Thailand and Vietnam Fulbright

Thailand and Vietnam
Fulbright-Hays Seminar Abroad
• Thailand and Vietnam
• June 26 - July 26,
2004
• By May Lee Yang
Thailand and Vietnam
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Education
Economy
Government
Religion
Foods
Village Life
Thailand
• Located in the center
of Southeast Asia.
• Twice the size of the
state of Wyoming.
• Home to 62 million
people.
• National symbol is the
Garuda.
Thailand Con’t
• Once called Siam
(sy-AM)
• The called themselves,
“Muang Thai” (mooANGTY), which
means “The Land of
the Free”
• Bangkok is the capital
• Thailand is hot and
humid throughout the
year.
• Monsoon (rainy)
season from June to
October
• Governed by a constitutional monarchy with
a parliamentarian
Thai Education
• National Education
Act of 1999 - Free
education for all.
• Philosophy of
education in Thailand
• Many interesting
aspects in education
• Teacher’s degree
become four year
program in 1975
Thai Education Con’t
• Similar to the US (hours)
• Thai philosophy of
education: 1) be good, 2)
be smart, 3) be happy
• All students wear school
uniforms to school.
• Special Education
Program.
Thai Economy
• Primarily an agricultural
country producing much
of the world’s supply of
rice.
• Export crops: cassava,
fish, and orchids.
• mining and manuf.
• Silk and cotton are woven
in many urban mills.
Thai Government
• The king as the
constitutional monarch
• Symbol of national
identity and unity to
the people of
Thailand, providing
morale for Thai
society.
• National Assembly - a
Senate and a House
Thai Government Con’t
• Constitutional
monarchy
• Constitutional permanent assembly
which selects a new
cabinet
• Thai Parliament
passed a new
Constitution known as
“The People’s
Constitution
Thai Religion
• 95 % of the total Thai
population are
Buddhists.
• Other groups include:
Islam, Christianity,
Hinduism and Sikhism
• Public schools of
Thailand integrate
Buddhist teaching into
the curriculum
Thai Food
• Rice - regular and
sticky variety of rice
• Thai food is often
spicy with contrasting
sour, sweet, and salty
tastes.
• Thai desserts are often
sweet with coconut
milk.
Village Life in Thailand
• Thai family unit that
instill personal
dignity, respect for
others, and code of
behavior.
• One expectation - for
children is that of
caring for their elderly
parents
Village Life Con’t
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Karen - 350,000 total
Hmong - 125,000 total
Yao - 40,000 total
Lahu - 85,000 total
Akha - 55,000 total
Lisu - 30,000 total
Vietnam
• Shaped like a giant S
• Hanoi is the capital of
Vietnam
• China is north of
Vietnam, Cambodia
and Laos are west.
• The largest city in
Vietnam is Ho Chi
Minh City (Saigon)
Vietnam con’t
• Socialist Republic of
Vietnam
• Capital is Hanoi
• More than 73 million
• Language is
Vietnamese
• Vietnam is about the
size of the state of
Nevada
Vietnam Education
• Schools are free from the
government
• Children go to school six
days aweek
• Two school shifts: 1) 7:30
- 11:30 2) 1:30 - 5:30
• All students wear school
uniforms to school
Vietnam Education Con’t
• Students may attend
private lessons after
the school is over
• Primary and lower
secondary education
• Vocational
• University
• Must pass difficult
exams
• All children (6-14)
will be in school
regardless of grade
• Adult literacy rates are
96% by 2005 and 97%
by 2010.
Vietnam Economy
• Vietnam is the world’s
3rd largest exporter of
rice next to Thailand
and the U.S.
• Coffee crop, the
world’s 3rd largest
exporter of coffee
behind Colombia and
Brazil.
• Silk and textiles
handicrafts
• fish and seafood
• tea and soft drinks
• condiments
• paper goods
• cement
• chemical, fertilizers, &
footwear
Vietnam Economy Con’t
• Vietnam currency is
made up of the Dong
(paper money).
• $1=15,600 Dong, July
2004
Vietnam Government
• Socialist Republic of
Vietnam
• 450 member National
Assembly, or QuocHoi
• Vietnamese
Communist Party-sole
source of leadership
for the country
Vietnam Religion
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Buddhist - 67%
Catholic - 8%
Cao Dai - 3%
Hoa Hao - 2%
Protestant - 1%
Other - 19%
Vietnamese Food
• Vietnamese cooks use
many fresh fruits,
vegetables, and herbs
• Cook mostly by
steaming and boiling
• Food can be hot and
spicy
Vietnamese Food Con’t
• Seafood is a common
part of Vietnamese
meals
• Rice is a part of every
meal
Village Life in Vietnam
• Great love for their
families
• Several generations of
a family often live
together
• Young people live
with their parents until
they marry
Village Life Continue
• There are 53 Ethnic
Minority Groups
• Some of the ethnic
groups are: Hoa,
Hmong, Thai, Dao,
Khmer, and Cham
• Tribes in central and
south Vietnam include
Mnong, Ba Na, and
Sedang
• Northern tribes
include the Tay, Dao,
Jarai, Nung, Thai, and
Muong