The Lampang College of Commerce & Technology: Pictured above (l-r) are Dr. Korawik Pornnimit, President of the Lampang College of Commerce and Technology, William Madden, Coordinator 2009 USG Faculty Seminar to Thailand, and Dr. Chakkapan Pornnimit, Vice-President, Lampang Inter-tech College.

During my visit to Thailand in March of 2009, I especially enjoyed meeting Dr. Korawik Pornnimit and Dr. Chakkapan Pornnimit, currently serving as President and Vice President of Lampang College of Commerce and Technology and its satellite campus in Bangkok. Korawik and Pornnimit were kind enough to host me for a delightful dinner at Bangkok's Royal River Hotel, where we discussed the possibility of bringing our USG faculty group to visit Lampang in May of 2009.

Lampang (Thai ลำปาง) is one of the northern provinces (changwat) of Thailand. Neighboring provinces are (from north clockwise) Chiang Rai, Phayao, Phrae, Sukhothai, Tak, Lamphun and Chiang Mai. As described in its Wikipedia entry, "Lampang, also called "meuang rot ma" in Thai, meaning "Horse Carriage City", is considered by some Thais as the last paradise in Thailand. It is located about 100 km to the southeast of Chiang Mai. Although well-connected by rail, and 4-lane highways to both Bangkok and Chiang Mai, it is here that tourists can still find the horse-drawn carriages in regular use for transportation. This, together with the relative lack of skyscrapers that have contaminated Chiang Mai's skyline of late, make Lampang an increasingly favored setting for period drama. One account attributes the horse-drawn carriage to the Portuguese, via Macau, although a more likely origin is colonial Burma—Lampang was an important center of timber industry in the early 20th century and saw an influx of migrants from British-controlled Burma. The horse-drawn carriage is one of the most memorable symbols of Lampang, as reflected in many traditional products."

Besides the traditional rice paddy farming, pineapple, and sugarcane constitute major food crops. Lampang has a large deposit of lignite in Mae Moh district, and hosted several coal-fired electricity generating plants [. . .] Lampang also has a large deposit of kaolin which is widely utilized in the ceramics industry. Historically, logging was an important industry, since Lampang, together with nearby Phrae had a large stand of teak. Many elephants were employed to transport the logs to the river for transport to Bangkok, hence a founding of the 'Elephant School', the predecessor of the Thai Elephant Conservation Center. Much of the old growth teak stands in Lampang have been thoroughly harvested.

Thailand Reflections: Me at the Annual Chula-Thammasat Football Match, January 1991:

Can you find the "farang" in the photograph? This a funny photograph of me attending the famous annual Chula-Thammasat Football Match (January 1991), representing the fierce rivalry in soccer between Bangkok's two most prestigious Universities, the venerable Chulalongkorn University and the renowned Thammasat University. This football match took place during January of 1991, an "interesting" year because the Persian Gulf War was in full swing and Americans had been advised by our embassy not to go out in public. But my Thai friends said not to worry, that one American wouldn't get terrorized in a crowd of so many friendly Thai faces, so we went to the ballgame anyway and had a really good time. Shortly after this ballgame, there was also a Thai military coup (a bloodless one, thanfully), led by General Suchinda Kraprayoon, deposing then Prime Minister Chatichai Choonhavan who was famous for dismissing criticisms and critics of his policies with the phrase, "Mai mii ban haa!" or "No problem!" A very useful Thai phrase that I still use to respond to my own critics.

Faculty of Economics (E.B.A. Program), Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok Thailand:

(pictured l-r are: Dr. Yong Yoon, Vice-Chairman Dr. Thawatchai Jittrapanun, Chairman Dr. Teerana Bhongmakapat, Prof. William Madden (USG Asia Council), Vice-Chairman Dr. Paitoon Kraipornsak, and Vice Chairman Dr. Thomya Wangcharoen.

On Wedneday, March 5th 2008, I had the delightful experience of being hosted for a luncheon by the Faculty of Economics (Bachelor of Arts Program in Economics) at Thailand's prestigious Chulalongkorn University. The E.B.A. faculty graciously agreed to provide some lectures for our group from the University System of Georgia during our faculty development seminar to Thailand, May 15-June 1, 2009, sponsored by the Asia Council of the University System of Georgia. Our faculty group will visit Chulalongkorn University and hear lectures from the E.B.A. faculty on Monday, May 18, 2009.

I really enjoyed my luncheon with this dynamic and hospitable group of faculty and enjoyed discussing many topics with them, including the Thai economy and U.S. politics. I wish to express my thanks to them for agreeing to host our group in May 2009 and also my thanks to Dr. Jonathan Leightner of Augusta State University for introducing me to them.