Here’s a somewhat abbreviated version of our travel itinerary. It should give some background for the locations and programs mentioned.
Schedule of GLE Program (as of 12/27/2010)
Sunday, January 3, 2010 – Saturday, January 23, 2010
Bangkok, Rayong, Samut Prakarn, Khon Kaen, Samut Sakhon,
Chiang Rai and Chiang Mai
Saturday, January 2
5:15 p.m. Meet in the lobby of the Holiday Inn Express Hotel – 13735 Riverport Drive – Maryland Heights
Evaluation Presentation—Susan Tharp
Sunday, January 3
7:00-7:15 a.m Depart hotel for Lambert airport, St. Louis
9:45 a.m. Depart St. Louis United Flight 7380
11:15 a.m. Arrive Chicago O”Hare
12:30 p.m. Depart Chicago O’Hare for Tokyo and Bangkok, United Flight 881
Monday, January 4
4:15 p.m. Arrive Narita airport, Tokyo
You will travel to Bangkok on the same plane
6:35 p.m. Depart Narita for Bangkok
11.45 p.m. Arrival at Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport United Airlines Flight 881
Collect luggage, clear customs
Travel to Ramada Plaza Menam Riverside Hotel, Bangkok.
The Ramada Plaza Menam Riverside Hotel, 2074 Charoenkrung Rd., Bangkorlaem, Bangkok 10120
Tuesday, January 5
Morning Breakfast at hotel.
Free time/Relaxing.
11:30 a.m. Orientation and Program Overview (at hotel)
Lunch at hotel.
2.00 p.m. Meet with Mr. Mongkol Surasajj, Director General of Community Development Department, Ministry of the Interior
Structure of CDD and OTOP (One Tambon, One Product)
Mr. Chamnan Wattanasiri, consultant (and MU community development PhD)
6.00 p.m. Dinner (Welcome Party) at hotel.
Wednesday, January 6
6:00 – 7.30. Breakfast at hotel
7:30 am. Depart hotel for Chitralada Palace
9.00 – 12.00 Visit The Royal Chitralada Projects at Chitralada Palace, Sriayutthaya Road
12.00 -1.30 Lunch – Coconut Palm
1.30 – 4.30 Royal Grand Palace, Na Pralarn Rd,.Bangkok.
Thursday, January 7
6.00 – 7.00 a.m. Breakfast at hotel.
7:00 am Depart hotel for Rayong Province
All day Travel to Rayong Province, site of proposed nuclear power plant
Visit IRPC (Integrated Refinery & Petrochemical Complex Co.,Ltd.) Power Plant. talk to the manager then go to see and meet both NGO and villagers who are in opposition to the plant.
We will be accompanied by Dr. Vanchai Vantanasapt, Distinguished Fellow, King Prajadhipok Institute. Dr. Vanchai has set up conflict resolution programs around Thailand. He is working with the Energy Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT) and Rayong Village in a deliberative dialogue process to see if they can find some common ground from which to come to some agreement on the conflict.
Dr. Vanchai Vantanasapt, will lead a discussion on the bus returning from Rayong, about your observations from the visit.
Interpreters Ubon Kompipote and Somboon Subsarn
Friday, January 8
6.00 – 7.30 a.m. Breakfast at hotel.
8:00 am Depart Hotel
9.00 – 12.00 Asia Foundation, 38 Convent Rd., Q House, Bangkok
Presentation on community capacity building. Discussion will include role of deliberative democracy as it relates to programs with both the Asia Foundation and King Prajadhipok Institute, in Southern Thailand and other areas. Staff from the Asia Foundation include Dr James Klein, Country Representative; Pauline Tweedie, Deputy Country Representative; Ruengrawee Pichaiku, Senior Program Coordinator; Santi Nindang, Program Officer; and Preecha Roengsamut, Program Officer. They will discuss
• Youth development in civic engagement (developing issue books and community participatory research)
• Use of deliberative dialogue in evaluation workshop;
• A collaborative program with the United Nations Democracy Fund which includes marginalized youth from the South, Andaman Sea coast, the Northeast and hill tribe youth from the North (who have no citizen status);
• Several specific examples of how deliberative dialogue has been applied;
• Lessons learned; and,
• A new Thai PBS series created by the Asia Foundation called “Let’s Talk Rights” where difficult public issues are discussed using a deliberative dialogue format (see attachment).
KPI staff include Dr. Vanchai and Dr. Thawilwadee Bureekul. Dr. Vanchai will present
• The role of deliberative democracy in KPI projects such as
o a national citizen engagement process on choices for energy for Thailand’s future; gaining an understanding of how Thai’s think about the difference between democracy in Thailand and democracy in the U.S., based on Politics for People (authored by Dr. David Matthews, Kettering Foundation) which Dr. Vanchai has recently translated into Thai; and,
o the role of the newly established Office of Politics for People at KPI; and,
• Dr. Thawilwadee Bureekul will lead a discussion on her social research on community engagement, social networking and community capacity building. She is doing some very interesting, participatory work with communities.
Lunch
Afternoon Learn about community economic development and see an OTOP community
o Visit Bussayarat Sudyoddee’s (Cherry) Ceramics group in Sumut Sakhon (She was a GLE participant in May 2009 to Missouri)
o Visit Benjarong occupational group at Don Kai Dee Sub-district, Kratumban District, Samut Sakhon Province to learn about community development
Saturday, January 9
6.00 – 8.30 a.m. Breakfast in hotel.
10.00 – 2.30 Visit Bang Nampheng Community Floating Market, Pra Pradaeng District, Samut Prakarn Province. (Children’s Day at the Market)
CDD staff: Mrs. Kamkhae Thamnikai (Chief of Samut Prakarn Provincial Community Development Office)
Mrs. Wanna Rasamitat, CDD staff chief, Bangkok
Presentation by Mr. Samnao Rassamitat, Chairman of Bang Nampheng Tambon Administrative Organization (TAO). Meet with community leaders and people to talk about how they organized Bang Nampheng Floating Market to sell agricultural products and OTOP products by cooperating with many organizations, public sector, etc.
4.00 –6.00 Visit Suan Lum Night Bazaar, Bangkok.
6.00 –7.30 Dinner at Suan Lum Night Bazaar, Bangkok.
7.45 p.m. “Traditional Thai Puppet Performance” which in both 2006 and 2008 was awarded first prize at the World Festival of Puppet Art in Prague. It is located at the market at the Traditional Thai Puppet Theater (Joe Louis),
Sunday, January 10
7:00-8:30 a.m. Breakfast at hotel — Check Out of Menam Hotel
10:00 Depart for Chatuchak Market
Lunch On your own at Market
2:15 Group will meet at Clock Tower
2:30 Depart Chatuchak Market for Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport
6:25 pm Thai airways flight to Khon Kaen
7:30 pm Arrive Khon Kaen
Dinner near Pullman Hotel
Overnight Pullman Raja Orchid Hotel in Khon Kaen
Monday, January 11
6:00-7:30 . Breakfast at hotel.
8:00 Depart hotel for tour of Khon Kaen University
9:30 Meet Prof Dr Sumon Sakolchai, President, Khon Kaen University
10:00-12:00 Visit Mekong Institute, Khon Kaen University
Meet with staff of Mekong Institute (which was established by Dr. Vanchai Vantanasapt when he was President of Khon Kaen University). Learn about the programs in rural development and project management, leadership and good governance, geo-political cooperation and community-capacity building in the countries of the Greater Mekong Sub-region (Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, Myanmar, and Yunnan Province and Guang Xi Autonomous Region of China).
12:00 – 1:00 Lunch
1:15 3:00 Round table dialogue on local government. Assoc. Prof. Peerasit Kamnuansilapa, PhD, Director of College of Local Administration (COLA);
Associate Professor Koon Dokhan, Associate Dean for Special Affairs; Mr. Sirisak Laochankham (Paolo), lecturer; Mr. Grichawat Lowatcharin (Bom), lecturer; GLE participants; and local government officials (More information later…)
3:30 – 5:00 Meet with Associate Professor Dr. Earmporn Thongkrajai, Dean, Faculty of Nursing, Khon Kaen University. Presentation on public health issues in Thailand, Including public education on AIDS, swine flu issues and health issues with immigrant populations. Also, role of volunteerism in public health.
6.30. Dinner Salathai Restaurant with Cultural Show
Tuesday, January 12
6.00 – 7.30 a.m. Breakfast in hotel.
8:00 a.m. Depart Hotel
8:30 Arrive Khon Kaen,
Faculty of Agriculture and meet Associate Professor and Dean of the Faculty of Agriculture, Dr. Anan Polthanee who will provide an overview of the Faculty of Agriculture’s programs in communities. Learn about programs in sustainable agriculture—newly-established “social labs” in Nong Hee village to integrate technical and social dimensions of technology transfer; learn about the role of extension and the agriculture mobile unit. Visit Nong Hee and the organic farming village of Don Han to meet farmers and see organic farming where farmers grow both wet season and dry season crops. Learn about the role of university extension.
Attire: Casual, jeans, sandals ok, although closed shoes better if in rural area. Could be dusty and/or muddy.
Return to Khon Kaen Visit university bookstore for souvenirs
Evening free, dinner on your own.
Wednesday, January 13
6.00 – 8.00 a.m. Breakfast in hotel
Morning Travel to Chonnabot District, to visit silk-weaving community Visit Sala Mai Thai (Thai Silk Pavilion) to see how silk is graded, the diversity of patterns and quality of silk, and some very old silk pieces
CDD staff: Mrs . Pensiri Supasawat, Chief of Khon Kaen Provincial Community Development Office
Mr Boonrawd Chuldee, CDD program officer
Lunch
Afternoon Meeting with Ubol Ratana Mayor Jedsada Tan and community members. Learn about community decision-making, community volunteerism and how the town is working to become an environmentally and economically sustainable community without industry. Visit a local school where the children grow plants for other municipalities as part of the environmental sustainability project and have the cutest cowboy band!
Dinner—Ubol Ratana Dam
Overnight: Ubol Ratana Dam hotel
Thursday, January 14
5:00 a.m. Depart Hotel for Khon Kaen airport
6:00 a.m Arrive Khon Kaen airport
7:50 a.m. Depart for Bangkok Thai airways flight
8:45 a.m. Arrive Bangkok, collect luggage at baggage carousel
Depart Bangkok Suvarnabhumi airport for Faculty of Medicine, Ramathibodi Hospital Meet with the Associate Dean, Faculty of Medicine
Learn about volunteerism
• What are volunteer activities like in this hospital?
• How do volunteers work and give their services to patients?
• Discussion with volunteers about why they are interested tin being a volunteer
Lunch At the hospital with volunteers/medical staff
3:30 p.m. Depart for Bangkok Suvarnabhumi for flight to Chiang Rai
6:20 p.m. Thai airways 140 Departure from Bangkok to Chiang Rai International Airport.
7:40 p.m Arrive Chiang Rai airport. Transfer to Hotel
Stay overnight in Chiang Rai Hotel Wangcome (Hotel is near Night Bazaar).
Friday, January 15
6.00 – 8.30 a.m. Breakfast in hotel
Morning Travel to Chiang Rai City Hall, meet with the Governor of Chiang Rai Province, Mr.Sumeth Saengnimnual.
Visit the Monument of King Mengrai the Great. It was established in
commemoration of King Mengrai, the founder of Chiang Rai City.
Visit Wat Phra Kaeo which once housed The Emerald Buddha.
The Emerald Buddha was moved by various state rulers to their capitals including Lampang, Chiang Rai and Vientiane in Laos, before finally being enshrined in The Royal Grand Palace in Bangkok.
Lunch
Afternoon Learn about Community Development Activities in Chiang Rai
Wat Rong Khun and Oub Kham Museum
CDD Chiang Rai staff:
• Prasong Newbood (Chief of Chiang Rai Provincial Community Development Office)
• Mrs Khaisaeng Deepradit (Chief of Promotion and Development Section in Chiang Rai and responsible for all programs in Chang Rai).
• Ms Jareeya Praneebood, CDD program officer
Dinner
Overnight in Chiang Rai Hotel Wangcome
Chiang Rai
Chiang Rai, the northernmost province of Thailand is about 785 kilometers north of Bangkok. Situated on the Kok River basin, Chiang Rai covers an area of approximately 11,678 square meters with an average elevation of 580 meters above sea level. The province, which is located within the renowned Golden Triangle area where Myanmar, Laos and Thailand converge, is also known as the gateway to Myanmar, Laos and Southern China.
Chiang Rai, which was founded in 1262 by King Meng Rai, was the first capital of the Lanna Thai Kingdom (Kingdom of a million rice fields), which was later conquered by Burma. It was not until 1786 that Chiang Rai became a Thai territory and was proclaimed a province during the reign of King Rama VI in 1910.
Today, Chiang Rai is a travellers paradise endowed with abundant natural tourist attractions and antiquities; the province itself is evidence of past civilization. Attractions range from magnificent mountain scenery, ruins of ancient settlements, historic sites, Buddhist shrines and ethnic villages as the province is also home to several hill tribes who maintain fascinating lifestyles. http://wikitravel.org/en/Chiang_Rai_(province)
Saturday, January 16
6.00 – 8.00 a.m. Breakfast in hotel
Morning Visit Doi Tung Villa and Doi Tung botanical garden, Mae Fah Luang District, Chiang
Rai Province.
Afternoon Visit Doi Tung Development Project, Mae Fah Luang District, Chiang Rai Province.
Doi Tung: Doi Tung is one of the major tourist attractions in the north, offering beautiful scenery with several interesting sites, established under the Doi Tung Development Project. Doi Tung was previously a treeless mountain until Her Royal Highness Princess Srinagarindra, the Princess Mother, vowed to replant trees on it. The Doi Tung Development Project, under the royal initiative, was set up in 1988 to undertake re-forestation and improve of the lives of people, ending their dependence on opium-growing.
Dinner
Overnight in Chiang Rai Hotel Wangcome
Sunday, January 17
6.00 – 8.00 a.m. Breakfast in hotel
Morning Visit The Hall of Opium, Golden Triangle Park.
Hall of Opium, Golden Triangle Park:
Built on over 40 acres of land at a site near the Golden Triangle in Chiang Rai province, the site incorporates an exhibition area and information centre of the Hall of Opium within the landscape of the Golden Triangle Park. The Hall of Opium combines a museum on the history of opium and the impact of illegal drugs with an information centre for research and extended education on opium, opiates and other narcotics.
Golden Triangle:
Golden Triangle is where the Mekong River meets The Ruak River and also where the borders of three countries Laos, Myanmar and Thailand ) come together.
Lunch
Afternoon Phan District, Ancient city of Chiang Saean and Chiang Saen Museum
Meet Host Families, Community Leaders, people in community, welcome by them and have dinner together.
Stay overnight with Host Families Santi Suk Sub-district, Phan District, Chiang Rai
Monday, January 18
Morning Breakfast with Host Families. Today is an opportunity to spend time with a Thai family and learn about their way of life.
Lunch
Afternoon Baan Ruammit School and Village, Mae Yao Sub-district, Muang District, Chiang Rai to meet with young students and people who are minority hill tribes people. The Karen village of Ruammit is on the lower Mae Kok River and in 1987 when Thailand launched its massive tourist program with Visit Thailand Year, Ruammit was a tiny river village with very little exposure to the outside world. A close by village, Baan Thaton, was still a little heard of hamlet where the people still considered one side of the village of be in Burma and the other to be in Thailand. And, another, Mae Salong was one of the most remote and one of the most dangerous villages on the Thai – Burma border. All of this began to change by 1990, and now, these three areas are important population centers where life continues to change quickly and where improvements have made the many peoples of the area more affluent and better able to cope with their daily economic and social needs.
Elephant rides at your own expense.
Stay overnight with Host Families.
Tuesday, January 19
Morning Breakfast
Departure from Chiang Rai Province to Chiang Mai Province.
Lunch
Afternoon Visit the Huai Hong Khrai Royal Development Study Centre,
Doi Saket Sub-district, Chiang Mai Province. Huai Hong Khrai Royal Development Study Centre was established under a royal initiative a December 11, 1982 in the area of Khun Mae Kuang National Forest Reserve, Chiang Mai Province. It covers approximately 8,500 rai (1,360 hectares or 3351 acres). H. M .King Bhumibol realized that the area which used to have abundant forests and natural resources was deteriorating. His Majesty thus ordered a study centre set up with the objective to conduct study appropriate development methods which suited the development needs of the Northern Region, especially with regard to conservation of watersheds, reforestation and agricultural development.
Dinner at Ruencomein restaurant in Chiang Mai Province. Montchien and Nid Pinthuprapa, the owners, are the parents of a MU Thai PhD. Engineering student, Chatchai (Toh). They build their house in true Lanna (Northen Thai style) and use local wood. I think it took 7 years. You will experience a true Lanna mea. And she teaches Thai cooking—so it will be fabulous!
Stay overnight Chiang Mai Plaza Hotel
Wednesday, January 20
6.00 – 8.30 a.m Breakfast in hotel
Morning Morning Free to explore old city of Chiang Mai
Lunch
Afternoon Departure from Chiang Mai International Airport to Bangkok
Dinner
**Overnight Menam Hotel
Thursday, January 21
6.00 – 8.30 a.m. Breakfast in hotel
Morning Welcome from our program officer, Mr. John Paul Schutte, Cultural Affairs Officer, The US Embassy, 95 Wireless Road, Bangkok. Presentation on U.S.-Thai relations.
Visit Jim Thompson’s house and Museum, Rama Ι Rd., Bangkok.
Jim Thomson was born Greenville, Delaware, in 1906. During WW!!, he joined the US army. This was a turning point in his life. He was a member of the US Office of Strategic Services (OSS), during WWII. He spent time in Asia, America, Europe and Africa. After the War Thompson decided to settle in Thailand and ended up reviving the silk weaving industry. Because of Thompson’s effort, Thai silk has become known worldwide and he is called the King of Thai silk. Because his love of Thai arts, he bought five Thai houses from Ayutthaya and one from Bankruanua then combined them into 6 twin Thai houses. They were decorated with valuable antiques and artifacts among perennial plants near Klong Sansap.
Lunch MBK Food Court! Great fun!
Afternoon and Evening: Free
**Overnight Menam Hotel
Friday, January 22
6.00 – 8.30 a.m. Breakfast in hotel
Morning Closing Ceremony/Director-General of CDD or Representative gives certificates to all participants.
Lunch
Afternoon Evaluation/ Free time
5:50 p.m. Dinner/ Farewell Party
We may have a formal group photo which will represent the GLE program. You will receive certificates this morning, it is a formal part of the program.
Stay overnight at Menam Hotel.
Saturday, January 23
3:30 a.m. Depart Hotel for Bangkok Suvarnabhumi (need 2 hours for international flight)
6:35 a.m. Depart for Tokyo-Chicago United Flight 882
2:15 p.m. Arrive Narita airport, Tokyo
5:55 p.m Depart Narita for Chicago (same flight number)
2:15 p.m. Arrive Chicago (Same Day, isn’t the International Date Line amazing?)
4:55 p.m Depart Chicago for St. Louis United Flight 8007
6:13 p.m. Arrive St. Louis
