Thailand’s English proficiency is getting worse: study

[Krataiboy]

11 minutes ago, melvinmelvin said:

the low salary thais have bank accounts, by and large

 

Possibly, but according to the Bank of Thailand 88 percent of all savings accounts in Thailand have less than THB50,000 (US$1,800) in them, while just one percent have savings of more than THB1 million.

 

Not exactly a recipe for spending sprees.

[marcusarelus]

28 minutes ago, Fex Bluse said:

I have to ask what makes you think Thailand's wealth market is rapidly growing. 

 

And, I ask because my wife is a wealth management exec at top 3 Thai Bank and she also wants to know. 

 

The wealth markets in Thailand are stagnant! Hardly any new entrants into the HNW or UHNW crowd. Your average wealth manager at a bank here has a client portfolio of about 300 or clients with an average of USD 100K or less with a VERY small number having millions or more. 

 

The HNW and UHNW clients invariably manage the bulk of their assets OUTSIDE THAILAND. Often, they will have TH accounts with a reasonable amount of money in them for children and wives, ect. 

 

We all see the adds on around Bangkok. They are selling credit cards and other stuff aimed at working class people. I attend the bank events with my wife, and they hardly have a handful of audience attending the wealth management product launches. The money in Thailand is concentrated into very few families' hands, and new entrants are very few. 

 

And, BCG, McKinsey and the other assorted Strategy firms publish reports that are, in part, aimed at generating interest in engagement work. Their numbers are often unreliable given their conflict of interest.

Thailand’s overall wealth market is estimated to be around $300 billion, with a rapidly growing population of high net worth individuals of approximately 30,000, according to the BCG Global Wealth Report 2017. Not only is wealth growing in Thailand, the demand for sophisticated wealth management services and global investment strategies is also expanding quickly.

 

Maybe the above is not accurate.  I think the 30,000 can be documented from many sources. 

 

Probably the most convincing data comes from banks that are partnering with Thai banks to take advantage of the new wealth.  Lombard Odier, is a partner of Thailand's third-ranked bank, Kasikorn Bank Pcl.  Malaysia-based CIMB and Singapore's United Overseas Bank also have wealth management units in Thailand. Julius Baer-SCB venture will operate via companies in Thailand and Singapore. The Swiss private bank will have the option to increase its stake to 49 per cent over time.

[marcusarelus]

31 minutes ago, Krataiboy said:

Possibly, but according to the Bank of Thailand 88 percent of all savings accounts in Thailand have less than THB50,000 (US$1,800) in them, while just one percent have savings of more than THB1 million.

 

Not exactly a recipe for spending sprees.

So who is generating all these increases in the GDP and salaries and exports?  All a ponzi scheme? 

Edited November 4, 2018 by marcusarelus

[Small Joke]

Never mind the bollicks, how's their Mandarin. That's the language that'll matter when they're my age.

[racket]

Same same in other words..

[Krataiboy]

46 minutes ago, marcusarelus said:

So who is generating all these increases in the GDP and salaries and exports?  All a ponzi scheme? 

I'm no expert on finance and economics, but if the Bank of Thailand is right about 88 percent of all savings accounts in Thailand having less than THB50,000 (US$1,800) in them, either mass borrowing is at staggeringly high level or the super-rich are even more-so than we imagined. If I were an ordinary working Thai, looking at these figures, I would probably feel I was a victim of a ponzi scheme!

[zzaa09]

48 minutes ago, Small Joke said:

Never mind the bollicks, how's their Mandarin. That's the language that'll matter when they're my age.

It sure will. Leaving the much beloved English in the passing dust. 

Shhhh......but don't tell the deluded Anglo/Euro-centrists, they'll have a tizzy attempting to explain their diminishing role of the extended empire.

[cat handler]

What do they think and why would they be surprised, they are hiring reject westerners who are either not qualified to teach or were no good at teaching in their own country and they expect different results? Pay peanuts you get monkeys and they have barrels full of them teaching.

[Lingba]

as an ex teacher...the students don't give a sh*t..they are lazy and they cheat to get by...and many times when I did issue D or failing grades...the Thai administrators in the university...changed my grades to make them all pass...its a sick corrupt system...and stupid

[AYJAYDEE]

18 minutes ago, zzaa09 said:

It sure will. Leaving the much beloved English in the passing dust. 

Shhhh......but don't tell the deluded Anglo/Euro-centrists, they'll have a tizzy attempting to explain their diminishing role of the extended empire.

ASEAN has adopted ENGLISH as the official language of business. It will remain very important to learn it.

[AYJAYDEE]

1 hour ago, Small Joke said:

Never mind the bollicks, how's their Mandarin. That's the language that'll matter when they're my age.

English is the official language of ASEAN

 

[dallen52]

2 hours ago, pastprime said:

That is so to obtain bank loans

Also to pay the monthly rent and other expenses. 

I made the mistake of going to kasikorn cash deposit machine on the night of the last day of the month. 

They queued up for ages feeding notes in.

[dallen52]

12 minutes ago, AYJAYDEE said:

English is the official language of ASEAN

 

But the Thailand government sent 100 plus ranking officials to learn Chinese language recently. 

[zzaa09]

48 minutes ago, AYJAYDEE said:

ASEAN has adopted ENGLISH as the official language of business. It will remain very important to learn it.

Officially, perhaps.

But in real everyday practice [business or otherwise], probably not. 

[AYJAYDEE]

6 minutes ago, zzaa09 said:

Officially, perhaps.

But in real everyday practice [business or otherwise], probably not. 

lol! of course it will be. they all need a common language of business and the commonest language to the business elite of south east asia is english. Five of the ten were colonies or protectorates of english speaking countries

[AYJAYDEE]

46 minutes ago, dallen52 said:

But the Thailand government sent 100 plus ranking officials to learn Chinese language recently. 

because china is not in asean. of course they have to know all the required business languages

 

[ChakaKhan]

17 hours ago, marcusarelus said:

I always wondered who taught Thai kids to say that.  Which school do you teach at?

I quit teaching aka babysitting long ago....

[ChakaKhan]

20 hours ago, MaxYakov said:

 

 

Do think that it is beyond the realm of possibility that ChakaKhan's reply is simply mocking Thai English speakers and a particular view of Thai culture?

 

Ref: HERE

Thanks   You DO Understand this Falang.....I simply mirror people I encounter here on a daily basis

 

Grumpy crowd on TV this week    555  sabai sabai!!!  jai yen yen!

[ChakaKhan]

20 hours ago, FritsSikkink said:

Maybe try to interact with educated people instead of a prostitute with 3 years of primary school.

You seem nice...does this mean we cant be pals anymore?   I feel sad now...I go get boom boom

[Odysseus123]

2 hours ago, ChakaKhan said:

You seem nice...does this mean we cant be pals anymore?   I feel sad now...I go get boom boom

Bwahaha...

 

.. another flighty TVF relationship bites the dust.????

 

 

 

 

[Fex Bluse]

Well, after some slightly off topic posts about economy, back to the main topic. 

 

I'd like to add that it is not only necessary to teach native Thai speakers vocabulary and grammar. You also often need to teach them how to reason and communicate effectively in a broader sense. 

 

Thai is a somewhat imprecise language in many regards, and, because it is a High Context language, when Thais speak English, even those who have great pronunciation and grammar, they often are wholly unclear as to their meaning. Also, they are often poor at moving from one thing to the next in a clear, logical progression. 

 

So, teaching them reason and precision is more difficult than vocab, grammar and pronunciation. 

[Bangkokazy]

A piece of advice for anyone who will learn English, 300 words are enough.

 

[ChristianBlessing]

On 11/3/2018 at 8:12 PM, zzaa09 said:

I'm perplexed as to the intense angst towards Thais [and anywhere else] and their language proficiency. 

 

Why? 

Agreed. Most posters appear to be social/cultural anthropologists, historians, educators and linguists, all while harboring some deep animus toward Thai society and the Thai people.

[brewsterbudgen]

Anyone who watches football on tv will know that the panel who assess games before and after have no idea how to pronounce either the name of the club or individual players, despite the fact that they could learn by listening to the English commentary which is available. 
The  same individuals have been doing this job for many years yet never seem to learn so any Thais viewing, of which there are many simply repeat the mistakes. 
This is only one small example of the problem.

Thai TV football panellists are broadcasting in Thai to a Thai audience. Using Thai pronunciation of non-Thai names ensures they are understood. They're not employed to teach English pronunciation!

Sent from my SM-G930F using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[brewsterbudgen]

What do they think and why would they be surprised, they are hiring reject westerners who are either not qualified to teach or were no good at teaching in their own country and they expect different results? Pay peanuts you get monkeys and they have barrels full of them teaching.

The qualifications for TEFL/TESL in Thailand are no different from most other countries. While in the UK more importance is placed on a reputable TEFL qualification and experience than a degree, corners are often cut during the peak TEFL season.

Sent from my SM-G930F using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[JAG]

17 minutes ago, ChristianBlessing said:

Agreed. Most posters appear to be social/cultural anthropologists, historians, educators and linguists, all while harboring some deep animus toward Thai society and the Thai people.

All that expertise and knowledge of the subject, rather a pity so few are prepared or able to put it use addressing the problem...

[JAG]

9 hours ago, cat handler said:

What do they think and why would they be surprised, they are hiring reject westerners who are either not qualified to teach or were no good at teaching in their own country and they expect different results? Pay peanuts you get monkeys and they have barrels full of them teaching.

Didn't get hired this semester then?

[jayboy]

9 hours ago, zzaa09 said:

It sure will. Leaving the much beloved English in the passing dust. 

Shhhh......but don't tell the deluded Anglo/Euro-centrists, they'll have a tizzy attempting to explain their diminishing role of the extended empire.

No well informed person thinks that English will be eclipsed in the next hundred years or so. For all your nonsense about Anglo/Euro - centrists (whatever that is meant to describe) the English language is already a universal language which has detached itself from its origins in a remote cold Northern island and sent down roots all over the world

All serious studies confirm the same thing. Here's a view from the Wall Street Journal"

 

Money quote, " if the Chinese rule the world, they will likely do so in English."

 

"Some may protest that it is not English but Mandarin Chinese that will eventually become the world’s language, because of the size of the Chinese population and the increasing economic might of their nation. But that’s unlikely. For one, English happens to have gotten there first. It is now so deeply entrenched in print, education and media that switching to anything else would entail an enormous effort. We retain the QWERTY keyboard and AC current for similar reasons.

Also, the tones of Chinese are extremely difficult to learn beyond childhood, and truly mastering the writing system virtually requires having been born to it. In the past, of course, notoriously challenging languages such as Greek, Latin, Aramaic, Arabic, Russian and even Chinese have been embraced by vast numbers of people. But now that English has settled in, its approachability as compared with Chinese will discourage its replacement. Many a world power has ruled without spreading its language, and just as the Mongols and Manchus once ruled China while leaving Chinese intact, if the Chinese rule the world, they will likely do so in English".

[sabian]

I’ve just circumnavigated Cambodia and the level of English proficiency was really quite good even in backwater areas, so I’m surprised to see them so low on the table.

[Artisi]

40 minutes ago, JAG said:

Didn't get hired this semester then?

Probably too much handling of the pussy....