Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Ohio University, 2002, Mass Communication - Telecommunications (Communication)

The 1990s was a time of profound economic and political transformation for Thailand. Through major events of economic boom and bust, 1992 political crisis, and democratization of politics, Thailand drafted a new constitution and undertook major political and economic restructuring. Within the context of Thai telecommunications policy restructuring from the beginning of the 1992 to the end of 2000, this study describes the development of Thai Internet and analyzes the policymaking process of telecommunications industry reforms. The study employs John W. Kingdons political model of policy process and J. P. Singhs conceptual framework of factors determining telecommunications restructuring and state types in decision-making process to analyze the role of multiple policy forces and the role of the Thai state in network policy formation. While the main impetus for restructuring is Thailands aspiration to become the economic hub of Southeast Asia, a myriad of forces are found to be at work in telecommunications policy reforms. Economic integration and global liberalization agenda enforced by the WTO and the IMF have had direct impact on the countrys policymaking. Domestically, in the juxtaposition of maturing democracy and intensifying money politics, business interests become increasingly influential in telecommunications policymaking through more direct political maneuvering at the top levels. There is also a burgeoning influence from public interest groups and the Senate. The plurality of interests in the policy process hampers the ability of the state to direct policy outcome. In the system where policymaking is plagued by vested interests and political squabbles, the policymaking function of the state is seriously undermined and the development of Thai Internet suffers as a result.

Committee: Drew McDaniel (Advisor) Subjects: Mass Communications

Master of Arts, The Ohio State University, 1970, Graduate School

Committee: Not Provided (Other) Subjects:

MA, Kent State University, 2020, College of the Arts / School of Music, Hugh A. Glauser

Though there is significant research related to the khaen, a free-reed bamboo mouth organ from Laos and Northeast Thailand, in relation to mawlam, a vocal repartee singing tradition, there is minimal investigation of the oral tradition of khaen pedagogy, particularly as it relates to solo performance. After a review of the general history and performance contexts of the instrument and associated traditions, this thesis focuses on the pedagogy associated with learning khaen, i.e., oral tradition. This research offers insight into the processes of learning through oral versus written methodologies from the perspective of an American student, i.e., the researcher. Through private study and interviews with both native and non-native khaen performers and experts in Lao and Isan (Northeast Thai) music, this research contributes to a fuller understanding of how oral tradition in learning to play folk music instruments, such as the khaen, can be effectively embraced by non-native musicians.

Committee: Andrew Shahriari Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Priwan Nanongkham Ph.D. (Committee Member); Terry Miller Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Asian Studies; Fine Arts; Music

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Ohio University, 2019, History (Arts and Sciences)

During the Cold War, U.S. and Thai leaders were engaged in trying to win the hearts and minds of the Thai people. Much of the literature on U.S.-Thai relations has been from the American perspective and mainly examines economic and military aspects. This dissertation looks at the relationship by drawing from U.S. and Thai government sources to examine both countries public diplomacy and public relations programs in Thailand. From 1957 to 1979, the United States and Thai governments sought to stymie the influence of communism and to build the Thai nation by using the resources of the United States Information Service (USIS) and the Thai Ministry of Interior (MOI). The USIS promoted capitalism, modernization, and anti-communism, while the MOI built up the monarchy, Buddhism, and Thai nationalism. Both organizations used mass media, cultural exchanges, rural development, humanitarian aid, and religious and state ceremonies to convey the U.S. and Thai government's messages and programs. One purpose of the USIS and MOI was to show that communism was a threat to economic development, to Buddhism, and the monarchy. However, promoting anti-communism and building up the institutions of the monarchy and Buddhism divided the country. USIS and MOI programs strengthened the political and public image of King Bhumibol Adulyadej. This dissertation argues that the USIS and MOI played an important role in stymieing communism and strengthening the Thai state.

Committee: Chester Pach (Advisor); Ingo Trauschweizer (Committee Member); Alec Holcombe (Committee Member); Drew McDaniel (Committee Member) Subjects: Asian Studies; History

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Ohio University, 2018, Communication Studies (Communication)

Public advocacy and activism play an important role in shaping public culture and civil society. In modern Thailand and historical Siam, Buddhism has been a key factor in the social change processes shaping modern civil society, and rhetoric has been a key factor shaping this sphere of public life. This study examined two problems: (1) how contemporary Thai Buddhists justify their advocacy and activism in rhetorical practice--efforts that are under the duress of justification because of the expectation for monastics in particular to operate apolitically and the widespread false assumption that Buddhists are not concerned with social problems or public issues--and (2) how Thai Buddhists use rhetorical practice to influence the way we understand the issues they work on. To examine these problems, I used a combination of inductive approaches to rhetorical criticism and grounded theory methodology. I interviewed nineteen Theravada Buddhists and considered twelve various written but mostly spoken public statements made by the participants in the study. While I identified twenty sources of justification for engaging in social change efforts, I found participants' use of five of these rationales were particularly salient: (a) suffering (dukkha), (b) interdependence (paticcasamuppada), (c) loving-kindness (metta) / compassion (karuna), (d) duty / obligation, and (e) a text from the Mahavagga (1.11.1). Of the five, duty / obligation was the unifying theme of the other four in that each of the other four warranted a duty / obligation. I found that these five sources of justification operated rhetorically in one of three ways or in some combination of the three ways: (a) by producing identification with others, (b) by situating the social actors morally and ethically, or (c) by providing a credible basis from which to perform social action. In terms of the second research problem, I found a number of themes, but for practicality, in this project, I examined only one closely, n (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Raymie McKerrow (Advisor); Benjamin Bates (Committee Member); William Rawlins (Committee Member); Risa Whitson (Committee Member) Subjects: Asian Studies; Communication; Religion; Rhetoric; Social Research

Master of Fine Arts, Miami University, 2017, English

To Thailand, With Ronald is a hybrid form of creative writing combining travel writing, roman a clef, and memoir depicting an unnamed narrator and his friend, Ronald, as they go on a backpacking journey through Thailand, where the narrator gains an increasingly critical stance toward contemporary tourism. The introductory article, “The Western Gaze Upon Itself: Techniques for the Future in Contemporary Travel Writing,” examines how several contemporary travel writers (J. MaartenTroost, Jon Krakauer, Paul Theroux and Elizabeth Gilbert) relate to the genre's history of colonialism and imperialism, the ways they deal with this both implicitly and explicitly, and a potential way forward for the genre.

Committee: Margaret Luongo (Committee Chair); TaraShea Nesbit (Committee Member); Brian Roley (Committee Member) Subjects: Literature

Master of Arts (MA), Ohio University, 2017, History (Arts and Sciences)

This thesis examines a previously unknown chapter in the history of Siam, namely, the history of Siamese-Russian relations during the sixth reign (1910-1925). More specifically, it explores the Russian Revolution through the eyes of a young Siamese royal, Mom Chao Surawutprawat Thewakun, who, as a student studying military science in Petrograd, found himself caught up in the violent upheaval of the February Revolution and the October coup of 1917. The instrument for carrying out this study is Surawutprawat Thewakun's cremation volume, issued in 1974 under the title Kanpatiwat nai Ratsia mua songkhram lok khrang thi 1 [The Russian Revolution at the Time of the First World War], the translation of which is presented here in English for the first time.

Committee: Alec Holcombe (Advisor) Subjects: Asian Studies; History; International Relations

MCP, University of Cincinnati, 2017, Design, Architecture, Art and Planning: Community Planning

A better understanding of how the public perceives their available water supplies can contribute to improvements in water management, drinking water safety and can potentially pressure public suppliers to improve service quality and quantity. This study uses a questionnaire to understand the public's perceptions of drinking water quality at the village level in rural Thailand. This paper discusses some of the main insights in regards to attitudes and behavior of water availability and options, services and quality. A total of 92 households completed the survey. This research concluded that households at the village level lack sufficient access to abundant, clean and secure drinking water. Therefore, it is recommended that a drinking water quality management plan is created to ensure that Thailand's most vulnerable population has clean drinking water on a consistent basis. Additionally, this plan will only be effective if routine monitoring and evaluation aspects are incorporated into the plan. Otherwise, this drinking water quality management plan (specifically designed for the village level) will fail as resources tend to get dropped off by government agencies and/or volunteer groups to villages and then neglected due to a failure of government agencies and/or volunteer groups to regularly monitor and evaluate resources.

Committee: David Edelman Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Leah Hollstein Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Urban Planning

MCP, University of Cincinnati, 2017, Design, Architecture, Art and Planning: Community Planning

The year of 2015 was the culmination of the Millennium Development Goals, and the launch of the Sustainable Development Goals. Both the MDGs and SDGs recognize gender equality as a basic human right that, when coupled with women's empowerment, provides a vehicle for poverty eradication and economic development. This renewed global agenda sets the stage for the focus of this research: the investigation of the lived experience of women in northeastern Thailand as a window into their sense of economic empowerment. Via snowball sourcing, fifteen women in Maha Sarakham, Thailand were selected to participate in the study. Through in-depth interviews the researcher discovered that the Isan women of Maha Sarakham have used soft power to empower themselves in the short term and are leveraging higher education to create opportunities for the generations of women empowerment they are raising and influencing.

Committee: David Edelman Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Carolette Norwood Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Urban Planning

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 1983, Graduate School

Committee: Not Provided (Other) Subjects: Economics

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 1968, Graduate School

Committee: Not Provided (Other) Subjects: Business Administration

Master of Arts, Miami University, 2016, Gerontology

The main purpose of this study was to understand the experiences and everyday life of family caregivers who are taking care of older adults in rural Thai villages. This study applied a phenomenological approach consisting of interviews with ten participants who willingly shared their personal experiences on caregiving to the elderly. Based on the findings, family caregivers experienced various feelings during their care duties. Those were 1) changing in their life path; 2) suffering alone; 3) double trouble; 4) disheartenment; and 5) the need for freedom. The justifications, which persuaded family caregivers continuing to undertake caring duties for disabled older adults were 1) compassion; 2) moral responsibility; 3) commitment; and 4) belief in the law of karma. The findings also revealed that the older adults who had an unhealthy relationship with his/her caregivers would not be provided with the best care. Many case studies shown people's bias against caregiving for the elderly. This study highlighted some key recommendations, such as health resources, rewards, encouragement, and material assistance should be provided to family caregivers. The need for family-oriented mental health services should be developed and the more certain interventions should be made in support of the well-being of family caregivers in rural areas, especially among the aged spousal caregivers. The experience of family caregivers in urban areas and other regions should be conducted in future research.

Committee: Pramote Prasartkul Ph.D (Committee Member); Chai Podhisita Ph.D (Committee Member); Jennifer Kinney Ph.D (Committee Member) Subjects: Gerontology

Bachelor of Arts, Ashland University, 2016, History/Political Science

In my thesis, I am looking at the possible causes of the 1997 Thai financial crisis, which started the Asian economic crisis. Economists disagree on which parties are to blame for causing the economic crisis. This thesis reviews the possible explanations and seeks to corroborate them by the historical evidence. Upon examination, the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank laid the foundation for the Thai financial crisis while the other parties involved, speculators, the Thai government, and Thai businessmen further worsened the crisis. This research highlights the importance of continuing to study economic issues of the past to avoid making the same mistakes in the future.

Committee: Rene Paddags Ph.D. (Advisor); Christopher Swanson Ph.D. (Committee Member); John Moser Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Economics; International Relations

MCP, University of Cincinnati, 2016, Design, Architecture, Art and Planning: Community Planning

The aim of this study is to assess the current state of cultural heritage preservation in northeastern Thailand and to make recommendations as to what planning and management styles will allow the region to be most successful in its efforts. This information used within this study has been collected via site visits in Udon Thani and Maha Sarakham provinces in Thailand, as well as through secondary data collected via a thorough literature review. The first part of this thesis utilizes case studies from similar examples of cultural heritage preservation planning in order to create a framework that will determine the approaches utilized at each selected site in Thailand. The thesis then analyzes both of the selected sites based on four key preservation factors, as determined by the author via the literature review. These factors are: the consideration of local communities, maintenance of physical remains, compliance with policy, and transmission of culture. Each of these is evaluated for both sites and the success of each is determined on a one-to-five scale. In conclusion, this thesis takes the information gathered through analysis and evaluation of the author's findings and recommends that the top-down, materials-based approach to cultural preservation is currently a more successful method for preserving cultural heritage sites and landscapes. Due to lack of funding and resources to plan for and manage successful sites without government support, this approach gives a prospective site the opportunity to utilizes federal funding for long-term preservation efforts.

Committee: David Edelman Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Carla Chifos Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Cultural Resources Management

PHD, Kent State University, 2015, College of Nursing

This cross–sectional, discriminant, secondary data analysis study aimed to: 1) examine if HIV–infected pregnant women in Thailand could be classified into depression groups (non–depressed, mildly–depressed, and severely–depressed) by time of knowing one's HIV serostatus, HIV–related physical symptoms, stressful life events, self–esteem, and emotional support; 2) identify significant predictors of depression classification; and 3) investigate the accuracy of discriminant functions in classifying the target population into depression groups. The diathesis–stress model of depression (Kerns & Turk, 1984) was applied to guide the study. Depression refers to the degree of negative thinking, somatic complaints, and difficulties in interpersonal relationships the participant experiences in the past week as measured by the Center for Epidemiologic Studies for Depression Scale (CES–D). This study analyzed existing data from 129 HIV–infected pregnant women from four hospitals in Thailand. Data were collected by self–administered questionnaires (alpha ranged from .78 – .90): Rosenberg Self–Esteem Scale, Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, Norbeck's Life Events Questionnaire, and CES–D. To answer the research questions, discriminant analysis and multinomial logistic regression (MLR) were used. G*Power generated a power of .85 for n = 129. Discriminant analysis results showed that participants could be classified into non–depressed, mildly–depressed, and severely–depressed groups with HIV–related physical symptoms, self–esteem, and emotional support as significant predictors. The whole model yielded 30% of the explained variance. MLR results showed that non–depressed participants could be differentiated successfully from their severely–depressed counterparts. The odds were over 3 times greater that HIV–infected pregnant women with physical symptoms were classified into the severely–depressed group. The odds were over 21 times greater that HIV–infected pregna (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Ratchneewan Ross (Committee Chair); Barbara L. Drew (Committee Member); Christine Heifner Graor (Committee Member); Madhav P. Bhatta (Committee Member) Subjects: Health Care; Nursing; Public Health; Womens Studies

MDES, University of Cincinnati, 2015, Design, Architecture, Art and Planning: Design

There are many brand identity guidelines currently being used in the field of graphic design, yet none of them has been specifically created for cross-cultural brands. The aim of the study was to create the methodologies for designing cross-cultural brand identity. The case of Thai Dessert Brand Identity in Cincinnati was conducted and the observations, problems, questions and findings throughout the design process were documented. The methodologies for identifying the appropriate cultural element for the design phase included the primary research, which involved qualitative research method through an in-depth interview as well as quantitative research method through online surveys, and the secondary research in fundamental design principles and existing branding strategy models are studied to help create the framework. To facilitate the data analysis of the qualitative research, the main steps of thematic analysis were applied. The primary result from the design project yields the Brand identity design for the brand `Kati-Kala' with the essential brand assets that are well accepted by the target audience in Cincinnati. The Cross-cultural Branding Design Framework was built using analysis of the documented observations and problems during the design project. Overall the research study provides useful insights for designers and business owners who seek to create visual identity for their brand in foreign countries, as well as emphasizing the importance of understanding the cultural aspects of the brand to create an identity blend that facilitate business success.

Committee: Craig Vogel M.I.D. (Committee Chair); Todd Timney M.F.A. (Committee Member) Subjects: Design

Master of Population and Social Gerontology, Miami University, 2015, Gerontology

Scholars examining Thailand's rapidly aging society tend to focus on the importance of familial relationships in the lives of older adults. But due to demographic shifts — namely, a decrease in fertility and an increase in migration — family structures are changing. This study explores how older Thai adults are connected to people outside of their families, and how these relationships may impact health. The majority of the study's sample (n=4,235) reported daily contact with a friend or neighbor, frequent participation in religious activities, and well-connected neighborhoods. Binary logistic regression revealed five dimensions of social connectedness that predict optimal self-rated health: frequency of contact with a friend or neighbor, community participation, religious participation, neighborhood closeness, and presence of a discussion tie. Results suggest that non-kin relationships play a health-promoting role, and they indicate a need for culturally relevant policies and programs that help people connect within their communities as they age.

Committee: Kate de Medeiros (Committee Member) Subjects: Demography; Gerontology; Sociology

MCP, University of Cincinnati, 2015, Design, Architecture, Art and Planning: Community Planning

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) solidified its geo-political and economic union in 2015. Nature-based and community-based tourism comprise part of a tourism priority sector recognized for the integration of ASEAN's member states: Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Laos, The Philippines, and Brunei Darussalam.

Committee: David Edelman Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Christopher Auffrey Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Urban Planning

MCP, University of Cincinnati, 2015, Design, Architecture, Art and Planning: Community Planning

In the city of Bangkok, where food vendors play a large role in tourism and in the livelihoods of residents, the current military coup seeks to eradicate them for the sake of traffic control (Bhowmik 2005). Although this conflict of space is not new to the political discourse of Bangkok, this thesis proposes to suggest urban design recommendations derived from local examples of vending markets through the embedded case study method. Lessons learned from functioning markets serve to strike a favorable solution for the sake of accommodating the rapid growth of Bangkok and its vendors.

Committee: David Edelman Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Menelaos Triantafillou M.L.A. (Committee Member) Subjects: Urban Planning

MCP, University of Cincinnati, 2013, Design, Architecture, Art and Planning: Community Planning

Global climate change is modifying the meteorological rhythms of places all over the world. These shifts are affecting the biological and economic compositions of regions and countries as growing seasons and water availability are affected. Other places experience increased exposure to hazards, intensification of damaging events or even unprecedented disasters. This shared hardship has created many international initiatives to slow the rate of pollution and combat the resulting consequences. The Kingdom of Thailand is an excellent example as it is located in Southeast Asia, which is the most hazard prone area in the world. Recent history has tested the resiliency of this country with the devastating Indian Ocean tsunami and floods of historic proportions. As a result, the many agencies active in disaster preparedness and response work very hard to minimize preventable losses and empower the affected people. Education programs for all levels and roles continue to be at the center of the national strategy, which employs decentralization as a means to cope with the wide variety of conditions present in the country. The United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNODRR) has aided international efforts in developing the Hyogo Framework for Action. This document outlines goals and strategies for countries aiming to improve their ability to withstand the challenges of disaster. While this tool is very general and comprehensive, it allows for many forms of strategy to employ its recommendations and milestones for self-evaluation and improvement. The case study of Thailand will seek to compare the current state of preparedness and mitigation to the measurements and practices given in the Framework.

Committee: David Edelman Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Christopher Auffrey Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Welfare