5. บทคัดย่อ
Not only do uncertainties due to severely
and rapidly changing evets in the early 21st
century exceed our human-being’s capacity
to control, they also bring tragedies. Such
uncertain events and/or phenomena range
from environments and ecological problems,
e.g.ASEANtsunami2004,the2011earthquake-
then-tsunamitriggeringnuclear-power plants’
problem in Japan, to violence and wars, e.g.
Syrian civil war and the expansion of Islamic
State (IS) causing massive migration. There
was also 2008 credit crunch crisis igniting the
structural changing of international political
economy and many people’s hardships.
These events help setting up this research
aiming to understand the direction of the
global trends that might affect Thailand and
the Thai society.
This qualitative research has two
groups of questions: the first one related to
what kind of the future international power
structure, whether there will be Asian Century,
or other so-called ‘Century’; the second one
anticipatingwhatkindofchallengesthathuman
being might have faced, as an individual
and as a part of humanity in general. Futur-
ology or Future Studies is applied here due
to its emphasis on logical linking and visionary
forecasting for anticipating better future.
Content analysis is an analytical tool for this
documentary research.
This research proposes that the multi-
polarworldisaprobableinternationalstructure
due to the rather waning power of the West,
specifically in terms of economics. Rather
dim are the American Century and the New
European Century. Though Asian significance
will be increased, the Asian Century is quite
a problematic. The Indo-Pacific Century is
more likely, having its access to the Eurasia in
mind accompanied by its geographical
significance to China’s ‘One Belt, One Road’
and ‘the New Silk Road’. Severe environ-
mental changing and global warming are
the main challenge for humanity while
advanced technology challenges individuals’
well-being and characteristics.
Key Words: Global Trends, Futurology/Future
Studies, AsianCentury,GlobalWarming,Advanced
Technology
Global Trends that might affect
Thailand and the Thai Society
Abstract
3
แนวโน้มและทิศทางการเปลี่ยนแปลงของโลกในอนาคต (Global Trends)
ที่อาจส่งผลกระทบต่อความเป็นไปของประเทศไทยและสังคมไทย