Thai Culture Ministry trains youths going abroad to serve as cultural ambassadors

[webfact]

Ministry of Culture trains youths going abroad to serve as cultural ambassadors

BANGKOK, 11 July 2016 (NNT) – The Ministry of Culture has organized a program to encourage Thai youths living abroad to serve as a cultural ambassadors of the nation as well as to enhance the nation’s cultural heritage both at home and abroad.

Over 50 students set to depart for studies in the US, France, Sweden and Australia attended the launch of the program for 2016. The youths will spend several days engaging in talks and discussions at the Bangkok National Museum set up by the Ministry of Culture so that they maintain communities of Thai people while abroad while acting as ambassadors for the Kingdom.

One talk to take place during the meeting is titled “Knowing Thailand” and will be given by Surat Jongda, a professor from the Fine Arts College. The talk will provide knowledge on Thailand’s religions, art and history. The students will also go on an observational tour of Nakhon Pathom, Samut Songkram and Ratchaburi provinces to bolster their knowledge of Thailand.

-- NNT 2016-07-11

[dageurreotype]

Waste of money. All they must do is tell them which country they come from and hope for the laughter to die down

[MaxLee]

Yep, teach them how to represent Mai Pen Rai-ness nationwide

Edited July 11, 2016 by MaxLee

[thai3]

Quite a few at home always think Thailand is Taiwan and when you explain no Thailand they just see it represented by ladyboys, prostitutes, Elephants and scams. The kids will have their work cut out

[Winniedapu]

More heat than light. Wishful thinking at its finest.

Waste of effort, though It does confirm that the Thai Government recognises that its international image needs work. This is largely the responsibility of the widely un-esteemed illegal junta government, which claims to be assisting Thailand but which in fact is well on the way to destroying it.

Winnie

[dageurreotype]

Yep, teach them how to represent Mai Pen Rai-ness nationwide

I very much doubt 'mai pen rain-ess' is the first thing springs to mind when telling someone you come from Thailand

[skildpadden]

It seems the current "government" is desperate for some international goodwill.

I am pretty sure recent history will not be taught - however it would be nive to know what history subjects will be taught though - and then watch the students recount those stories to their academic friends abroad. I am pretty sure someone will ask interesting questions as they would have unlimited access to knowledge banned in this country.

Why specifically pointing out Surat Jongda? He is as far as I can read an expert on khon/khol dance, which probably has very little interest outside of Thailand and Cambodia.

[Thaddeus]

The money would be far better spent teaching the countries leaders how not to look like complete <deleted> daily.

[clockman]

And will they be real males?

[dageurreotype]

And will they be real males?

They're fake ones? Thought katoeys were m2f?

[waldroj]

In my experience, it is the Thais who live and travel abroad who ARE already the best ambassadors for this country.

Anything the Ministry of Culture might try to influence these people will only confuse and detract from what they would have said and done on their own.

More seriously, talk that provides "knowledge" on Thailand’s religions, art and "history" smacks of propaganda.

[doremifasol]

The students will also go on an observational tour of Nakhon Pathom, Samut Songkram and Ratchaburi provinces to bolster their knowledge of Thailand.........................

Edited July 11, 2016 by doremifasol

[gandalf12]

Each and everyone one of us is an Ambassador of our country when we travel overseas. Thailand is not unique in this.

Are they going to preach the official line of Thailand when overseas or are they going to tell the truth? That is a big potential problem

Edited July 11, 2016 by gandalf12

[rkidlad]

I don't mind people speaking about their home countries. I don't mind them being proud. But they'll lose me in a conversation if they start saying how great their home contry is. Can't be that great cos you don't live there. Also, when something is great, there really is no need to say it. You should already be safe in the knowledge that you don't have to.

[poohy]

The (ambassadors) sorry girls that live on the scummy caravan site and ""work "" at the local thai restaurant in Dudley are well recommended i think!

[dcnx]

Will machetes be distributed before they leave?

;-)

[Strangebrew]

You need work permits for that.

[arrowsdawdle]

...cultural ambassadors.....does that translate in Thai to pimps?

[soalbundy]

most Thai's i know that live abroad wouldn't want to go back to their own country. There was an interesting article in a newspaper some years ago.interviewing Thais who lived in Europe,all said they enjoyed the freedom from corruption and the fairness in treatment by the authorities.A Thai couple in Denmark even wanted to give up their Thai nationality and become Danish.

[NongKhaiKid]

How will they be prepared to answer questions about the current situation here without it sounding like official propaganda ?

There's every possibility those asking questions will have a better insight than the students do since they have seen the uncensored international media since the junta took over.

[klauskunkel]

Will they have diplomatic passports? Otherwise they will need work permits abroad.

[adhd]

let's hope they will not gang up and beat up other cultural ambassadors, being thai and all and the gang pack mentality of 5 - 7 against 1

[Caveat Emptor]

i suppose they'll be warned not to believe anything they see, hear or read about Thailand unless they've heard from government sources here

[Lupatria]

I assume the training will take at least one year for each "ambassador" to be able to explain "thainess" to westerners in less than a day...

[Krataiboy]

The talk will provide knowledge on Thailand’s religions

Bring your own bucket of whitewash.

[gandalf12]

most Thai's i know that live abroad wouldn't want to go back to their own country. There was an interesting article in a newspaper some years ago.interviewing Thais who lived in Europe,all said they enjoyed the freedom from corruption and the fairness in treatment by the authorities.A Thai couple in Denmark even wanted to give up their Thai nationality and become Danish.

I agree with you. My wife used to travel around the world with me and she openly said she didnt want to live back in Thailand

[Redline]

Oh boy. Please get on the real life train and quite wasting time and money...

[Pimay1]

The talk will provide knowledge on Thailand’s religions

They had better let that one slide.

[alanferdi]

Wow....sounds good....Interested....!!! How can you be what you have not learnt at home or in school, let alone practice in your own country.....How do you define justice, Bribery, Prostitution and corruption....SMILE...ah ok....should sell..... More how do you stand up to being responsible and non racist.....I really hope this works out for Thailand.... My prediction...the world will show them two things....first they will be forced to use their brains and secondly, that the rest of the world knows more of Thailand than an average Thai knows of his own country......

Edited July 12, 2016 by alanferdi

[Dancin Dna 11]

Wow, and here I was reading this as a positive article. Thanks for the re-education.