College Year in Thailand Program Academic Year 2008-09 Program Handbook
The College Year in Thailand (CYIT) program is offered by International Academic Programs (IAP) at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in conjunction with the Faculty of Social Sciences at Chiang Mai University. This IAP Program Handbook supplements handbook(s) or materials you receive from Chiang Mai University as well as the IAP Study Abroad Handbook and provides you with the most up-to-date information and advice available at the time of printing. Changes may occur before your departure or while you are abroad.
Questions about your program abroad (housing options, facilities abroad, etc.) as well as questions relating to your relationship with your host university or academics (e.g. course credit and equivalents, registration deadlines, etc.) should be directed to IAP at UW-Madison.
This program handbook contains the following information:
Contact Information 3
On-site Program Information 3
UW-Madison Information 3
Emergency Contact Information 4
Embassy Registration 4
Program Dates 4
Preparation Before Leaving 5
Immigration Documents 5
Handling Money Abroad 5
Packing 6
Electronics 7
Travel and Arrival 8
The Academic Program 8
Chiang Mai University 8
Summer Session 8
Orientation 9
Academic Program 10
CYIT Program Credit Structure: Full Year Option 10
CYIT Program Credit Structure: Single Semester Option 10
Full Year Option 10
Single Semester Option 11
Course Information 12
Credits 14
Pass/Fail/Drop/Audit 15
Grades and Grade Conversions 15
Living Abroad 16
Chiang Mai 16
Housing 16
Student Life 17
Transportation 17
Safety 18
Health 18
Communication 20
Contact Information
On-site Program Information
Your primary contacts will be:
1
May 2008
Robert J. Bickner
Director, College Year in Thailand Program
Professor (Thai), Department of Languages and Cultures of Asia
1232 Van Hise Hall, 1220 Linden Drive
Madison, WI 53706
(608) 262 3915
(608) 265 3538 fax
College Year in Thailand (CYIT) Program
Faculty of Social Sciences
Chiang Mai University
Chiang Mai 50200
Thailand
+66 53 943 528
+66 53 893 071 fax
Mr. Watana (“Jiw”) Moonkham
CYIT Program Secretary
+66 62 051 846
Dr. Puangphetch Dhanasin
CYIT Faculty Chair
1
May 2008
Questions about all aspects of the program should be directed to the Program Director, Professor Bickner.
UW-Madison Information
International Academic Programs (IAP)
University of Wisconsin-Madison
261 Bascom Hall, 500 Lincoln Drive
Madison, WI 53706
(608) 262 2851
(608) 262 6998 fax
www.studyabroad.wisc.edu
For Program Advising & Grades:Anthony Yuen
IAP Study Abroad Advisor
(608) 262 1446
/ For Financial Matters:
Judy Humphrey
IAP Financial Specialist
(608) 262 6785
Emergency Contact Information
In case of an emergency, call the main IAP number (608) 262-2851 between 7:45 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday; after-hours or on weekends call the IAP staff on call at (608) 516-9440.
Embassy Registration
All program participants who are U.S. citizens must register at the U.S. Embassy before departure as this will help in case of a lost passport or other mishap. You can register on-line at https://travelregistration.state.gov. If you are not a U.S. citizen, register at your home country’s embassy or consulate.
United States Consulate
387 Wichayanond Road
Chiang Mai 50300
Thailand
1
May 2008
+66 53 252 629 x2104 or 2138
+66 53 252 633 fax
http://bangkok.usembassy.gov/consulcm/index.htm
Program Dates
Summer Session 2008
1
May 2008
SEASSI Reception
SEASSI Orientation
Instruction begins
Instruction ends
June 15, 2008
June 16
June 16
August 8
1
May 2008
Fall Semester 2008
1
May 2008
Depart United States
Arrive in Chiang Mai
Orientation
Instruction begins
Instruction ends
Semester break
August 18, 2008
August 20
August 25-27
August 29
December 12
December 17, 2008 – January 2, 2009
1
May 2008
Spring Semester 2009
1
May 2008
Instruction begins
Instruction ends
Depart Chiang Mai
January 5, 2009
May 1
May 4
1
May 2008
Preparation Before Leaving
Immigration Documents
Passport: A passport is needed to travel to Thailand and to obtain your student visa. Apply immediately for a passport if you do not already have one. Passport information and application forms can be found on the U.S. Department of State website http://travel.state.gov/passport/. If you already have your passport, make sure it will be valid for at least 6 months beyond the length of your stay abroad.
Visa: Participants will need to obtain a student visa (non-immigrant visa) before going to Thailand. Professor Bickner will explain the visa process in detail during the summer session. Participants will be applying for a threemonth non-immigrant visa, which will be obtained by the program during the summer session in Madison. This visa will be extended in Chiang Mai for the duration of the individual student’s program.
This nonimmigrant visa is in the “ED” category, meaning that it is for an educational program. Gainful employment while in Thailand under such a visa is not permitted. UW–Madison is the official sponsor during the original portion of your stay, with Professor Bickner, the Program Director, acting as the guarantor. The visa must be extended 90 days after arrival in country, at which time sponsorship will be assumed by Chiang Mai University (CMU), with the Dean of the Faculty of Social Science as the guarantor. The initial visa is good for only one entry. The renewal visa will be good for multiple entries, allowing for any travel during the break period between semesters.
It is very important that the application for the visa extension in Thailand be done in a timely manner. The cost of the renewal of the visa is included in the program fee, and will be paid for by the CYIT office at CMU. Just prior to the expiration of the entry visa, the CYIT secretary will collect the participants’ passports and take them for processing to the branch office of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Chiang Mai. Processing is generally completed within a day. Passports must be made available for timely submission; delay results in a mandatory fine, which will be the participant’s responsibility.
Handling Money Abroad
The official currency of Thailand is the Baht (THB). As of 3/1/08, the exchange rate was $1 USD to 30.53 baht.
ATM/Debit Cards: ATM machines dispensing Thai baht are to be found at most bank locations, in airports, and in many shopping malls in urban centers of Thailand. Cards issued by U.S. banks and credit unions work at all ATM machines that are operated by a member of the same network as that of the issuing bank or credit union. Thai ATM machines all use the official government exchange rate. The fee for withdrawals depends on the home bank, but is generally only a few dollars which is deducted from the account in the United States. These ATM machine networks give easy and efficient access to cash and can be used by program participants for nearly all their cash needs. It is prudent, however, that each participant also has a sum of money held in reserve in the form of traveler’s checks in case of temporary network failure or error at the home institution.
Traveler’s Checks: For those who prefer to use traveler’s checks, exchange counters that are operated by Thai banks are open 24 hours per day in both the Bangkok and Chiang Mai airports, and so visitors to Thailand are able to cash traveler’s checks there upon arrival. A passport is required so that the signature can be verified. There is a small service fee for each check cashed, but the banks all charge the same fee and all also follow the official exchange rate. Mini vans operated by the larger banks provide mobile exchange services in busy areas that tourists frequent, such as the night bazaar in Chiang Mai. With exchange services so readily available, it is not necessary to carry large amounts of cash.
Larger denominations of traveler’s checks get a somewhat better exchange rate, so either $100 or $500 checks are the most convenient for those who prefer to use checks. Thai banks usually ask to see the bill of sale for $500 checks. Smaller denomination checks are useful for those participants who plan to stop briefly in other countries on the way home, but may not be practical for an extended stay in one country. Since the lowest rate is given for cash, it is probably best not to exchange bills or coins, but to hold onto them until returning to the United States. Large hotels also offer check-cashing services, but the charges are higher than at a bank, and the rates of exchange are usually significantly less attractive. There is no “black market” in Thai currency.
Packing
All CYIT participants find that some wardrobe additions are needed, but it generally not necessary to purchase large supplies of clothing items to take with you. While Thailand is still considered a developing country, economic conditions are good and the supply of consumer goods of all types is excellent.
Chiang Mai is truly an international city, complete with shopping malls and a large selection of imported goods from around the world. As a result, medicines and items for personal hygiene and the like are readily available, in both locally made and imported brands, although the latter may be significantly more expensive. Not all brands are available, of course, so if you rely on or greatly prefer a particular product it would be good to ask during the summer in Madison about the product’s availability in Chiang Mai, so that you can decide whether you should take along a supply.
If you require a specific brand of items such as contact lens solution or a prescription medication, you should consider taking a supply for the duration of the program. If you wear contact lenses you should take a year’s supply, and if you wear glasses it would be wise to consider taking an extra pair. Eyeglasses can be made in Thailand and a straightforward prescription can be ground in an hour in Chiang Mai. A more complex prescription, however, would require a delay while the lenses are prepared in Bangkok.
Campus dress patterns in Thailand are much more formal than are those we are accustomed to in the United States. Female students at Chiang Mai University tend to prefer dark skirts and white blouses, and male students wear dark trousers and white shirts. It would be wise to have a set or two of such clothing with you when you arrive in August. Wearing such clothes, along with pins or belt buckles with university insignia, is considered a privilege because of the identification it provides with the university.
The weather in Chiang Mai is milder that that of Bangkok, and so it is pleasant much of the year, with April being the hottest and driest month. Thai homes are not heated, and in the cool season (November to January) you may feel chilly. You will have to take some warm clothing with you—a few sweaters or sweat shirts and a wind breaker will be most welcome during the cool months, especially in the evening hours. During the warmer months, and when you visit Bangkok and more southern areas of the country, you will need more light weight garments.
Hand-tailored clothing for both men and women is inexpensive and well made, and so you will be able to supplement your wardrobe easily. The only items that are consistently difficult for CYIT students to buy are socks, shoes, undergarments, sweaters, and jackets. These items are usually available only ready made, and westerners tend to need larger sizes than the average Thai person.
Suggested Items to Pack:
· Sweaters/windbreaker
· Undergarments
· Shoes, sandals, socks
· Specific brands of preference
· Contact Lenses/spare eyeglasses
Electronics
Power in Thailand runs on 220V (volts), 50Hz (cycles) AC and use both the “europlug” with two round pins and plugs with two flat blades are used. Plugs with a grounding pin or with different-sized blades such as those found in United States are not compatible with socikets in Thailand. If you plan on bringing any appliances from the United States, keep in mind that they will require adapters/converters which you should purchase before departure. It would also be wise to check to be sure that charging units for electric razors, PDAs, cameras, etc. are compatible with 220V, 50Hz power.
Travel and Arrival
Students are responsible for making their own flight arrangements to Chiang Mai. The summer orientation sessions will cover travel in detail, including flight arrangements, immigration requirements, and customs procedures. Exact departure and arrival dates depend on airline flight schedules, and vary slightly from year to year. See the program calendar of this handbook for current year dates.
Upon arrival, participants are met at the airport in Chiang Mai by university representatives and the host families and so must schedule their arrival accordingly. The CYIT program will provide a local (Madison) travel agent with the required arrival date and program participants can then work with that agent to arrange for individual itineraries.
The Academic Program
Chiang Mai University
Chiang Mai University (CMU), located on three beautiful campuses in the vicinity of the city of Chiang Mai, received its charter from His Majesty the King of Thailand on January 15, 1964 as the first regional university in the country, and it has grown steadily ever since. Today approximately 23,000 students attend Chiang Mai University and more than 2,000 faculty and 8,000 support staff provide instruction in all the academic disciplines expected in a modern university. CMU faculty members have advanced degrees from universities all over the world, with 48% holding Masters Degrees, and 36% holding PhD degrees. Many concentrate their research on Thailand and Southeast Asia, and teach courses with specific relevance to Thailand. CMU offers a unique opportunity for students from abroad to receive excellent instruction that will help them to develop a real understanding of Thailand and her people.
Chiang Mai University www.cmu.ac.th
Summer Session
All participants in the CYIT program are required to attend and successfully complete the UWMadison summer session, which begins in mid-June and runs until mid-August. Those with no prior training in the language study Thai in an eight-credit introductory course. More advanced students complete an eight-credit course at the intermediate level or a six-credit course at the advanced level. Summer Thai language classes are organized by the Southeast Asian Studies Summer Institute (SEASSI), for which a separate application is needed, though admission into the CYIT Program ensures admission into SEASSI. Additional information on SEASSI is available at www.seassi.wisc.edu. Classes typically begin at 8:00 a.m., and end at 12:30 p.m.