Thailand NU

Question 1

Thailand National Ideology

Answer 1

Nation, King and Religion: Focused on nationalism that created identity for all Thais to strive towards; comprised of Buddhism as state religion (95% Buddhists) and loyalty to the king, due to importance of monarchy in politics

Question 2

Thailand Educational Policy

Answer 2

Compulsory education that used Thai as medium for instruction and Buddhism as part of the curriculum, knowledge of Buddhist rules and values emphasises, youth organisations co-opted to promote pride in being Thai

However also discriminated against alternative schools like Pondok Schools and through Un-Thai Activites Act to crack down on Chinese schools amd secularised Pondok Schools

Question 3

Thailand language policy

Answer 3

Use of central Thai as national language and condition for citizenships and educational opportunities, sole language of law and admin

Policy met with strong resistance and although protest were written in Thai suggesting the effectiveness of linguistic unity, still led to disunity

Question 4

Thai Minorities (Hill Tribes)

Answer 4

Hill tribes: identified as internal threat to government since Sarits Govt due to perceived communist alignment and hence led to discriminatory policies like direct military action.
Assimilative policies: setting up of Thai schools, sending of Buddhist missionaries, king and queen visits, but later on still discriminated against

Question 5

Thai minority: Chinese

Answer 5

Under Phibun active discrimination of Chinese schools and language, continuing into the 60s and 80s. Chinese newspapers shutdown
Resulted in the assimilation and acceptance of Chinese citizens due to Naturalisation laws and the relative ease of Chinese to integrate due to not that big of a difference

Question 6

Thai minorities: Malay Muslims

Answer 6

Under Sarit, asserted control over Pondok Schools and forced them to adopt Thai as medium of education, and were regarded as inferior by Thai
60s -70s Violent separatist movements emerged like the BNPP
80s But with more democratic Govt like Prem they gradually given more democratic expansion and were given political participation