Chanan Wongvipak

Associate Professor Chanan Vongvipak commenced the higher education in anthropology because of his interest in foreign languages. Since in 1960’s most of the lecturers in the faculty of Archaeology, Silpakorn University, still used lots of foreign language text books. It was an opportunity to develop his language skill and learn more in social sciences, particularly in Anthropology.

At that time the lecturers were invited from various universities. Most of them graduated from aboard, for instance Professor Dr. Pattaya Saihu, Professor Dr. Sanit Samakarn, Professor Dr. Amara Pongsapich and Associate Professor Dr. Sanit Niyomyat. After his graduation in 1972, he worked as research assistant to Dr.Wanee Wibulsawas Anderson and her husband. It was an opportunity to learn research methodology and anthropological fieldwork which was based on folklore studies.

Later, in 1976 Associate Professor Chanan Vongvipak received Columbo scholarship for the study in post graduate programme in Australia. At that time he had worked with different experts from General Studies School and Research School of Pacific for example Dr. Richard David, Dr. Gehan Wijeyewardene and Dr.Graham Harison.

In his Master’s dissertation, Associate Professor Chanan Vongvipak was inspired from the works of Professor Michel Moerman and Associate Professor Srisakara Valliphodom. Both Anthropology and Archaeology related to each other. Thus, his study covered comparison of agricultural technique and social changes, and he chose Sukhothai province for conducting the fieldwork. In 1970’s the equipment of agricultural industry was recently introduced in villages in Sukhothai.