International Team Project: Bhutan and Thailand Research Checklist

Introduction

Prepared for International Team Project Bhutan and Thailand at Northwestern University School of Law, Spring 2012, by Irene Berkey, Foreign and International Law Librarian.

For questions about this guide, contact Heidi Kuehl, Foreign, Comparative, and International Law Librarian and Coordinator of Educational Programming and Outreach (e-mail | (312) 503-4725) .

Materials in this checklist are primarily in English, unless otherwise noted.

General Country Information

• General Resources by Country or Region (history, geography, government, economy, etc.) Find detailed information on Bhutan in these multi-country resources. For Bhutan and Thailand see especially Europa World Yearbook Online ; Political Handbook of the World ; World Factbook; Background Notes (U.S. Dept. of State); BBC News – Country Profiles; Country, Economy, and Regional Information Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade; Country Profiles United Kingdom Foreign and Commonwealth Office; Foreign Information by Country University of Colorado Libraries; Economist Intelligence Unit ; Freedom in the World; Index of Economic Freedom.

Government Web Sites: Bhutan

• National Portal of Bhutan
• Judiciary of Bhutan

Government Web Sites: Thailand

• Thailand Parliament (in Thai)
• Bank of Thailand

Non-Governmental Web Sites

• Centre for Bhutan Studies

Laws and Legal System: Bhutan

Introduction/description

• Research Guide to the Legal System of the Kingdom of Bhutan. By Ershadul Karim and Chhime Tshoke Dorjee (GlobaLex, 2011).
• Introduction to the Bhutanese Legal System. Royal Court of Justice, Bhutan.
• "Bhutan" in Legal Systems of the World: A Political, Social, and Cultural Encyclopedia, vol. 1, pages 162 -168
  I,REF K 48 .L44 2002
• "The Legal System of Bhutan" in Modern Legal Systems Cyclopedia , vol.9, pages 9.40 to 9.40.21. Note: this article dates from the early 1980s and should be used for historical purposes only.
  I,REF K 48 .M62 1988S
• “Bhutan” in International Encyclopedia of Comparative Law, vol. 1 (National Reports) chapter 3, pages B-27 to B-29. Note: this article was completed in May 1972 and should be used for historical proposes only.
  I,REF K 48 .I58 1973 vol. 1 ch.3

Links to legislation

• Acts: Bhutan Government web site
• Rules and Regulations Bhutan Government web site
• Bhutan resources Asian Legal Information Institute (AsianLII)
• Laws of Bhutan Asian Legal Information Institute. Searchable database of laws taken from Bhutan Government web site.
• Bhutan business law links Doing Business Law Library, World Bank.
• Bhutan labor laws from NATLEX database International Labour Organization
• FAOLEX database Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO). Can be searched for agricultural laws of Bhutan.
• ECOLEX datatase FAO, IUCN, and UNEP. Can be searched for environmental laws of Bhutan.
• International Digest of Health Legislation World Health Organization (WHO). Can be searched for health laws of Bhutan.
• WIPO Lex. World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). Can be searched for intellectual property laws of Bhutan.

Constitution

• Constitution of the Kingdom of Bhutan (2008) is available in Constitutions of the Countries of the World (search for Bhutan in "Location" box.). Also see detailed “Introductory Note” on the Kingdom of Bhutan and “Select Bibliography.”
  Also available in print. I,MON K 3157 .A2B58 1971 v.2
• Constitution of Bhutan. Bhutan Government web site.

Laws and Legal System: Thailand

• Introduction to the Legal System and Legal Research of the Kingdom of Thailand. By Joe Leeds (GlobaLex, 2011).
• Foreign Law Guide: Current Sources of Codes and Basic Legislation in Jurisdictions of the World , by Thomas H. Reynolds and Arturo A. Flores ("Reynolds and Flores"). Includes introductory materials (in-depth discussion of the legal history and legal publication), major publications, and citations to official sources for laws on specific subjects. It also cites to unofficial sources for detailed discussion and/or English language translations.
• Legal Systems of the World: A Political, Social, and Cultural Encyclopedia, ed. by Herbert M. Kritzer (ABC-CLIO, 2002). Short articles on each country (or non-jurisdictional legal system) place the legal system in context. Thailand: vol. 4, pages 1614-1620.
  
  I,REF K 48 .L44 2002
• Thai Law for Foreigners, by Benjawan Poomsan Becker and Roengsak Thongkaew (2008).
  N,HTH KPT 72 .B43 2008
• "The Legal System of Thailand" by Marut Bunnag and Preben A.F. Aakesson, in Modern Legal Systems Cyclopedia, vol. 9A.
  I,REF K 48 .M62 1988
• Martindale-Hubbell International Law Digest. The "digest" consists of detailed summaries of the law on selected substantive and procedural topics, arranged alphabetically. May cite to primary law.
  LexisNexis Legal > Find Laws by Country or Region > Foreign Laws & Legal Sources > International Law Digests > Martindale-Hubbell® Law Digest-Asian Law Digests > Thailand Law Digest
• Guide to Law Online (Law Library of Congress)
• Asian LII-Thailand. Asian Legal Information Institute. Includes 2007 Constitution, as well as 2006 and 1997 constitutions.
• Thailand Law Forum
• Asia Law Online. Asian Law Centre, Melbourne Law School. A bilbiographic database.
• The Constitution of the Kingdom of Thailand (Interim Edition) 2006 (unofficial English translation) is available in Constitutions of the Countries of the World as is the constitution of 1987. Also available in print.
  I,MON K 3157 .A2B58 1971 - v.18
• The Civil and Commercial Code, books I - VI and glossary. Thai and English.
  
  N,HTH KPT 494.31982 .A52 1999
• The Constitutional System of Thailand: A Contextual Analysis, by Andrew Harding and Peter Leyland (2011).
  N,HTH KPT 2070 .H37 2011

Finding Books on Bhutan and Thailand

Finding Books at Northwestern University

• Finding Books at Northwestern University (NUcat Searching Tips)
• Finding Books at Other Libraries (WorldCat )

Finding Articles:

• Tips:
1. Many subject areas are relevant-- not just law.
2. Use indexes to identify relevant articles.
3. "Advanced search" is often easier than "basic search."
4. Find a relevant citation, then click on "subject headings" or "descriptors" to find more.
5. "Find it at NU" button often leads to electronic full text.
6. NUcat "journal title" search leads to print and/or electronic full text
• Finding Articles and Papers on Foreign and Comparative Law (for articles on law of countries other than the U.S. and comparative law methodology, from journals published both in the U.S. and abroad)
• Find Non-Law Articles (for subjects in the social sciences, humanities, and sciences)
• Bibliography of Asian Studies . From the Association for Asian Studies at the University of Michigan. Western language articles and book chapters on all parts of Asia published since 1971, on all subjects, especially in the humanities and social sciences.

Finding Dissertations

• ProQuest Dissertations and Theses (PQDT) Entries for doctoral dissertations and master's theses, many of which are available for immediate free download. Can search by school, e.g., Northwestern.

Finding Statistics

• Worldwide Statistical Resources. Pritzker Legal Research Center.
• Bhutan Government - Reports and Statistics.

News: General, Legal, and Business

Note that both Lexis and Westlaw allow you to create and save a search, to be run on a periodic basis, such as daily or weekly. For links to tutorials, see the Research Alerts page of the library's web site. Always check scope notes (click on information icon) for dates of coverage. Not all publications are current.

Many organizations make it possible to monitor news by means of an RSS/XML ("Really Simple Syndication") feed. For information of setting up RSS feeds, see the Research Alerts: RSS Feeds section of the library's web site.

News: Bhutan

• Lexis . News & Business tab > Country & Region (excluding U.S.) > Asia Pacific > News
• Westlaw
1. Business & News tab > Global News > Far East News
2. Westlaw International tab > International/Worldwide Materials > Asia & Pacific Rim
3. Global News tab > Asia & Pacific Rim
• Bhutan Observer
• Bhutan Times
• Bhutan Today
• Kuensel Online “Bhutan’s daily news site.”
• BBS: Bhutan's National Public Service Broadcaster
• Bhutan news from The Guardian (U.K.)
• Bhutan news from Topix “ News on Bhutan continually updated from thousands of sources around the net.”
• World News Connection . Provided to the National Technical Information Service (NTIS) by the Open Source Center (OSC).

News: Thailand

• Lexis .
1. News & Business tab > Country & Region (excluding U.S.) > Asia Pacific > News
2. News & Business tab > Country & Region (excluding U.S.) > Thailand
• Westlaw
1. International/worldwide materials > Asia and the Pacific Rim > Individual Country Materials > Thailand > Business and News
2. Business and News tab > Global News > Far East News
• Thailand: News and Media. Links to free Internet news sources listed in the Open Directory Project.
• Bangkok Post (Registration required)
• World News Connection . Provided to the National Technical Information Service (NTIS) by the Open Source Center (OSC).

International and Regional Organizations

Note: Bhutan and Thailand are not necessarily members of all the organizations listed below. However, these web sites can be good sources of information.

• Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Thailand is a member.
• Asian Development Bank (ADB). Bhutan and Thailand.
• Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC). Thailand.
• International Labour Organization (ILO). Thailand.
• South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC).
• South Asia Co-operative Environment Programme (SACEP). See Bhutan.
• United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). See Bhutan and Thailand.
• United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). See Bhutan and Thailand.
• United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
• United Nations Economic, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). See Activities by Country: Bhutan and Thailand.
• World Health Organization (WHO). See country page: Bhutan and Thailand.
• World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). See Information by country: Bhutan and Thailand.
• World Trade Organization (WTO). See Accession Status: Bhutan and Thailand and the WTO.

Additional Resources for Selected Topics

Buddhism

• "Buddhist Law" article in Legal Systems of the World: A Political, Social, and Cultural Encyclopedia, vol. 1 pages 205-208.
  I,REF K 48 .L44 2002
• UPDATE: Religious Legal Systems in Comparative Law: A Guide to Introductory Research. By Marylin Johnson Raisch (GlobaLex). See sections on “ Buddhist Law and Legal Theory.”
• ATLA Religion Database with ATLA Serials
• Web of Science Select "Arts and Humanities Citation Index."

Business/Trade/Globalization

• globalEdge: Bhutan Country Insight. Michigan State University. Global Insignts: Bhutan and Thailand.

Education

• ERIC (EBSCO) Annotated references to journal articles and reports in education.
• “Convergence of Monastic and Modern Education in Bhutan?" by Brian D. Denman and Singye Namgyel, International Review of Education, v. 54 nos. 3-4 pp. 475-491(2008)

Gross National Happiness

• Gross National Happiness web site The Centre for Bhutan Studies

Human Rights

• Country Report on Human Rights Practices 2010: Bhutan and Thailand. Dept. of State. Also available in print: Country Reports on Human Rights Practices D,USG Y4.F76/1-15:
• Human Rights Watch: Bhutan and Thailand.
• United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. See Bhutan and Thailand.
• Human Rights and Humanitarian Law portion of Pritzker Legal Research Center web site.

Refugees/Immigration

• Guide to International Refugee Law Resources on the Web. By Elisa Mason (LLRX).
• UNHCR: The UN Refugee Agency. Bhutan and Thailand.
• Forced Migration Online Search “Bhutan” and "Thailand."

Women's and Children's Issues

• UNICEF: Thailand. From UNICEF.
• Contemporary Women's Issues Women's studies, including works on sociology, psychology, health, education, and human rights.
• Women's Human Rights Resources Bora Laskin Law Library, University of Toronto.
• U.S. Department of State. Trafficking in Persons Report.