National Spiritual Development Planning Concept in Thailand

Abstract

The study of national spiritual development planning concept in Thailand is aimed to explore social development regarding spiritual matters in the National Economic and Social Development Plan as well as other plans. The study methodology included literature review of spiritual development documents in Thailand and other countries. The study found that the National Economic and Social Development Plans were mainly focused on economic, environment, and democracy development. The National Education Plan was mostly related to spiritual development and focused on body, mind, intellect, knowledge, virtue, ethic, and living culture. The plans were also focus on balance of economics, social, politics, culture, environment, sciences and technologies. However, the practices of these plans mainly focus on sciences and technologies and competition in modern world. The spiritual development was limited in practice. The content of National Health Plan, National Aesthetic Plan, and Sport Development Plan included spiritual development for good society and virtue. However, the real practices were mainly focused on body development and competition. Although the spiritual development has been integrated into National Virtue Plan, the political mechanism is needed to push into practice. For example, the establishment of the Integrity Institute of Malaysia has been pushed by Malaysian leaders and focused on the cooperation and practices of all sectors which is a role model of good integration plan. This study suggests developing spiritual development plan in order to balance the national economics and society and practicing in parallel of the National Economic and Social Development Plan. In additions, the guideline of the first National spiritual Development Plan should be explored in order to balance the country development between objects and minds.