe.

Taxes in Thailand are already v low. Allowing foreign companies to own land?? Why on earth would that create a sudden boom that would benefit the average Thai?

Fair point, I'll go back and edit..........

Ok, you can see now I'm suggesting that foreign manufacturers should be allowed to own land within the special economic area. It doesn't matter that taxes are low already, lower them still, encourage foreign companies to manufacture in Thailand. Reduce red tape , and then watch the boom. Competition sir!!

Also you may not be aware that it costs more to ship a container from Thailand to Europe than to ship from China to Europe. Why? shipping volume. With a busy deep water port the cost of shipping would go down hence making goods more economic to export. That will benefit all Thailand.

Edited September 26, 2011 by theblether

[Willeyeam]

You could shorten the O/P title to simply "Are Thais Taught Anything"

I think the only things Thais are taught at school is how to remember answers, without understanding how you get to the answer.

My son for example, had quite a bit of time off school when I took him to visit the UK, when he came back he had obviously missed a bit of "work" (Parrot fashion) - We had asked the teacher for some notes to help him catch up, but despite being promised - never materialized.

Now they are doing their exams, and yes, he has failed one subject that he missed a bit of work on. So what happens, the teachers give him the EXACT same paper to take again - in some vain hope that he will pass something he hasn't been taught!

Again, he failed for the 2nd time - the answer then was.... no, no, not to help him or teach him...that would have been too much effort for the school.

No, they gave him the actual exam paper for the third time, with the ANSWERS written on it, and sent him home with it!!!!

That is why there are NO FAILURES in Thailand, they are all perfect, and the teachers get rightly acknowledged for their own teaching ability, where in fact, they are hindering children, not helping them...a mess!

[paulian]

Surely farangs are aware that westerners knowledge of Asian history, much less Thailand, is woefully weak. But criticizing the Thais for not knowing what you think they should know about the west is silly. It seems the old folgies on this site love to show-off their generally useless knowledge, but it really serves no practical purpose.

I might add, embarrassingly ignorant towards Asian [broader Asian] history and any other history out of the Euro-scope. Much more common than not.

And what we generally do understand about such other histories is almost always painted with a ethnocentric manipulation.

"ethnocentric manipulation". I've never seen that color, do you suppose Home Pro has it ?

[paulian]

This seems like a good thread to try and post an image as I've been meaning to. People are starting to sound reasonable here, must be time to up my medication.

[theblether]

This seems like a good thread to try and post an image as I've been meaning to. People are starting to sound reasonable here, must be time to up my medication.

If you go back 40 or 50 posts there was a good fight going on but hey we got yellow carded by the Moderator.

[StreetCowboy]

Surely farangs are aware that westerners knowledge of Asian history, much less Thailand, is woefully weak. But criticizing the Thais for not knowing what you think they should know about the west is silly. It seems the old folgies on this site love to show-off their generally useless knowledge, but it really serves no practical purpose.

I might add, embarrassingly ignorant towards Asian [broader Asian] history and any other history out of the Euro-scope. Much more common than not.

And what we generally do understand about such other histories is almost always painted with a ethnocentric manipulation.

"ethnocentric manipulation". I've never seen that color, do you suppose Home Pro has it ?

As Paulian said - "Duh!"

Its a kind of brush.

Normally you'd use it for tarring and feathering.

SC

[exeter]

You could shorten the O/P title to simply "Are Thais Taught Anything"

I think the only things Thais are taught at school is how to remember answers, without understanding how you get to the answer.

My son for example, had quite a bit of time off school when I took him to visit the UK, when he came back he had obviously missed a bit of "work" (Parrot fashion) - We had asked the teacher for some notes to help him catch up, but despite being promised - never materialized.

Now they are doing their exams, and yes, he has failed one subject that he missed a bit of work on. So what happens, the teachers give him the EXACT same paper to take again - in some vain hope that he will pass something he hasn't been taught!

Again, he failed for the 2nd time - the answer then was.... no, no, not to help him or teach him...that would have been too much effort for the school.

No, they gave him the actual exam paper for the third time, with the ANSWERS written on it, and sent him home with it!!!!

That is why there are NO FAILURES in Thailand, they are all perfect, and the teachers get rightly acknowledged for their own teaching ability, where in fact, they are hindering children, not helping them...a mess!

Spot on, Thai g/f goes back to school and takes an exam. What subject? Get a funny look and then You would not understand. She then showed me the exam paper. Now I cant read Thai but I could see a question with 4 possible answers, one of which is the right one, so its a 3-1 shot and no writing or other thought process required. She passed of course so everyone is happy and the education system, working perfectly normally.

Last year I was asked to help a friend with English, I said I am not a teacher but I can help with conversational English. He could read very well from the Bk Post, but if I took him outside and asked him to show me a bird, he just switched off got no idea what he had been reading or what that word meant. I have also been taken to local schools and asked by senior non education figures if I could help with English speaking. Initially it was welcomed, but you know you were not going to be making entries in the diary because some people would lose face and it would upset the perfect world of Thailands education system. Whatever we do, look after number 1, students come in at number 2.

Edited September 27, 2011 by exeter

[orpheus454]

Sorry, imafarang,who were you referring to? Not me,. i taught for nigh on 16 years in Thai Educational institutions ,that were called ' universities'.These places were amazingly insular. There is ,was only one country worth talking about. Guess which one? You see ,you need to understand ,which group in Thai society has control of the syllabus. Most of Thailand ,either (a ) has no access to PBS, or ( has not been trained to think independently. It took me a long time to finally ,get my students to ask me questions. It was almost under the pain of death. That is how difficult it is/was.

Yep, that's probably a large part of the problem...

...but also a cause for some optimism on the issue, that as younger, better trained teachers come through with better, more modern teaching methods we might see educational standards improve.

[nong38]

Sorry, imafarang,who were you referring to? Not me,. i taught for nigh on 16 years in Thai Educational institutions ,that were called ' universities'.These places were amazingly insular. There is ,was only one country worth talking about. Guess which one? You see ,you need to understand ,which group in Thai society has control of the syllabus. Most of Thailand ,either (a ) has no access to PBS, or ( has not been trained to think independently. It took me a long time to finally ,get my students to ask me questions. It was almost under the pain of death. That is how difficult it is/was.

Yep, that's probably a large part of the problem...

...but also a cause for some optimism on the issue, that as younger, better trained teachers come through with better, more modern teaching methods we might see educational standards improve.

But where will the better training come from as well as more modern teaching methods. best practice seems to be "The world has nothing to teach us, just look at 100% successs rate."

Amazing, you would think the world would be queuing up ask us how we do things in Thailand would you not?

Edited September 27, 2011 by nong38

[Semper]

Are Thais Taught Anything About The World Outside Of Thailand

Why should we farangs care about this?

[theblether]

Are Thais Taught Anything About The World Outside Of Thailand

Why should we farangs care about this?

We live here, every day you spend here you have a stake, however small, in this society.

Today we have the news from a school in Chiang Mai that has exposed the city and the country to worldwide ridicule. I live in Chiang Mai, I've already had the news pointed out to me by people in Italy, Scotland, and England. Before the day is over I will be contacted by many more.

I feel sorry for the people involved, in my opinion there is no way they understood how offensive their " prank " is to many people. The OP was very prescient with his question.

[paulian]

Those of you who don't understand why kids out in the boonies don't know anything about Hitler ought to get hold of a book called 'In Grandmother's House' by Sorasing Kaowai and Peter Robinson. It gives some idea of the life in a typical Thai village that Sorasing and his Granny lived in. They didn't get electricity until 1983. Why would they be learning about Hitler?

http://www.monsoonbo...ge_0866587.html

Those who live in the boonies, think the world is flat and anything that ventures out of Thailand will fall off into a black hole.

[dominique355]

Are Thais Taught Anything About The World Outside Of Thailand

Why should we farangs care about this?

And just as we discuss here, see what the school kids in Chiang Mai are doing? Parading in Nazi and SS uniforms and think that's funny.

If we ever needed proof that these kids have no clue about the world outside Thailand, here is is.

OK, I admit, before I got interested in it, I had no clue about South East Asian history, or Asian history for that matter. It wasn't taught when I was a kid.

[Berkshire]

OK, I admit, before I got interested in it, I had no clue about South East Asian history, or Asian history for that matter. It wasn't taught when I was a kid.

That's a good, honest answer. The Thai kids are no different than you. Why is it so hard for all the loudmouths here to at least admit that?

[bonobo]

You could shorten the O/P title to simply "Are Thais Taught Anything"

I think the only things Thais are taught at school is how to remember answers, without understanding how you get to the answer.

My son for example, had quite a bit of time off school when I took him to visit the UK, when he came back he had obviously missed a bit of "work" (Parrot fashion) - We had asked the teacher for some notes to help him catch up, but despite being promised - never materialized.

Now they are doing their exams, and yes, he has failed one subject that he missed a bit of work on. So what happens, the teachers give him the EXACT same paper to take again - in some vain hope that he will pass something he hasn't been taught!

Again, he failed for the 2nd time - the answer then was.... no, no, not to help him or teach him...that would have been too much effort for the school.

No, they gave him the actual exam paper for the third time, with the ANSWERS written on it, and sent him home with it!!!!

That is why there are NO FAILURES in Thailand, they are all perfect, and the teachers get rightly acknowledged for their own teaching ability, where in fact, they are hindering children, not helping them...a mess!

I do think the educational system in Thailand leaves much to be desired.

While earning my doctorate and as a professor in the USA, I was in contact with many Thai students. Most were quite intelligent and bright. As a whole, though, the Thai students did fine on multiple choice exams but somewhat poorly in comparison in essay exams, presentations, and in classroom discussions. Most Thais seem to want to be told the answer rather than be guided to a thought process. (This was not actually limited to Thais, but was standard for pretty much all Asian students as a whole.)

Once I received my doctorate, a Thai candidate chose me to be on his own doctoral committee, probably thinking that as I was associated with many of the Thais, I would be an easy mark. When I turned back his dissertation defense request, telling him he wasn't ready and offering him advice on how to get ready, his solution was not to fix his problems but to replace me on his committee. Five years later and several new committee replacements, he still hadn't earned his doctorate, having failed the one defense he was allowed.

[Gers1873]

I remember during a trip back to the UK engaging in a conversation with a student from China.

The conversation was along the lines of how do you enjoy university. The answer was a resounding "fantastic, they really teach how to THINK for yourself not just to memorize".

This idea of the teacher (laoshi) always being correct is common in China. Teacher speaks - student memorizes and never questions.

Possibly a similar problem exists in Thailand and results in people who are afraid or un=willing to ask questions else they will lose 'face'.

[Thaddeus]

OK, I admit, before I got interested in it, I had no clue about South East Asian history, or Asian history for that matter. It wasn't taught when I was a kid.

That's a good, honest answer. The Thai kids are no different than you. Why is it so hard for all the loudmouths here to at least admit that?

Not quite the same though is it.

I was taught nothing of Asian history or culture before I came here, but once here I did some research, I learned how to show respect to Buddha images, Monks and Thai people in general (in public at least).

A bunch of students in Chiang Mai must have done some research recently, learned absolutely nothing and their mentors obviously didn't have a clue either.

[phutoie2]

A bunch of students in Chiang Mai must have done some research recently, learned absolutely nothing and their mentors obviously didn't have a clue either.

Ah but think of all the hours of fun they had designing and making the costumes.

Who would you like to be on the parade Lek/Aoy/Nom ?? - "Himmler,Goering,Goebbels, the little Austrian corporal"

Just seen the pics on a UK online paper. Buffoons, to put it mildly.

[Richard4849]

A bunch of students in Chiang Mai must have done some research recently, learned absolutely nothing and their mentors obviously didn't have a clue either.

Ah but think of all the hours of fun they had designing and making the costumes.

Who would you like to be on the parade Lek/Aoy/Nom ?? - "Himmler,Goering,Goebbels, the little Austrian corporal"

Just seen the pics on a UK online paper. Buffoons, to put it mildly.

It was funny when Hogan's Heroes did it...

[F1fanatic]

One can only gape, open-mouthed that the teachers didn't have ANY idea that this was probably not the best idea....

If the teachers are that ignorant, God help the children they 'teach'!

Edit - WW2 affected Thailand too, how can they not know about the nazis?

Edited September 28, 2011 by F1fanatic