Day 1 – Chiang Rai vibes

Day one of TOPS. We immediately embarked on a journey to Chiang Rai, a charming city with many attractive sites, one of which is the White Temple (Wat Rong Khun) that we first visited. The White Temple is an art exhibit taking the form of a temple. As its’ name suggests, it is completely white, adorned with embellishments and reflective mirrors. It was a beautiful sight, despite the tranquility being taken away by the massive crowd of tourists.

After visiting the white temple, we headed to Mae Fa Luang university to conduct our interviews and research. I remember reading up on MFU back in Singapore, and wanting to visit it as it has been dubbed as “A park university, and the most beautiful university campus in Thailand.” True enough, we were greeted with abundance of greenery, flowers, hills and trees. This is not surprising, since the university prides itself as one that is committed to being green and environmentally friendly. In Singapore, we lack this privilege of having vast green land, so our universities and school campuses are more rigid and small in comparison. I wonder if the green environment affects the work ethic of students there… Would the students be less stressed as they would spend more time appreciating nature, strolling through the parks?  Well, the gray, structured environment in Singapore definitely makes me feel fast-paced and constantly stressed.

Our first lecture was on the topic of Human Security for Youth development, delivered by Professor Chirada. She spoke about the need for educational reforms and developing platforms for changes to benefit Youth in SEA. Despite a vast improvement over the years, “backward” countries such as Myanmar, Laos and Thailand still lack the adequate sources to enforce such educational reforms. She mentioned the Maslow’s’ hierarchy of needs, (I learnt about this is Psychology class) where these countries are still concerned over basic needs like security and political stability before they can afford to be concerned about education. I am inspired by educators like Chirada herself, people who go the extra mile to fight for such important causes (Education, Youth) in the country. It is definitely not an easy feat, considering the Thai government’s approach which is heavy censorship, cutting off freedom of speech and instilling fear in citizens to establish full control. In Singapore, we have an often overlooked privilege of easy access to education, freedom of speech and a stable, democratic (although debatable) government. Yet we are always complaining.

We interviewed Prof Chirada regarding our research question which concerned Youth and social media as a platform for expression. One challenge we realized during the interview was that we had many prior assumptions that are actually not so true in Thailand’s context. We assumed that social media would be a commonly used medium of expression by youths in Thailand, just like in Singapore. However, Chirada mentioned that this is not plausible in Thailand’s context as there is a strong “self-censorship” culture in Thailand. I find that there are so may other factors to consider, such as the general lack of interest of Thai youth. Is it their carefree, peace seeking culture that seeks to avoid conflict? Or perhaps the lack of education for youth to learn to critique policies critically? Or is it the fear of expressing themselves due to years of suppression and the government?

The are great differences in circumstances of Thailand and Singapore. But one thing common that I believe in is that Youth, when inspired and committed (with nurture and education), have the ability to influence and spearhead change. We, as youth have great potential to make a difference in the world.  

After a tiring day of interviews and lectures, we had dinner and went to walk the night markets of Chiang Rai. We strolled past rows and rows of night market stalls selling similar souvenirs, clothes and scented candles. It is a common sight to see young children busking or begging in the middle of the streets with their parents. It was impactful for me, seeing these children working hard for survival. In Singapore, you hardly see any litter on the street, not to mention child beggars. Livelihood of the locals in Chiang Mai may be starkly different from the urban city lifestyle of Singapore, but this city still gives off a charming, fascinating vibe.

Walking the dimly lit streets of Chiang Rai, I soaked in the Chiang Rai vibes, and then I knew that this trip is going to be interesting.

Janice Leong