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After settling into a rental house, I started work at the Mukdahan campus. Orientation was on January 9th, I was introduced to the students briefly during a general assembly. I spoke to the students and was encouraged by their comprehension of English, although they tend to be less willing to actually talk in English. We (the faculty and I) have been working to develop a strategy for teaching a class in entrepreneurship (with a focus on IT). From the faculty perspective their interest is to take advantage of the value I can bring to their ICT major, the help I can provide developing a research agenda and the research project using open content at the university. As a Fulbright scholar it is important to mention that harboring expectations about how research will proceed may not be the most advantageous approach. The simple fact is that circumstances change and that naturally has some effect on the specifics of a research agenda (and teaching strategies). In the case of Mukdahan, it may be that the influence of ASEAN 2015 combined with  Mukdahan recently being nominated as the first (and only) special economic zone in the Northeast that the path ahead isn't quite clear to anybody.  Regardless, the best advice I received before leaving the US was to "keep an open mind," to which I would add be flexible and pay attention to what can be learned "on the ground."

It was a pleasure to meet the IT students, I am sure that neither party knew quite what to expect when we met for the first time and as I discovered during the first class, things became even more interesting. The first Monday of the semester is a holiday and so my class didn't start until January 19 so I used that extra time to (over) prepare. It was clear from the general assembly that the students are not proficient enough to absorb a lecture in English, and (of course) many of the activities that I normally use are printed in English. Needless to say, the class prep took three times longer because I wasn't sure what would work and so my lesson plan included a variety of activities and the teaching notes I gathered from my research had to be converted into information graphics that minimized reading.

During the class, Tony (another professor) acted as a co-teacher. Thank goodness Tony was there to translate and reinforce important points. We changed the lesson plan on-the-fly, focusing on activities that I had prepared that required the students to research topics from my presentation and make brief group presentations. During the class, other professors wandered in, left and returned with students from their classes. The class started with 17 students and 2 professors (Tony and myself), and by the time we reached the mid-point of the class we had 6 professors and about 30 students. After the class ended, there was so much interest that we agreed to include students from all majors (accounting, business management and ICT) and make arrangements to hold class in a larger hall on the following Monday,  It seems as though everybody wants to learn about entrepreneurship ;-)

While I use the Global Entrepreneur Monitor. in my teaching at FSU, I had no idea how important that resource would be here. Professors who teach in the entrepreneurship program at Bangkok University have developed a report every year for the past 4 years and so there is extensive research (current and historic) on total early stage and established business activity in Thailand. In addition to this resource, a professor working at Kohn Kaen University has been working for a number of years in the Isaan region researching attitudes and education in the Northeast. While the specifics of my work is still taking shape, there is some activity and it seems that entrepreneurship is a good focus  -- and in particular using information technologies as only about 3% of early stage activity is categorized as "ICT" businesses.  Remarkably, 60% of entrepreneurship activity in Thailand is retail, hotel and restaurants, and 98% of existing businesses do not have a client base that extends beyond the borders of Thailand.

 

 

We arrived in Mukdahan on the 1rst of January. We were not in town long, as our hosts had a trip planned that started on the 2nd. We didn't have much time to unwind -- after two exhausting trips (Ko Lanta followed by roundtrip flights to Chang Mai and a van ride to Pai) we piled into another van and made our way across Laos. We traveled highway 9, which is the main east-west route from Thailand to Vietnam and also the road that is the centerpiece of ASEAN commerce that will traffic goods between Myanmar, Thailand, Laos and Vietnam. I should say "will be" the centerpiece of ASEAN commerce as highway 9 in Laos is under construction for almost its' entire length. The sections that are not under construction have been damaged heavily by over-loaded trucks carrying ore from Laotian gold mines and other goods. Our guide told us that when the roads were first built, they were not rated for trucks exceeding about 5,000 kg. Times have changed, bringing modern 18 wheelers capable of carrying 15,000-25,000 kg of weight -- the truckers (or the companies that hire the truckers) prefer to carry the extra load and pay fines if they are cited for weight violations. Consequently, the roads are badly broken up from damage or in the process of repair making for a bumpy and slow-down-for-bumps / speed-up for .5 km of smooth surface kind of ride. The ride through the mountains to reach Pai, Thailand included 497 turns each way, the journey across Laos felt like 497 brake/acceleration maneuvers; the trips to Pia and Laos (added together) were a symphony of swaying side-to-side and lurching front to back.

I learned from previous visits to the region that many young Lao students living along the border are interested in attending the university in Mukdahan. My research includes student development using open content online and so during our ride across Laos I was keen to observe whether the concept of using an online system is realistic. Would the people who live here have the ability to access the content? It turns out that the answer is somewhat unclear but offers encouragement. According to current market research, mobile penetration has surpassed 90% of the Lao population, but only 13% of the population (about 7 million) are classified as internet users and among those users, roughly 250,000 are registered on Facebook.

Finding good data on media usage for the Laos/Vietnam region is difficult. From what I learned, a good deal of data is proprietary or by request (e.g. UNICEF).  Laotians have access to a number of digital television services, with Thailand and Lao state run media producing most of what is consumed in the western part of the country. Regardless, from what I observed, television satellite dishes are commonplace, every house had a dish no matter how rural or poor the living conditions appeared. Interestingly, the source of media being consumed in Laos present interesting problems for the Lao economy. Many Lao watch Thai television because of the soap operas and television dramas and by association they learn about Thai products through commercials. This has driven up the demand for Thai products much to the dismay of the Lao government which is (of course) more interested in promoting the Lao economy. I learned from my colleagues that Lao living close to the border (and can afford it) prefer shopping in Thailand, with some crossing the Mae Nam Kong to buy excess goods in Mukdahan which are then resold to Lao in Savannakhet and outlying regions.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Vietnam is a different story. Economically, the Vietnam is far ahead of Laos, in terms of internet penetration, the use of ICT and smart phone ownership. Remarkably, the general population will forgo a host of other luxuries in order to save enough money to own a smartphone (the monthly wage is about $100 in Hue and perhaps $250 in Da Nang).

The most stunning thing about Vietnam is the agricultural system appears to be operated almost entirely by human labor. I observed massive rice fields and not a single piece of heavy equipment was in sight. In two days of driving along the coast and through the countryside between Hue and Da Nang there were rice fields as far as the eye could see and yet I observed only a few backhoe machines and only one was in a field. Incredibly, Vietnam has become the leading rice producer in the region, outproducing Thailand.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Another cultural note is the sheer number of motorcycles. Vietnam has a population of 90 million and 37 million registered motorcycles. Our tour guide was quick to mention that the number of motorcycles is closer to 45 million when those that are not registered are included. The stream of motorcycles on the streets of Da Nang was endless -- we were told that crossing the street was a matter of trust. "Just walk and let the swarm avoid you."  Food for thought perhaps; but for me, not food for action.

The video that follows gives an impression of the constant flow of motorbikes -- bear in mind that this video was not recorded at rush hour on a weekday, when motorbikes are as thick as mosquitos in rainy season (see photo below).

 

An and I arrived in Bangkok on December 10th, 2014. We stayed in town long enough to meet with a Fulbright office staff person, set up a bank account and prepare to leave for the South of Thailand. The Fulbright transition was a bit confused, as there were several miscommunications, My recommendation to future Fulbright scholars is to confirm all contract matters in advance with the local offices (regardless of your assignment location) to ensure that the transition is smooth. In my case I am indeed fortunate as my wife is Thai and her family lives in Bangkok. They were gracious in lending their support and welcoming when problems arose.

We left for Ko Lanta on the 11th and spend 5 days touring the islands to the west of Thailand. While I have toured many regions of Thailand, this was the first visit to an area that is predominantly Muslim. The island has a distinctly "local" feel to it, as it lacked the less desirable features that highlight other island resort areas in Thailand. The religious orientation of Ko Lanta offers far more Mosques and women clad in Hijab than traditional Buddhist Wats and monks in orange robes, Close to our hotel a loudspeaker made a call to prayers three times per day, so my assessment is that this area has many traditional values that are distinctly different than on might experience in Northern areas of Thailand. In all, Ko Lanta is a peaceful, interesting environment in spite of western tourists. The food was unique also, as most of the population does not eat pork most of the dishes are made with chicken -- a 180 degree departure from Thai cuisine in other regions which feature "moo" on the menu.

The visit was a pleasure. The people of Ko Lanta are kind and welcoming. The environment is absolutely stunning, whether you prefer mountain vistas. beautiful beaches, dense mangrove swamps or a touristic experience of small shops selling a variety of local goods.

 

 

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“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime.”

― Mark Twain: The Innocents Abroad/Roughing It

We visited Mukdahan in 2013 and again, we crossed the Mehkong River and ventured into Laos. The purpose of our trip was to visit with the Thai Counsul-General to Savannakhet, Laos and to visit with the general manager of Savan Park a local industrial site that is in the process of being developed. We hoped to learn more about economic development for the area and to assess the emerging employment market. The industrial development was impressive. The park will be quite large, about 5 square km for the first stage, complete with western-style schools for children and a hospital. We learned that a number of international firms (European and Asian) had already invested in the park and were making plans to build. We left convinced that the Mukdahan campus could provide some resources for these companies, particularly the IT program.

When we returned to Mukdahan we visited  a couple of high schools and made presentations. Some students were able to communicate in English, but there were not that many who were brave enough to attempt speaking in English. it was surprising to learn how much the Thai struggle with adopting English into curricula. There is a  need of qualified English teachers and well, the students don't seem to understand how important the common English language can be -- I would say that there is not a strong interest. Regardless, we met with school leaders to see if we could learn more about how to involve the students in the university campus.

Our final task in Mukdahan was to work with the Mukdahan campus directors to develop an Information and Communication Technologies program map. We spent an afternoon discussing what we had seen in Laos, the effect that AEAN 2015 might have on the local economy and how MUK might fit into the overall picture. We had an opportunity to spend some time with the faculty and in the city of Mukdahan exploring different areas and parks.

When we left Mukdahan we decided to investigate online/distance learning in Thailand. Fortunately, a graduate of the FSU college of communication doctoral program works at Sukhothai Thammathirat Open University, School of Communication Arts. Sukhothai Open University enrolls more than 150,000 students, many of who comprise their an enormous online enrollment. We toured two television studios, a radio station and had the opportunity to review some of the print materials that are used in their distance learning model. It's an interesting case because they use a Learning Management System, but because of the nature of the population they are using older forms of distance education media, including telephone, print materials and pre-recorded programs on media delivered through the mail.

The interesting cultural events were a trip to Kor Chang (not pictured), a Thai wedding (congratulations Nop!), a family get-together, and a visit to China town. 

While we were in Thailand in 2010, we had other adventures planned and consequently, we did not visit Mukdahan. In 2011 Anchalee's friend Gick, was hired by the Ubon Ratchathani University (UBU) in Mukdahan to lead their international program effort. After Gick was hired, we decided to visit the university in Mukdahan in an official capacity. The goal of our visit was to establish an international faculty/student exchange agreement between Florida State University and UBU Mukdahan campus. Gick arranged a one-day seminar and planned for both Anchalee and I to speak on different topics.

Our hosts drove down to Ubon and collected Anchalee and I at the airport. When we arrived in Mukdahan, our driver said "I have a surprise for you. Look to your right when we turn on to main street." What we saw was a giant billboard with our pictures announcing the conference!

We presented at a one-day conference. Anchalee presented research on intercultural issues, while I focused on new learning technologies. It was quite a day, with many presentations from government leaders, college directors and speakers from UBU.

After our tour was done in Mukdahan, we visited the UBU main campus for a ceremony to acknowledge the cooperative faculty and student exchange agreement between FSU and UBU.

We also took time to visit local colleges, including a trip into Laos to visit an elementary / junior high school in Savannakhét. When I met the children and witnessed the condition of the schools it was obvious that it would be possible to make a big difference for these children if the right opportunity came about. Being awarded a Fulbright scholarship to actually have the opportunity to make a difference has been a stroke of luck -- the opportunity that I had hoped for back in 2011.

When we returned to Bangkok, we went on an excursion to Hua Hin. My wife and I had been there once before, so we were looking forward to seeing how things had changed so many years later. It was surprising to see how much Hua Hin had grown, a favorite for Bangkok Thai. The area has fewer westerners so the less appealing aspects of other beach resorts are not in-your-face or imposing. We remembered the night market as absolutely fabulous, and so it was nice to see how that -- while larger now -- hasn't changed much. Here's a photo that includes my wife, brothers, sisters and parents -- and the extended family  :-)

 

It has been several years since my wife, Anchalee and I started visiting Mukdahan. Our first trip was in 2009 to visit with a couple who Anchalee had befriended during her doctoral studies at the University of New Mexico. We were there as tourists during this trip. Gick had not yet started working at the university so we spent our time visiting temples, touring the Friendship Bridge, the Tower and writing post cards about our adventures.

This photo (below) shows the city of Mukdahan from the Tower, the Mehkong River and Laos in the distance on the right side of the river. The mountain in the background, to the left side of the image is where the new UBU Mukdahan campus is being built. Mukdahan is an interesting area. It's rural, off the beaten path of so many tourists (which I like) but close enough to Bangkok by bus (6 hours) or plane (1 hour). It's also home to one of two freedom bridges that cross into Laos, the Mukdahan bridge crosses into Savannekhet Laos, one of the most populous provinces in the country and home to an international airport.

This was a busy trip. In addition to Mukdahan, we drove to Chang Mai. Along the way we visited the ancient city of Sukothai and we stopped to see a friend who was working at Pibulsongkram Rajabhat University in Phitsanulok. We spent 5 days touring around Chang Mai. After returning from our adventures, we went on several eating excursions with the family. While this wasn't my first trip to Thailand, I certainly had more exposure to Thai culture (history & religion) than previous trips.