From 27th February to 8th March 2025, Sophia GED arranged a field study program in Thailand for 28 Chiba University students, accompanied by Professor Hikari Ishido and Professor Keiko Ito under the name “Chiba University: Field Study on Thailand Society and Economy (Bangkok and East Region)”.
Upon arriving in Bangkok and enjoying a welcome dinner at an authentic Thai restaurant on the first day, the students have the opportunity to visit Chulalongkorn University on the following day where they experience what it feels like to be a Thai university student for one day. The lecture provided by Assistant Professor Katikar Tipayalai on the topic of “Socioeconomic situation in ASEAN and Thailand” was very engaging for the students along with a lively interactive campus tour led by a group of the Chulalongkorn’s student representatives.
As a country where culture and traditions have significant importance to the lives of the people, we also bring the students to visit the ancient city of Ayutthaya, a place where many of the local cultures and historical sites are still well preserved.
From visiting “Wat Mahatat”, one of Thailand’s oldest temples, to elephant riding; the students were able to experience Ayutthaya’s charm to its fullest. We were also fortunate to receive a warm welcome hosted by the people of the “Kong Khong” market community as they prepared us with their local homestay accommodation and many engaging traditional activities such as paper fish weaving, thai snack making, and fan painting.
After spending a night in Ayutthaya, we returned to the capital of Bangkok for a group fieldwork arranged by the students themselves! Assisted by a volunteer group of local Thai students, they were able to have wonderful memories exploring various parts of Bangkok and discover many new points of view along the way.
Not only focusing on the cultural aspect, this program also provides the students an insight into the ongoing social issues of poverty in Thailand by visiting Sikkha Asia Foundation to learn and witness firsthand how the organization is tackling the problem. After a brief session and community walk around the slum area, students were also able to have some fun interacting with local children from the foundation.
We were also privileged to have a chance to visit the SMBC Corporate Banking Asia Pacific office in Bangkok and receive guidance sessions from the company’s elite on the daily operation of Japanese companies in Thailand. Later on, students were also given a task to create a group presentation on the topic of creating their own unique business in Thailand. Every group has integrated knowledge they have gained during their stay in Thailand and showed great creativity within their presentation contents, making it a very intriguing session for SMBC’s director as well!
Now that the students have enjoyed enough of Bangkok city life, it’s time to move towards the eastern side called the Chonburi area, known for its beautiful beach and holding the largest business port in Thailand. Our group made a brief stop at the Royal Thai Navy Sea Turtle Conservation Center to observe how local efforts have been made to protect various sea turtle species in Thailand’s ocean. After a guidance session provided by the conservation staff, they get to see the live sea turtles and clean the pool for them as well.
The following days, we took the students to visit Thailand’s Eastern Economic Corridor known as “Laem Chabang Port” for them to learn the significance of the area’s contribution towards the country’s economic development. After a long day of learning, it’s finally time for everyone to relax and so, we took a boat in Pattaya to arrive at Koh Larn where everyone gets to enjoy one of Thailand’s most beautiful beaches. From enjoying beach-side treats to playing banana boats, everyone gets to create wonderful memories together before the day of departure.
Finally, on the last day, we took the students to a beach-side restaurant for one last meal together and most importantly for a wrap-up session where everyone gets to reflect on what they have learned and experienced during this program. After the reflection, everyone gets to have a brief moment to take pictures together at the beach and lastly, it’s time for them to depart back to Japan.
This journey has truly changed the mindset of many students and created a long-lasting impression within their hearts. By allowing the students to directly experience a foreign environment, we hope that their perspectives of the world can change and they can develop into individuals that can further contribute to the future of this world.
We would like to thank everyone from the depths of our hearts for participating in this field study program and for creating these wondrous memories together with us. We wish you all good luck in your future endeavors and look forward to your return to Thailand again!
— The Sophia GED Team
