Day 2

Today was more low key, but still really interesting.  We’re staying at one of Thammasat University training hotels. Which means that for their hotel management program, they have two hotels that the students train at as they learn how to run hotels. Most of the staff are students, this particular day they had several training in the skills of room cleaning. I had forgotten something in my room that morning and ran up to get it, and there were about 6 students in my room all milling about. Keeping in mind that the room is really small anyway, and they were all chatting away, with one instructing the other. My bed is pushed up against the wall, and each morning they move the bed entirely to be able to tuck in the sheet properly. The do such a thorough job, and they all take off their shoes before they will walk into your room to clean it. I’m very impressed by the rigor that they are training their students. 

Since we are on campus (just the edge of it, and you wouldn’t even really know unless you venture out through the back door), there are all kinds of other thing that are here too. We stopped by the bakery to check that out, this is part of the training for a different program. And the students all where uniforms too, which I have a hard time imagining going to undergrad wearing a uniform.  We also stopped at the Seven Eleven on campus so Cathy could get some minutes for her phone. I always like looking at what flavor of chips they have; the more interesting ones were sea weed, lobster, dried squid.

After that we had lunch with a few professors. Dr. Kitipat Nontapattamadul who did his doctoral work in Calgary, Canada. It was in some sort of social science. Dr. Marid Kaewchinda who did his degree in Counseling and Clinical Psychology at the University of Minnesota and Dr. Arunya Tuicomepee who got the same degree from the same program. We got to talk with them about research in Thailand and various topics of culture.  Then we had a meeting with them after lunch as well.  

Me, Dr. Kaewchinda, Matt, Cathy, Dr. Nontapattamadul, Dr. Tuicomepee, Kari

Dr. Nontapattamadul did his dissertation on Loas refugees in Canada and studied how these couples would give you different information when interviewed alone verse together. He also discussed issues of trustworthiness that went along with this.  Dr. Kaewchinda talked about family therapy at The Bridge (a homeless shelter in Minneapolis), which was the topic of his dissertation. He also discussed the stigma of mental health in Thailand and how people would rather go see a monk to get blessed rather than see a doctor or get medication, which is a challenge to his work. Dr. Tuicomepee has been doing a lot of research about families affected by the tsunami in 2004.  She also has done some work with women who have been arrested for prostitution working from a rehabilitation standpoint. 

 At dinner we spoke with Dr. Punsuk who does a lot of curriculum development at a distance university. Basically it’s independent study and online learning, and the university primarily reaches nontraditional students. She was telling us about a student she has that is 82 right now (she’s been working on her degree for 12 years). 

And this is why I'm constantly watching to make sure I don't hit my head on anything. It's a little like Gulliver's Travels. Kari, Dr. Punsuk, Me, Matt

It was really interesting to talk with each of them about their research and the challenges that they face because the research infrastructure is so different and sometimes non-existent. Dr. Kaewchinda said that there were only 10 psychologists and 10 psychiatrists in the whole country (maybe an exaggeration, but probably not too far off), and how challenging that is.  It was a completely different day, but really interesting and fun to learn from people who are pioneering the mental health profession here in Thailand.