This thesis examines how and why Thai advertising 'Westernises'. Drawing on a literature from the theoretical fields of globalisation, consumer culture and advertising, it interrogates the 'Westernisation' process across the three communicative moments of advertising: production, text and consumption. The research project argues first that Thailand's society, culture and media have historically evolved in relation to both the processes of 'W esternisation' and 'Thainisation', and ·second that class, mapped onto an 'urban' and 'rural' divide, is a key factor in shaping the articulations of 'Western' and 'Thai' cultures in contemporary Thai society. The thesis suggests that advertising represents and manages social change by looking 'back to the future'. As 'apostles of bourgeois modernity', the adverts 'look forward', mythifying modem life as 'future-oriented' and 'developed'. But at the same time, ads 'look backward', offering a 'nostalgic' presentation of what is lost in modem society -- the 'undeveloped' rural which is kept intact rather than modernised. Created by practitioners who identify themselves as 'Thai cosmopolitans', they and their urban audiences use 'Westernisation' to distinguish themselves from the rural peasantry: they set up a symbolic frontier between 'Us' and 'Them'. In contrast, in response to ads, rural people sceptically observe social change and the more 'Western' modem life which they wish to have; however, this is also a rationalisation of what they cannot (yet) have. The thesis concludes that in the 'journey to modem Thailand', although 'Western modernisation' is (re)defmed as 'social development' radiating outward from the metropolitan centre, culturally it is marked by an ambivalent relation to Thai traditional values and to the rural. The latter continue to constitute a necessary counter-pointing narrative of 'W esternisation' within advertising and the self-identity of the Thai middle classes.

Thailand is a nation of some 60 million people, 2 million of whom are estimated to be HIV/AIDS infected and, of those who are infected, 80-90% were infected through heterosexual intercourse and 10-20% are women. In this research, the author discusses the situation in some detail.The experiences of HIV/AIDS infected Thai wives and widows in the rural north of the country are studied.A major contributing factor is the differential constructions of male and female status and sexuality in traditional Thai culture.These constructions are rooted in Theravada Buddhism, ancient mythology and folklore. Data was obtained from 24 participants in Chiangmai Province. The findings of the study revealed several problems with which participants were confronted and the processes they used to address them.It is suggested in the findings that any serious therapeutic interventions and interventionist research studies must be congruent with traditional Thai culture / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

The aim of this ethnographic study was to explore and describe the lay care (self-care) phenomenon in Thai culture. Spradley's (1979) ethnographic method was utilised to investigate the meaning of lay care, the lived experiences of 10 individuals who had suffered a stroke and their family caregivers in caring for the sick person at home.The meanings and perceptions of self-care from the individuals' and their families' perspectives, were explored, including the practices and cultural issues relating to care at home. The data collection was undertaken over a 10 month period in Songkla Province, southern Thailand. The major sources of data were the transcripts of semi-structured informal interviews, focus group discussions, field notes of participant observations and interviews with other individuals who were knowledgeable of health services and cultural issues relating to care and treatment in the community.Data analysis revealed a number of themes related to family relationships, and home and community care. These themes included the lived experience at both home and healing centres, experiences with change and loss after the stroke and coping with these, perceptions of care-receiving and caregiving, scope of the family's responsibilities in the caregiving role, caregiving burden, factors influencing the quality of care and the recipient's satisfaction with care. Other themes related to support and health services: Western and traditional medicine, social networks and religion. These themes were discussed from three perspectives: the individual, the family and community resources.The results of the study support the concept of interdependence of family members, and to a lesser extent their wider social network, in health and illness. Consequently the model of care developed from this study focuses on the family, with the family as a whole contributing to the ++ / well-being of its members through both the promotion of family members' health and the restoration of the health of the family with a sick member(s). Implications of this model of care were identified for nursing practice, education and research.

The aim of this thesis is to investigate the appropriateness of B2B technology transfer in developing countries, particularly in Thailand. This study seeks an understanding of how Thai culture affects the appropriateness of B2B technology adoption for inter-firm communication in Thailand. A research model was developed for investigating this issue via a strategic fit lens. The proposed model extended the Task-technology fit (TTF) model by Goodhue and Thompson (1995) by integrating interorganisational theories and theories of national culture. This research takes the view that, to achieve a high utilisation of B2B technology adoption, firms in developing countries need to adopt effective IT strategies that align with their local environment. Hence, this research proposes that cultural fit is a major influence on the perception of appropriateness of B2B technology adoption in Thailand. The study was conducted using both qualitative and quantitative approaches. The first study, the qualitative study, was conducted as a preliminary study by interviewing officials in the Thai government and companies in the tourism industry. The objectives were to explore and identify the cultural dimensions that impact on the appropriateness of B2B technology adoption in Thailand. The resulting dimensionalities of cultural fit are: personal relationships; long-term relationships; interorganisational trust; ability to communicate in the English language and materialism. The second study was conducted via a quantitative approach and scales were developed to validate the proposed research model. Data were collected through a survey questionnaire, and analysed by using Structural Equation Modeling with Partial Least Squares (PLS) method. This study found that cultural fit does influence the appropriateness of B2B technology adoption in Thailand. A better perceived fit between Thai culture and B2B technology results in higher technology utilisation. In addition, the results of moderating effect analysis found that, although task-technology fit had no direct impact on utilisation, task-technology fit did have indirect impact on utilisation by moderating the impact of culture. Nevertheless, the results indicated that task-technology fit still had a greater impact on firms' perceived performance than utilisation.

The culture is a key factor that profoundly changes our perception of the world. The cultural influences on the leadership aspects need to be taken into particular account in order to achieve an effective leadership. The main purpose of this thesis is to provide an overview of the relationship between the culture and the way in which leadership is perceived/exercised in Thailand. The case study is represented by the current situation in Thailand. The aim is to focus on Thai case in order to demonstrate that leadership styles cannot be imported and exercised in the same way across different cultures and countries. A leadership style may have different effects and meanings in relation to the cultural environment in which it is exercised. Understanding a culture is the essential step in order to consider the real effects of a leadership approach.

The aim of this thesis is to investigate the appropriateness of B2B technology transfer in developing countries, particularly in Thailand. This study seeks an understanding of how Thai culture affects the appropriateness of B2B technology adoption for inter-firm communication in Thailand. A research model was developed for investigating this issue via a strategic fit lens. The proposed model extended the Task-technology fit (TTF) model by Goodhue and Thompson (1995) by integrating interorganisational theories and theories of national culture. This research takes the view that, to achieve a high utilisation of B2B technology adoption, firms in developing countries need to adopt effective IT strategies that align with their local environment. Hence, this research proposes that cultural fit is a major influence on the perception of appropriateness of B2B technology adoption in Thailand. The study was conducted using both qualitative and quantitative approaches. The first study, the qualitative study, was conducted as a preliminary study by interviewing officials in the Thai government and companies in the tourism industry. The objectives were to explore and identify the cultural dimensions that impact on the appropriateness of B2B technology adoption in Thailand. The resulting dimensionalities of cultural fit are: personal relationships; long-term relationships; interorganisational trust; ability to communicate in the English language and materialism. The second study was conducted via a quantitative approach and scales were developed to validate the proposed research model. Data were collected through a survey questionnaire, and analysed by using Structural Equation Modeling with Partial Least Squares (PLS) method. This study found that cultural fit does influence the appropriateness of B2B technology adoption in Thailand. A better perceived fit between Thai culture and B2B technology results in higher technology utilisation. In addition, the results of moderating effect analysis found that, although task-technology fit had no direct impact on utilisation, task-technology fit did have indirect impact on utilisation by moderating the impact of culture. Nevertheless, the results indicated that task-technology fit still had a greater impact on firms' perceived performance than utilisation.

This thesis is a study of the contemporary forms of trance-possession rituals performed in Thai Buddhism. It explores the way in which the trance-possession rituals are conceptualised by Thai Buddhist people as having therapeutic potentiality, through the examination of the ritual efficacy that is established through participants’ lived experience. My main research question focuses on how trance-possession rituals operate within a contemporary Thai cultural context and what are the contributory factors to participants’ expressing a sense of efficacy in the ritual. This thesis proposes that applied drama can be used as a ‘lens’ to examine the participants’ embodied experiences, particularly in relation to the ritual’s potential efficacy. In addition, the thesis also draws on discourses from anthropology, to enable a clearer understanding of the Thai socio-cultural aspects. I proceed to examine the efficacy of trance-possession ritual by focusing on the Parn Yak chanting ritual and rituals in sak yant, the spiritual tattoo tradition, as the two examples. Through the interdisciplinary study as mentioned above, these rituals are investigated and interpreted through several aspects. This study uses interviews with monks, participants and people involved with rituals as well as documentary and archival research. As part of my research, I also critically reflect upon my ethnographic experiences, between 2006-2012, of a variety of these rituals that are performed in temples around central Thailand. My attendance at the Parn Yak rituals in and around Bangkok involved both complete participation as well as observation. For the rituals of sak yant tattooing, I observed a tattoo master’s practices at Wat Bang Phra temple in Nakhon Pathom province. This thesis intends to offer an alternative approach to examine participants’ experiences of efficacy during and after the rituals. The research examines the therapeutic transformation of participants through the embodied process during rituals, and suggests that participants’ embodiment during lived experience in ritual together with their historical and sociocultural context influence the ways that they articulate their sense of efficacy in the ritual. The thesis offers insights and ideas for further exploration of Thai Buddhist rituals as culturally therapeutic performances.

Research and literature on teaching adults primarily discusses longer courses within the sphere of formal education, that is formal tertiary education and non-formal education (typically work-place or work-related learning). While both these fields provide a rich source of general information, it is difficult to find research texts that specifically deal with teaching adults in a seminar environment, that is, a planned, one-off learning event ranging in length from three hours to two days. While some research has focused on Thai culture in general and the nature of Thai university teaching in particular, very little has been published concerning the teaching of Thai adults, whether in a formal setting such as a university or college, or in a non-formal, work-place or work-related setting. This research reflects an effort to compensate for this pronounced lack of research in teaching adults in a short course environment and the paucity of research on teaching Thai adults. Using a case-study method, fifteen Western or Western-educated Thai trainers in the Thai short-course market were interviewed to determine the characteristics of an effective short-course trainer instructing courses in English. Based on a semi-structured interview format, with questions framed from the literature review, eight key characteristics were determined that reflect the qualities of an effective trainer in the Thai market. Centered on the vital role played by trainers' knowledge of the participants and their culture, the characteristics identified by the research highlight the need to foreground key aspects of participant culture when planning and presenting a short course in the Thai business community. While content expertise and teaching skills remain important, the key to effectiveness lies in acquiring and skillfully applying a knowledge of participants that goes beyond needs analysis to include a generic knowledge of the social norms that identify Thais as a cultural group throughout the training process. The eight characteristics are discussed in detail, and while some aspects of these are consistent with the conventional wisdom discussed in the literature review, most arose from the analyses of comments provided by the interviewees. This discussion leads into a number of recommendations for new trainers in this market and concludes with insights into further areas of study that could prove useful in Thai and other cultures, and for educators involved in short- or long-course events.

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Today, all companies face a challenge to cope with the globalized market, where organizations continuously establish on new markets in new countries. Different cultures meet and must be able to collaborate in an organization. The increased economic growth as well as the explosive Swedish tourism in Thailand today attracts more and more Swedish companies to the Thai market. It is likely that this can lead to different cultural challenges where people from different cultures meet and are forced to adapt to each other's established norms and behaviors. Our study aims to investigate the cultural challenges experienced by Swedish executives in Thailand. Our purpose is to identify the largest cultural challenges experienced by Swedish executives and to understand why this may be perceived as a cultural challenge among the Swedish executives. A qualitative method and a semi-structured interview form have been used in the conduct of the survey. The result showed that the main cultural challenges experienced by the Swedish executives were hierarchy, view of a leader, crosscultural leadership and collectivism. The Buddhist religion, the strongly established norms of Thai culture and the executives own positive and adaptable attitude towards cultural challenges proved to be the reason why these cultural challenges were experienced by the Swedish executives.