Abstract:
With respect and sincere honor, I would like thank my parents for supporting me financially
and encouraging me all the time while I was studying at the Asian Institute of Technology.
I thank Dr. Matthew N. Dailey, my adviser and chairperson of the examination committee,
for his constant instruction, advice and review of my research study. I wish to express my
gratitude to my research examination committee members, Dr. Mongkol Ekpanyapong and
Dr. Manukid Parnichkun, for their useful suggestions and valuable comments. I also thank
my sister, who gave me an opportunity to collect information for use in my research. Special
thanks go to the staff of the academic secretariat office that provided me with the necessary
information and documents for my research.
