News

2007.1205

Thailand Is More Than Yummy Thai Food, Thai Natives Say

By Angeline Sun and Sabrina Lin Campus Reporters To enlarge students’ international outlook, Office of International Affairs (OIA) organized an event to introduce Thai culture at the International Lounge this noon. "We do not know much about Thailand," said Director of OIA Chuang Kun-liang (莊坤良). Chuang said that the country is under many people’s impression of backwardness.  But, he said his personal observation and research toward Thailand showed that this country has displayed booming prosperity in terms of economic activities and tourism. "Thailand shows high degree of internationalization,” he said. In the meantime, Chuang also mentioned that getting to know Thailand may help elevate the chance of a job opportunity in the country. "Taiwan’s job market is dwindling.  We should start to look for alternative opportunities instead of keeping scrambling for limited job vacancies.  Thailand is a good place with chances for job hunters or further study," the director said. OIA’s statistics showed that up to date, National Taiwan Normal University (NTNU) has signed educational deals with forty universities in Thailand, and the number is increasing.  Students have chances to be an exchange student to some of those academies, such as Chulalongkorn University and Huachiew Chalermprakiet University. Natalie Lin (林秉儀), an assistant of OIA, said that students who may be interested in studying in Thailand will not need to worry about their language proficiency of Thai because non-Thai speakers’ applications of admission to sister universities in Thailand will still be considered anyway. While OIA was organizing the Thai cultural event, it was actually the American born KING of Thailand Bhumibol Adulyadej’s birthday.  Thai students explained that the word “king” will always be capitalized when it comes to Thai KING for respect concerns.  Wikipedia’s information shows that the Thai KING was born at Mount Auburn Hospital in Cambridge, Mass. in 1927.  He was the younger son of Prince Mahidol Adulyadej and Somdej Phra Sri Nakarindhara Boromaratchachonnani.  As a scientist, musician, artist and sailor, Bhumibol Adulyadej had reigned since June 9, 1946. During today’s event at the International Lounge, international students from Thailand introduced the country’s geography, climate, food, language, and traditional costumes.  Athiswan Tunsanguan, a Thai student at NTNU and the chef who prepared today’s Thai dishes and beverages at the scene, said that it took her fellow Thai friends and her two days to finish the work – four dishes, including the renowned Pod Thai and Thai dessert – for the event. These four dishes were bottom up within few minutes.  While Thai dishes became irresistible lure to everybody at the scene, however, traditional Taiwanese platters were also the reasons to keep many Thai natives in Taiwan. Kosin Phonmang, another Thai student, admitted as an addict to Taiwanese food and said that it was one of the reasons why he loves Taiwan a lot.  Being a Thai student who has been living in Taiwan for more than a year, he said he noticed that Taiwanese people are always polite and have good hearts. NTNU President Gou Yih-shun (郭義雄) said that NTNU would help Thailand recruit more qualified teachers, which Thai people may need the most at the moment. "They need teachers.  Recruiting qualified teachers happens to be what we do and are good at,” Gou said. In the meantime, the president also encouraged NTNU students to learn Thai language. "It is my understanding that language comprehensive ability in Mandarin, English and Thai at the same time would guarantee you fat paychecks in Thailand,” he said.