Chulalongkorn University Journal of Social Sciences

Editorial

Thanapan Laiprakobsup — 2025-06-30

The Accessibility to Health Services and the End-of-Life Desires of Elderly Inmates

Parinya Wanlem — 2025-06-16

The purpose of this article is to study the state of health services and the Thai correctional system's accessibility to palliative care, under various conditions based on human rights, inmate rights, supportive care and treatment concepts, and the international regulatory framework and national laws. It also aims to study the approach of health services in the dimension of end-of-life care. The needs of elderly inmates in prisons and methods for dealing with death in prison through the Thai correctional system, which has various multidisciplinary teams that come to provide services to inmates in the end-of-life period with inmates. This study is based on qualitative research. The findings show that the living conditions of sick inmates face difficulties in prison, resulting in them being easily exposed to illness. The prison environment is not compatible with the elderly. However, elderly prisoners at the end of their lives in prison receive international standard medical services comparable to treatment in general hospitals outside of prison, due to a multidisciplinary team with expertise. There is also an online visiting service for terminally ill inmates in prison. The desire at the end of the life of inmates in prison is to “go home,” which is considered an important discovery and the last hope before dying.

Fiscal Multiplier of Economic Stimulation Measures of Thailand

Pawin Siriprapanukul — 2025-06-16

This study estimates the fiscal multiplier using a widely accepted econometric procedure at present, applying five different datasets to reflect government spending. The estimates of government spending multipliers in this study are at 0.25-0.49, which are lower than 1. This indicates the ineffectiveness of economic stimulation measures in Thailand, a small open economy, equipped with a large informal sector. The resulting government spending multipliers are estimated based on the government's budget disbursement data, which does not cover disbursements for the principal repayment of debt and expenditures for the replenishment of the treasury account balance/reserve fund. This dataset is more consistent with the government's implementation of economic stabilization measures than the dataset used in previous studies.

A Synthesis of Hospitableness Based on Empirical Social Research: A Case Study on Perspectives Toward Immigrants in Europe’s Preferred Destination

Siripong Palakawong-na-ayudhya — 2025-06-16

The primary objective of this research is to synthesize the definition and components of the concept of "hospitableness," grounded in the analysis of multivariate relationships between attitudes toward immigrants and the demographic, political, and social backgrounds of hosts in Europe’s popular destination areas. Data from the European Social Survey were employed in this analysis. The synthesis reveals that hospitableness is a psychosocial condition, characterized as both a shared social consciousness and a personal sense of satisfaction in the role of a host. This condition emphasizes adherence to goals and practices that foster peaceful coexistence in society, ultimately leading to openness and a hospitable attitude toward immigrants. Additionally, individuals with positive attitudes toward immigrants or those exhibiting pronounced hospitableness are found to possess six key attributes: (1) active political engagement, (2) sufficient fulfillment of basic needs, (3) well-rounded critical thinking skills along with emotional and psychological awareness, (4) a balanced consideration of public and private interests, (5) a capacity to transcend excessive attachment to personal or group identity, and (6) empathy and understanding of others, coupled with humanitarian values and attentiveness to their environment.

The Cycle of Power and Politics on Indian Singaporeans under Singapore’s Multiculturalism Policy

Aphirat Kamwang — 2025-06-16

This academic article is an independent study that considers Singaporeans of Indian descent as a third community within the context of multicultural policy by studying the integration of history, sociocultural, and political science, focusing on examining general elections and presidential elections. The results show that: a) Singapore has opened a space for political power; people of Indian descent have gained access to legislative power through general elections (since 1988). The political system specifies that the Group Representation Constituency (GRC) must have members of Indian descent, who currently represent both the government and opposition parties, but creating a lineage group based on ideology and policy is difficult. b) Members of the Indian community have historically managed to attain high-level government positions, including five of the six most powerful positions: president, chief justice, senior minister, deputy prime minister, and speaker. However, they have not achieved prime ministership yet, since a candidate of Chinese descent has traditionally garnered this position.

Providing Welfare to Enhance Media Literacy and Promote Digital Justice for the Elderly

Benjarat Sutjakul — 2025-06-16

Digital justice is a topic that has not been widely discussed in Thailand, despite being a key factor contributing to social inequality, particularly in terms of access to information, services, and basic social welfare that all citizens should rightfully receive. Social inequality is often framed primarily in terms of economic and societal disparities, with limited attention to “digital justice in media and technology.” This oversight indicates a gap in academic research, particularly in ensuring fair welfare for all, including the elderly, who are the focus of this article. This study seeks to expand perspectives on aging and challenge ageist stereotypes that portray older adults as resistant to technology. Findings from our research indicate a different reality: many elderly individuals actively acquire digital skills to stay informed and engaged in an evolving world. However, a portion of the elderly population still lacks digital proficiency, which limits their participation in society and restricts access to governmental information and services. This article outlines guidelines for welfare programs aimed at enhancing media literacy and promoting digital justice for the elderly, with objectives to reduce age discrimination, broaden social inclusion, and protect the rights of older adults in both the physical and virtual world. These issues are examined through the frameworks of social justice, digital justice, and digital human rights.

Agrarian Change and the Pathways to Intergenerational Poverty: The Case of an Agricultural Household in Amnatcharoen Province

Pinwadee Srisupan — 2025-06-16

Farmers have been identified as Thailand's most impoverished occupational group, especially those from low-income rural households. This article analyzes the upgrading of farmers in rural society through a case study of farmer households, arguing with the concept of how agrarian change is affecting social upgrading and intergenerational poverty. It is found that poor households have attempted to improve their social status to gain a better quality of life. Still, each household has different limitations and conditions for upgrading their social status. Amidst the agricultural social change, opportunities, resources and capital, including children's educational opportunities, form the basis for household development decisions. In addition to personal factors, structural factors are considered important for analyzing the impact on farmers' poverty, and the problem of policy reproduction that results in poverty is often found to be ignored as a policy debate.

Politics and Strategies for Organizing Peasant Groups: From “Large-scale Farming” to “Small-scale” Resilience

Weera Wongsatjachock — 2025-06-16

The research paper considers peasant resilience through the government’s policies for organizing peasant groups, including the Large-scale Farming Policy and the Agricultural Productivity Efficiency Increasing Learning Center (APEILC). In terms of politics and strategies, peasants have adaptive capacity related to government policies for achieving state resources and subsidies through emerging peasant organizations. The research was conducted using qualitative methods, including documentary research, interviews with key informants, and focus groups selected from five case studies in Phitsanulok Province, Thailand. The finding showed that peasant resilience in different directions deviates from government objectives. It should be clear that the government’s goal for ‘large-scale’ farming of peasant groups has turned into ‘small-scale’ resilience as an unintended consequence. This was because the small-scale group may be more successful than larger groups in furthering their interests and adaptation. The peasant organization then emerged with resilience in three ways: (1) peasant organizations for ‘necessary conditions’ of production, marketing, and social issues, (2) peasant organizations for political strategies to take the government’s resources and budget, and (3) peasant organizations for local political support and movement.

A Comparison of Welfare State Development in Western and Eastern Countries: Approaches to Understanding Welfare State Development

Wannapa Leerasiri — 2025-06-16

This research paper examines the development of welfare states in Western and Eastern countries to address whether adopting the success of Western welfare states as a model is sufficient and appropriate for establishing a welfare state in Thailand. The study compares the development of welfare states in Western Europe, including the UK, France and Scandinavia, with those in advanced Asian economies such as Japan, South Korea, and Singapore. By focusing on the similarities and differences between these groups, the research employs a Historical Institutional Approach, emphasizing ideological and institutional structural factors. The findings reveal that welfare states vary significantly, and historical institutional contexts heavily influence their developmental trajectories. Thailand cannot entirely replicate other states' models; instead, it must understand its own context and history, adapting solutions to address current social issues. Additionally, institutional changes in welfare ideologies, economic structures, society, politics, and culture require decades or even centuries to fully evolve.