III-1. “Improving Infrastructure for the Preservation and Utilization of Post World War II Local Newspapers in Thailand” (H28-29 FY2016-2017)


  • Project Leader : Ito Yuma (Toyama University of International Studies, Faculty of Contemporary Science)
  • Collaborators : Koizumi Junko (Kyoto University, Center for Southeast Asian Studies)
  • : Sakurada Chie (Kyoto University, Graduate School of Asian and African Area Studies)
  • : Nittayaphorn Prompanya (Kyoto University, Graduate School of Asian and African Area Studies)
  • : Villa Vilaithong (Chulalongkhon University, Faculty of Arts)
  • : Sing Suwannakij (Chiang Mai University, Faculty of Humanity)

Outline of Research

More than twenty national newspaper companies and institutes both inside and outside Thailand have newspaper collections. Almost no collection and reservation survey has been conducted of local newspapers and as a result, we lack basic information about them, such as titles, circulation, and publishers. This research seeks to fill this information gap about domestic Thai newspapers and improve knowledge infrastructre.

We will first create a comprehensive list of Thai newspapers, including basic information about each publication. We will rank the newspapers according to their importance, and then we will archive the higher ranked publications on microfilm. Finally, we will study and analyze the collected materials in order to investigate the political, economic, and cultural situations in the northern city of Chiang Mai from 1950 to 1990, focusing in particular on the perceptions of the Thai monarchy.

This project will:

1. Collect information about Thai local newspapers and make a comprehensive list of them

2. Archive the priority titles from the listed newspapers, especially Chiang Mai-based papers, in the form of microfilm, at the library of Center for Sutheast Asian Studies

3. Compare the articles in Chiang Mai newspapers with nation-wide newspapers to analyze the differences in their coverage of politics, economy, and culture.

In order to understand the political and cultural climate in various parts of Thailand, analysis of newspapers is very helpful. However, there is almost no study using Thai local newspapers so far because basic information such as the location of archives is not available. Therefore, an inventory of local newspapers will further studies. A comparative study on the differences between national and local perspectives will illuminate Thai society from various angles.

 


Chiang Mai University Main Library

Working at Chiang Mai University Main Library