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Returning home after studying in the U.K.: the readjustment of Thai military personnel returnees |
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| รหัสดีโอไอ | |
| Title | Returning home after studying in the U.K.: the readjustment of Thai military personnel returnees |
| Creator | Natnicha Boonpokaew |
| Contributor | Harald Kraus, Advisor |
| Publisher | Thammasat University |
| Publication Year | 2568 |
| Keyword | Military, Readjustment, Returnees, Study abroad, Thailand, United kingdom |
| Abstract | The United Kingdom remains one of the top destinations among international students, as well as statistics from the Royal Thai Armed Forces indicating that the majority of military personnel who graduate overseas are graduates from the UK. However, there is little literature examining the cultural readjustment from a civilian Western context to the Thai military society with its different cultural dimensions at home, particularly in terms of collectivism and power distance. This research investigates the readjustment experiences of Thai military returnees who completed a master’s degree in the UK and returned to Thailand to perform active-duty military service in the Royal Thai Armed Forces. Hofstede’s national cultural dimensions, reverse cultural shock, and transnationalism are used as a framework to explore what the returnees believed they had gained from their studies and how these gains impacted their personal lives in Thailand and professional lives within the Royal Thai Armed Forces. This qualitative study involved semi-structured interviews and thematic analysis with 15 commissioned officers who had studied in the UK for at least one academic year and transitioned to a military career in Thailand. The findings reveal that studying for a master's degree in the UK resulted in returnees experiencing significant personal growth, interpersonal competencies, and professional benefits. However, returnees reported challenges during reintegration at home, such as emotional distress and unmet career expectations in adjusting to cultural values at home and military organization. This study provides a valuable perspective to understand how returnees negotiate their newly gained cosmopolitan identities from the UK and develop strategies to balance them with local cultural values at home. This research contributes to the underexplored literature on military officers’ readjustment from the civilian context to the military context and offers useful insights for military personnel considering studying abroad. This also encompasses foreign-graduated civilians who aspire to join the active service in Thailand's military organization. |
