From Uniforms to Night Clubs

Written by: Cyren Wong.

Bridging the transitory gap between the end of high school and university life is often a very thrilling and exciting process for most youths and teenagers around the world. There are just so many differences in terms of challenges and experiences that can be expected to be faced when entering university; indeed the nature of university assignments that are more challenging, with stricter grading schemes, posit a sort of “fear” – if you must – amongst freshmen at any university.

But of course not all aspects of heading into university are challenging and “fearful”, indeed in many countries students often revel in the possibilities that would arise from studying in university – an environment in which discipline is often left to the student’s own maturity and self-responsibility. Attending my first year of Monash University after high-school I remember that one of the greatest thrills for me was the idea of wearing whatever I wanted to classes, styling my hair to whatever insane height I pleased, changing its color to suit my fancy – indeed if 12 years of uncomfortable and boring school uniforms have done anything it was to fuel my desire of breaking free from such structures and impositions.

So imagine, how it must have been to my surprise, when I discovered that in Chiang Mai, Thailand, there are few differences between high-school and university. Indeed the subjects that the students are taught are at university level, but besides that, the similarities between the high-school structure and university are uncanny. For example:

1. The Cafeteria.
Indeed I suppose all universities have a cafeteria but here at Chiang Mai university, the cafeteria system works slightly differently. Unlike what I am used to experiencing back home in Monash University Sunway, Chiang Mai university hosts multiple cafeterias, each building meant only for students from a specific School. What amazed me furthermore was the added structure of common “break” and “lunch” times, meaning that every student from that particular year/class would adjourn for their food at similar times, possibly to avoid overcrowding and too much chaos in the cafeterias.

2. Classes.
At Chiang Mai university, students are categorised according to their specific Disciplines, something which is not entirely uncommon. But unlike what happens in Monash University, classes here are more structured in the sense that the students in each discipline are divided according to their progression in terms of years (ex. First year students, second year students etc.). Students within a specific year study the same subjects, but never share classes with their seniors or juniors. In addition, students are divided into specific classes (identifiable by the name tags they are wearing) and shall remain linked with the relevant classes for the remaining period of their education.

And last, but most certainly not least.

3. School, or should I say University Uniforms!
Probably the most uncanny resemblance to a high school setting that Chiang Mai University has can be attributed to their use of university uniforms. All boys and girls, regardless of discipline or year are required to wear a uniform, black pants and white shirt for boys, and light lavender shirt and black skirts for girls. Furthermore hairstyles are also regulated, as students must comply to certain codes – length for boys, methods of tying/bunning hair for girls.

Now I must admit that I was more than a little flummoxed at the situation in Thai universities. Being an outsider who has studied at a very liberal university, I came to Chiang Mai University with the assumption that the Thais give little, or no faith in their student’s own discipline. Indeed the statement that ran through my mind was “University Students are young adults and consequently should be treated as such, not as children that require ‘structure’ and external ‘discipline’ to perform!” However, my position as an arts student has taught me, if anything, that one should never give in completely to presumptions or assumptions and seek answers for themselves.

Fortunately one of our student guides, Juta, was able to direct me to her father, the previous dean of Chiang Mai University. I admit I was very much moved and amazed by some of the statements he made.

“Uniforms” he said, “Are a choice here at Chiang Mai University.”

The students are not forced to wear uniforms, nor are they coerced into doing so by the lecturers and staff. Most students are more than proud to identify with the university.

“Students can wear normal clothing if they wish, but most are happy to wear their uniforms because they will get some discounts, like if they ride a bus or something,” he said. When I asked why more students would not simply wear their casual clothes to university he said “It is because they are proud to identify with the University. We are the top third best university in Thailand.”

But of course all work and no play make students dull people. Indeed, the youth in Chiang Mai know how to party as hard! Though clubbing is generally frowned upon– tell me which society of Asia doesn’t frown upon clubbing– there are clubs here in Thailand that cater specifically to youth. During my second last-night in Chiang Mai, I followed Jamjuree (Julie), one of our student guides, to Warm Up, a place that she calls the “Student Pub”, as it is frequented mainly by the students of the university, and only by people within a certain age group. Apparently, this is a safety measure to avoid young men and women from being harassed or disturbed by other people. Needless to say I had an awesome time there, having the opportunity to meet, dance, drink and mingle with the Thai youths – most of who are quite fluent in English.

So I guess Chiang Mai does things a little differently. I suppose University Life here is a little more structured than would be comfortable for me, but judging by hours of my interactions and observations of the students, it looks like they have no problem expressing themselves after class hours as well.

Understanding Sustainable Development Issues : RCSD

Written by: Lisa Bradley.

The Regional Centre for Social Science and Sustainable Development (RCSD) is a subdivision within the Faculty of Social Sciences of Chiang Mai University (CMU), Thailand established in 1998. The centre aims to attain a better understanding of sustainable development issues in South East Asia by integrating social science and natural science knowledge.

Running a graduate program, the centre prides itself on its focus to both research and teaching. Core aspects of the program include resource management, highland agricultural systems, social science, health, environmental impact assessment and ethnic and gender relations.

Green gateway of RCSD building in CMU

Prasit Leepreecha, a Ph. D researcher from the RSCD, kindly gave us an introductory lecture on Thailand – with his core focus concerning the indigenous Hill Tribes of the North which makes up part of the minority of the Thai population. Leepreecha illustrated how these Hill Tribes contain histories and face challenges which are quite different to those found further south. One aspect that Leepreecha placed considerable emphasis on was the opium trade.

During the era of colonization, the Hill Tribes in Northern Thailand were major players in the production of opium. Previously, the tribes were subsistence farmers, but the continual burgeoning of colonial influence and prime agricultural conditions for cultivation soon made the area infamous for its opium production.

In many instances, the Hill Tribes people became addicted to opium which caused paralysing problems within their communities and with their dealings to outside investors. The opium wars in China (1839-1857, and 1856-1857) added to the Hill Tribes woes by creating fears of regional instability. To make matters worse, poverty amongst the Hill Tribes was reaching an alarming scale.

During the 1950s, the Thai Government decided to take action by establishing the National Committee for the Hill Tribes which delegitimized smoking and trading of opium. However, its production was still a major source of income to many Hill Tribes which brought on further complications. For example, policies made against the use and cultivation of opium could potentially further escalate the degree of poverty in the region. The government, recognizing this potentiality, worked hard to ensure that the Hill Tribes had the support and the incentive they needed to discontinue opium production.

Dr. Prasit Leepreecha eagerly elaborating on Thai tribal issues

The solution was to persuade the tribes to convert to a more stable, less dangerous and economically viable production of cash crops (including cabbage and fruits). This project, known as the Royal Project, was initiated by his Highness King Rama IX and has been commended on an international scale for its success. The Royal Project is viewed as one of the major success stories in Thailand’s modern history as it has considerably improved the lives of Thailand’s poorest grade (the Hill Tribes) whilst simultaneously weaning them off opium production.

However, this remains only one of the myriad of issues that has greatly impacted the plight of the Hill Tribes over the last centuries. The opium narrative should be viewed as vital to any comprehensive understanding of the Hill Tribes, but definitely not as the only narrative there is. In fact, for many Hill Tribes opium production and the many problems it caused is now a thing of the past.

Times have changed, and with it a new focus has emerged. Despite the government’s effort to ensure economic sustainability, the Hill Tribes still face significant challenges— primarily concerning matters of education, citizenship, land recognition, land preservation, legal representation and rights recognition— but they go into the future stronger and more unified than ever.

 Dr. Chayan Vaddhanaphuti, the Director of RCSD

Dr. Leepreecha regretfully mentioned that he could only give a brief overview of the history and plight of the Hill Tribes in the time available as a more comprehensive understanding would take weeks and weeks. Nonetheless, we thank Dr. Leepreecha for the time he so generously gave and the RCSD for being so hospitable and allowing such an opportunity to take place.

We wish the RCSD all the best in their future research and can only hope that their future findings are as rich and well documented as the ones presented to us.

Photo Album: Day 1

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Diary Entry: Day 1

Written by: Jillian Ng.

Having arrived at the Chiang Mai Airport, we were immediately captivated by the mesmerising scenery just beyond the airplane windows. Right next to the landing strip was a big mountain accompanied by several hills. Chiang Mai was already treating us well with its warm weather, and a gift in the form of SIM cards.

View from the airport runway

After gathering our luggage, we headed to the amusingly named Yourhouse Guesthouse, a place Dr. Yeoh dubs as the Shangri-la of all backpackers; and indeed we agree. Our mode of transport was a “lot tang” (which literally translates to red car). At first, everyone was shocked by the choice of transportation as these trucks were no more red (magenta maybe?) than they were cars – they looked like a swanky hooded pick-up trucks, sans the swanky. However it is not to say the ride was not an enjoyable experience; it seemed like the vehicle shown in the Korean drama “Goong” during the one of the episodes when the characters were in Bangkok.

The lut deng fits up to 12 people

On the way to the guesthouse we saw remnants of the old Thai fort at various points along the road; there was the Three Kings museum which is five minutes away from the guesthouse. At every corner we looked there was a cultural or a historical structure. This city and its cohabitants are literally living in a historical site, taking advantage of its past to make it part of the present. This was quite a peculiar site for many of us who normally only experience history in a commodified context.

The main agenda for our day was a visit to the Chiang Mai University and we were greeted by a sea of students in Uniforms; black, blue, white, and violet shirts able outsiders to distinguish the level of study of each student. Though we were fascinated by this uniformity (pun intended) we decided, first and foremost, to have lunch. Though it was a stuffy cafeteria, the food was ... simply awesome. The spicy food there was really spicy, the savoury really savoury, and the sweet deliciously sweet.

As we waited for our rides back to the guesthouse after an interesting lecture on Thailand Highland Minorities, we stumbled upon what is called a “thon poh toh” (which translates to the golden tree). Students make wishes by hanging a gold leaf on the tree and hope for them to come true (how useful it would be for assignment week in Monash!).

The golden tree in the middle of a cafeteria

A particularly distinctive feature of the University for me, was the vastness and intensity of the greenery which surrounded it; it seemed as though the institution was built around the trees. Once we arrived at the guesthouse, we were at liberty to do what we wanted – including sleep.

One of many green gardens in CMU

That was only our day one. We still have seven more amazing days to look forward to!