The Cultual and Social Perception about Southeast Asia and Northeast Asia in the Textbooks of Korea and Thailand

Korean textbooks made many errors in the description of Southeast Asian culture and history. That seems to be due to their shortage of knowledge about Southeast Asia. Korean textbooks do not mention the influence of the colonialism, which is the most important point for understanding the present Southeast Asia. With regard to the increasing importance of the foreign relations with Southeast Asia, Korean textbooks should pay close attention to a better understanding about the present Southeast Asia.
Thai textbooks dealing with Northeast Asia also have some China-centered problems. Their description of Japanese and Korean history and culture is, compared to that of Chinese one, scarce and insufficient. In terms of the economic and cultural roles and activities that these two countries actively perform, as well as of the highly increasing interchange of human resources with them, it seems necessary that Thai people know details about the culture and society of Japan and Korea. Finally, this paper noticed that the Thai history textbooks depict Japan as a traditional ally and friendly country, whereas not highlighting the imperialistic aspects of Japan's expansion into Thailand, as in the explanation of the Pacific War. That is because Thailand wants to keep much more amicable bilateral relations with Japan.