Social Transformations in India, Myanmar, and Thailand: Volume II: Identity and Grassroots for Democratic: Progress

This book explores the multifaceted obstacles to social change that India, Myanmar and Thailand face, and ways to overcome them. With a collection of essays that identify common challenges and salient features affecting diverse communities, this volume examines topics from subnational and local perspectives across the peripheries. The book argues that identity-based divisions have created a system of oppression and political contention that have led to conflicts of different kinds, and hence serving as the common cause of different social issues. At the same time, such issues have created space for marginalized groups around the world to call for change. The volume recognizes that social transformation comes into being through an active process of deconstructing and reconstructing shared norms and ideas. The contents in this book are thus centered around two focuses: The impacts of identities and grassroots. Both of these aspects are at the heart of each country's transformations towards democracy, peace, justice, and freedom. Under this framework, the chapters cover a diverse range of common issues, such as, minority grievances, gender inequality, ethnic identity, grassroots power in alliance-making towards community peace, recovery and resilience, digital freedom, democracy assistance and communication, and bridging multiple divides. As identity-based cleavages are daily lived experiences for individuals and communities, it requires grassroots initiatives and alliances as well as democratic communication to tackle obstacles at the root. Ultimately, the book convinces readers that social transformations must begin at the individual to communal level and local to national level. © The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2022.

Do Academic Stress, Academic Burnout, Resilience Influence Student Achievement Motivation?

Distress in online learning issues that have caused student stress, burnout and influenced student motivation achievement in the post-COVID-19 pandemic. The survey's primary purpose was to understand the effect of academic stress, burnout, and resilience on student achievement motivation. It consisted of 152 participants of Thai and international students who filled out the questionnaires. The data were analyzed utilizing SPSS (demographic data) and Smart PLS 3. The results denoted a direct and significant influence of academic stress on burnout and resilience on achievement motivation, a positive and insignificant impact of stress on resilience and burnout on achievement motivation, and a negative and non-significant influence of stress on achievement motivation and burnout on resilience. © 2023 IEEE.

FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH STRESS LEVELS AMONG THAI FARMERS DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC

The coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has resulted in increased stress levels among Thai farmers, which can negatively impact their physical and mental health. This study aimed to determine the factors associated with stress among farmers in order to inform efforts to support the mental health of this population. Study subjects were Thai farmers in Kanchanaburi Province, Thailand. Subjects were purposely selected from Thai farmers aged ≥20 years in the study province. The minimum number of subjects calculated to be needed for the study was 250. Study subjects were asked to complete a questionnaire that asked about demographics, work experience, the impact of COVID-19, their self-perceived stress levels, the presence of selected factors that could influence stress and a Thai version of the Job Content Questionnaire developed by Phakthongsuk and Apakupakul. The questionnaire results were interpreted using the Karasek Job Demand-Control model, which is a model used to identify workplace stressors. The questionnaire was scored with a total possible number of 0-241 points, where a score of 0-144 points was defined as having a low stress level and a score of ≥145 points was defined as having a high stress level. The study was conducted during June-September 2021. We used multivariable logistic regression analysis to identify factors significantly associated with a high stress level. A total of 144 subjects were included in the study;59.7% male. The mean (±standard deviation) age of subjects was 52.1 (±12.9) (range: 22-65) years. 59.7% of subjects had low stress levels and 40.3% had high stress levels. On multivariate analysis the factors significantly associated with a high stress level were: lack of agricultural investment (the inadequate availability of agricultural funding) (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 8.94;95% confidence interval (CI): 1.02-78.44;p=0.04) and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on psychological stress (aOR = 3.20;95% CI: 1.16-8.78;p=0.03). Factors not significantly associated with stress were: age, marital status and work experience. In summary, the factors associated with high stress levels among study subjects were lack of agricultural investment and impact of COVID-19. We conclude, a program to improve the mental health of the study population needs to deal with the problem of agricultural investment and the effect of COVID-19. Further studies are needed to determine if a program that addresses these issues can practically improve stress levels in the study population. © 2023, SEAMEO TROPMED Network. All rights reserved.

Gambling-Motivated Market Attention and Stock Market Volatility

Retail investors show gambling preferences and pay greater attention to the market than individual stocks. Previous studies report a positive and significant relationship between market attention and volatility. This relationship results from the joint effects of attention to investment-motivated and gambling-motivated components. However, the separate roles of these two components have not yet been examined. Hence, this study applied principal component analysis to identify the gambling-motivated component from market attention and gambling-related variables. The investment-motivated component is the regression residual of the market's attention paid to the gambling-motivated component. This study linearly relates these two components to volatility. The generalized method of moments regression was used to resolve endogeneity problems and biased estimates. The Google search volume index is a proxy for unobserved retail investors' market attention. Using a daily sample of the Thai market from August 6, 2008, to September 30, 2022 (a total of 3,450 observations), this study found a positive relationship between market attention and stock market volatility. This relationship results from the positive effects of both investment-motivated and gambling-motivated components. Attention to gambling is more influential than attention to investment. The explanatory powers of gambling-attention and investment-attention for volatility were 81.33% and 18.67%, respectively. These effects were less pronounced during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Esophageal Mucosal Calcinosis: A Rare Site of Calcium Deposition in End-Stage Renal Disease

Introduction: Calciphylaxis, otherwise known as calcium uremic arteriolopathy, is defined as calcium deposition around blood vessels in skin and fat tissue which occurs in 1-4% of patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Calcium deposition in the esophagus is extremely rare;to date, there have been only 4 cases reported worldwide. We report the fifth case of esophageal mucosal calcinosis occurring in a young male with ESRD. Case Description/Methods: A 37-year-old Thai man with ESRD on peritoneal dialysis since 2005 presented with generalized weakness and odynophagia due to oral ulcers, resulting in poor PO intake. He denied drinking alcohol, illicit drug use, or smoking. On exam his abdomen was soft, non-distended, non-tender, without any guarding. Past medical history included hypertension and COVID-19 in January 2022. Laboratory tests revealed neutropenia and pancytopenia, hyperphosphatemia, and hypocalcemia. EGD revealed distal esophageal esophagitis and hemorrhagic erosive gastropathy. Biopsy showed ulcerative esophagitis with dystrophic calcification, consistent with esophageal mucosal calcinosis .No intestinal metaplasia was noted. Immunohistochemistry was negative for CMV, HSV1, and HSV2. The patient was treated with pantoprazole 40mg IV every 12 hours, Magic Mouthwash 5ml qid, and Carafate 10mg qid. He was transferred to a cancer center where he had a bone marrow biopsy formed which was negative. His symptoms resolved and the patient was discharged to home (Figure). Discussion(s): Esophageal mucosal calcinosis is extremely rare. It is due to a combination of factors involving acidosis and the phenotypic differentiation (and apoptosis) of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC) into chondrocytes or osteoblast-like cells. These changes, along with the passive accumulation of calcium and phosphate, induce calcification. Acidosis is well-known to promote inflammation of the arterial walls, releasing cytokines that induce vascular calcification. The benefits of treatment with sodium thiosulfate remain unclear. An ample collection of cases should help devise standardized treatment options and establish management guidelines for this condition.

Effects of Covid-19 Pandemic on Surface Water Quality: A Case Study in Hong-Thai Binh River, Vietnam

The Covid-19 epidemic that appeared and broke out from the end of 2019 until now has contributed to limiting human production and emissions. As a result, the quality of the global environment tends to be good, including the water environment. The impact of the Covid-19 epidemic on the water environment has been studied by us in the Hong-Thai Binh river of Vietnam. Data at 30 water monitoring points on the Hong-Thai Binh in the period of 2018 - 2021 were used to calculate water pollution indexes including: Comprehensive Polluted Index (CPI), Organic Pollution Index (OPI) and Trace Metal Pollution Index (TPI). The results show that the average values of all three indicators CPI, OPI, TPI on the Hong-Thai Binh river in the period of during the Covid-19 (from 2020 to 2021) were higher than their values before (from 2018 to 2019). This implies that the blockade and social distancing activities implemented during Vietnam's Covid-19 epidemic have disrupted production activities and reduced the amount of waste discharged into the Hong-Thai Binh river. As a result the river water quality has been improved. To protect the water quality of the Hong-Thai Binh river in particular and the quality of the water environment in general, measures to strictly control waste sources and transform the economy from linear to circular are recommended solutions for Vietnamese government in the post-Covid-19.

The Development of E-health Literacy Indicators for Older Thai Adults in Adjusting to Live with the New Normal Lifestyle

The COVID-19 pandemic severely affected people of all ages, particularly affecting how they adapted themselves to the new normal lifestyle. However, these effects were especially observed in the older adults. Subsequently, the purpose of this study was to develop e-health literacy indicators for older Thai adults in adjusting to live with the new normal lifestyle. In addition, this study collected data to empirically test the hypothesized model with e-health literacy indicators model for older Thai adults. Respondents of the study were 410 older Thai adults, living or working in Bangkok and its vicinity. An exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were performed to validate the factor structures obtained by EFA. These factor structures were validated through the first order of CFA;and the indicators and components found were: 1) media and information literacy component, with 19 indicators;2) computer and social media literacy component, with 12 indicators;3) COVID-19 literacy component, with 9 indicators;4) healthcare literacy component, with 11 indicators;and 5) health risk literacy component, with 5 indicators. The second order of CFA proved that the e-health literacy indicators model had an acceptable fit with Chisquare/ df = 2.41, RMSEA = 0.06, GFI = 0.95, NFI = 0.99, CN = 204.13. These findings potentially contribute towards facilitating the ease of living for older Thai adults, capable of using social media literately on a daily basis while maintaining personal self-care standards in accordance with the recognized new normal guidelines. © Behavioral Science Research Institute

Semantic-based Thai Recipe Recommendation

Nowadays, people are constantly affected by epidemics such as COVID-19. To reduce the risk of acquiring germs in the community, people's lifestyles have been changed, and they are more inclined to cook for themselves. Typically, people can usually quickly and easily find recipe information via websites and applications. The resulting recipes consist of ingredients as specified by the user. Unfortunately, users often have ingredients that disappear in available cooking recipes. This makes the system is unable to recommend all relevant recipes to users, although the users can use the existing ingredients instead of the ingredients specified in the recipes. Based on this limitation, this research proposes a semantic-based Thai cooking recipe recommendation system which can recommend recipes based on the ingredient substitutes. This research uses existing Thai food ontology to retrieve substitute ingredients based on three different ingredient properties, such as smell, taste, and texture. To recommend cooking recipes, the system expands the given user queries with substitute ingredients and then calculates similarities between all queries and each cooking recipe. Recipes with high similarities are presented and ranked to users. To evaluate the performances, precision, recall and f-measure are applied. The experiments demonstrate that the proposed method performs well with 0.96, 0.72, and 0.82 in precision, recall, and f-measure respectively.

Exploring the Effectiveness of the Implemented Sufficient Economy Education Curriculum during Covid-19 Pandemic

This study explores the effectiveness of the integrated self-sufficient education curriculum developed in Dek Thai Kaem Sai for primary and secondary schools. A qualitative research methodology where a total number of nine (9) participants were selected using a nonprobability approach. Questions concern the awareness and effectiveness of implementing and integrating sufficient economy curriculum to the regular education curriculum. Response were analysed using thematic and discourse analysis. The findings reveal that the curriculum was adequate for the target audience, but the teachers implementing the curriculum also gained knowledge in their various homes. Also, there is an attitudinal and behavioural change from students by choosing organic foods over inorganic and junk foods. The findings further reveal that the implementation of this curriculum limit the negative economic effect of covid-19 movement restriction because several family households near the school environment have farms where plant and animals are raised. Thus, when covid-19 struck, the community had alternatives. Despite the significant effect of the curriculum, it is not clear if wider schools could be able to adopt this practice. This study assessed the effectiveness of the integrated self-sufficient education curriculum developed in Dek Thai Kaem Sai for primary and secondary schools. A qualitative research methodology where selective participants were selected using a nonprobability approach. The findings further reveal that implementing this curriculum limits the negative economic effect of covid-19 movement restriction because several family households near the school environment have farms where plants and animals are raised. Thus, when covid-19 struck, the community had alternatives. © 2023 Authors. All rights reserved.

Possible autoimmune pediatric encephalitis following COVID-19 infection with focal cerebral dysfunction in a young female: A case report

Introduction: Post-COVID-19 autoimmune encephalitis is a rare manifestation following COVID-19. Most cases have not demonstrated solid evidence regarding their pathogenesis. Some believe it to be an immune process. Case presentation: In this case report, we present a case of a young female who presented to our emergency department with visual, auditory, and olfactory hallucinations after successfully treating COVID-19 two weeks prior to this visit. On examination, her vital signs were stable, but she was agitated, distressed, and hallucinating. Neurological examinations were normal. Laboratory investigations, including autoimmune profiles, were all negative. Magnetic resonance imaging of the brain showed non-specific changes in the bilateral frontal area. Electroencephalography (EEG) showed lateralized rhythmic delta activity (LRDA) arising more from the right occipital lobes. Autoimmune psychosis was suspected due to psychosis, abnormal imaging, and abnormal EEG findings. She was given corticosteroids and antipsychotic medication. Her symptoms improved within ten days. On follow-up, she remained well without any return of psychosis. Conclusion(s): Possible autoimmune pediatric encephalitis following COVID-19 is a rare entity that has scarcely been reported. The majority of the cases were reported to have been related to stress following the infection. To establish the correct diagnosis, an extensive workup, including an autoimmune profile, lumbar puncture, magnetic resonance imaging, and electroencephalography, is recommended.Copyright © 2022 The Author(s)

Tourists' Hotel Booking Preferences Changed by the COVID-19 Outbreak

This study aims to identify the characteristics and behaviors of Thai tourists during the pandemic, to investigate the marketing factors in tourism affecting their hotel reservations during the pandemic, and to analyze which marketing factors in tourism have affected their decisions on hotel reservations during the pandemic. Online questionnaires were used to collect data from 385 people. The data was analyzed by descriptive statistics and a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), while the hypotheses were tested by inferential statistics. The results indicated that Thai tourists considered significant factors in tourism marketing. It included hotel products, room rates, reservation channels, promotions, personnel, features, and services. Furthermore, the hypothesis test indicated that Thai tourists had different hotel reservation behaviors during the pandemic. Gender, age, region, occupation, monthly income, travel goal, accommodation type, length of stay, travel companion, and reservation channel played a statistically significant role at 0.05. Therefore, this study will support hoteliers in planning their strategy to handle situations during the pandemic and prepare for another health crisis in the future. Furthermore, it will benefit the hotel industry by showing ways to develop and improve their products and services to meet tourist demand during a pandemic. © 2023, ASERS Publishing House. All rights reserved.

Depressive symptoms among Thai male seafarers during the COVID-19 pandemic: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Prevalence of depressive symptoms among seafarers is higher than the general population because of their unique work conditions. Factors that can be changed must be considered and promptly addressed in order to decrease the prevalence of depression. This study aims to clarify the prevalence of depressive symptoms and its related factors among Thai seafarers in an effort to contribute to policies and to prevent depression among Thai seafarers. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted among 381 male seafarers working onboard ocean-going vessels of five Thai shipping companies. The questionnaire items comprised of personal factors, working factors and depressive symptoms. Depressive symptoms were assessed using the Thai version of the Patient Health Questionnaire-9. First, the chi-square test was used for univariate analysis. Then, variables significantly associated by the chi-square test were used for multivariate logistic regression analysis (employing the stepwise method) as independent variables. RESULTS: The average age of participants in this study was 36.4 years. Prevalence of depressive symptoms was 19.5%. One half of the participants (58.3%) reported subjective sleep problems, and most (75.1%) experienced poor coping behaviors. Two thirds (67.5%) were officers, and 10.1% of participants reported that they sometimes or never performed occupational safety behaviors. Regarding work environments, 62.2% reported that their work was disturbed from performing repetitive tasks. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed two personal factors; sleep problems (Adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR) = 7.97, 95% Confidence interval (CI) = 3.52-18.05) and poor coping behaviors (AOR = 4.46, 95%CI = 1.61-12.34), and three working factors; job assignment (AOR = 2.50, 95%CI = 1.33-4.70), inadequate occupational safety behaviors (AOR = 4.51, 95%CI = 1.85-11.01) and performing repetitive task (AOR = 2.27, 95%CI = 1.16-4.45), were significantly associated with depression. CONCLUSION: During COVID-19 pandemic, 19.5% of Thai male seafarers had depressive symptoms. Personal and working factors including subjective sleep problems, poor coping behaviors, job assignment, performing inadequate occupational safety behaviors and performing repetitive tasks were risk factors of depressive symptoms among Thai male seafarers. Monitoring work environment rigorously and coping with work-related stress of the occupational safety behaviors program should be suggested.

The Impact of Gastronomic Tourism on Thailand Economy: Under the Situation of COVID-19 Pandemic.

With the COVID-19 pandemic's complexity and inexorable devastation, this research article attempts to forecast Thailand's economic move forward through gastronomic tourism promotion. The dynamic input-output (I-O) model was the primary method for classifying gastronomic activities in tourism I-O data, which was investigated sector by sector. The Ministry of Tourism and Sports in Bangkok, Thailand, officially gathered the 2017 I-O table. To briefly explain the empirical results, it found that the main sectors of gastronomic tourism that highly impact Thailand's economy are the processing and preserving of foods, other foods, food and beverage serving activities, and other food services. In terms of forecasting during the period of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Bayesian Structural Time Series (BSTS) based on the dynamic input-output (I-O) model suggests that approximately 1% to 2% of Thailand's gastronomic tourism will be able to contribute to the GDP of this country substantially. By the way, if this research result is significant, then both the private sector and the government sector need to be concerned and promote those sectors as much as they can.

Plant ingredients in Thai food: a well-rounded diet for natural bioactive associated with medicinal properties.

Background: Seeking cures for chronic inflammation-associated diseases and infectious diseases caused by critical human pathogens is challenging and time-consuming. Even as the research community searches for novel bioactive agents, consuming a healthy diet with functional ability might be an effective way to delay and prevent the progression of severe health conditions. Many plant ingredients in Thai food are considered medicinal, and these vegetables, herbs, and spices collectively possess multiple biological and pharmacological activities, such as anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antidiabetic, antipyretic, anticancer, hepatoprotective, and cardioprotective effects. Methodology: In this review, the selected edible plants are unspecific to Thai food, but our unique blend of recipes and preparation techniques make traditional Thai food healthy and functional. We searched three electronic databases: PUBMED, Science Direct, and Google Scholar, using the specific keywords "Plant name" followed by "Anti-inflammatory" or "Antibacterial" or "Antiviral" and focusing on articles published between 2017 and 2021. Results: Our selection of 69 edible and medicinal plant species (33 families) is the most comprehensive compilation of Thai food sources demonstrating biological activities to date. Focusing on articles published between 2017 and 2021, we identified a total of 245 scientific articles that have reported main compounds, traditional uses, and pharmacological and biological activities from plant parts of the selected species. Conclusions: Evidence indicates that the selected plants contain bioactive compounds responsible for anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and antiviral properties, suggesting these plants as potential sources for bioactive agents and suitable for consumption for health benefits.

Post COVID-19 infection associated IgA vasculitis

Background/Purpose: IgA vasculitis is the most common vasculitis affecting children. Vasculitis can be associated with the inflammatory process following infections, involving single or multiple organs. COVID-19 associated vasculitides have been reported variously, mostly Kawasaki-like features, livedo reticularis and rarely cutaneous small vessels vasculitis. Recently, there have been reports of IgA vasculitis following COVID-19 infection in children, although data among Asians are scarce. Method(s): Case report Results: We herein report a case of a previously healthy 6-year- old Thai boy with history of COVID-19 infection 4 weeks earlier, with only mild upper respiratory tract symptoms treated by a 5 day-course of favipiravir and supportive medication. He presented with rash over both lower limbs with difficulty to bear weight for a week. He denied fever, abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, or any abnormal urinary symptoms. Physical examination revealed palpable purpura distributed on both lower legs with pain in his left foot and difficulty in bearing weight. His blood pressure was unremarkable for age at 97/67 mmHg. The initial investigations showed complete blood count with white cell count of 8.9 x 103/muL (neutrophils 47.3% and lymphocytes 42.4%), hemoglobin of 13.6 g/dL, which had no anemia for his age and platelet count of 297 x 103/muL. His urinalysis showed 2-3 red blood cells and 0-1 white blood cells per high power field without proteinuria and normal renal function. The erythrocyte sediment rate was 11 mm/hr and c-reactive protein was 3.9 mg/L, which were in normal range. He was diagnosed as IgA vasculitis and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug was prescribed to alleviate arthralgia of left foot. A week later, he revisited due to pain and swelling at his left scrotum. He was diagnosed as orchitis, one of the clinical manifestations of IgA vasculitis that can occur in boys. He had ongoing palpable purpura on the legs but pain at the left foot subsided. He then received oral prednisolone for the indication of orchitis at the dosage of 1 mg/kg/day with subsequent tapering for total duration of 3 weeks. All of his symptoms completely resolved. Conclusion(s): We present the interesting case of a Thai boy clinically diagnosed with IgA vasculitis following COVID-19 infection, having the clinical manifestations of palpable purpura, arthralgia, and orchitis. There are very limited data about post COVID-19- associated IgA vasculitis in children, especially in the Asian population. We would like to highlight this condition for physicians and to raise the awareness in the COVID-19 era.

Covid-19 vaccine hesitancy and the effectiveness of vaccination education in thai patients with systemic lupus erythematosus

Background: Patients with SLE are at high risk of COVID-19 infection due to the disease itself and to steroids and immunosuppressive treatments. COVID-19 vaccine is crucial for reducing the severity and spread of the virus. However, vaccine hesitancy is a significant barrier to infection control. Accurate vaccine information contributes to increased vaccine acceptance. There is a lack of research on vaccine hesitancy and educational interventions in patients with SLE. Objective(s): The current study determines the prevalence and reasons for vaccine hesitancy in patients with SLE. Additionally, we evaluate the effectiveness of educational interventions. Method(s): This prospective study enrolled 305 patients with SLE between July and December 2021. The data included demographics, disease activity as measured by the Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Disease Activity Index 2000 (SLEDAI-2 K), and medication. A score of >4 on the SLEDAI-2 K or >3 on the modified SLEDAI-2 K indicated active disease. Each patient completed a vaccination questionnaire before receiving the COVID-19 vaccination. We identified vaccine hesitancy rate and three main concerns regarding efficacy, side effects, and disease interference. Vaccine information was then provided, including the risks and benefits of vaccination following a standardized guideline. During the follow-up, the first vaccination was documented as vaccination acceptance. The factors associated with vaccine hesitancy were investigated using multivariate analysis. A P-value of 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Result(s): The majority of patients (94.4%) were female, with an average age of 46.6 years and a disease duration of 13.5 years. A mean period between follow-ups was 18.8 weeks. Half of patients (50.2%) had a low level of education. Only 23% of patients had active disease. Steroids and immunosuppressive treatment were 57.4 and 42.0%, respectively. COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy was observed in 86 (28.2%) of patients, with 36 (11.8%) refusing vaccination and 50 (16.4%) remaining indecisive. Concerns regarding the vaccination's efficacy were stated by 24.3 percent of all patients, 70.2 percent concerning side effects, and 70.5 percent about the vaccine exacerbating SLE activity. The educational intervention boosted vaccination acceptance from 71.8% to 94.1% in patients who were previously hesitant to vaccination. Low level of education was the only factor associated with vaccine hesitancy (P = 0.018). Conclusion(s): COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy is low in Thai patients with SLE. Most individuals are concerned about the vaccine's adverse effects and negative impact on SLE activity. Patients with a low level of education are prone to exhibit vaccine hesitancy. Appropriate vaccine education significantly increases vaccination acceptability.

Preventive Behaviors and Influencing Factors among Thai Residents in Endemic Areas during the Highest Epidemic Peak of the COVID-19 Outbreak.

This research aims to investigate COVID-19 preventive behavior and influencing factors among Thai residents during the highest epidemic peak of COVID-19. Nine hundred and forty-six residents in five districts with high COVID-19 infection cases in Thailand were systematically included in this cross-sectional survey. The results showed that 87.2% and 65.2% of the residents had a high level of general knowledge and preventive measures, respectively. As to COVID-19 attitudes, poor levels of attitude among Thai residents were found in risk perception (53.6%) and mistrust issues (70.4%). Moreover, this study presents good preventive behavior (77.0%) among Thai residents. Multiple logistic regression showed that the influence factors of COVID-19 preventive behavior were the young age group (AOR 2.97, 95% CI 1.68-5.25), high income (AOR 1.38, 95% CI 1.03-1.86), and high level of general COVID-19 knowledge (AOR 2.21, 95% CI 1.64-2.96). The conclusion was that providing information on COVID-19 via social media was the key mechanism of policy action for increasing the level of COVID-19 preventive behavior during the highest epidemic peak in Thailand. In addition, the pandemic preparedness and response policy, with resident participation and involvement, could be recommended for the resilience of pandemic preparedness.

Digital inequalities at high schools in Thailand: A survey-based exploration leading to expert-backed bridging strategies

Purpose: The purpose of this research is to explore the accessibility of online education for high school students in Thailand. It especially focuses on identifying the inequalities among Thai students in terms of availability of IT hardware, internet access, and IT skills by comparing the results of surveys of students in urban areas with those from students in rural areas within Thailand. Based on these findings and input from experts in the Thai education system, strategies to reduce digital inequalities are presented. Design/methodology/approach: To fulfill the objectives of this research, primary data is collected through online surveys with Thai high school students in order to explore digital inequalities. Additionally, semi-structured interviews with experts on Thai education are conducted in order to evaluate the findings from the students' survey responses and to generate bridging strategies. Moreover, a regional comparison based on findings from research conducted in neighboring countries will enable an analysis of the findings in an international context. Findings: This research provides information and insights into digital inequalities existing in the Thai education system. It reveals insights into the availability of IT hardware and access to the internet for online education, as well as the IT skills of high school students across Thailand. It highlights the differences in these areas between urban and rural locations within the country. Based on these findings, expert-backed recommendations are provided to bridge these inequalities. Originality/value: The demand for IT in education is increasing significantly. Recent developments, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, have accelerated such trends. These rapid evolutions need to be explored regularly in order to inform appropriate intervention strategies. Therefore, this research contributes to academia and enhances the ability of stakeholders and decision-makers in Thailand's education sector to respond effectively to the increasing digital inequalities experienced by Thai high school students. © 2022 International Consortium for Electronic Business. All rights reserved.

Were Fleet Planning Problems Responsible for the Collapse of Thai Air Carriers?A Preliminary Case Study of One-Two-Go Airlines

The unprecedented growth of the Thai air transport sector that commenced in the early 2000s attracted at least 30 new air carriers into the country's airline market. However, a substantial number of them went bankrupt even before the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the world aviation industry. This study hypothesised that flawed fleet planning was behind the collapse of many carriers in Thailand. One-Two-Go Airlines, the "low-fare” carrier owned by Orient Thai Airlines, was used as a case study. The hypothesis was initially tested by evaluating whether the One-Two-Go fleet of aircraft was in line with the low-cost airline business model and aircraft selection principles commonly adopted by many low-cost carriers worldwide. The preliminary findings indicated that the way the airline planned, acquired, and managed its aircraft did not appear to be the key factor behind its collapse. Rather, a negative brand image derived from safety concerns after the crash of Flight 269 was a key factor causing the airline to cease operations. © 2022, Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Women University. All rights reserved.

Optimal Typeface and Type Size on Thai Drug Labeling and Drug Documentation: A Recommendation for Legal Development

Background An earlier study by Punsongserm and Suvakunta (2022) investigated how using proper typefaces and type sizes on Thai drug packages and patient information leaflets affects reading times and participants' satisfaction. The study was an initial review of the use of Thai typefaces focusing on typeface classifications and type sizes. The study also conducted a pilot study with participants who read small sample text cards that varied by typeface and type size. To extend the results of the previous study, this current study is a set. Methods First, we conducted a literature review about guidelines and regulations governing typefaces and type sizes on drug labeling and drug documentation, followed by an investigation of word accuracy identification in reading Thai transliterated words on drug documentation. Later, we measured user preference in different typefaces and type sizes through user manuals of the SARSCoV-2 Antigen Test Kit (ATK) with and without wearing cataract-experiencing goggles. Results The conventional text typefaces with distinctive key letter features have a lower misreading in word accuracy. Also, the most satisfaction in the user preference test importantly indicate a user manual that provides a conventional text font with a larger type size. The international guidelines recommend a minimum type size of 6 points or 1.4 mm of x-height. In contrast, Thailand's national regulation suggests a minimum size between a Bo Baimai height of 1–2 mm for food labels and more than 2 mm for drug products. However, we recommend that a Thai type size may be 1.3–2 mm of Bo Baimai height for reading body text, and the type size for headlines and subheads should be more remarkable. The use of smaller type sizes needs a case-bycase evaluation basis based on legibility and readability. Conclusions The present study examines how using proper typefaces and type sizes on Thai drug packages, patient information leaflets, and medical products affects reading accuracy and participants' satisfaction. The study suggests that using illegible typeface and very small type size on many Thai drug packages, patient information leaflets, and medical products may be inappropriate and not serve a variety of readers. Therefore, the review and enforcement of the law should be considered in conjunction with developing guidelines and regulations based on user-centered care. © This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons. org/licenses/bync/3.0/), which permits unrestricted educational and noncommercial use, provided the original work is properly cited.