Thai opinion: History as written by whom?

[laolover88]

Deleting Thaksin when teaching Thai history is the least of it. Thai kids are taught Thailand is the centre of the universe and the rest of the world does not really matter. Ask a Thai what countries border Thailand and very few will be able to answer you.

The problem with this inward looking attitude is it sets no bench marks for excellence on a world standard. The result is Thailand churns out students with degrees that just don't rate in the rest of the world. It is a shame as Thailand spends a lot more than many countries on education for little real result. Thai kids deserve better. They deserve an education system that will put them on par, at least, with other leading Asian countries for a start.

My wife said that as a child she thought everyone in the world spoke Thai

Mathew Arnold: "On the breast of that huge Mississippi of falsehood called History, a foam-bell more or less is no consequence."

[hiller]

"The most popular section among newspaper readers is the obituaries."

I beg to differ.

It's Andy Capp

[Bluespunk]

"The most popular section among newspaper readers is the obituaries."

I beg to differ.

Do you prefer the comics?

No, funny enough I read the.....wait for it........news.

[NongKhaiKid]

I want to know what people are saying about me

No you don't...)

C'mon Chris its' a bit like reading your horoscope, if it's good you at least want to believe it and if bad you write it off as complete nonsense and " who believes this rubbish ? "

[DrTuner]

They still do obituaries ? Haven't read a printed newspaper in years and haven't seen them online.

[mikiea]

obits predict the future? i love it when people make up s#it as they go along. you my friend is what is called a "twit" , mind you i not think that. .. just saying..... :-)

[Jonmarleesco]

'... we are teaching children how to avoid truth ...' Thais, and Thai history, have been doing that for years.

[tbthailand]

Deleting Thaksin when teaching Thai history is the least of it. Thai kids are taught Thailand is the centre of the universe and the rest of the world does not really matter. Ask a Thai what countries border Thailand and very few will be able to answer you.

The problem with this inward looking attitude is it sets no bench marks for excellence on a world standard. The result is Thailand churns out students with degrees that just don't rate in the rest of the world. It is a shame as Thailand spends a lot more than many countries on education for little real result. Thai kids deserve better. They deserve an education system that will put them on par, at least, with other leading Asian countries for a start.

Every country instills patriotism in its citizens through the education system...

Take USA for example. The majority of people there are so insular they never even leave their own country!!They are also taught that America is the centre of the universe and that if any other country doesn't conform to our 'democratic' way they are terrorists and should be destroyed!!!

I can also guarantee you that most Thais can name some of the countries surrounding Thailand. I've just come from a teaching post in the UK and believe me, the level of geographical knowledge of the young people there was just as bad....

you're right, AMERICA is the greatest country that has ever existed on Earth. I learned that in social studies...

oh wait, wasn't in school, that was from FOX News

[Globeman]

"The most popular section among newspaper readers is the obituaries."

I beg to differ.

So which section is it in your opinion? Don't keep us all in suspense.

[mrfill]

History is the lies we choose to believe.

I believe Winston Churchill said that.

but did he have his fingers crossed when he said it?

[khunjamesjohnson]

'... we are teaching children how to avoid truth ...' Thais, and Thai history, have been doing that for years.

Thai history is blocked, banned and illegal to discuss.

[tbthailand]

'... we are teaching children how to avoid truth ...' Thais, and Thai history, have been doing that for years.

Thai history is blocked, banned and illegal to discuss.

correct.

there are posters here who sometimes pretend that is not the case. Sadly, it is.

[benbear]

Reading the obituaries always makes for a bad day when your name is in it

From me about 5 mins ago

[laolover88]

History?

Get your Thai (and foreigners) to do my test!

This is the short version!!

1. Where does the River Chao Phraya start?

2. Where is Klong Lat? Who built it?

3. What happened in a. 1893? b.1688 AD

4. In what year was the 'fall' of Ayutthaya?

5. Who built Pimai? When?

6 What were the two original names of Phuket?

7. Who incorporated the Kingdom of Lanna into Thailand?

8. Was Pattani ever an independent state?

9. When was the Siam-England war? What was the outcome?

10.To whom did Thailand cede Laos in 1893 and 1904?

[Saan]

History?

Get your Thai (and foreigners) to do my test!

This is the short version!!

1. Where does the River Chao Phraya start?

2. Where is Klong Lat? Who built it?

3. What happened in a. 1893? b.1688 AD

4. In what year was the 'fall' of Ayutthaya?

5. Who built Pimai? When?

6 What were the two original names of Phuket?

7. Who incorporated the Kingdom of Lanna into Thailand?

8. Was Pattani ever an independent state?

9. When was the Siam-England war? What was the outcome?

10.To whom did Thailand cede Laos in 1893 and 1904?

Here is a couple more that will stump them:

Where was the King born?

What victory does the Victory Monument in Bangkok celebrate?

The answers are - U.S. and the Thai/French war (skirmish).

[kunnatee]

Thai historians today follow this guideline

no

Thais wear "white power" swastika t-shirts and still no one tells them what it means.

Manuals don't.

And historians don't.

Just look at the difference between the English language wikipedia page on the shoa and the Thai one

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Holocaust

http://th.wikipedia.org/wiki/ฮอโลคอสต์

Who else than Thai historians is supposed to fill up this page?

3 years ago, I spent 2 weeks exchanging in Thai on a Thai facebook page dedicated to Hitler.

The kids who had started it had no idea whatsoever about the reality of WWII

They didn't want to listen either. Denial to a point that probably has a medical term for it.

All that my Thai friends and students remember from their History classes is "the burmese invading for the first time", " the burmese invading for the second time", "the burmese invadin..."

All other countries also have very flawed history curriculums revolving too much around their own country; but in that category, Thailand gets a medal.