ASIA PARIDARSANA

บทบรรณาธิการ

2022-07-04T12:04:59+07:00

ภูมิภาคเอเชียใต้และอนุทวีปอินเดียเป็นดินแดนที่มีความสัมพันธ์กับประเทศไทยมานับแต่โบราณ แม้ว่าในปัจจุบันภูมิภาคแห่งนี้จะเป็นที่มีอัตราการเจริญเติบโตทางเศรษฐกิจและสังคมสูงมากที่สุดแห่งหนึ่งของโลก เราก็ยังมักจะมีภาพจำเดิม ๆ เกี่ยวกับประเทศในภูมิภาคนี้ อาจจะเป็นด้วยโชคชะตาหรือเหตุบังเอิญที่บทความในวารสารเอเชียปริทัศน์ฉบับนี้ล้วนมีเนื้อหาที่จะช่วยฉายภาพและฉากทัศน์ใหม่ ๆ ของพัฒนาการทางเศรษฐกิจและสังคมในภูมิภาค รวมทั้งนัยยะสำคัญที่ภูมิภาคแห่งนี้มีต่อความมั่นคงของประเทศไทย

Buddhist Extremism Phenomenon in Sri Lanka, Myanmar and Thailand and the Role of New Media

2022-02-18T19:21:19+07:00

Abstract
The objectives of this article include to explore the phenomenon of Buddhist Extremism in Sri Lanka, Myanmar and Thailand; and to analyse the role of new media in diffusing the concept of Buddhist Extremism in Sri Lanka, Myanmar and Thailand. The qualitative research using documentary research was adopted to explore this phenomenon.
It is found that the phenomenon of Buddhist Extremism is related to four groups including Bodhu Bala Sena in Sri Lanka, Ma Ba Tha in Myanmar, and World Alliance of Buddhist Leaders (WABL) as well as Buddhist Assembly of each province in Thailand. The acts of violence can be founded in three forms – physical, beliefs, and rhetoric. New media, especially social media, is the significant communication channel to diffuse the concept of Buddhist Extremism, false information and fake news. The change in media landscape empowers users or consumers to be easily create and share false information. More importantly, the technological development of digital media brings about filter bubbles and echo chambers. Thus, information they received will affirm their pre-existing confirmation biases among Buddhists towards Islam as they do not receive other sets of information which are filtered out by the algorithm. The biases are the result from the lack of understanding on the diversity of religions and culture. The segregation between “us” and “them” leads to the otherness, bringing about the difficulty to learn and accept the diversity of the societies. Therefore, the multicultural society is essential to build up the belief in diversity that can be a tool to help individuals to select, expose and distribute news and information, which can be incorrect, to their social circles. This therefore will help reducing the diffusion of Buddhist Extremism concept in our societies.

Keyword: Buddhist Extremism, New Media, Fake News

Solar Energy Policies in India and Thailand: Agenda Setting, Policy Formulation and Policy Implementation

2021-12-31T09:21:32+07:00

In this century, there have been significant new social movements focused on the minimisation of fossil fuel consumption to mitigate climate change at a global level. These have resulted in the making of public policies to support renewable energy (RE) production and deployment in many countries including India and Thailand. Both countries have had government organizations set up for RE policies in which solar energy policy is the major policy. Drawing from literature on solar energy policies in India and Thailand, this article discusses: (1) agenda setting; (2) policy formulation; and (3) policy implementation of solar energy policies in India and Thailand. It highlights how private sector and local actors have played an important role in implementing these policies. The article concludes with future directions for solar energy policies in Thailand.

Smart City Development Policies: A Comparative Study of Thailand and India

2021-12-31T09:11:22+07:00

This research paper focused on the development of smart city, which is considered a huge challenge associated with technological issues. The objectives of this research were 1) to study the background, definition, and implementation of smart city development in Thailand in India, and 2) to explore the implementation of smart city development policies at the area level in Thailand and India. The documentary research technique was applied to analyze the data in policy process and The United Nation’s 11th Sustainable Development Goal (SDG), which is to make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable, was used as a framework for analyzing and comparing smart city development policies in Thailand and India. The research results indicated that smart city development policies of each country vary, depending on the definition, the SDG framework, and the spatial development levels as well as the development goals and contexts of each area.

Challenges and Opportunities of Online Markets: Brass Casting Crafts in Area Studies of West Bengal, India and Ubon Ratchathani, Thailand during Last Decade to the COVID 19 Pandemic

2021-12-31T09:29:13+07:00

Craft Industries play an important role in the economy and livelihood of rural people in India and Thailand. The lost-wax brass casting craft development is a challenge and opportunity for the online market at present. This research examines the lost-wax brass casting crafts between West Bengal, India, and Ubon Ratchathani, Thailand. From the field research in Thailand and document analysis through documents and online investigation especially on India. It is found that India and Thailand have lost-wax brass casting craft using one of the oldest traditional techniques of metal casting since the pre-historical period. Indian government-supported Indian Craft Council that established in 1964, it is a non-profit voluntary organization for developing and marketing Indian crafts which include the lost-wax brass casting craft. While Thailand, SACICT was just set up in 2003, particularly for similar tasks.

From the last decade to the period of the Covid 19 pandemic (2019 - 2021), this lost-wax brass casting craft of India has been in greater demand than of Thailand, both in domestic and foreign markets due to the promotion of online marketing with historical value-adding articles on their various websites in English. The Indian product design development is also faster than in Thailand. Thai artisans still preserve their old traditional items even though Thai scholars have tried to help them with technology processes and design development. Today, online marketings have various services, e.g. Facebook, Line, Instagram, WhatsApp, WeChat, etc. There are challenges and opportunities for craft marketing both in India and Thailand.