NS119 FALL 2010 CULTURAL DIVERSITY PROJECT PREPARATION SHEET CULTURE GROUP/COUNTRY CHARACTERISTICS Student name:_ Section: MWTh:

: _X__ MWF___ ASSIGNED CULTURE:___THAI__________

Location, topography & population, type of government, cultural groups in country, dominant languages & communication patterns, economy, Population statistics for Hamilton County

GEOGRAPHY Lies in the heart of Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the west by the Andaman Sea and the southern extremity of Burma. Its maritime boundaries include Vietnam in the Gulf of Thailand to the southeast and Indonesia and India in the Andaman Sea to the southwest. Area: 513,115 sq. km. (198,114 sq. mi.); equivalent to the size of France, or slightly smaller than Texas. Cities: Capital--Bangkok (population 9,668,854); Nakhon Ratchasima (pop. 437,386 for Muang district and 2,565,685 for the whole province), Chiang Mai (pop. 247,672 for Muang district and 1,595,855 for the whole province). Terrain: Densely populated central plain; northeastern plateau; mountain range in the west; southern isthmus joins the land mass with Malaysia. Climate: Tropical monsoon

FAMILY STRUCTURE In Thailand there is a much stronger company in the family compared to our western culture. Often live several generations under one roof. The parents house for example is bequeathed to the youngest daughter, she together with her husband in return accommodate her parents when they are older. The oldest man of a Thai family is the patriarch, the other family members have to act in accordance with his decisions. As a tradition a Thai man has to meet the whole family of the bride and get the total consent before he can get engaged. Only then he can propose to her parents for the hand of their daughter. Do both families agree the date for the wedding is fixed. But the date for the wedding is delayed until the groom has finished his apprenticeship. The brides parents get bridemoney from the groom, a kind of compensation for the upbringing consisting of natural produce or money. Many a time this is returned to the bridal couple on the wedding day.

HEALTH AND WELLNESS Health (2008 est.): Infant mortality rate--18.23/1,000. Life expectancy--70.51 years male, 75.27 years female. In 2000 it was reported that 92.7% of households had adequate, safe drinking water (five liters per person per day), and 97.7% had sanitary latrines and were using them The expanded program on immunization (EPI) is a priority program of the MOPH. It has managed to maintain high levels of coverage. In 2000, the coverage for infants under one year was as follows: BCG 100%, DPT3 94.6%, OPV3 94.8%, measles vaccine 88.1%, hepatitis B vaccine 93.4%. The coverage of pregnant women with two doses of tetanus toxoid (TT) was 76.3%. However, some isolated population groups (hill tribes and migrating workers) remain under-served. ENDEMIC DISEASES The overall prevalence rate for

Nuad Boran is the ancient (boran) body therapy of the Thais consisting in precise applied healing pressures (nuad) Khwan is a non-physical part of body which acts as consciousness and it affects physical health; called this by the Isan people (northeastern people of Thailand). If Khwan (spirit) still lives in ones body, physical health and mental health is also good but if it goes away, illness or unhappiness will come instead YAO ILLNESS RITUALS Yao villages can be found in the provinces of Chiang Rai, Chiang Mai, Phayao, Lampang, Nan, Kamphaeng Phet, and Sukhothai in Thailand: The properties of herbs are widely understood by the Yao Plants are used to cure sickness and especially to restore a woman to health after she gives birth. Because Yao believe that most illnesses are caused by evil or malevolent

DYING Of the deaths in Thailand, both the deaths that need autopsy and the natural deaths, about 30 percent take places within the healthcare establishments while the rest 70 percent take places outside healthcare institutions. RELIGION Religious objects and sites, such as Buddha images and the wat (Buddhist temples), are sacred to the Thais. Women should not hand anything directly to a Buddhist monk or touch the monk or his robes in any way as doing so would violate one of his most important vows - not to touch women. FUNERAL CUSTOMS When somebody dies, the corpse is kept 7 days in the house before the cremation. During six evenings, monks come and pray. On the coffin, light garlands and a picture of the deceased person can be found. On the seventh day, in traditional ceremonies, a funeral procession is organized. First monks go ahead, then the men and the

GOVERNMENT Under the 2007 constitution, the National Assembly consists of two chambers--the Senate and the House of Representatives.

In the country the newly married often stay with their parents until they have the first child. FAMILY PLANNING When Thailand started its National Family Planning Program in 1967, the total fertility rate (TFR) was 6.3. By 2003 TFR was reduced to below replacement level, at 1.7 In 1970, the contraceptive prevalence rate (CPR) was 14.4%. Since then, CPR has continuously increased, reaching 79.2% in 2000. Family planning has been a government priority, in policy and implementation. It has been integrated with other public health services in existence, especially MCH. Family planning services are extensive. Methods of contraception have been provided conveniently, largely free of charge, without incentives, and with controls for quality and safety. TABOOS Taboos in Thailand include touching someone's head or pointing with the feet, as the head is considered the most sacred and the foot the dirtiest part of the body Buddhist monks are forbidden to touch or be touched by a woman, or to accept anything from the hand of one.

leprosy had declined significantly to 0.5 per 10,000 population in 1996. Following this, the 8th plan had targeted to reduce leprosy prevalence in every province and district to less than 1 per 10,000 population. The tuberculosis (TB) infection rate among all age groups was 29.47% (third national TB survey 1991/92). The number of TB patients registered for therapy stabilized at 45,000 in 1995. With the spread of HIV/AIDS, the TB cure rate has come down among the sputum positives. Drug resistance is also rising. In 1996, Thailand introduced DOTS (directly observed treatment, short course) for TB patients. Malaria is still a major concern with 856 deaths (rate 1.4 per 100,000 population) reported in 1995 and a morbidity rate of 2.01 per 100,000 population reported for the same year. Migrant workers along the Thai/Burmese and the Thai/ Cambodian borders add to the difficulties in malaria control operations. Lymphatic filariasis is still an important health problem in certain areas of Thailand.

PEOPLE Population (2009 est.): 67.0 million Most of the population is Buddhist and ethnically Thai. Religions: Buddhist 93%-94%, Muslim 5%-6%, Christian 1%, Hindu, Brahmin, other. Languages: Thai (official language); English is the second language of the elite; Malay and regional dialects. In the deep south, a variant of Malay is widely spoken. ECONOMY GDP (2009 prelim.): $264 billion Annual GDP growth rate (2009 prelim.): -2.2%. Per capita income (2009 prelim.): $3,940. Unemployment rate (2009 prelim.): 1.5% of total labor force. Natural resources: Tin, rubber, natural gas, tungsten, tantalum, timber, lead, fish, gypsum, lignite, fluorite.

ghosts and spirits, however, most curing rites are exorcistic in nature. Illness is thought to be the result of soul loss; the function of the shaman is to placate the ghost responsible for this condition, thus restoring the patient to health. The rituals performed usually involve blood sacrifice and the burning of strips of paper on which the names of offending spirits are written. Ceremonial instruments are sacred knives, bells, and sticks.

women. The men carry the coffin. Nowadays the coffin is often directly transported by car to the temple From the first to the sixth day, monks come every evening around 7 p.m. On the seventh day cremation happens during the afternoon. Usually 4 monks are coming during the evening prayers. But number can vary depending on the status and rank of the deceased person. Then they summon incantations in Pali language during 30 minutes. When prayers are over, a car brings the monks back to their temple. For Buddhist people, death is only a passage to next life. Corpse is burned to allow the spirit to escape.

AMULETS/ TALISMANS The belief in the power of amulets is widespread in Thailand. Thai Buddhist amulets can be divided into two main categories; the first are ancient images of the Buddha. The second category is more recent and are votive images of revered monks, Devas or Arahants. These date to the last 100-150 years Jatukham Rammathep is the name of an popular amulet sold by some Buddhist temples in Thailand. The amulet is named for two princes of the Srivijaya kingdom of southern Thailand, and is believed to provide protection and good fortune to the bearer. The Moo Pha is good for Kong Grapan protection and also for luck and

Agriculture (8.9% of GDP): Products--rice, tapioca, rubber, corn, sugarcane, coconuts, soybeans Industry: Types--tourism, textiles, garments, agricultural processing, cement, integrated circuits, jewelry, electronics, petrochemical, and auto assembly

It is alright to wear shoes while walking around the grounds of a Buddhist temple, but not inside the chapel where the Buddha image is kept. RITES OF PASSAGE Birth. Upon the birth of a child, the parents often consult a monk when choosing a name, which has to be linguistically satisfying while conveying a good meaning Ordination. The second rite in the life span of most Thai men is ordination into the monk hood. Traditionally, a young man is not socially accepted until he has become a monk, and many parents insist that after a son reaches the age of twenty he will be ordained before marriage or starting an official career Marriage. Buddhism plays a part, too, in the marriage ceremony which unites two people in a sacred bond. The monks are invited on the day of the wedding for early-morning chants and food offering. Funeral Rites. These vary according to local customs, the type of death and whether the person was a layman or monk when alive. Near the moment of death, if possible, Buddhist chants are whispered into the ear of the dying person. When he has died, a bathing ceremony usually takes place on the first afternoon, at home if he dies there, at the temple where his body is taken from a hospital, or any other location.

NUTRITION The main food in Thailand is rice. Much of what is known about Thai cuisine evolved in the Central region. Rice, fish, and vegetables, flavoured with garlic, black pepper, and nam pla (fish sauce), along with an abundance of fresh fruit, comprised the basic diet of Sukhothai. Unlike the North and Northeast, where glutinous rice is popular, Central Thais like the fragrant plain variety, most commonly steamed. In addition to fresh-water fish, there is seafood from the Gulf of Thailand, as well as a wide range of fresh vegetables. Chinese-Thai food is popular in cities like Bangkok, particularly in the form of numerous noodle dishes. The Central region also has what is called the Royal cuisine, a more sophisticated version of the regional cuisine. Influenced by the kitchens of the Royal Court

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BIBLIOGRAPHY (LIST OF RESOURCES USED) The World Unseen. (n.d.). Retrieved September 29, 2010, from Thai Temple: Thai Funeral: http://www.theworldunseen.com/Thai_Funeral.asp U. S. Department of State: Diplomacy in Action. (n.d.). Retrieved September 29, 2010, from Background Note: Thailand: http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/2814.htm#econ World Health Organization. (2007, August 20). Retrieved September 29, 2010, from Country Health System Profile: Thailand: http://www.searo.who.int/EN/Section313/Section1525.htm