Douglas Rhein | Mahidol University (original) (raw)
Papers by Douglas Rhein
The Romanian Journal of Society and Politics, 2018
Thailand has been engulfed in a prolonged political crisis since the ouster of former Prime Minis... more Thailand has been engulfed in a prolonged political crisis since the ouster of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra in 2006. At the center of this political crisis is a conflict between the country’s elites which, according to popular discourse, involves the core of Thailand’s major political, cultural and social institutions. The rise of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra can be traced back to the 1997 liberal ‘peoples’ constitution which was the culmination of reform stemming from the bloodletting of the 1992 ‘Bloody May’ military crackdown, itself a correlate of the 1991 military coup. After Thaksin’s ouster the military
junta and its installed government promulgated a new constitution in 2007 by means of a highly controversial referendum. The 2007 constitution created and strengthened a constellation of independent institutions, a semi-appointed Senate and has since seen the rise of activism and politicization of the aforementioned. This paper argues that Hirschl’s hegemonic preservation thesis offers a powerful tool for understanding and analyzing the current political crisis and gridlock whilst providing insight into the ‘failure’ of the 2007 Constitution as well as method for understanding the future of Thai politics and Thai Constitutionalism writ large.
FIRE: Forum for International Research in Education, 2018
The article explores the motivation of Thai secondary school students who chose to enroll in priv... more The article explores the motivation of Thai secondary school students who chose to enroll in private tutorial institutes. The research draws on primary qualitative data compiled from structured interviews utilizing a
comparative perspective to provide insight into perceptions of tutorial versus formal secondary education. The evidence presented here suggests that Thai secondary students have two clear motivations for consuming and engaging in private tutorial education: (1) the belief that tutorial classes will provide them with better educational performance as measured by their grade point average and performance on standardized tests, and (2) a service-driven motivation where tutorial educators provide student-centered learning and personalized education.
The combined forces of internationalisation of education and globalisation have led to a resurgen... more The combined forces of internationalisation of education and globalisation have led to a resurgence of leadership and culture studies, particularly in Asia. Current recommendations from the Thai Ministry of Education have done little to clarify the leadership role of educators
during this dramatic social change. This article examines current trends in the Thai leadership paradigms as well as cultural characteristics which influence goal setting and leadership behaviour. Of particular emphasis is cross-cultural leadership within an Asian setting. A final recommendation which emphasises cultural awareness and the establishment of a well-informed dominant hierarchy is discussed in relation to international leaders in a Thai context.
This article details the positive experiences of sixty international students representing four e... more This article details the positive experiences of sixty
international students representing four ethnicities. A qualitative
exploration of African American, Burmese, Japanese and Korean
students during a short term study abroad program was conducted
during 2014-2016. The data were collected through semi-structured
one on one interviews and analyzed through a thematic coding
system which generated five key issues which were represented most
frequently in the discussions with the sixty international student
participants, namely; 1) the joy and ease of traveling throughout
Thailand, 2) the social situations they found themselves in, 3) life on
campus, 4) the quality of the housing and dormitory facilities and 5)
the diversity of international students on campus. Each of these
themes is discussed with selected quotes from the participants.
This study is devoted to understanding the adjustment issues Japanese and Korean international st... more This study is devoted to understanding the adjustment issues Japanese and Korean international students face in Thai international higher education. An exploratory study of 15 visiting Korean college students and 15 visiting Japanese college students in Thai international programs was conducted using qualitative methods. A series of 30 face-to-face in-depth interviews regarding the participants’ sociocultural adjustment to their host community was conducted in 2015–2016. Participants responded to open-ended questions regarding their adjustment experiences and perceptions of the host culture. The interview data was thematically coded into several categories. Participants’ experiences were diverse and ranged from very subtle forms of discrimination and stereotyping to sexual harassment. The most frequently reported impediments to sociocultural adjustment included Thai language issues, excessive undesirable attention from the host community, academic adjustment, and difficulty establishing friendships with the host nationals. The most commonly reported coping strategies reported were the use of social support networks and social isolation from the host community. Implications for international relations departments and international programs within a Thai context are discussed.
This article aims to detail an exploratory study involving African American student experiences i... more This article aims to detail an exploratory study involving African American student experiences in a Thai international programme. This study employed a qualitative case study to explore the adjustment process of African American international students in Thailand. The participants included 15 African American students who were selected through a snowball sampling technique in 2014–2016. The data were collected through semi-structured one on one interviews and analysed through content analysis. The participants reported adjustment difficulties related to their sense of isolation in Thailand, the excessive attention received from their hosts, the appropriate response to said attention, Thai culture and adjustment to academic differences. An analysis of the source of stress, anxiety and conflict among the participants is intended to provide insight into international recruitment practices and facilitating more progressive pre-departure orientation sessions among impending international students.
Thailand has been engulfed in a prolonged political crisis since the ouster of former Prime Minis... more Thailand has been engulfed in a prolonged political crisis since the ouster of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra in 2006. At the center of this political crisis is a conflict between the country’s elites which, according to popular discourse, involves the core of Thailand’s major political, cultural and social institutions. The rise of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra can be traced back to the 1997 liberal ‘peoples’ constitution which was the culmination of reform stemming from the bloodletting of the 1992 ‘Bloody May’ military crackdown, itself a correlate of the 1991 military coup. After Thaksin’s ouster the military
junta and its installed government promulgated a new constitution in 2007 by means of a highly controversial referendum. The 2007 constitution created and strengthened a constellation of independent institutions, a semi-appointed Senate and has since seen the rise of activism and politicization of the aforementioned. This paper argues that Hirschl’s hegemonic preservation thesis offers a powerful tool for understanding and analyzing the current political crisis and gridlock whilst providing insight into the ‘failure’ of the 2007 Constitution as well as method for understanding the future of Thai politics and Thai Constitutionalism writ large.
The purpose of this article is to examine the five core problems facing international higher educ... more The purpose of this article is to examine the five core problems facing international higher education in Thailand in the twenty first century. While many other Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) member states continue to outpace Thailand in terms of growth and quality in higher education, Thailand struggles with demographics, quality attainment, diploma disease, internationalization and sociocultural issues which inhibit growth and standards within the international system. Given the rising importance of English proficiency and thus English education in ASEAN and the integration of the global workforce, Thailand is in a unique position both geographically and socially to capitalize on changes in regional employment and development. Therefore, this article discusses the causes of the problems in international higher education and offers potential solutions to ameliorate the negative impacts. The potential contribution of this article lies in its aim to elevate the discussion regarding international higher education trends within ASEAN.
Journal of Educational Administration and History, 2016
Educational Research for Policy and Practice, 2016
International Education Studies, 2015
The Romanian Journal of Society and Politics, 2018
Thailand has been engulfed in a prolonged political crisis since the ouster of former Prime Minis... more Thailand has been engulfed in a prolonged political crisis since the ouster of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra in 2006. At the center of this political crisis is a conflict between the country’s elites which, according to popular discourse, involves the core of Thailand’s major political, cultural and social institutions. The rise of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra can be traced back to the 1997 liberal ‘peoples’ constitution which was the culmination of reform stemming from the bloodletting of the 1992 ‘Bloody May’ military crackdown, itself a correlate of the 1991 military coup. After Thaksin’s ouster the military
junta and its installed government promulgated a new constitution in 2007 by means of a highly controversial referendum. The 2007 constitution created and strengthened a constellation of independent institutions, a semi-appointed Senate and has since seen the rise of activism and politicization of the aforementioned. This paper argues that Hirschl’s hegemonic preservation thesis offers a powerful tool for understanding and analyzing the current political crisis and gridlock whilst providing insight into the ‘failure’ of the 2007 Constitution as well as method for understanding the future of Thai politics and Thai Constitutionalism writ large.
FIRE: Forum for International Research in Education, 2018
The article explores the motivation of Thai secondary school students who chose to enroll in priv... more The article explores the motivation of Thai secondary school students who chose to enroll in private tutorial institutes. The research draws on primary qualitative data compiled from structured interviews utilizing a
comparative perspective to provide insight into perceptions of tutorial versus formal secondary education. The evidence presented here suggests that Thai secondary students have two clear motivations for consuming and engaging in private tutorial education: (1) the belief that tutorial classes will provide them with better educational performance as measured by their grade point average and performance on standardized tests, and (2) a service-driven motivation where tutorial educators provide student-centered learning and personalized education.
The combined forces of internationalisation of education and globalisation have led to a resurgen... more The combined forces of internationalisation of education and globalisation have led to a resurgence of leadership and culture studies, particularly in Asia. Current recommendations from the Thai Ministry of Education have done little to clarify the leadership role of educators
during this dramatic social change. This article examines current trends in the Thai leadership paradigms as well as cultural characteristics which influence goal setting and leadership behaviour. Of particular emphasis is cross-cultural leadership within an Asian setting. A final recommendation which emphasises cultural awareness and the establishment of a well-informed dominant hierarchy is discussed in relation to international leaders in a Thai context.
This article details the positive experiences of sixty international students representing four e... more This article details the positive experiences of sixty
international students representing four ethnicities. A qualitative
exploration of African American, Burmese, Japanese and Korean
students during a short term study abroad program was conducted
during 2014-2016. The data were collected through semi-structured
one on one interviews and analyzed through a thematic coding
system which generated five key issues which were represented most
frequently in the discussions with the sixty international student
participants, namely; 1) the joy and ease of traveling throughout
Thailand, 2) the social situations they found themselves in, 3) life on
campus, 4) the quality of the housing and dormitory facilities and 5)
the diversity of international students on campus. Each of these
themes is discussed with selected quotes from the participants.
This study is devoted to understanding the adjustment issues Japanese and Korean international st... more This study is devoted to understanding the adjustment issues Japanese and Korean international students face in Thai international higher education. An exploratory study of 15 visiting Korean college students and 15 visiting Japanese college students in Thai international programs was conducted using qualitative methods. A series of 30 face-to-face in-depth interviews regarding the participants’ sociocultural adjustment to their host community was conducted in 2015–2016. Participants responded to open-ended questions regarding their adjustment experiences and perceptions of the host culture. The interview data was thematically coded into several categories. Participants’ experiences were diverse and ranged from very subtle forms of discrimination and stereotyping to sexual harassment. The most frequently reported impediments to sociocultural adjustment included Thai language issues, excessive undesirable attention from the host community, academic adjustment, and difficulty establishing friendships with the host nationals. The most commonly reported coping strategies reported were the use of social support networks and social isolation from the host community. Implications for international relations departments and international programs within a Thai context are discussed.
This article aims to detail an exploratory study involving African American student experiences i... more This article aims to detail an exploratory study involving African American student experiences in a Thai international programme. This study employed a qualitative case study to explore the adjustment process of African American international students in Thailand. The participants included 15 African American students who were selected through a snowball sampling technique in 2014–2016. The data were collected through semi-structured one on one interviews and analysed through content analysis. The participants reported adjustment difficulties related to their sense of isolation in Thailand, the excessive attention received from their hosts, the appropriate response to said attention, Thai culture and adjustment to academic differences. An analysis of the source of stress, anxiety and conflict among the participants is intended to provide insight into international recruitment practices and facilitating more progressive pre-departure orientation sessions among impending international students.
Thailand has been engulfed in a prolonged political crisis since the ouster of former Prime Minis... more Thailand has been engulfed in a prolonged political crisis since the ouster of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra in 2006. At the center of this political crisis is a conflict between the country’s elites which, according to popular discourse, involves the core of Thailand’s major political, cultural and social institutions. The rise of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra can be traced back to the 1997 liberal ‘peoples’ constitution which was the culmination of reform stemming from the bloodletting of the 1992 ‘Bloody May’ military crackdown, itself a correlate of the 1991 military coup. After Thaksin’s ouster the military
junta and its installed government promulgated a new constitution in 2007 by means of a highly controversial referendum. The 2007 constitution created and strengthened a constellation of independent institutions, a semi-appointed Senate and has since seen the rise of activism and politicization of the aforementioned. This paper argues that Hirschl’s hegemonic preservation thesis offers a powerful tool for understanding and analyzing the current political crisis and gridlock whilst providing insight into the ‘failure’ of the 2007 Constitution as well as method for understanding the future of Thai politics and Thai Constitutionalism writ large.
The purpose of this article is to examine the five core problems facing international higher educ... more The purpose of this article is to examine the five core problems facing international higher education in Thailand in the twenty first century. While many other Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) member states continue to outpace Thailand in terms of growth and quality in higher education, Thailand struggles with demographics, quality attainment, diploma disease, internationalization and sociocultural issues which inhibit growth and standards within the international system. Given the rising importance of English proficiency and thus English education in ASEAN and the integration of the global workforce, Thailand is in a unique position both geographically and socially to capitalize on changes in regional employment and development. Therefore, this article discusses the causes of the problems in international higher education and offers potential solutions to ameliorate the negative impacts. The potential contribution of this article lies in its aim to elevate the discussion regarding international higher education trends within ASEAN.
Journal of Educational Administration and History, 2016
Educational Research for Policy and Practice, 2016
International Education Studies, 2015