This report discusses the current political and economic state of Thailand, particularly in the wake of the September 2006 coup that displaced Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and has resulted in continuing instability. This report also discusses the ongoing U.S.-Thai relationship, despite different policies in such areas as human rights.

The North Texan magazine includes articles and notes about UNT students, faculty, and alumni activities.

The Thai government has strongly advocated for the learner-centered education for the past decade. Success For Life Thailand (SFLT), a brain-research-based early childhood education program blended with the theories of the developmentally appropriate practices and child-centered philosophies, has been implemented in Thailand for over 8 years. The purposes of the present study were to: (a) describe the current statuses of the Thai early childhood educators' learner-centered beliefs and practices, (b) identify if the SFLT training workshop affects teachers' learner-centered beliefs and practices, and (c) examine if other variables, along with familiarity with the SFLT program, predict teachers' learner-centered beliefs and practices. Ninety-three preschool and kindergarten teachers participated in the study. Among them, 17 were SFLT trainees in 1999 and 2000 (i.e., the previously trained group), 43 were trained in Year 2006 (the currently trained group), and the others were comparable to the currently trained group by matching the key personal and school variables. The Teachers Beliefs and Practices Survey: 3-5 Year Olds (Burts et al., 2000) and the Learner-Centered Education: the Assessment of Learner- Centered (ALCP) for K-3 (McCombs, 2001) were used to collect data on the various domains of the learner-centered beliefs and practices. Findings reveal that: (a) Thai …

Interview with Arhtur B. Clark, a Texas National Guard WWII veteran and POW from Abilene, Texas, who was captured with the 2nd Battalion, 131st Field Artillery. Clark discusses joining the National Guard, training and maneuvers, deployment to the Pacific, the fall of Java and surrender to the Japanese, experiences in internment at Tanjong Priok in Batavia, internment at Changi Camp in Singapore, labor on the Burma "Death" Railway, and liberation. The interview includes an appendix with a reference page and a written flight log by Col. Tom Sledge.

This report discusses the current political and economic state of Thailand, particularly in the wake of the September 2006 coup that displaced Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and has resulted in continuing instability. This report also discusses the ongoing U.S.-Thai relationship, despite different policies in such areas as human rights.

Interview with W. A. (Bill) Henderson, a pilot during World War II. He discusses his time as a bombardier and navigator on a B-24 in the China-Burma-India Theater. His crew hit the bridge over River Kwai (Mae Klong) while making bombing runs along the Burma Railway and also flew runs to supply gasoline to various bases in China, India and Burma. He relates anecdotes about the food and living quarters on the bases and the time he saved his co-pilot's life. He helped his co-pilot land the plane after a bullet tore through the plane's nose wheel and injured the man's leg.

Interview with Vaughn Bercaw, a veteran of the U.S. Air Force from East Lansing, Michigan who served in Germany during the Cold War and Thailand in the early days of the Vietnam War. Bercaw describes his training in basic aircraft weapon systems and experiences on various missions in both wars, including life upon returning to the United States.

Study examining near-death experiences (NDEs) in Thailand, which do not demonstrate the episodes most noted in those collected in the West, but they do show consistent features. The article argues that these features, including harbingers of death, visions of hell, the Lord of the underworld, and the benefits of making donations to Buddhist monks and temples, can be understood within the framework of beliefs and customs unique to Southeast Asia.

According to the Executive Summary, the aims and objective of this report are to provide an assessment of national capacity and capability in 25 tropical countries for measuring and monitoring forest as a requirement for reporting on REDD under IPCC guidelines. This paper was commissioned by the United Kingdom Office of Climate Change as background work to its report 'Climate Change: Financing Global Forests' (the Eliasch Review).

Photograph of three women at a UNT alumni party in Bangkok, Thailand on December 3, 2009. The women are standing side by side, looking at the camera and smiling. The woman on the right side of the photograph is holding event-related papers in her left hand. The women's nametags read, (l-r) "Somkid," "Kallaya," and, "Thitiporn."

Photograph of Charn Uswachoke (right) with two women at a UNT alumni party in Bangkok, Thailand on December 3, 2009. They are standing side by side, looking at the camera and smiling. Dining tables can be seen in the background behind the group.

Photograph of Diane Crane posing with two traditional Thai puppets during an alumni party in Bangkok, Thailand on December 3, 2009. Crane is standing in the center of the photograph, between the puppets. She is looking at the camera and smiling. Each puppet has one arm extended around her shoulders. Both of their heads are turned toward the camera. A group of puppeteers can be seen crowded around the puppets.

Photograph of a picture display at a UNT alumni party in Bangkok, Thailand on December 3, 2009. Several group photographs have been taped onto a curtain-covered partition or wall. A pennant at the top of the display reads, "University of North Texas www.international.unt.edu."

Photograph of Vish Prasad, Vice President for Research and Economic Development, posing with a traditional Thai puppet during a UNT alumni party in Bangkok, Thailand on December 3, 2009. Prasad is standing on the left side of the photograph, facing the camera and smiling. The puppet can be seen to the right of Prasad, partially behind him and facing the same direction. A puppeteer is standing behind the puppet on the right side of the photograph.

Photograph of UNT President Gretchen Bataille posing with a traditional Thai puppet during an alumni party in Bangkok, Thailand on December 3, 2009. Bataille can be seen standing in the center of the photograph, looking to the left of the camera and smiling. The puppet can be seen to the right of her, facing in the same direction. Its right hand has been placed on Bataille's left shoulder. Puppeteers can be seen performing with two more Thai puppets in the background of the photograph.

Photograph of a man posing with a traditional Thai puppet at a UNT alumni party in Bangkok, Thailand on December 3, 2009. The man can be seen on the left side of the photograph, looking at the camera and smiling. He is pointing to the puppet with his right hand and holding a camera in his left hand. The puppet is leaning on the man's left shoulders and extending its right arm around him. Its head has been turned toward the camera. Two puppeteers can be seen behind the puppet on the right side of the photograph, looking at the camera and smiling slightly.

Photograph of a group of puppeteers holding two traditional Thai puppets during a UNT alumni party in Bangkok, Thailand on December 3, 2009. The puppeteers are crowded around the puppets, facing to the left of the camera and smiling. The puppets can be seen in the center of the photograph with their heads turned out to the left of the camera. Their arms have been placed around each other.

Photograph of Vish Prasad, Vice President for Research and Economic Development, posing with a traditional Thai puppet during a UNT alumni party in Bangkok, Thailand on December 3, 2009. Prasad is standing on the right side of the photograph, looking to the left of the camera and smiling. The puppet can be seen to the left of him with its head turned directly toward the camera. Prasad is holding the puppet's right hand. Two puppeteers can be seen on the left side of the photograph, looking at Prasad.

Photograph of Earl Gibbons, Vice Provost and Associate Vice President for International Education at UNT, posing with two traditional Thai puppets at an alumni party in Bangkok, Thailand on December 3, 2009. Gibbons can be seen standing on the left side of the photograph, facing to the right of the camera and smiling at the puppet across from him. One puppet is facing Gibbons and extending its left arm out toward him. A puppeteer is standing behind the puppet on the right side of the photograph, facing to the left of the camera and smiling. A second puppet and puppeteer can be seen behind Gibbons on the left side of the photograph.

Photograph of two men at a UNT alumni party in Bangkok, Thailand on December 3, 2009. The men are standing side by side, looking at the camera and smiling.

Photograph of UNT President Gretchen Bataille (left) conversing with two women at a UNT alumni party in Bangkok, Thailand on December 3, 2009. Bataille is facing to the right of the camera and appears to be speaking. The women are looking back at Bataille and smiling. Two men can be seen in the foreground of the photograph, facing away from the camera. They are out of focus and partially out of frame.

Photograph of people filling out forms during a UNT alumni party in Bangkok, Thailand on December 3, 2009. Four individuals can be seen leaning over a table, holding pens in their right hands. Small forms can be seen on the tabletop in front of them. Two men are standing on the right side of the photograph behind the group. A second group of people can be seen sitting on the opposite side of the table, on the far left side of the photograph. They appear to be handing out forms.

Photograph of Gretchen Bataille, President of UNT (right), with Dr. Pornpun Waitayangkoon (left) at a UNT alumni party in Bangkok, Thailand on December 3, 2009. The two women can be seen standing side by side, looking at the camera and smiling. Photographs and a UNT pennant have been taped to a curtain-covered wall behind them.

Photograph of a man (left) and two women at a UNT alumni party in Bangkok, Thailand on December 3, 2009. The individuals are standing side by side, looking at the camera and smiling. Their nametags read, (l-r) "Anuwat," "Sirikul," and, "Nanta."