Search results

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the performance of the revolving fund (RF) regarding the ability of smallholder debtors to retrieve land title deeds, and also to examine the factors influencing the outstanding debts and percentage of outstanding interest of the smallholders in the Central and Northeastern regions of Thailand.

Primary data were collected from 430 debtors in the Central and Northeastern regions of Thailand in order to compare the differences in livelihood assets as well as their opinions on benefits derived from the operation of the RF. Secondary data were also collected from the RF administration, in order to evaluate the effectiveness and efficiency of the fund. Heteroskedasticity-corrected ordinary least squares and Tobit regression models were employed to examine the factors influencing the outstanding debts and percentage of outstanding interest of the smallholders, respectively. Furthermore, the student’s t-test was used to examine the differences in the livelihood assets among debtors in the two regions; and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to examine differences in livelihood indicator scores among the three types of debtors.

The empirical results revealed that the RF is effective as the fund could provide loan to smallholders to enable them redeem their land title deeds from their previous creditors. The t-test results reveal significant differences in the livelihood assets among debtors in the two regions. One-way ANOVA indicates differences in livelihood indicator scores among the three types of debtors. The results of the heteroskedasticity-corrected ordinary least squares regression revealed that being married, low frequency of floods and less influence of third parties significantly reduced the outstanding debts. The results of the censored Tobit regression revealed that increased frequency of meeting with the RF administration, less influence of third parties, high land potential and interaction of age and experience significantly decreased the percentage of outstanding interest.

It is imperative to intensify information and education regarding the regulations, payment terms and modalities to clients in order to facilitate repayments of the loans disbursed. The organization of the RF should pay particular attention to the role of the committees involved, information administration and loan repayment monitoring. The RF should increase the frequency of meetings with smallholders, minimize the influence of third parties and give priority to old and experienced smallholders who possess land with high potential for earning incomes to enable them repay the loans.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study that examined the effectiveness of the RF to enable smallholders retrieve their land title deeds.

Within individual countries, the paths towards increasing educational attainment are not always linear and individuals are not equally affected. Differences between boys’ and girls’ educational attainments are a common expression of this inequality as boys are more often favored for continued schooling. We examine the importance of birth cohort, sibship size, migration, and school accessibility for explaining both the gender gap and its narrowing in secondary schooling in one district in Northeast Thailand between 1984 and 1994. Birth cohort is a significant explanation for the narrowing of the gender gap. Migration, sibship size, and remote village location are important explanations for limited secondary education opportunities, especially for girls.

Industry 4.0 is recognised as a competitive strategy that helps implementers optimise their value chain. However, its adoption poses several challenges. This study investigates and ranks the drivers and barriers to implementing Industry 4.0 in the Thai sugar industry, the world's second-largest sugar exporter. It also evaluates the industry's readiness for Industry 4.0.

The drivers and impediments were identified based on a systematic literature review (SLR) and further investigated using a questionnaire, expert interviews, Pearson's correlation and nonparametric statistical analyses. The IMPULS model was used to assess the industry's readiness.

Most companies expect to minimise costs, develop employees and improve various elements of operational performance and data tracking capability. Thai sugar producers are still at a low readiness level to deploy Industry 4.0. High investment is the major challenge. Small businesses struggle to hire competent employees, collaborate with a highly credible technology provider and adapt to new solutions.

The findings can serve as a benchmark or guide for sugar manufacturers and companies in other sectors, where Industry 4.0 technologies are not yet widely utilised, to overcome existing roadblocks and make strategic decisions. They can also assist governments in developing policies that foster digital transformation and increase national competitiveness.

There is a scarcity of research on Industry 4.0 execution in the sugar industry. This study addresses this gap by investigating the reasons for the hesitancy of sugar producers to pursue Industry 4.0 and proposing solutions.

This study aims to propose the four different typologies for understanding local information.

This study applied a conceptual approach to analyze and clarify how the concept local information can be understood in wildly different ways. Furthermore, this study employed conceptual analysis of 36 studies. For the conceptual analysis, coding was applied to formulate and abstract four typologies for understanding local information with specific focus on the Thai cultural heritage setting.

The four different typologies include local information as an array of different interpretations as diverse meanings of local, local information as cultural heritage, local information as subject of information management and situated local information.

This study mainly focuses relevant typologies for understanding local information in the Thai context.

This study contributes and extends the literature in the local information field and the cultural heritage context. In addition, an eclectic strategy of using several alternative typologies for dealing with essentially contested concepts is suggested. This can be useful not only for supporting librarians working with local information but also in other practices dealing with broadly defined concepts.

Globalisation provides new opportunities for immigrant women to supply financial benefits transnationally to uphold their families in their home countries. The purpose of this study is to explore the experiences of Thai immigrant women regarding transnational family responsibilities effects on their health and wellness.

Qualitative data were collected using semi-structured interviews with 40 Thai immigrant women, of which 34 described having transnational family responsibilities. The transcribed data were analysed using a phenomenographic approach.

The findings revealed five structural aspects of transnational family responsibilities of Thai immigrant women: being a dutiful daughter, being a caring mother, being a kind relative, being a “giving” person and striving for a wealthy life. The interviewees seldom encountered enough support from the spouse in handling their transnational family responsibilities. In general, a transnational marriage includes family responsibilities that are continuous and that often is the cause of migration.

This paper illuminates the transnational responsibilities of marriage migration and argues for women’s rights of culturally congruent health care.

Traditionally Thai women’s values are based on how they handle family responsibilities and acknowledging own health needs are not. These interviewees perceived doubled burden in terms of family responsibilities and workload in employed work, which contributed to poor health and wellness.

This study aims to explore how indigenous knowledge, cultural heritage preservation and ethnic identity influence the production of traditional ikat textiles in northeast Thailand.

A qualitative research method used an ethnographic perspective with a realistic design. Purposive sampling was used to conduct 30 in-depth ethnographic interviews with members of Phu Thai ikat textile groups in Kalasin province. Interview transcripts were studied using thick descriptive analysis (themes, categorisation, coding and keywords).

The ethnographic study shows that natural dyeing, traditional crafts, materials, designs and patterns are used in Phu Thai ikat textile weaving. The results reveal that indigenous knowledge, cultural heritage preservation and ethnic identity are relevant to traditional ikat textiles.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study uniquely focuses on a deeper theoretical understanding of indigenous knowledge and cultural heritage preservation, to sustain traditional ikat textiles.

The purpose of this chapter is to investigate citizen attitudes toward control of corruption, their trust in government, and the relationship between trust and corruption in order to determine whether these factors are conducive to governance reform. The sample consists of 3,600 respondents surveyed in late 2005–early 2006 in the north and northeast regions of Thailand. The findings indicate that almost three-quarters of the respondents said that petty and routine corruption was unacceptable; only one-third said they trusted or somewhat trusted public officials. Trust and control of corruption attitudes are positively, although weakly, correlated. The findings suggest that citizen attitudes toward corruption and their levels of trust in government are not antithetical to the notion of good governance. The data reveal considerable variation, however. Using partial correlation analysis, education and urban–rural distinctions are identified as key: persons with higher educational attainment and urban inhabitants are more likely to state that petty and routine corruption is unacceptable, and they are less likely to trust public officials, than persons with less education or persons living in rural areas. Gender and age have surprisingly little effect.

This study aims to explore how social support has reshaped the care of older adults living alone in northeast Thailand during the COVID-19 pandemic.

This study used a qualitative method using a narrative gerontological perspective with a descriptive design. Purposive sampling was conducted from 20 in-depth narrative interviews between November 2021 and February 2022 in Maha Sarakham province, northeast Thailand. Data transcriptions were performed using a narrative analytical process.

The in-depth narrative interviews indicated that older adults living alone during the coronavirus pandemic valued a comfortable life, a sense of place, favourable living arrangements, self-reliance, life goals and meaningful life. The gerontological analysis showed that social support for older adults living alone included a social safety net, networking, supporting needs, physical care and mental health responses to the COVID-19 pandemic.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first qualitative narrative gerontological study to explore how social support reshaped the care of older adults living alone during the COVID-19 pandemic in northeast Thailand.

The aims of this study are to study the problems and challenges of community enterprises; to analyze their strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats; and to examine the guidelines of strategy management for community enterprises.

The authors utilized a qualitative method using in-depth interviews with 25 community enterprises and a focus group of 10 specialists to discuss strategy management of community enterprises, then analyzed the data using content analysis and descriptive analysis.

The study found that community enterprises face numerous problems, such as marketing challenges and the inability to transfer businesses to the next generation. However, the strong points of community enterprises include the involvement and support of a lot of government agencies and the opportunity presented by consumer requirements for the handicraft of goods and products. In this paper, the authors recommend eight strategic guidelines for the management of community enterprises; they also recommend that the government use the model of the Bangsai Royal Folk Arts and Crafts Centre of Her Majesty Queen Sirikit of Thailand to set up policies that support community enterprises.

This study will be beneficial for the Department of Agricultural Extension, Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperative, Royal Thai Government, as a guideline for support of community enterprises in Thailand, and this study will benefit other countries with similarities to Thailand.

The purpose of this paper is to analyze critically the evolution of educational reform in Thailand. Three major phases are identified. The special focus of the paper is an assessment of the third reform which began with the passage of the Office of the National Education Commission (ONEC) (2002).

The methodology for the study is mixed methods including document analysis, direct participant observation, and compilation of major statistical performance indicators from diverse sources.

The success of the most recent reform has been clearly mixed. Major structural and legal changes have occurred but overall system performance remains disappointingly low, despite large Thai educational expenditures as a percent of national budget and the presence of much impressive educational leadership talent. The paper identifies what is called the “Thai educational paradox”. The essence of the paradox is Thailand’s failure to achieve its educational potential. The paper identifies key factors explaining the paradox.

The paper has significant theoretical, policy, and practical implications. From a theoretical perspective, the study confirms the persistence of strong regional disparities and a lack of fiscal neutrality associated with a neoliberal model of capitalistic development. From a practical policy perspective, it is imperative for Thailand to improve the overall quality of its educational system and to reduce regional disparities. There have been numerous studies of each of Thailand’s three phases of reform, but this paper’s original contribution is its presentation of a historical, interdisciplinary, and integrated perspective on the evolution of educational reform and the many obstacles associated with its implementation.