Thammasat University

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Thammasat University
มหาวิทยาลัยธรรมศาสตร์
Thammasat University Emblem
Thammasat University Emblem
Motto: - Be the finest, be the fairness, be the main engine of the society (official)
- I love Thammasat for Thammasat teaches me to love people (unofficial)
Established: 27 June 1934
Type: Public
Rector: Suraphol Nitikraipot
Staff: 1,505 (2007)[1]
Students: 33,422 (2007)[1]
Undergraduates: 25,369 (including joint bachelor's and master's)
Postgraduates: 7,736
Doctoral students: 317
Location: Bangkok, Thailand
Campus: Multiple campuses, urban and rural
Former names: University of Moral and Political Sciences
Anthem: Yung Thong
Colours: Yellow and Red         
Affiliations: ASAIHL
Website: http://www.tu.ac.th/

Thammasat University (Thai: มหาวิทยาลัยธรรมศาสตร์; IPA: [tʰāmmásàːt]) is Thailand's second oldest university. Its central and original campus, Tha Phrachan Centre, is located in Phra Nakhon, Bangkok, while Rangsit Centre, the largest campus where most undergraduate programmes are currently held, is located in Khlong Luang, Pathum Thani. Thammasat has other regional campuses in Lampang, Pattaya, Narathiwat, and Udon Thani.

The university was founded in 1934 as University of Moral and Political Sciences by Pridi Banomyong, one of Khana Ratsadon leader. It changed from an open university to its current form after the coup d'état in 1947. Thammasat has often been involved in Thai national politics. Its ground was the historic site from 14 October 1973 uprising and 6 October 1976 Massacre.

Since its establishment, more than 240,000 students has studied in Thammasat, including several prime ministers, Bank of Thailand governors, and other senior politicians and officials.

Contents

[edit] History

The monument of Pridi Banomyong at Tha Phrachan Campus

[edit] University of Moral and Political Sciences

Thammasat University started in 1934 as an open university named University of Moral and Political Sciences (UMPS; Thai: มหาวิทยาลัยวิชาธรรมศาสตร์และการเมือง), two years after 1932 Siamese Coup d'etat and eighteen years after Chulalongkorn University. The idea was initiated by Pridi Banomyong, a Khana Ratsadon leader and then Minister of Interior, who drafted the Act of University of Moral and Political Science 1934 to the National Assembly.[2] The university was inaugurated on 27 June 1934, and Pridi served as the first rector of the university.

The university is seen as the result of the sixth principle of Khana Ratsadon from the 1932 Siamese coup d'etat.[3] The first announcement of Khana Ratsadon stated that they "must provide the people with full education" because people "lack education, which is reserved for royalties".[4] The aspiration of students of the old Law School to see their school upgraded to a university instead of transferred to a department of Chulalongkorn University also helped establish Thammasat University to become the successor of the Law School.[5] The properties and personnels of the Law School were transferred to UMPS, and the building of the old Law School was the first UMPS site. The university moved to Tha Phrachan campus in 1935.

When the university opened in 1934, 7094 people applied for admission, while around that time Chulalongkorn University was graduating 68 students a year.[6] The university initially offered one bachelor's degree, which emphasised on legal studies coupled with previously banned economics and political science, and a bachelor's-degree-equivalent diploma in accountancy. Soon master's degree courses were offered in law, political science, and economics, and doctoral degree courses in law, political science, economics, and diplomacy.[7]

During the early years of Thammasat, the university did not rely on government funding, instead it relied on its cheap tuition fees and interest paid by Bank of Asia for Industry and Commerce, of which the university held 80 percent of the shares.

Under Pridi's leadership, the University became the clandestine arsenal of the Free Thai anti-Japanese movement during the Second World War. Ironically, the University campus also functioned as an interment camp for Allies civilians, with Thai guards more or less protecting them from abuses by the Japanese.

[edit] Reform

The coup d'etat on 8 November 1947 marked the end of an era. Pridi Banomyong left the country and went on exile. The original Thammasat degree was replaced by four new specialised departments in 1949, when Faculty of Law, Political Science, Commerce and Accountancy, and Economics were founded. The university was forced to sell its shares, thus became more dependent on government funding. The words and political were taken off its name, becoming Thammasat University, and it was no longer an open university. The new Thammasat University Act was passed in 1952. Thammasat University introduced four new faculties during 1950s and 1960s, including Social Administration, Journalism and Mass Communication, Liberal Arts, and Sociology and Anthropology.

[edit] Bloody Octobers

In 1973, Thammasat ground became the centre for the democratic movement that led to the bloody uprising on 14 October. A large crowd, led by students, gathered at Thammasat University to protest against the arrest of thirteen democratic activists. The protest went on for several days before the huge rally and bloody confrontation. Sanya Dharmasakti, then Thammasat rector, was appointed as the Prime Minister of Thailand after the three military dictators left the country.

6 October Memorial at Tha Phrachan

Three years later, a brutal massacre occurred on Thammasat campus on 6 October 1976. The event started from the return of the exiled dictator Thanom Kittikachorn in September, which led to the violence in Nakhon Pathom with the protestors, branded 'communists', killed and hanged. On 4 October, inside Thammasat walls, students staged a play to dramatize the hanging of the protesters in Nakhon Pathom. The next day, some newspapers reprinted images of the hanging, doctoring the face of one of the effigies to better resemble that of Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn, and suggesting that the students had committed lèse-majesté. Uniformed police and raging rightist paramilitary groups surrounded Thammasat University, and started firing into the campus at dawn of 6 October. The brutality went on for several hours. Two sources gave the number of deaths at 43 and 46, but it is believed that the number was higher, possibly over a hundred, with several hundreds wounded.[8]

[edit] Expansion

During the 1980s, Thammasat University built its new ground at Rangsit campus, and established new faculties in science and technology fields. Faculty of Science and Technology began its service in 1985. Engineering and Medicine followed in 1989 and 1990 respectively.

Rangsit campus was chosen to be one of the venues for 1998 Asian Games.

Thammasat University is a member of Links to Asia by Organizing Traineeship and Student Exchange (LAOTSE), an international network of leading universities in Europe and Asia. It also cooperates with some of the top universities around the globe as well. A regional cooperation is maintained with the Greater Mekong Sub-region Academic and Research Network.

[edit] Seal

The seal represents the centrepiece of the Democracy Monument, Bangkok, which in turn represents the Thai Constitution of 1932. This is superimposed on a Dharmacakra, or Wheel of Law; this represent Dharmaśāstra, the university's name rendered in Pali. This seal is the centrepiece of the reverse of a 10-baht commemorative coin; the surrounding ring bears the name of the university, "70 years", and the date 27 June 2547 BE (AD 2004). The obverse depicts King Bhumibol Adulyadej as a young man attired as a student.

Thammasat University Commemorative Coin
Image Value Technical parameters Description Date of minting
Obverse Reverse Diameter Mass Composition Obverse Reverse
10 baht 10 baht 26 mm 8.5 g Ring: Cupronickel
Center: Aluminium bronze		 H.M. in student attire Thammasat University Seal June 27, 2004
These images are to scale at 2.5 pixels per millimetre. For table standards, see the coin specification table.

[edit] Campuses

Thammasat University has two main campuses in Bangkok Metropolitan Area, Tha Phrachan and Rangsit, and four other regional campuses.

[edit] Tha Phrachan

Tha Phrachan campus from the other bank of Chao Phraya River

49 rai (0.078 km²) Tha Phrachan Centre (Thai: ศูนย์ท่าพระจันทร์) is located in Phra Nakhon, Bangkok, bordering Sanam Luang, National Museum, Wat Mahathat Yuwaratrangsarit, and Chao Phraya River. It was the first permanent campus of Thammasat, bought from the military in 1935.[9] The site earlier belonged to the Front Palace.

The signature building of Thammasat University is the Dome, the first building of Tha Phrachan campus. It was built from four old military buildings.[10] The Dome was used as Pridi Banomyong's office as well as the commanding centre of the Free Thai Movement during the Second World War.[11]

Tha Phrachan campus played a significant role in the uprising against the military regime on 14 October 1973. It was also the centre spot of the 6 October 1976 Massacre in which students protesting against the return to Thailand of the exiled military dictator Thanom Kittikachorn were massacred by the military, police, and right-wing activists.

Eight faculties, all of them in humanities and social science fields, have their building in Tha Phrachan campus: Law, Political Science, Economics, Commerce and Accountancy, Liberal Arts, Social Administration, Journalism and Mass Communication, and Sociology and Anthropology. However, only postgraduate programmes, integrated bachelor's and master's programmes, and some special undergruadate programmes including international programmes are now held at Tha Phrachan Centre. Tha Phrachan Centre has a football field, a gymnasium, eight libraries, and several cafeterias.

[edit] Rangsit

2.8 km² Rangsit Centre (Thai: ศูนย์รังสิต) is the largest campus of Thammasat University, located in Amphoe Khlong Luang, Pathum Thani Province, 42 km north of Bangkok. Realising the significant impact of science and technology on the country's economic growth, Thammasat University initiated degree programmes in engineering, technologies, physical sciences, and medicine at its Rangsit Centre in the 1980s and 1990s. Although originally established for science and technology-related faculties, the centre is now rapidly expanding to cover a variety of disciplines. All Bachelor's degrees (except some international programmes in social science fields) have taught here since 2006. The campus is also home to the Sirindhorn International Institute of Technology, an international academic institute attached to the university emphasising engineering and technology-related research and education.

All undergraduate students enrolled after 2005 would study the entire degree here, apart from those in some special programmes.[12]

Thammasat University Sport Centre, located Rangsit campus, were used in the 1998 Asian Games and the 2007 Summer Universiade. Rangsit Centre also has a hospital and integrated dormitories.

[edit] Other campuses

Pattaya Centre (Thai: ศูนย์พัทยา) is located in Amphoe Bang Lamung, Chonburi Province. The 566 rai site of Pattaya Centre was donated to the Ministry of Finance for Thammasat University in 1987. The construction started in 1997, and Pattaya centre became the site for College of Innovative Education.

Lampang Centre (Thai: ศูนย์ลำปาง) is located in Amphoe Hang Chat, Lampang Province. Thammasat University Council approved the establishment of Lampang Centre 1996, and the university initially used the old town hall. Lampang Centre moved to its current site, 15 km from the town of Lampang, in 2003. Four fields of study are opened at Lampang Centre: Law, Social Administration, Interdisciplinary Studies of Social Science, and Industrial Crafts and Design.

Thammasat also has two small campuses in Udon Thani Province and Narathiwat Province.

[edit] Colleges and Faculties

The university has 18 faculties/education units, namely: the Faculty of Law, Commerce and Accountancy, Political Science, Economics, Social Administration, Liberal Arts, Journalism and Mass Communication, Sociology and Anthropology, Science and Technology, Engineering, Medicine, Dentistry, Allied Health Science, Nursing, Architecture and Planning, Fine and Applied Arts, Public Health, the Sirindhorn International Institute of Technology, and the College of Innovative Education

[edit] Faculty of Law

The Faculty of Law was one of the founding faculties of the university. It has its roots in the law school of the Ministry of Justice, instituted under the reign of King Chulalongkorn by Gustave Rolin-Jaequemyns. Former Deans of the Faculty have included Phraya Nitisat Phaisan, Sanya Dharmasakti, and Preedee Kasemsup. The Faculty has programmes up to the doctorate level, as well as several certificate programmes in business law and public law.[13][14]

[edit] Faculty of Commerce and Accountancy

Established in November 23, 1938, the Faculty of Commerce and Accountancy is the second oldest business school in Thailand. It offers a broad range of programmes including business administration, logistics, human resource management, accounting, finance, marketing, real estate management and management information system, from diploma to doctoral degree. The faculty also offers international programmes in which English is the medium language of instruction.

The faculty is recognised internationally. In 2005, a team of students from the Master's of Sciences Degree Programme in Marketing (MIM) of Thammasat Business School won, for the second time, the world’s renowned Global Moot Corp, a venue for business plan competition, held at the McCombs School of Business, University of Texas at Austin.[15]

[edit] Faculty of Political Science

The faculty of Political Science at Thammasat University was established in 1949. Former deans include Direk Chaiyanam a member of the Khana Ratsadon (People's Party) and a former foreign minister.

[edit] Faculty of Economics

The Faculty of Economics at Thammasat University was established in 1949. The Faculty offers a broad range of academic programmes and other training opportunities. Under the leadership of Dr. Puey Ungpakorn, a former Bank of Thailand governor who took charge concurrently as the dean of the faculty, there were many significant developments within the Economics faculty. Dr. Puey secured funding from Rockefeller Foundation and brought faculty members from a number of American universities.

The first big step toward internationalization was the introduction, in 1969, a Master of Economics programme degree taught in English. Since then, a Bachelor's programme and a Ph.D. programme taught in English have been added to the curriculum.

The Faculty boasts a strong teaching staff that today totals 82, including 44 faculty members with doctoral degree and 7 on study leave to pursue doctoral degrees. It is considered to be one of the strongest programmes in Thailand. Its graduates have normally attended the prestigious departments of Economics such as Harvard, Chicago, UC Berkeley,Cornell, Oxford, Cambridge, LSE.[citation needed]

[edit] Faculty of Journalism and Mass Communication

The Department of Journalism was established in 1954 and is Thailand's first institute of higher education in journalism. It was granted a faculty status in 1979 and has been known since as the Faculty of Journalism and Mass Communication. Today the faculty offers undergraduate programsme in newspaper and print media, radio and television broadcasting, cinematography, advertising, public relations, and communications management. It also offers several programmes at master's level as well as a doctoral degree in mass communication.

There also the international course for the Faculty in Bachelor of Arts Programme in Journalism and Mass Media studies (BJM Programme).

[edit] Faculty of Engineering

The Faculty of Engineering was founded on August 19, 1989 as the 10th faculty of the university. Originally formed as a response to governmental initiative to promote the study of science and its related field. It originally started teaching electrical and industrial engineering in 1990, then expanded its offerings to civil engineering (1992), chemical engineering (1994), and mechanical engineering (1996).

The faculty also has an international department which taught in English and very often mistaken as SIIT (see below) by outsiders. This special programme is divided into two distinct parts, Twinning Engineering Programme (TEP), established in 1997, and the Thammasat English Engineering Programme (TEPE), established in 2000. The TEP programme is a sandwich programme, two years in Thammasat and two years in a foreign university (currently either the University of Nottingham or University of New South Wales). Many of the graduates continue their Master’s or Ph.D. in prestigious UK universities, such as Imperial, LSE, UCL, Warwick.

The faculty is also known for its teaching excellence and strong research links although their works are not often known.[citation needed] The faculty has strong ties with both NECTEC and MTEC located in Thailand Science Park. The faculty also has strong researching ties with Japan particularly and more recently with the University of Karlsruhe in Germany. Its current dean is Associate Professor Dr. Uruya Weesakul.

[edit] Faculty of Architecture and Planning

The university had proposed the establishment of a Faculty of Architecture under the Eighth National Higher Education Plan (1997 - 2001) of the Ministry of University Affairs (now Office of the Commission on Higher Education under the Ministry of Education). However, a Cabinet meeting on February 3, 1998 decided to restrict the establishment of all new departments. The university then created an Architecture Programme to be autonomous under the Thammasat University Council by its resolution of May 6, 1999.

The programme was approved to be the Faculty of Architecture by a resolution of the Thammasat University Council on October 29, 2001. Professor Dr. Vimolsiddhi Horayangkura, who had been the programme's director since 1999, was appointed to be the first dean of the Faculty of Architecture. The faculty offered two more new undergraduate programmes, Interior Architecture and Urban Environmental Planning and Management Program, in the 2002 academic year.

In 2007, the undergraduate program in Landscape Architecture and the graduate program in Interior Architecture were started in response to high market demand for landscape architects and research oriented designers. In the following year, the school launched the graduate program in Innovative Real Estate Development. The program will take a leading role in establishing a new interdisciplinary resource that fosters excellence in real estate education and research.

[edit] Sirindhorn International Institute of Technology

Main article: Sirindhorn International Institute of Technology

The Sirindhorn International Institute of Technology, located in the university's Rangsit Centre, Pathum Thani Province, is a semi-autonomous institute of technology established in 1992. It offers a range of science, technology and engineering education, as well as related management programmes. All of them are international programmes, with English language as a medium of instructions. Although it is an academic unit of the university, and graduates of the institute receive Thammasat University degrees, the institute is self-administered and financed. The institute enjoys strong links with Thailand National Science and Technology Development Agency, Thailand Science Park, national graduate schools (such as JGSEE, TGIST, and TAIST[16]) and many international universities, notably its neighbour Asian Institute of Technology, and a group of Japanese and European universities.

Being a research-led academic institution in nature, from the most recent performance evaluation (Academic Year 2003) by the university, the institute has the highest number of research publications (both in raw quantity and per graduate student heads), compare to other academic units in the university[17], and when compare to other universities, each SIIT faculty member produces twice the highest value of national range for international journal publications (0.74 vs 0-0.41, academic year 2004)[18]. In 2007, the Thailand Research Fund assessed research outcomes of universities in Thailand, and SIIT ranked as "Very Good" for all three indicators, make it the only engineering school in the country that can achieved this[19][20]. The institute is also one of a very small numbers of universities which can secure numbers of Thailand Research Fund's Royal Golden Jubilee grants, considered to be the country's most prestigious research grants for PhD students, for every single year since the programme began in 1998[21] — one of the only three which can secure Engineering discipline grants for every single year.

[edit] Noted People

Thammasat University features a number of former and current prominent faculty member. The founder Pridi Banomyong was the senior statesman, former regent, and former Prime Minister of Thailand. Sanya Dharmasakti, former Prime Minister and Privy Council member, was the rector of Thammasat. Galyani Vadhana, Princess of Thailand and the elder sister of Ananda Mahidol and Bhumibol Adulyadej, was the former head of foreign language department at the Faculty of Liberal Arts. Puey Ungphakorn, former Governor of Bank of Thailand, was the dean of Faculty of Economics, and rector of Thammasat University. Abhisit Vejjajiva, current Prime Minister of Thailand and leader of Democrat Party, Ammar Siamwalla, former president Thailand Development Research Institute, and Jermsak Pinthong, former senator, are former lecturers at Faculty of Economics.

Several Prime Ministers of Thailand attended Thammasat University, including Tanin Kraivixien, Chuan Leekpai, Samak Sundaravej, and Somchai Wongsawat, as well as many other ministers and Bank of Thailand governors.

[edit] Prominent faculty members

Pridi Phanomyong monument

Former and current prominent faculty members include:

[edit] Notable alumni

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ a b "Thammasat University Annual Report 2008" (RAR). Thammasat University. 2008. http://www.tu.ac.th/intro/about/tureport/intro2551.rar. Retrieved on 14 July 2009. 
  2. ^ Banomyong, Pridi (2000). "Excerpt from: Concise Autography of Nai Pridi Banomyong". Pridi by Pridi : selected writings on life, politics, and economy. translated and introduced by Chris Baker and Pasuk Phongpaichit. Chiang Mai: Silkworn Books. pp. 178-179. ISBN 974-7551-35-7. 
  3. ^ Kasetsiri, Chanwit; Michael Wright (2000). Pridi Banomyong and Thammasat University. Thammasat University. pp. 54-56. ISBN 974-572-764-4. 
  4. ^ Banomyong, Pridi (2000). "Announcement of the People’s Party No.1 (1932)". Pridi by Pridi : selected writings on life, politics, and economy. translated and introduced by Chris Baker and Pasuk Phongpaichit. Chiang Mai: Silkworn Books. pp. 70-72. ISBN 974-7551-35-7. 
  5. ^ Kasetsiri, Chanwit (2000). Pridi Banomyong and Thammasat University. translated by Michael Wright. Thammasat University. p. 56. ISBN 974-572-764-4. 
  6. ^ Kasetsiri, Chanwit (2000). Pridi Banomyong and Thammasat University. translated by Michael Wright. Thammasat University. pp. 56-57. ISBN 974-572-764-4. 
  7. ^ Kasetsiri, Chanwit (2000). Pridi Banomyong and Thammasat University. translated by Michael Wright. Thammasat University. pp. 58. ISBN 974-572-764-4. 
  8. ^ Winichakul, Thongchai (2001). “We Do Not Forget the 6 October": The 1996 Commemoration of the October 1976 Massacre in Bangkok. http://www.2519.net/autopage/show_page.php?t=4&s_id=1&d_id=1. Retrieved on 2009-07-11. 
  9. ^ "ประวัติมหาวิทยาลัยธรรมศาสตร์" (in Thai). Thammasat University. http://www.tu.ac.th/intro/about/swf/history1.htm. Retrieved on 13 July 2009. 
  10. ^ "Thammasat University". Bangkok Tourist Division. http://www.bangkoktourist.com/detail_page.php?sub_id=35. Retrieved on 13 July 2009. 
  11. ^ "ตึกโดม" (in Thai). Thammasat University. http://www.tu.ac.th/intro/about/symbol/dome.html. Retrieved on 13 July 2009. 
  12. ^ "ประวัติความเป็นมา มหาวิทยาลัยธรรมศาสตร์และวิทยาเขตต่างๆ" (in Thai) (PDF). Thammasat University. October 2008. http://www.tu.ac.th/intro/about/swf/tu_2551.pdf. Retrieved on 13 July 2009. 
  13. ^ (Thai) Faculty of Law website, List of previous deans
  14. ^ (Thai) Faculty of Law website, List of faculty
  15. ^ Moot Corp Competition - McCombs School of Business - The University of Texas at Austin
  16. ^ TAIST Tokyo Tech
  17. ^ (Thai) 12-months duty report (Academic Year 2003) by Quality Assurance Division, Academic Affairs Department, Thammasat University. (overview & criteria, chart)
  18. ^ SIIT Annual Report, Academic Year 2004 p. 8
  19. ^ (Thai) Manager Online, เปิดผลจัดอันดับสุดยอดมหา’ลัยด้านวิทย์จุฬาฯ-มหิดลแชมป์ มธ.เจ๋งด้านวิศวกรรม, October 2, 2007. Accessed November 7, 2007. (in Thai)
  20. ^ SIIT, SIIT is rated "Very Good" for research outcomes by the Thailand Research Fund (TRF). Accessed November 7, 2007.
  21. ^ Awarding of Royal Golden Jubilee

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

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