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**kylsq0Ln** · 08-22-2006, 08:00 AM

Welcome True Blue Texan, It sounds like a good thing to research.

FiP has supplied you with some "primary sources". You'll find some other primary sources on blog sites like www.thai-blogs.com (mostly ex-pats and vistors) and www.thailandlife.com (experiences of a Thai teenager).

I would think that that a couple of good books would give you the best start on the basics of Religion, Family and social life, Traditions, Economy, Arts, Politics, Education, but it depends what sort of library you have access to.

It seems to me that you have a long list for 14 hours. Perhaps you might want to narrow it down a little bit and look in detail at some issues that you find particularly interesting. An issue that I think is interesting is to what extent cultural issues like religion, etc, influence the way students learn. The stereotype is that Asian students respect authority too much and so don't "think for themeselves". I have little experience with Thai students, but that stereotype doesn't apply to the high-achieving Chinese students that I have known (as long as you don't mistake a certain amount of deference for lack of thinking

). It does apply to the low achievers of both Chinese and Western origin..

Thailand has a very strong Buddhist culture (unlike modern China...). In principle this should lead to people who are more free-thinking than a society based on Christianity, since it is supposed to be a path of inquiry, rather than blind faith:

When you know for yourselves that, 'These qualities are skillful; these qualities are blameless; these qualities are praised by the wise; these qualities, when adopted and carried out, lead to welfare and to happiness' — then you should enter and remain in them."
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/a...henticity.html

Of course, the theory and the practice are two different things...

08-22-2006, 08:00 AM	#10
kylsq0Ln Join Date Oct 2005 Posts 502 Senior Member	Welcome True Blue Texan, It sounds like a good thing to research. FiP has supplied you with some "primary sources". You'll find some other primary sources on blog sites like www.thai-blogs.com (mostly ex-pats and vistors) and www.thailandlife.com (experiences of a Thai teenager). I would think that that a couple of good books would give you the best start on the basics of Religion, Family and social life, Traditions, Economy, Arts, Politics, Education, but it depends what sort of library you have access to. It seems to me that you have a long list for 14 hours. Perhaps you might want to narrow it down a little bit and look in detail at some issues that you find particularly interesting. An issue that I think is interesting is to what extent cultural issues like religion, etc, influence the way students learn. The stereotype is that Asian students respect authority too much and so don't "think for themeselves". I have little experience with Thai students, but that stereotype doesn't apply to the high-achieving Chinese students that I have known (as long as you don't mistake a certain amount of deference for lack of thinking ). It does apply to the low achievers of both Chinese and Western origin.. Thailand has a very strong Buddhist culture (unlike modern China...). In principle this should lead to people who are more free-thinking than a society based on Christianity, since it is supposed to be a path of inquiry, rather than blind faith: When you know for yourselves that, 'These qualities are skillful; these qualities are blameless; these qualities are praised by the wise; these qualities, when adopted and carried out, lead to welfare and to happiness' — then you should enter and remain in them." http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/a...henticity.html Of course, the theory and the practice are two different things...
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