Journal of Social Work and Social Administration

Book Review: In Praise of Floods: The Untamed River and the Life It Brings

Thianchai Surimas — 2025-12-29

หนังสือ In Praise of Floods: The Untamed River and the Life It Brings เป็นผลงานชิ้นสุดท้ายของเจมส์ ซี. สก็อตต์ (James C. Scott) ที่ถูกตีพิมพ์หลังจากที่สก็อตต์เสียชีวิตไปในปี 2025 สก็อตต์เป็นนักรัฐศาสตร์และนักมานุษยวิทยาที่เขียนหนังสือเกี่ยวกับเอเชียตะวันออกเฉียงใต้ไว้หลายเล่ม เช่น Weapons of the Weak ที่นำเสนอเรื่องการต่อสู้ของผู้อ่อนแอผ่านการเมืองในชีวิตประจำวัน ซึ่งเป็นงานเขียนที่มีการกล่าวถึงอย่างมากในแวดวงรัฐศาสตร์และการพัฒนา นอกจากนี้ ยังมีหนังสือเรื่อง Seeing Like a State รวมทั้ง The Art of Not Being Governed และ Against the Grain ที่นำเสนอผ่านความสัมพันธ์ของคน รัฐ การพัฒนา และภาคเกษตรกรรม หนังสือทั้งหมดข้างต้นล้วนอธิบายด้วยแนวคิดด้านการเมืองและรัฐศาสตร์ ผ่านการทำงานของรัฐ การควบคุมผู้คน และการพัฒนาในภูมิภาคอย่างลึกซึ้ง งานเขียนของสก็อตต์มีความโดดเด่นในการนำเสนอข้อมูลภาคสนามเชิงชาติพันธุ์วรรณนา (Ethnographic fieldwork) และการตีความ (Interpretation) ที่เฉียบคม สำหรับหนังสือ In Praise of Floods: The Untamed River and the Life It Brings ยังคงนำเสนอแนวคิดที่น่าสนใจทางการเมืองและการพัฒนาเช่นเดิม แต่หนังสือเล่มนี้มีความแตกต่างจากงานที่กล่าวมาข้างต้น เพราะสก็อตต์หันมาสำรวจและศึกษาชีวประวัติของแม่น้ำแทนการอธิบายผ่านความเป็นไปของผู้คน โดยเฉพาะแม่น้ำอิรวดี (Ayeyarwady) ในประเทศเมียนมา ผู้วิพากษ์เลือกหนังสือเล่มนี้เพื่อสะท้อนมุมมองอื่นในวิกฤติสิ่งแวดล้อมที่โลกกำลังเผชิญ และวิพากษ์หนังสือเล่มนี้บนฐานความรู้และประสบการณ์ของผู้ที่ศึกษาเรื่องแม่น้ำและการพัฒนา มาตลอดเกือบสิบปีที่ผ่านมา

Health Literacy on Thailand's Medical Cannabis Policy

Napintorn Sirithai — 2025-12-29

Since the introduction of Thailand’s medical cannabis policy, public awareness and engagement have increased significantly. This quantitative study aimed to examine health literacy regarding Thailand’s medical cannabis policy. Data were collected from 365 Thai residents aged 15 years and over, using the questionnaire which was validated by the index of Item-Objective Congruence ranging from 0.6 to 1.0 with obtaining a reliability coefficient of 0.8972.
The sample was obtained through quota sampling across adolescents, working-age adults, and older adults, followed by purposive sampling. Descriptive statistics (frequency, percentage, median, and quartile deviation) and a one-sample t-test was used for data analysis.

Key findings reveal nearly half of the respondents (47.7%) had fair health literacy about the medical cannabis policy, followed by a poor level (37.8%). More than 70% of the sample had health literacy not exceeding the fair level, which did not support the preset hypothesis. By age group, over half of adolescents (53.1%) had fair overall health literacy, while nearly half of older adults (47.4%) were at a poor level. Regarding specific domains, more than half of the respondents (58.6%) had fair health literacy in the “understanding” domain, with the highest proportion among working-age adults (64.7%), followed by older adults (56.8%) and adolescents (54.7%). In contrast, nearly half of the sample demonstrated poor literacy in the “communication” domain. These findings can inform relevant agencies in developing policies to strengthen health literacy, particularly among youth and older adults, to promote the appropriate use of medical cannabis in Thailand.

Needs Assessment for Developing Digital Skill of Teachers and Education Personnel Under Bangkok Office of Learning Encouragement

Sawarose Wongchandee — 2025-12-29

The objective of this research was to analyze the needs for developing digital skills of teachers and education personnel in the Bangkok Office of Learning Encouragement. The sample group using multi-stage random sampling consisted of 204 government teachers and public sector employees. Data was collected from a dual-response questionnaire and was analyzed by descriptive statistics, including mean and standard deviation, and the Modified Priority Needs Index (PNI_modified) technique which was used to prioritize the needs. The findings concluded that service workers had the following priorities for digital skills development needs: Experience aspect (PNI_modified = 0.25) Knowledge aspect (PNI_modified = 0.24) Ability aspect (PNI_modified = 0.23) Characteristics in terms of knowledge aspect (PNI_modified = 0.19)

Perceptions of Gratitude Among Youth Recovering from Substance Abuse

Natsarin Saesa — 2025-12-29

This article forms part of a research project on the development of a compassionate coexistence ecosystem in an aging society through nurturing gratitude to promote purpose in the lives of vulnerable youth. The objective of the research was to describe the perception of gratitude among youth who had previously demonstrated substance abuse behaviors and who were receiving treatment at a Pondok school in Songkhla Province. Inclusion criteria consisted of Thai nationals aged 15 to 25 years who were able to communicate in the Thai language, and who were willing to participate in this study. The data collection was conducted for six months between August 2022 and January 2023. Data were gathered through in-depth interviews and participant and non-participant observation, and subsequently analyzed by modifying Strauss and Corbin’s grounded theory.

The results illustrated that perceptions of gratitude among vulnerable youths who previously had substance abuse behaviors and who were receiving treatment at a Pondok school represented three areas: (1) loving yourself and not harming yourself, (2) not making parents feel regret, and (3) repaying gratitude to parents and benefactors.

This study, through demonstrating such perceptions of gratitude among vulnerable youths will benefit stakeholders in developing a gratitude model for enhancing purpose in life and wellbeing.

The Implementation of Aging Society Policy in Thailand: A Case Study of Nonthaburi Municipality

Krittinai Ritthichai — 2025-12-29

This study examines the causes and necessities of aging society policies in Nonthaburi Municipality, analyzes their implementation from 2002 to 2021, and identifies conditions influencing their success or failure. Using a qualitative approach, data were collected from seventeen policymakers and policy implementers and analyzed through typological analysis and interpretative synthesis. Findings indicate that declining birth rates and demographic shifts necessitate aging society policies to mitigate social and economic impacts. The success of these policies depends on the capacity of Nonthaburi Municipality to implement them effectively. Community-based solutions, such as Village Health Volunteers and elderly clubs, play a crucial role in policy execution. Additionally, Thailand's Department of Local Administration has established six elderly care standards to enhance quality of life through structured, community-driven support. Despite challenges such as resource constraints and a shortage of trained personnel, the framework reflects Thailand’s commitment to aging welfare. Policy recommendations include promoting behavioral change strategies for healthy living, financial planning, and active aging by learning from international best practice. Further research should explore the role of Thai cultural values in policy adoption and intergenerational support. Additionally, comparative studies of aging policies across ASEAN countries could provide insights for refining Thailand’s approach.

Psycho-Social Antecedent Model of Work Engagement for Passenger Safety in Aircraft Mechanics

Apiwat Arunyaphum — 2025-12-29

Maintaining aircraft according to safety standards for passengers is of utmost importance and is directly related to the work behavior of aircraft mechanics. There is still limited research on the work behavior of aircraft mechanics. This study aims to investigate the psycho-social antecedent model of work engagement for passenger safety. The sample consisted of 405 aircraft mechanics. The data were analyzed using path analysis. A satisfactory fit was found for the adjusted model, which explained 80.90% of the variance in the work behavior of the aircraft mechanics. ( = 55.183, df = 40, p-value = 0.0556, RMSEA = 0.031, CFI = 0.994, TLI = 0.990, SRMR = 0.052) According to the study, psychological state ( = 0.44), psychological trait ( = 0.27), and situation ( = 0.20) were the most important direct influences. The research findings suggest significant policies and recommendations for the organization's improvement of its aircraft mechanics.

Developing Universal Design to Support Tourism for All Creatively and Sustainbly

Wimonpan Thawornprasert — 2025-12-29

This article aims to: (1) explain the development discourse of universal design on universal design in the tourism industry, emphasizing creativity and sustainability for all groups, and (2) propose ways to apply the concept of universal design in tourist areas in Thailand, which will help enhance the capacity to accommodate a diverse range of tourists. This academic article used a secondary data review by gathering data from academic documents, articles, research, news, and related situations.

The study found that: (1) the developing universal design to meet the needs of tourism for all groups creatively and sustainably has to promote equality, reduce inequality, expand the tourist base, enhance the quality of tourist attractions, and promote a positive image of the country; (2) the development of universal design for tourism should emphasize legal and policy development, the enhancement of accessible tourist attractions, the improvement of inclusive tourism services, the promotion of awareness and understanding, and the creation of economic incentives; (3) approaches to applying universal design in Thailand’s tourism sector encompass three key dimensions: accessibility to tourism facilities, legal and policy limitations, and public perception and understanding of the universal design concept; (4) the current situation of universal design in Thailand’s tourism sector starts with public transportation, which plays a crucial role in providing access to tourist destinations. This ranges from urban areas with a high degree of universal design integration to natural tourist attractions.

To ensure that the development of universal design in Thailand's tourism sector can meet the needs of tourism for all groups way, the following recommendations are proposed: (1) policy recommendations include enforcing laws, allocating budgets, and promoting cooperation; (2) practical recommendations include training and developing personnel in the tourism sector and raising awareness; and (3) academic recommendations include supporting research, academic services, and the development of new technologies that can create innovations in design and technology to enhance convenience and safety in tourism.

Looking Backward and Moving Forward: Informal Debt in Thailand and Solutions

Watsaya Peukngam — 2025-12-29

This academic article presents the situation and solutions to the issue of informal debt in Thailand over the past 10 years (2014–2024), as well as the future direction of informal debt. The study uses secondary data through documentary research, examining principles, concepts, theories, related research, academic papers, journals, books, research reports, and information obtained through online searches. It also considers policies, regulations, public documents, and statistics related to informal debt in Thailand. The data collected over the past decade (2014–2024) reveals that informal debt problems arise from economic issues and inappropriate spending behaviors, leading individuals to rely on informal lending sources. Informal borrowing takes various forms, and a significant cause of the problem is the low income of citizens who cannot access formal financial services. Additionally, a lack of knowledge about interest calculations and wasteful spending behaviors contributes to the issue. As a result, informal debt negatively impacts individuals, society, and the economy. Moreover, informal debt has been linked to rising crime rates and poses an obstacle to the advancement of the national economy. Therefore, addressing the informal debt problem requires comprehensive cooperation from various sectors, including changing the public’s behavior and attitudes to prevent future occurrences. Solutions include increasing access to formal financial services, promoting financial literacy, and enforcing laws to address the issue more strictly. Implementing these recommendations will help effectively reduce informal debt and improve financial stability for individuals, as well as the overall stability of Thailand’s economy and society.

CSR Performance, Technological Innovation, and Corporate Value: Evidence from NEVs Industry in China

Qing Wu — 2025-12-29

In the current ever-changing business environment, corporate social responsibility (CSR) is viewed as an essential strategic approach for enterprises to achieve a lasting competitive edge. Investment in technological innovation is crucial for enhancing corporate value (CV) as it is a significant means for businesses to innovate their products and services while actively meeting their social responsibilities. By analyzing 385 listed Chinese new energy vehicle (NEVs) companies with empirical study, this paper examines (1) how CSR performance relates to technological innovation investment of these companies, and (2) whether technological innovation serves as a mediating role between CSR performance and corporate value of them. This study uses technological innovation investment data collected from the CSMAR database and related reports and analyzes them using descriptive statistics and regression analysis.

Results show that CSR performance positively impacts the technological innovation of Chinese-listed NEVs enterprises regarding their R&D intensity and R&D personnel. In addition, technological innovation is a mediating factor between CSR performance and the corporate value of these enterprises. These findings suggest that strengthening CSR can serve as a strategic lever to promote technological progress and enhance overall firm performance.

Information Power in the Proliferation of Digital Technology: A Threat to Society

Pisan Amornratananunuparp — 2025-12-29

The rapid growth of digital technology has ushered the world into an era of information overload, making it increasingly difficult to discern fact from fiction. This article aims to shed light on and raise awareness of the rising threats posed by the proliferation of information stemming from the growth of digital technology, particularly in the context of content generated by artificial intelligence. This includes misinformation, disinformation, and malinformation. Artificial intelligence has become a powerful tool in shaping public opinion and influencing geopolitical dynamics. The advent of synthetic media created by algorithms has aggravated these problems by producing entirely believable yet fabricated content. It is noteworthy that information overload, AI-generated content, and cognitive biases have created a fertile ground for the spread of fake news and pose a threat to society.

The Development of A Handwoven Fabric Products Model to Create Value Added and Promote the Community Economy of Ban Noen Kham, Chainat Province

Naphaskorn Thupkaeo — 2025-12-29

The objectives of this research are: (1) to study examples of best practice and community needs in developing hand-woven fabric products in Chainat Province, (2) to develop a handwoven fabric products model to create value added and promote the community economy of Ban Noen Kham, Chainat Province (3) to experiment with the hand-woven fabric product development model to create added value and promote the community economy of Ban Noen Kham, and (4) evaluate and improve the hand-woven fabric product development model to create added value and promote the community economy of Ban Noen Kham. The key informants consisted of 20 people, including 5 community leaders, 5 executives, 5 villagers of Ban Noen Kham community, and 5 tourists. The target group consisted of 20 representatives from Ban Noen Kham hand-woven fabric groups, who were selected using purposive sampling methods for in-depth interviews.

The results of the research found that: (1) best practices in the three areas studied involved pattern designs based on local lifestyle, culture, and wisdom, which were then enhanced with creativity, additional design, and innovation to develop products that meet market demands. Key success factors included effectively combining local wisdom with modern fashion to produce beautiful and contemporary pieces that maintained the local heritage. While the hand-woven fabric was recognized for its outstanding, unique, and generationally inherited identity, its high cost was noted as a challenge. Recommendations for development centered on diversifying the products through creative, modern, beautiful, and practical designs suitable for daily use, effectively blending local wisdom with modern styles. (2) The results were presented through the "TEDLAND Model," which was developed through a collaborative community-participation drafting process and certified by experts, and comprised the following components: Technical (T), Economy (E), Design (D), Local wisdom (L), Added Value (A), Natural of Community (N), and Development (D). , (3) The evaluation and certification results for the development model of Ban Noen Kham's hand-woven fabric products (aimed at creating added value and promoting the local economy) indicated that the overall correctness, appropriateness, and feasibility of implementation were rated at the highest level, with an average score of 5.00. This top rating also applied to the components of product development and the elevation of local wisdom inheritance. Other factors also received high marks: creating economic opportunities for the community, creativity of product models, adding value to products, product identity, techniques used in product models, products promoting environmental conservation (via natural materials and colors), and applied appropriate technology and (4) The results of the evaluation of the development of the handwoven fabric products model for creating value added and promoting the community economy of Ban Noen Kham, Chainat Province, were at the highest level, with an average of 4.78.