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South Korea and Thailand are two of the seven biggest destination countries for low-wage migrant labour in East and Southeast Asia. They face similar demographic patterns and labour market dynamics but are very different when it comes to their economic, political and geographical contexts. Despite these differences, they have pursued a similar approach to the regulation of low-wage labour migration by taking a more active role in managing the recruitment and stay of migrant workers. As a result, outcomes for low-wage migrant workers in both countries are better than those experienced by their counterparts elsewhere in Asia. This analysis of the low-wage visa schemes in South Korea and Thailand contributes to a more robust understanding of how these restrictive labour migration regimes can be structured to improve outcomes for workers. The paper argues that lessons learned from the regulatory approaches pursued in South Korea and Thailand should be applied in other destination countries in Asia and beyond. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When a hazardous chemical soaks into a porous material such as a concrete floor, it can be difficult to remove. One approach is chemical decontamination, where a cleanser is added to react with and neutralise the contaminating agent. The goal of this paper is to investigate the reaction dynamics and the factors that affect the efficacy of the decontamination procedure. We consider a one-dimensional porous medium initially saturated with an oil-based agent. An aqueous cleanser is applied at the surface, so the two chemicals are immiscible and a boundary forms between them. A neutralising reaction takes place at this boundary in which cleanser and agent are consumed and reaction products are created. This is a Stefan problem, and the boundary between the cleanser and agent moves as the reaction proceeds. Reaction products formed at the interface may dissolve in one or both liquids. This may temporarily prevent cleanser and/or agent from reaching the reaction site, so diffusion of the chemical species, in particular the diffusion of product from the interface, plays a key role. The scenario described above was considered previously by Dalwadi et al. (2017, Mathematical modelling of chemical agent removal by reaction with an immiscible cleanser. SIAM J. Appl. Math. , 77, 1937–1961) in the limit where the depth of the porous medium is large compared to the length scale over which concentrations vary inside the medium. Here, we present results that are valid for any ratio between these length scales and an analysis of agent removal times for various dimensionless parameter regimes. We also highlight the emergence of a boundary layer associated with diffusion in the oil phase for early times, where the thickness of the boundary layer is directly proportional to the square root of the time variable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we propose and analyze a staggered discontinuous Galerkin method for a five-field formulation of the Biot system of poroelasticity on general polygonal meshes. Elasticity is equipped with a stress–displacement–rotation formulation with weak stress symmetry for arbitrary polynomial orders, which extends the piecewise constant approximation developed in Zhao and Park (2020, A staggered cell-centered DG method for linear elasticity on polygonal meshes, SIAM J. Sci. Comput. 42 , A2158–A2181). The proposed method is locking-free and can handle highly distorted grids, possibly including hanging nodes, which is desirable for practical applications. We prove the convergence estimates for the semidiscrete scheme and fully discrete scheme for all the variables in their natural norms. In particular, the stability and convergence analyses do not need a uniformly positive storativity coefficient. Moreover, to reduce the size of the global system, we propose a five-field-formulation-based fixed stress splitting scheme, where the linear convergence of the scheme is proved. Several numerical experiments are carried out to confirm the optimal convergence rates and the locking-free property of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is concerned with uniqueness in inverse electromagnetic scattering with phaseless far-field pattern at a fixed frequency. In our previous work (2018,SIAM J. Appl. Math. 78 , 3024–3039), by adding a known reference ball into the acoustic scattering system, it was proved that the impenetrable obstacle and the index of refraction of an inhomogeneous medium can be uniquely determined by the acoustic phaseless far-field patterns generated by infinitely many sets of superpositions of two plane waves with different directions at a fixed frequency. In this paper, we extend these uniqueness results to the inverse electromagnetic scattering case. The phaseless far-field data are the modulus of the tangential component in the orientations |${\boldsymbol{e}}_\phi $| and |${\boldsymbol{e}}_\theta $|⁠ , respectively, of the electric far-field pattern measured on the unit sphere and generated by infinitely many sets of superpositions of two electromagnetic plane waves with different directions and polarizations. Our proof is mainly based on Rellich's lemma and the Stratton–Chu formula for radiating solutions to the Maxwell equations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

First, a new convergence analysis is given for the semidiscrete (finite elements in space) numerical method that is used in Le et al. (2016, Numerical solution of the time-fractional Fokker–Planck equation with general forcing. SIAM J. Numer. Anal., 54 1763–1784) to solve the time-fractional Fokker–Planck equation on a domain |$\varOmega \times [0,T]$| with general forcing, i.e., where the forcing term is a function of both space and time. Stability and convergence are proved in a fractional norm that is stronger than the |$L^2(\varOmega)$| norm used in the above paper. Furthermore, unlike the bounds proved in Le et al., the constant multipliers in our analysis do not blow up as the order of the fractional derivative |$\alpha $| approaches the classical value of |$1$|⁠. Secondly, for the semidiscrete (L1 scheme in time) method for the same Fokker–Planck problem, we present a new |$L^2(\varOmega)$| convergence proof that avoids a flaw in the analysis of Le et al.'s paper for the semidiscrete (backward Euler scheme in time) method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent times, retail buildings in tropical areas have started to evolve from fully enclosed air-conditioned designs towards designs featuring open-air naturally ventilated malls. This paper discusses influential factors that can be used to help achieve thermal comfort conditions in the semi-outdoor spaces of open-air malls within the Bangkok Metropolitan Area in Thailand. The researchers surveyed 23 buildings and categorised them into three groups according to their configurations. Six representative projects were selected and assessed using a computational fluid dynamics program. The results revealed that the percentages of thermal comfort hours varied from 34.7% to 80.8% of the annual occupation time and were highly dependent on the design decisions taken for individual projects. The study found that among five important design factors, which are position of openings in accordance to the prevailing wind, distribution of openings, window-to-wall ratio, building shape, and openings that encourage cross-ventilation, the first factor was the most influential. Buildings that have their position of openings in good accordance to the prevailing winds can achieve the number of hours 2.0 times greater than those that do not. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We study numerical integration of smooth functions defined over the |$s$| -dimensional unit cube. A recent work by Dick et al. (2019 , Richardson extrapolation of polynomial lattice rules. SIAM J. Numer. Anal. , 57 , 44–69) has introduced so-called extrapolated polynomial lattice rules, which achieve the almost optimal rate of convergence for numerical integration, and can be constructed by the fast component-by-component search algorithm with smaller computational costs as compared to interlaced polynomial lattice rules. In this paper we prove that, instead of polynomial lattice point sets, truncated higher-order digital nets and sequences can be used within the same algorithmic framework to explicitly construct good quadrature rules achieving the almost optimal rate of convergence. The major advantage of our new approach compared to original higher-order digital nets is that we can significantly reduce the precision of points, i.e. the number of digits necessary to describe each quadrature node. This finding has a practically useful implication when either the number of points or the smoothness parameter is so large that original higher-order digital nets require more than the available finite-precision floating-point representations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Interpretive nutrition labels provide simplified nutrient-specific text and/or symbols on the front of pre-packaged foods, to encourage and enable consumers to make healthier choices. This type of labelling has been proposed as part of a comprehensive policy response to the global epidemic of non-communicable diseases. However, regulation of nutrition labelling falls under the remit of not just the health sector but also trade. Specific Trade Concerns have been raised at the World Trade Organization's Technical Barriers to Trade Committee regarding interpretive nutrition labelling initiatives in Thailand, Chile, Indonesia, Peru and Ecuador. This paper presents an analysis of the discussions of these concerns. Although nutrition labelling was identified as a legitimate policy objective, queries were raised regarding the justification of the specific labelling measures proposed, and the scientific evidence for effectiveness of such measures. Concerns were also raised regarding the consistency of the measures with international standards. Drawing on policy learning theory, we identified four lessons for public health policy makers, including: strategic framing of nutrition labelling policy objectives; pro-active policy engagement between trade and health to identify potential trade issues; identifying ways to minimize potential 'practical' trade concerns; and engagement with the Codex Alimentarius Commission to develop international guidance on interpretative labelling. This analysis indicates that while there is potential for trade sector concerns to stifle innovation in nutrition labelling policy, care in how interpretive nutrition labelling measures are crafted in light of trade commitments can minimize such a risk and help ensure that trade policy is coherent with nutrition action. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article studies the roles of Association of Southeast Asian Nations country coordinators in shaping negotiation outcomes, which have been under-examined. A question: 'What makes an effective coordinator?' is explored. 'Effectiveness' is the ability to shape outcomes in one's direction. This paper argues that a coordinator's effectiveness is rooted in resource management, not resource possession. To be effective, the coordinator must turn the resources at hand into bargaining leverage visà- vis the others. To validate the argument, this paper demonstrates how Thailand, taking advantage of its coordinator position, advanced the talks on the Code of Conduct of the South China Sea resulting in the first formal consultation in September 2013. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The modalities of malaria transmission along the Thailand-Myanmar border are poorly understood. Here we address the relevance of using a specific Anopheles salivary biomarker to measure the risk among humans of exposure to Anopheles bites.Methods: Serologic surveys were conducted from May 2013 to December 2014 in 4 sentinel villages. More than 9400 blood specimens were collected in filter papers from all inhabitants at baseline and then every 3 months thereafter, for up to 18 months, for analysis by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The relationship between the intensity of the human antibody response and entomological indicators of transmission (human biting rates and entomological inoculation rates [EIRs]) was studied using a multivariate 3-level mixed model analysis. Heat maps for human immunoglobulin G (IgG) responses for each village and survey time point were created using QGIS 2.4.Results: The levels of IgG response among participants varied significantly according to village, season, and age (P<.001) and were positively associated with the abundance of total Anopheles species and primary malaria vectors and the EIR (P<.001). Spatial clusters of high-IgG responders were identified across space and time within study villages.Conclusions: The gSG6-P1 biomarker has great potential to address the risk of transmission along the Thailand-Myanmar border and represents a promising tool to guide malaria interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the 2nd World War, large numbers of allied military personnel in south-east Asia became prisoners-of-war (POWs) of the Japanese. During their internment of three and a half years, they suffered undernutrition, exposure to tropical diseases and frequently overwork. Perhaps the harshest POW experience was the construction of the railway between Thailand and Burma. This paper explores the medical conditions during Far East imprisonment, and in particular on the Thai-Burma Railway, as well as the long-term health effects in post-war decades. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This special issue explores the operationalization of the triple helix system in developing countries by examining the university-industry relationship and its implications for national and regional innovation systems. The five papers in this issue attempt to set in perspective the role of universities in capacity building in four developing countries (India, Mexico, Chile and Thailand). The papers are based on in-depth case studies drawing on system theories such as the national and regional systems of innovation, national innovative capacity, and the triple helix system. They draw useful lessons of policy import for university managers and higher education policy-makers, local government officials and regional industry associations. They also underline the importance of policy initiatives for networking and collaboration between industry, university and government agencies. The key factors that would need to be taken into account by policy-makers and university authorities in order to ensure continuing, effective, working relationships with industry are also highlighted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Refugee camps around the world differ in regards to their accessibility. Some camps allow for relatively easy access and therefore often provide grounds for refugee related anthropological fieldwork. By contrast, other campsites are less accessible and remain comparatively under-researched. Based on ethnographic fieldwork with Karenni refugees in Mae Hong Son, Northern Thailand, this article examines how effects of administrative power may impact on ethnographic studies of “sensible” terrains. Refugee camps in Thailand are guarded by paramilitary forces and other security personnel. Movements of persons and goods inside and outside the sites are regulated through the imposition of curfews and the mandatory possession of a camp pass issued by governmental authorities. This paper discusses general, spatial and temporal control mechanisms encountered during fieldwork. This is followed by reflections on joining a local NGO in order to negotiate research access to the refugee camps and the practical and ethical issues raised by this strategy. The paper concludes by suggesting that those researching refugee situations should be more vocal about the diffuse forms of administrative power to which they are subjected during fieldwork. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Norovirus (NoV) generally exists as a mixture of multiple genotype variants in nature. However, there has been no published report monitoring NoV in natural settings in Thailand. To obtain information on mixed presence of the NoV RNA genome, we conducted viral genome analysis of 15 water specimens collected from five sites in a river near Bangkok between August 2013 and August 2014. The number of viral RNA copies per specimen declined progressively from the most upstream to the most downstream site. Following direct nucleotide sequencing of the PCR products, we obtained three partial genome sequences of the NoV GI strain and 13 partial genome sequences of the NoV GII strains. Phylogenetic analysis indicated the presence of four GII.4 variant groups pro-circulated after the Den Haag_2006b, New Orleans_2009 and Sydney_2012 outbreaks. On the other hand, only GI.4 was observed from the specimens collected on April, 2014. These results indicated that multiple genogroups and genotypes of noroviruses are present and are circulating in the natural environment in Thailand as in other countries. Our study provides comprehensive information on the occurrence of new variants. Significance and Impact of the Study Our study is the first paper that multiple genogroups and genotypes of norovirus exist, and are circulating in the river water near Bangkok, Thailand. Phylogenetic analysis indicated the presence of four GII.4 variant groups pro-circulated after the Den Haag_2006b, New Orleans_2009 and Sydney_2012 that caused outbreaks in the world. Continued research will be essential for understanding the natural history of NoV and the control of future outbreaks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite two recent government-sponsored ‘wars on drugs', methamphetamine use continues to be a pervasive problem in Thailand. Out of concern for reported human rights abuses, there has been a call from the international community to take a different approach from the government's ‘zero tolerance’. This paper describes the adaptation of the Connect to Protect® coalition formation process from urban U.S. cities to three districts in northern Thailand's Chiang Mai province, aimed to reduce methamphetamine use by altering the risk environment. Project materials, including manuals and materials (e.g. key actor maps and research staff memos), were reviewed to describe partnering procedures and selection criteria. Potential community partners were identified from various government and community sectors with a focus on including representatives from health, police, district and sub-district government officials. Of the 64 potential partners approached, 59 agreed to join one of three district-level coalitions. Partner makeup included 25% from the health sector, 22% who were sub-district government officials and 10% were representatives from the police sector. Key partners necessary for endorsement of and commitment to the coalition work included district-level governors, police chiefs and hospital directors for each district. Initial coalition strategic planning has resulted in policies and programs to address school retention, youth development initiatives and establishment of a new drug treatment and rehabilitation clinic in addition to other developing interventions. Similarities in building coalitions, such as the need to strategically develop buy-in with key constituencies, as well as differences of whom and how partners were identified are explored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates associations between hazardous jobs, mental health and wellbeing among Thai adults. In 2005, 87 134 distance-learning students from Sukhothai Thammathirat Open University completed a self-administered questionnaire; at the 2009 follow-up 60 569 again participated. Job characteristics were reported in 2005, psychological distress and life satisfaction were reported in both 2005 and 2009. We derived two composite variables grading psychologically and physically hazardous jobs and reported adjusted odds ratios (AOR) from multivariate logistic regressions. Analyses focused on cohort members in paid work: the total was 62 332 at 2005 baseline and 41 671 at 2009 follow-up. Crosssectional AORs linking psychologically hazardous jobs to psychological distress ranged from 1.52 (one hazard) to 4.48 (four hazards) for males and a corresponding 1.34-3.76 for females. Similarly AORs for physically hazardous jobs were 1.75 (one hazard) to 2.76 (four or more hazards) for males and 1.70-3.19 for females. A similar magnitude of associations was found between psychologically adverse jobs and low life satisfaction (AORs of 1.34-4.34 among males and 1.18-3.63 among females). Longitudinal analyses confirm these cross-sectional relationships. Thus, significant dose– response associations were found linking hazardous job exposures in 2005 to mental health and wellbeing in 2009. The health impacts of psychologically and physically hazardous jobs in developed, Western countries are equally evident in transitioning Southeast Asian countries such as Thailand. Regulation and monitoring of work conditions will become increasingly important to the health and wellbeing of the Thai workforce. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ULTRASPEC is a high-speed imaging photometer mounted permanently at one of the Nasmyth focii of the 2.4-m Thai National Telescope (TNT) on Doi Inthanon, Thailand's highest mountain. ULTRASPEC employs a 1024 × 1024 pixel frame-transfer, electron-multiplying CCD (EMCCD) in conjunction with re-imaging optics to image a field of 7.7 × 7.7 arcmin2 at (windowed) frame rates of up to ∼200 Hz. The EMCCD has two outputs – a normal output that provides a readout noise of 2.3 e− and an avalanche output that can provide essentially zero readout noise. A six-position filter wheel enables narrow-band and broad-band imaging over the wavelength range 330–1000 nm. The instrument saw first light on the TNT in 2013 November and will be used to study rapid variability in the Universe. In this paper we describe the scientific motivation behind ULTRASPEC, present an outline of its design and report on its measured performance on the TNT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on ethnographic research and interviews of Karen refugees in Thailand and resettled Karen in the United States, this paper makes a number of contributions to recent debates on resettlement. First, it provides a rich, ethnographically informed description of the migration and resettlement process. Such studies, especially ones that encapsulate both pre- and post-resettlement experiences remain relatively rare. Second, by comparing the pre-migration attitudes of displaced Karen to newly arrived and established Karen resettlers in the United States, it assesses how well the resettlement process is meeting the needs of refugees. Third, we note two key features of Karen resettlement. For the Karen, initial resettlement is not the final phase in the migratory process. In this sense, we see the experience of resettled communities come to resemble that of other migrants, in which settlement patterns coalesce on pre-existing ethnic and kinship networks. We also find that non-governmental agencies contracted by the state were conspicuously absent in the post-resettlement phase, with a number of unofficial non-governmental organizations, primarily religious ones, filling the void. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Using the case of the Thai dessert industry, this paper highlights the knowledge sector as the driver of activities within the triple helix network and as a basis for the growth of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Knowledge transfer to SMEs and its impact on technological capability development is facilitated by social capital which is influenced by policy initiatives. A survey of 159 firms, drawn from three categories (household-based, community-based and factory-based firms) of the Thai dessert industry provided evidence which suggests that social capital is a major factor enhancing SMEs' access to knowledge sources. The extent to which government intervention has succeeded in promoting the triple helix as a strategy for the growth of SMEs in the Thai dessert industry is considered empirically. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: The National Household Survey for Substance and Alcohol Use is a periodic survey of the Thai population with the aim of estimating the number of people who use licit and illicit substances. This paper reports the findings regarding alcohol consumption from the 2007 survey. Methods: A multistage sampling scheme was used. Provinces, districts, sub-districts, villages and households were randomly selected in sequence. All residents aged 12–65 years who had lived in their current household for >3 months were included. Altogether, 11,348 households and 26,633 respondents from 29 provinces were selected. A structured interview questionnaire, including information on pattern of alcohol consumption, Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test (AUDIT) and consequences of drinking, was used. Results: Of Thais aged 12–65 years, 63% were abstainers (men—40.9% and women—81.5%). The prevalence of current drinkers (defined as individuals who drank at least 10 g of alcohol in 12 months before the survey) was 28.6% (men—48.4% and women—12.7%). Based on the AUDIT score, 6.7% of the Thai population could be classified as hazardous drinkers, 0.9% as harmful drinkers and 0.6% as probable alcohol dependents. The median drinking intensity was 50.8 g in men and 25.4 g in women. After adjusting for other variables, predictors of being hazardous–harmful or probably dependent drinkers included male gender, age groups of 20–24 and 25–44 years, not married and living in Bangkok. Conclusion: The present study highlights the gender and age differences in drinking patterns and drinking consequences in Thailand. These issues should be taken into consideration when planning preventive measures to reduce alcohol consumption and related problems. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Scholarship about Muslims in Thailand has rightly maintained that Thai Islam has enjoyed a long and vibrant tradition, and that the country has been home to a wide variety of representations of Muslim identity. Predictably, Muslim heterogeneity has also generated multifarious patterns of dissonance and contestations. While differences between the state and Muslim society, as well as between Malay and Thai identities, have sparked considerable press and academic coverage of late, this paper focuses on contestations within Thailand's Malay minority community as it seeks to negotiate identity and authenticity in the southern provinces of Pattani, Yala, and Narathiwat. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

For more than twenty years the benefits of extensive reading have been proclaimed to the ELT community, but the inclusion of extensive reading in ELT programmes is far from universal. Extensive reading appears to be particularly absent in higher educational and English for Academic Purposes settings. This paper reports on the implementation of an extensive reading component in a pre-university study EAP programme. Learners responded positively to the loss of teacher-centred class time and a non-EAP focus for part of each lesson. While the implementation of extensive reading will vary from setting to setting, this action research project shows that extensive reading can have a place in an EAP programme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Roll-your-own (RYO) cigarette use has been subject to relatively limited research, particularly in developing countries. This paper seeks to describe RYO use in Thailand and Malaysia and relate RYO use to smokers' knowledge of the harmfulness of tobacco. Data come from face-to-face surveys with 4,004 adult smokers from Malaysia (N = 2,004) and Thailand (N = 2000), collected between January and March 2005. The prevalence of any use of RYO cigarettes varied greatly between Malaysia (17%) and Thailand (58%). In both countries, any RYO use was associated with living in rural areas, older average age, lower level of education, male gender, not being in paid work, slightly lower consumption of cigarettes, higher social acceptability of smoking, and positive attitudes toward tobacco regulation. Among RYO users, exclusive use of RYO cigarettes (compared with mixed use) was associated with older age, female gender (relatively), thinking about the enjoyment of smoking, and not making a special effort to buy cheaper cigarettes if the price goes up. Finally, exclusive RYO smokers were less aware of health warnings (RYO tobacco carries no health warnings), but even so, knowledge of the health effects of tobacco was equivalent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

If producing quality research and meeting the attendant demands of thesis and dissertation writing is a difficult process for native speaker students, it is often doubly so for non-native speakers. ESL/EFL students may have the level of language proficiency for admission to their course of study, without yet possessing the necessary textual knowledge, genre knowledge and social knowledge required of them to succeed at this level There is thus growing awareness in academic circles that ESL and EFL graduate students in countries such as Thailand may need assistance and guidance, not only in designing and carrying out their research, but also with the presentation of their research in an acceptable standard of English (Allison et al. 1998). Since the nature of this assistance is often multi-faceted, spanning cognitive, organizational, generic, linguistic and socio-affective aspects, a multi-thrust approach becomes necessary to provide student support. The paper describes one such attempt at meeting the multiple needs of EFL graduate students in Thailand. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Information about several papers discussed at a conference on Policy and Partnership for Action: Addressing the Determinants of Health, held on August 7 to 11, 2005 in Bangkok, Thailand is presented. The conference seeks to achieve a set of outcomes namely, frameworks and strategies for sustainable and integrated health promotion directed at tackling health challenges and their determinants, and managing globalization, and strategic tracking indicators for 2005-2015.

As part of their development efforts, many developing nations are concerned about their patterns of population distribution and migration; a number have instituted policies to change the situation. A growing body of research suggests that temporary population movement--circulation--may serve as an alternative means for populations to adjust to the changing economic situations. This paper assesses the impact of development efforts on the various forms of population mobility in Thailand and China. In Thailand, rural development efforts, more investment in small urban places, and improved transport and communication networks have all contributed to a decrease in rural--rural migration and an increase of movement between urban places. Evidence also suggests that circulation between rural and urban places has increased. In China, where permanent migration is tightly controlled, development policies have led to a vast increase in temporary movement. Especially important has been institution of the agricultural responsibility system and investment in small city and town development, but urban reforms have also fostered increased labor mobility. Although China's political system makes both development policies and control of population movement much easier to carry out than in most other countries, China's experiences can hold special interest for developing nations like Thailand that are also concerned about the impact of modernization on population redistribution and the quality of life in both urban and rural places. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper provides an approach for building community capacity and two case study examples of improving locally managed ecotourism in Northern Thailand. It provides an analysis of the practical application of the approach and the implications for community development. Nine ‘operational domains’ were used to build and measure community capacity at the community level. This allowed community-based organizations to scrutinize their achievements, to address their constraints and to measure their progress over time, enhanced by a simple means of visual representation. Experiences in Northern Thailand demonstrate that the key to this approach was in the use of strategic planning to initiate community actions towards sustained locally managed ecotourism. The knowledge, skills and competencies gained by the two communities led to an improvement in their ecotourism enterprises. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In September of 2005, Malaysia–Thailand relations were stressed by an incident in which 131 Thai Muslims fled across the Southern Thai border to seek refuge in Malaysia. The Malaysian government initially refused to return these ‘asylum seekers,’ and eventually chose to internationalize the situation by calling on the United Nations High Commission on Refugees (UNHCR). Malaysias decision to internationalize the issue points to potential instability in Malaysia-Thailand bilateral relations and reflects several internal political problems faced by United Malays National Organization (UMNO) central decisions makers. This paper seeks to explain the Malaysian central governments security perspective on the northern border region. To do this, I employ Muthiah Alagappas framework for security culture analysis in an attempt to understand Malaysian security culture from the perspective of that cultures central decision makers themselves. (Alagappa, M ed., (1998) Asian Security Practice: Material and Ideational Influences. Stanford: Stanford University Press.) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 1988 Dowling Club Overseas Visit to Thailand was an outstanding success. More than 30 dermatologists, the majority of whom were trainees, had the pleasure of visiting this beautiful country and participating in a varied programme of academic, clinical and social events, all specially arranged on the occasion of visit by Thai hosts. On the first day they went to the Institute of Dermatology in Bangkok. Short papers were presented by the Thai and British dermatologists. In addition, there was a clinical meeting, where they saw some fascinating casts including examples of papular necrotic tuberculide, which convinced even the most sceptical that this tuberculide is a distinct clinical entity.