Promoting Flexible and Remote Working Practices at Walailak University
Modern workplaces increasingly require organizations to develop flexible working arrangements that allow employees to continue performing their responsibilities beyond the traditional office environment. For a large university community, where employees may live in different communities and travel considerable distances to campus, providing appropriate alternatives to daily commuting can contribute to operational resilience, employee flexibility, and more sustainable mobility.
Remote working is particularly valuable when circumstances make travelling to the workplace difficult or unsafe. Natural disasters, epidemics, emergency situations, and other unexpected events can disrupt transportation and limit access to workplaces. Having an established mechanism for employees to work remotely enables an organization to maintain essential operations and services while reducing the need for employees to travel during such circumstances.
Flexible working arrangements can also contribute to more sustainable commuting practices. When employees are able to perform their duties effectively from home when appropriate, unnecessary journeys to and from the workplace can be avoided. This can help reduce reliance on private vehicles, ease pressure on transportation systems, and potentially reduce fuel consumption and associated greenhouse gas emissions. At the same time, remote working can provide employees with greater flexibility while allowing organizations to maintain productivity and service continuity.
For these reasons, Walailak University has established an institutional framework for Work from Home arrangements. Rather than treating remote working as an informal or temporary practice, the University has developed formal criteria, approval procedures, responsibilities, and monitoring requirements to ensure that employees can work remotely without compromising work quality or services to students and other members of the public. This approach reflects the University’s commitment to adapting its working practices to changing circumstances while supporting efficient, resilient, and more sustainable ways of working.
Walailak University Announcement on Allowing Employees to Work from Home (Work from Home), B.E. 2569 (2026)
Walailak University promotes flexible working arrangements through an institutional policy that allows employees to work from home when appropriate. In 2026, the University issued the “Walailak University Announcement on Allowing Employees to Work from Home (Work from Home), B.E. 2569 (2026),” establishing formal criteria and procedures for employees to perform their duties remotely. The policy aims to ensure consistent implementation across University units while maintaining continuity and efficiency of operations during circumstances that may prevent employees from travelling to the University.
The Work from Home policy provides a structured mechanism for remote working in several circumstances. These include natural disasters, epidemics, emergency situations declared by government authorities in Nakhon Si Thammarat Province, other situations designated by the University, and cases where an employee is recovering from illness and is able to perform their duties but faces difficulties travelling to the University. Employees may be authorized to work from their normal residence, registered domicile, or another approved location, provided that the location has appropriate communication and information technology systems and that the employee can be contacted when necessary.
The policy establishes a clear approval process to ensure that remote working is implemented appropriately according to the nature of each employee’s duties. Employees requesting to work from home must provide the reasons and necessity for the arrangement, a work plan, objectives, expected outputs, duration, residence information, and communication channels. Where University equipment or tools are required outside the workplace, employees must also obtain approval in accordance with relevant University regulations.
To maintain accountability and operational continuity, employees working from home remain subject to normal working requirements. Professional and general administrative employees are required to record their working hours through the University’s designated WU Thasala system, with alternative electronic reporting procedures available when technical or geographical limitations prevent use of the system. Employees must remain available to receive instructions during normal working hours, report their work results according to their approved plans, and comply with the University’s information security and confidentiality requirements.
The policy also provides flexibility for employees to return to the University when necessary. Supervisors may require employees to return to the workplace immediately in urgent situations, while employees may occasionally come to the office when their duties require physical presence or may request cancellation of their work-from-home arrangement. At the same time, University units are required to ensure that remote working does not adversely affect work efficiency, the nature of the position, or services provided to students and other members of the public. Where necessary, units can adjust service channels, service hours, or working arrangements to maintain uninterrupted services.
Importantly, the policy distinguishes working from home from leave or absence. Employees working remotely continue to perform their normal duties and remain subject to the University’s disciplinary and performance requirements. This approach allows remote working to function as an alternative working arrangement rather than a suspension of work, helping the University maintain essential operations while providing employees with greater flexibility when circumstances make regular commuting difficult or inappropriate.
Through the formalization of Work from Home arrangements, Walailak University strengthens its capacity to maintain institutional operations during emergencies and other circumstances that affect mobility. The policy also provides an institutional framework for employees to perform their responsibilities without travelling to campus when remote work is appropriate, thereby supporting flexible working practices and providing an alternative to daily commuting while maintaining service quality, accountability, and organizational continuity.
Online Meetings and Digital Collaboration
Walailak University promotes the use of online meeting and digital collaboration platforms as part of its broader approach to flexible and technology-enabled working practices. When physical attendance is not necessary, staff are encouraged to use online platforms such as Zoom and Microsoft Teams for internal meetings and coordination. This allows employees and departments to communicate and collaborate in real time while reducing unnecessary travel between university buildings and, where appropriate, travel to the campus.
Internal Meetings
For routine internal meetings, departments can use online meeting platforms whenever appropriate to the nature and objectives of the meeting. Virtual meetings enable staff to participate directly from their workplace or other suitable locations without having to travel to a separate meeting venue. This can save travel time, support more efficient use of working hours, and reduce the need for short-distance transportation.
The practice also supports more sustainable working arrangements. By replacing unnecessary journeys with digital communication, online meetings can reduce vehicle use and associated fuel consumption. When applied appropriately across different university units, these practices contribute to a working environment that makes greater use of digital connectivity while reducing avoidable travel.
Hybrid Executive Meetings
Walailak University also applies a hybrid meeting format to its monthly executive meetings, which generally involve a large number of participants. Under this arrangement, executive members attend the meeting physically, while supporting and operational staff can participate remotely through online meeting platforms.
The hybrid format provides an effective balance between face-to-face executive discussion and remote participation. It reduces the need for all supporting personnel to travel to the meeting venue while allowing them to remain actively involved in discussions, coordination, and administrative processes. It also provides greater flexibility for staff who are working off-campus, undertaking field activities, or otherwise unable to attend the meeting physically.
Technology-Enabled Collaboration
Online meetings are supported by the University’s digital infrastructure, including computers, smartphones, tablets, and university-supported internet and intranet connectivity. These technologies enable staff to communicate, exchange information, attend meetings, coordinate activities, and contribute to administrative and decision-making processes regardless of their physical location.
Together with the University’s formal Work from Home policy, the use of online meetings demonstrates how Walailak University is adapting workplace practices through digital technology. These arrangements provide alternatives to physical attendance when appropriate, while maintaining communication, collaboration, accountability, and continuity of university operations.
By reducing the need for unnecessary travel, particularly for meetings that can be conducted effectively online, digital collaboration contributes to more efficient and flexible working practices and supports the University’s broader efforts to promote sustainable commuting and reduce the environmental impacts associated with workplace travel.
Smart Irrigation Management through the Control Plant Watering Application
Walailak University applies smart agricultural technologies to enable remote monitoring and management of agricultural activities. One example is the Control Plant Watering Application, a smart irrigation management system developed to improve agricultural efficiency, optimize water use, and reduce the need for staff to be physically present at agricultural sites.
The application is currently used at the Agricultural Innovation Development and Demonstration Center in Honor of King Rama IX (Kla Dee Shop), operated by the School of Agricultural Technology and Food Industry. The system supports the cultivation of various crops, including Green Oak Leaf Lettuce, Red Oak Leaf Lettuce, Purple Basil, and Butterhead Lettuce.
The smart irrigation system combines automated watering technology with mobile application control, allowing authorized staff to remotely manage irrigation for fruit trees and vegetable crops. Watering can be controlled according to agricultural requirements without requiring staff to travel to the fields solely to operate the irrigation system. This provides greater flexibility in managing agricultural activities and allows routine tasks to be performed remotely when physical presence is not required.
The system also helps reduce the number of unnecessary on-site visits associated with routine irrigation activities. Staff can operate and monitor the system using smartphones or tablets, enabling them to manage agricultural operations from other locations. By reducing avoidable travel, the application can help save staff time, reduce vehicle use and fuel consumption, and support the University’s efforts to promote more sustainable working and commuting practices.
In addition to remote irrigation control, the agricultural site is supported by 24-hour CCTV surveillance, enabling staff to monitor crop conditions and field activities remotely. This provides continuous oversight of agricultural operations and allows staff to identify situations requiring attention without having to routinely visit the site in person. When an issue requires physical intervention, staff can then travel to the site based on an identified need rather than making unnecessary routine trips.
The application demonstrates how digital technology can extend remote working practices beyond conventional office-based activities. By integrating automated systems, mobile technology, and remote monitoring, Walailak University enables staff to manage selected agricultural responsibilities from a distance while maintaining operational continuity and effective oversight. This approach supports efficient use of human resources, reduces unnecessary travel, and contributes to a more flexible and sustainable working environment.
Control Plant Watering Application for Smart Farm
Following the successful implementation of the Control Plant Watering Application at the Agricultural Innovation Development and Demonstration Center in Honor of King Rama IX (Kla Dee Shop), Walailak University expanded the application to support remote operations at the Center for Smart Farming and Landscaping Architecture.
The application enables staff at the Center to remotely manage and monitor selected agricultural and farming activities without having to travel to the site for routine tasks. Similar to the system used at the Agricultural Innovation Development and Demonstration Center, staff can remotely control irrigation and monitor operations through the application using digital devices such as smartphones and tablets. This allows routine activities to be managed from other locations while maintaining operational continuity.
To further support remote monitoring, the Center for Smart Farming and Landscaping Architecture has integrated a CCTV monitoring system into the application. This additional function is particularly important because the Center is responsible for livestock that require regular observation and care. Through remote CCTV monitoring, staff can observe the condition and well-being of the animals and identify potential problems without needing to be physically present at the site at all times.
The remote monitoring system also contributes to safety. Staff can monitor livestock movement and identify situations in which animals may escape from designated areas and potentially create risks or hazards for people outside the Center. When an issue requiring physical intervention is detected, staff can respond accordingly rather than making routine trips solely for monitoring purposes.
By extending the application to the Center for Smart Farming and Landscaping Architecture, Walailak University demonstrates how digital technology can enable remote working across different types of university operations, including agricultural and livestock management. The system reduces the need for unnecessary travel while allowing staff to maintain regular oversight and respond to operational needs. This technology-enabled approach supports greater working flexibility, efficient use of staff time, and more sustainable working practices.
Digital Systems Enabling Remote and Flexible Working at Walailak University
Walailak University has continuously developed and implemented digital systems to support remote and flexible working, improve administrative efficiency, and promote more sustainable workplace practices. By moving routine administrative and service processes from paper-based procedures to digital platforms, these systems enable staff to complete tasks, submit documents, request services, and monitor processes without having to travel between university offices or submit documents in person. In addition to supporting more flexible working arrangements, the digital transformation of these processes reduces the consumption of physical resources, particularly paper and ink, and contributes to more efficient use of staff time.
Walailak University Digital Office Management System (DOMS)
The Digital Office Management System (DOMS) was developed to transform the University’s traditional paper-based administrative processes, particularly those involving financial and official documentation. The system enables documents to be created, processed, circulated, reviewed, and approved electronically, including through electronic signatures (eSignature).
By allowing authorized personnel to handle official documents digitally, DOMS reduces the need to physically transfer documents between offices and eliminates many in-person steps in administrative workflows. Staff can therefore complete and monitor document-related processes from their work locations, supporting greater flexibility and reducing unnecessary movement across campus. The system also contributes to paperless administration and more efficient institutional operations.
Electronic Service System (E-Service)
Developed by the Digital Technology Center, the Electronic Service System (E-Service) provides a centralized online channel for submitting and managing various service requests within the University. Staff can use the system to request IT equipment repairs, system development services, telephone installations, equipment loans, and other related services.
Before the introduction of E-Service, many requests required paper forms to be completed and submitted in person. The digital system replaces these physical procedures with online requests and communication, allowing staff to initiate and follow up on services remotely. This reduces unnecessary travel between offices, improves communication between service providers and users, and decreases the use of paper-based documentation.
Human Resources Management Information System (WU-HRMS)
The WU Human Resources Management Information System (WU-HRMS) provides staff with digital access to a range of human resource services and employment-related processes. Its functions include online task logging, submission of annual employment contracts, welfare benefit applications, recruitment processes, and leave management.
Through WU-HRMS, staff can complete many human resource procedures electronically without having to submit physical documents or visit administrative offices. This supports flexible working practices by allowing employees to manage relevant processes remotely while reducing administrative workload, paper consumption, and unnecessary travel.
Center for Educational Service System (WU-CES)
The Center for Educational Service System (WU-CES) provides a digital platform for managing academic and educational administrative processes involving students, academic staff, and educational support personnel. The system supports electronic processing of various documents and requests, including grade reports, certificates, classroom relocation requests, and other academic services.
By providing these services through an online platform, WU-CES reduces the need for users and staff to visit offices for routine transactions. Digital processing allows academic administration to continue more efficiently across different locations while reducing physical paperwork and supporting more flexible working practices.
E-Car: Staff Vehicle Booking System
Walailak University has also implemented the E-Car System, a digital platform for booking University vehicles for official travel outside the campus. The system replaces the previous paper-based process, in which staff were required to submit vehicle booking forms in person to the Division of Service Central.
Through E-Car, staff can submit vehicle requests and manage bookings electronically, reducing the need for physical submission and unnecessary travel to administrative offices. The system also supports real-time booking and scheduling, allowing University vehicles to be coordinated more efficiently according to operational requirements.
The digitalization of the vehicle booking process demonstrates how technology can simplify administrative workflows while supporting more efficient management of institutional resources. By reducing paper-based procedures and unnecessary movement, E-Car contributes to both operational efficiency and more sustainable workplace practices.
Together, these systems form an important part of Walailak University’s digital workplace infrastructure. They enable staff to complete a growing range of administrative, human resource, academic, and operational processes remotely, reducing dependence on physical documents and face-to-face transactions.
The University’s adoption of digital systems therefore complements its formal Work from Home policy by providing the technological foundation needed for employees to remain productive and connected when working away from their usual office locations. At the same time, reducing unnecessary movement and paper-based processes contributes to more efficient resource use and supports the University’s broader efforts toward sustainable and technology-enabled working practices.
IoT Applications for Smarter and Sustainable Campus Management
Walailak University has adopted Internet of Things (IoT) technologies to support remote monitoring, automated management, and more efficient campus operations. By connecting sensors, equipment, and other devices through digital networks, IoT systems can collect and transmit data in real time, allowing staff to monitor conditions and control certain operations remotely. This reduces the need for routine physical inspections and unnecessary travel to operational sites while enabling staff to respond more efficiently when intervention is required.
IoT applications are being implemented across several areas of campus management. At the Center for Smart Farming and Landscaping Architecture, IoT technologies are used to monitor and manage livestock facilities, enabling staff to observe conditions remotely and support animal welfare and efficient farm management. Combined with digital monitoring systems, these technologies allow staff to maintain oversight of agricultural activities without requiring continuous physical presence at the site.
The Division of Landscaping and Building applies IoT technology to support the management of the University’s water supply system and environmental conditions. Connected systems enable staff to monitor weather conditions and water levels remotely, providing timely information for water management and helping the University respond to conditions that could contribute to flooding. Remote monitoring reduces the need for staff to make routine inspection trips while supporting more effective management of campus water resources.
Meanwhile, the Division of Service Central applies IoT-based solutions to support campus security through advanced surveillance and monitoring systems. These technologies provide continuous access to information from monitored areas, allowing responsible personnel to observe conditions remotely and respond when attention is required.
Through these applications, IoT technology extends Walailak University’s capacity to manage campus operations without relying exclusively on physical presence. Remote monitoring and automated data collection allow staff to focus their on-site visits on situations that genuinely require physical intervention, while routine observation and selected operational tasks can be performed digitally. This approach supports more flexible working practices, improves operational efficiency, reduces unnecessary staff travel, and contributes to the University’s broader efforts to develop a smarter and more sustainable campus.
Walailak University’s approach to remote and flexible working demonstrates that reducing the need for physical presence does not mean reducing productivity, accountability, or the quality of services. Through a combination of institutional policy, digital platforms, online collaboration, smart agricultural applications, and IoT-enabled monitoring, the University provides staff with practical alternatives to conventional workplace arrangements when physical presence is not necessary or circumstances make travel difficult. These measures strengthen the University’s ability to maintain essential operations while adapting to changing conditions.
A major benefit of these practices is the reduction of unnecessary staff travel. Online meetings, digital administrative systems, remote agricultural management, and IoT-based monitoring allow many tasks to be completed or supervised without employees having to travel between buildings or to operational sites. This saves working time and reduces the use of private vehicles and other forms of transportation for activities that can be effectively performed through digital technologies. In turn, reducing unnecessary journeys can contribute to lower fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions associated with workplace travel.
Digitalization also improves the efficiency of University operations. Electronic document processing, online service requests, digital human resource procedures, and electronic academic services reduce the time and effort required for routine transactions. At the same time, replacing paper-based processes reduces the consumption of paper, ink, and other physical resources. These improvements demonstrate that remote working and digital transformation can provide environmental benefits while also supporting more streamlined and responsive administrative services.
The University’s remote working framework further strengthens organizational resilience. By establishing clear criteria, approval procedures, working requirements, communication channels, and accountability mechanisms, Walailak University can continue its operations during natural disasters, epidemics, emergency situations, and other circumstances that may disrupt normal commuting. Employees can remain connected with their supervisors and colleagues, continue their assigned responsibilities, and return to campus when their physical presence is required.
These practices also contribute to a more flexible working environment. Employees are provided with appropriate options to perform their responsibilities from alternative locations when permitted, while University units retain mechanisms to ensure that essential services and activities continue without interruption. The combination of flexibility and accountability allows remote working to be implemented according to the nature of individual duties rather than as a one-size-fits-all arrangement.
Overall, Walailak University is moving toward a more digitally enabled and sustainable workplace in which physical presence is used where it adds value, while digital technologies are used wherever they can perform tasks effectively. By connecting policy, people, and technology, the University not only supports remote and flexible working but also reduces avoidable travel, improves resource efficiency, strengthens operational continuity, and contributes to a more sustainable campus environment. These efforts reflect Walailak University’s commitment to developing modern working practices that benefit employees, institutional operations, and the environment.
Related Links
https://hro.wu.ac.th/?page_id=23207
https://council.wu.ac.th/archives/24295
https://council.wu.ac.th/archives/23774
https://council.wu.ac.th/elementor-5634/4
