SAWADEE! HERE’S A SNEAK PEEK INTO MY WONDEROUS ADVENTURE TO BANGKOK!
by Gan Pei Yun (Grace)
SMU-X Overseas Course: GA308 Overseas Project Experience (Applied Social Sciences in Globalised Asia): Exploring Social Change in Bangkok
Destination: Bangkok, Thailand
About the course
Millions of tourists visit Bangkok annually, drawn by its rich history, culture, and creativity, yet political tensions, economic disparities, and social inequalities remain hidden from view. The city's dense urban landscape intensifies issues like pollution, rising temperatures, and mental health problems. Over decades, NGOs have tackled these challenges, addressing migrant worker support, human trafficking, HIV/AIDS, and sexual violence. This course delves into disability issues in Thailand and the success factors of social change programs through sociology, communication, and management. Partnering with UNESCAP, Mahidol University, and Nakhon Pathom School for the Deaf, we developed solutions for social inclusion, studied Thai culture, and learned about public communication for social change. An 11-day fieldwork and cultural immersion trip to Bangkok allowed us to meet social changemakers and present our project deliverables to local stakeholders.
Reflection/Testimonial
Through the course, I was able to deepen my knowledge in the scene of disability, exploring the vast efforts done within Thailand and discover what else could be done to heighten the impacts of those efforts. Beyond just knowledge and theories within seminar slides and textbook, the course provides students with an immersive experience, connecting us with students from Mahidol University to touch on disability topics on a much deeper level, interacting with stakeholders on the ground to gain a more holistic and comprehensive view on the subject matter. Through the experience we were also able to forge lifelong friendships with our Thai friends! What stuck out to me most was attending the Nakhon Pathom School for The Deaf. The students and teachers within Nakhon Pathom were incredibly patient, welcoming us to their compound with warmth and much hospitality. We were also able to learn conversational sign language bridging our communication gap. Through the 11 days in Thailand, apart from academics, we visited various local farms such as the lotus farm, rice field farm, and many more! The scenery there was breathtaking, the hospitality of Thai locals was as passionate as the heat in the country, and the experience of going to the unbeaten tracks of Thailand was simply magical! This course not only imparted valuable knowledge but also helped us grow as global citizens, broadening our horizons and opening our hearts to the humanities and possibilities within our geography.