China Daily
2006-10-02
BANGKOK: In a country where the royal family rarely communicates directly with the public, Thai Crown Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn could be considered a trailblazer.
The 51-year-old princess launched on Saturday the country's first royal blog, which she says is aimed at persuading her fellow citizens to embrace English.
"We have witnessed in this past century that English has become a global language without much understanding of the process," she wrote. "Nor can we say that we really know the extent of its influence and status as the global language. But we can be sure of one thing: English can be used as a key to better understanding."
The blog appears on the British Council's website.
The only other royal in Asia known to have a blog is Cambodia's former King Norodom Sihanouk. His blog contains thousands of commentaries on anything from Hollywood stars to the rough-and-tumble of Cambodian politics, along with historical documents and exchanges with diplomats or Cambodian politicians.
The princess is admired in Thailand for her charity work and her common touch.
Royal watchers said the Thai princess' blog was not that surprising, given that she is known to be tech-savvy and routinely e-mails intellectuals in the region.
Her blog is a continuation of the British Council's efforts to improve the teaching of English in Thailand. Earlier this week she presided over a two-day conference titled "Policy for Global Transition" jointly hosted by the British Council and the Thai Ministry of Education.
It wasn't clear if the princess would be updating her blog, and the British Council could not be reached for additional comment.
Professor Thitinan Pongsudhirak, political scientist at Chulalongkorn University, said that by adding her voice to the campaign, the princess had greatly bolstered the council's efforts.
"Her patronage has given the project a lot more prestige. Her avid pursuit of the arts is a great inspiration to young people in Thailand," he said.
The princess, who has visited China more than 20 times since 1981, loves Chinese history and culture. She has introduced China to Thais through her articles and books.
The 51-year-old princess launched on Saturday the country's first royal blog, which she says is aimed at persuading her fellow citizens to embrace English.
"We have witnessed in this past century that English has become a global language without much understanding of the process," she wrote. "Nor can we say that we really know the extent of its influence and status as the global language. But we can be sure of one thing: English can be used as a key to better understanding."
The blog appears on the British Council's website.
The only other royal in Asia known to have a blog is Cambodia's former King Norodom Sihanouk. His blog contains thousands of commentaries on anything from Hollywood stars to the rough-and-tumble of Cambodian politics, along with historical documents and exchanges with diplomats or Cambodian politicians.
The princess is admired in Thailand for her charity work and her common touch.
Royal watchers said the Thai princess' blog was not that surprising, given that she is known to be tech-savvy and routinely e-mails intellectuals in the region.
Her blog is a continuation of the British Council's efforts to improve the teaching of English in Thailand. Earlier this week she presided over a two-day conference titled "Policy for Global Transition" jointly hosted by the British Council and the Thai Ministry of Education.
It wasn't clear if the princess would be updating her blog, and the British Council could not be reached for additional comment.
Professor Thitinan Pongsudhirak, political scientist at Chulalongkorn University, said that by adding her voice to the campaign, the princess had greatly bolstered the council's efforts.
"Her patronage has given the project a lot more prestige. Her avid pursuit of the arts is a great inspiration to young people in Thailand," he said.
The princess, who has visited China more than 20 times since 1981, loves Chinese history and culture. She has introduced China to Thais through her articles and books.
11 comments:
To be Thai is to be Chinese! The Princess had confirmed it herself! From now the Thai must learn to speak English and adopt Chinese culture!
This Princess don't even admire her own culture! Thai culture is cheap?
The Princess clearly understands the impact of globalisation and English as the general language of global communications. Even the computer's high-level languages are in English. Her effort to encourage her people to embrace English is very timely as it appears that the English proficiency among the Thai population is dropping considerably while Thailand is still playing a prominent role in the region and the world stage. In fact, young Cambodians in the cities can speak English better than the Thais.
Thais are generally proud of their culture regardless whatever foreign language they need to embrace and whatever culture they wish to understand further. People need to understand other cultures in order to appreciate how precious and unique their own culture is. Otherwise, it will be like a frog living in a well and wondering why the sky is so small. Cambodian princes and princesses should learn from the Thai Princess, appreciate their own culture and take part in social work, instead of going out partying, dancing, singing and gossiping every night. Some of them cannot even read and write Khmer.
I'm with the 4:10p.m. You are one true Khmer intelligent!!!!!!! Way to go!!!!!!!
Encouraging blogg is like trying to do something better. You need to hear true comment and take it as a contractive criticism to improve the situation. You don't shuff it away and silince or put peole in jail or kill the person that telling you the true. You just don't do it. Only AH Pleu in Cambodia would do something like that. Just don't get me excited.
Princess Moha Chakri Sarindhorn is probably the smartest and wisest kid among all four children of the King and Queen of Thailand. She should be crowned Queen after the old KIng is gone.
If The Thailand's Throne will be reward to the womanized Son, whatever his name was, Thailand is a future of an uncertain state. Thai are not happy with his wild and arrogant behavior at all! and in anybody is right mind, he should be demoted.
If I'm not wrong, the Princess is also a crown princess in the event of something awful happens to her brother and with or without any possible event that would take her brother away, she should remain the most influencial person for all Thai and for The world!
Anonymous @4:10,
Excellent point.
Thanks
I found a lot of us ordinary Khmers and our very own Cambodian woman that would easily be able to measure up to this the new Millenium or world Standard. We just don't stand out as much and It's because we are not born Princess or Princes. That consequence alone underscore many opportunities to express who we really are and what we stand for, but it's all within us! All of us!!`
Proud to be Khmers!!!!!!!!
Please read Cambodian woman as plural or our very own Cambdian Women. Thank you
tO 4:10P.M
Please give Humongous Credit for young Cambodian in the city or anywher in the country to be able to speak better English to their relatives in the United States.
THEY GOT SOME REAL CONNECTION UP THERE AND AS WELL AS STRONG INTEREST TO SEEK BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD OF THIER OWN!
It seems to me that most Cambodian people who made the above comments praise the Thai monarchy to the point that they want to be Thai citizen. I wonder how many of these Cambodian people had been to Thailand experience the Thai culture for themselves. I can tell you this! If you are Cambodian in Thailand, you should be afraided cause the Thai don't a damn about any of you Cambodian people.
There are million and million of Cambodian people living in Thailand since the begining of time and yet no Cambodian people have ever heard of their voices!
Don't be fool by the Thai monarchy whether they are Princess or Princes and for peaceful or not for they are part of greater government institutions to eliminate Cambodian people and culture from their land!
The upraising of Muslim in Southern Thailand should be a wake called for million and million of Cambodian-Thai people who had been sleeping for so long! These Cambodian-Thai had been misled to believe that they are part of Thai society.
To 12:17am
Please don't think it like that, I only been to Thailand one and that was when I was a refugee. The book that I read, the history of the world that I know allow me to understand what the Princess Moha Chakri is all about. She is just a person with an extraordinary thought and who would make an extraordinary effort to save her country and the world. It's not Thia that influenced my thought. To be Thai has nothing to do with my conscience, but to be able to be a better person for my family, my friends, my community and my own Nation Cambodia is what caught my attention. I love being Khmer and there is no other race that I rather be. I'm not that dump and I don't expect you to think that I'm dump Cambodian.
Each and everyone of us needs some influencial personality and I choose The Princess as one of them, becuase she is good, kind, gentle and smart. There shouldn't be anyhting wrong with it. Would you want me to get some kind of an influencial from Madame Of May Flower instead? would it make you happy?
That Moslim in The South is another story. That might have something to do with the 9/11 in The US. I'm not getting to that.
To The Princess:
Whatever you do in China and whatever you will bring from there, please don't bring Communist Ideas or Theory to your country or The World. Please look at us!
YOU ARE INVITING a DISASTER AND SELF DESTRUCTION! AND I WON'T BE YOUR AUDIENCE ANYMORE. THIS IS MY FIRST AND MOST SERIOUS WARNING TO YOU!
Your still fan from Cambodia,
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