On my numerous visits to Cambodia on visa runs it struck me how at street-level, tuk tuk drivers, waitresses etc, the level of English proficiency was better than it is in Thailand.

I wonder if UNESCO or some such body had got involved in education in Cambodia and this was one of the results?

13 minutes ago, hughrection said:

 

I even offer open-book exams and students turn up with no materials with them, and so fail the exam. Some just can't be helped, no matter what you do for them. I could let them use their smartphones (I don't) & they would STILL fail.

What type of questions do you ask that you'd consider students would still fail answering with a phone? AI is very good nowadays and I foresee this is going to make Thai students reading and listening skills even worse. 

Personally, where I have lived for nearly 14 years, I think the standard of English has skyrocketed over that time! Not only that but, when they do speak it, they have a smile on their face like they're enjoying it. 

I'm retired here, was a teacher, high school level, 105 credits beyond teaching master's degree.

I would like to volunteer teach here, a few hours a week. Don't need any pay. The hoops that have to be jumped through, the sucking up to useless admin (similar to US, come to think of it...), meetings and other soul sucking requirements... all the BS plus xenophobic immigration rules.... nah. 

Schools would do better if they had bar girls teach convo English... I wonder how they would do as a group on those English tests?

17 hours ago, unblocktheplanet said:

Nothing has changed. Central Chidlom and Bangkok Bank yesterday. Almost no English.

Agree I found the BKB the worst of all......out of 9 staff only the manager could speak a little English.

4 minutes ago, alien365 said:

What type of questions do you ask that you'd consider students would still fail answering with a phone? AI is very good nowadays and I foresee this is going to make Thai students reading and listening skills even worse. 

Once you ask opinion questions, which don't have a wrong answer, or a correct one (it's their opinion), they are stumped.

 

4 minutes ago, Emdog said:

I'm retired here, was a teacher, high school level, 105 credits beyond teaching master's degree.

I would like to volunteer teach here, a few hours a week. Don't need any pay. The hoops that have to be jumped through, the sucking up to useless admin (similar to US, come to think of it...), meetings and other soul sucking requirements... all the BS plus xenophobic immigration rules.... nah. 

Schools would do better if they had bar girls teach convo English... I wonder how they would do as a group on those English tests?

Very admirable sir, BUT the school that you would volunteer in would see an opportunity to earn.

 

They can apply to the MOE in Thailand for funding towards your 'salary.' They get the 10,000 baht, you teach for free, everyone's a winner.

 

Once they run into road blocks, they abandon the idea and you are told that your services are not needed.

 

If they can't earn, red tape always gets in the way. 🙂 

1 hour ago, mfd101 said:

One of the effects of 'never been colonized' ...

There was a short time in the 40s, when Japanese was popular.

Up to his early teens my Thai step son attended a well known school, not international, in the Chatuchak area. After some time I became concerned that his homework never included any English exercises. I went to talk to his English teacher about this only to realise that she couldn'speak a word of English.

I have since learned that the anti-English language attitude goes way back to the time when the name of the country was changed from Siam to Thailand.

19 hours ago, ikke1959 said:

I am not surprised.. In  Government schools with 40 to 50 kids in a class, who are not willing to learn, because why should they, as everything is always in Thai even English Camps, they can't even fail for the subject as for all other subjects. So why learn?? Besides that the Government talk that they need to learn English, but nothing is done in English, no TV shows, no movies, no English Camps, nothing at all and if you are from a poor family, living in a rural area, why should you learn a strange language that probably you never need?? Sometimes I see Thai English teachers, who can speak good English and they are also very upset that after 6 years English in Prathom, the students are not able to count from 1 to 20, or even can decent reply on questions as How old are you/What is your age and how are you?... They can't remember anything as they are not thinking. In most schools the teacher teach and the student copy without questions...the O net tests are the same .. all below average, except a few kids who are always in every class who want to learn but 95% even don't do an effort.

And you spend lots of money for very high educated English foreign teachers, but the learning is with the student. You can drag horses to water, but you can't make them drink....

The challenge is simple.  Kids sit in a classroom and speak English for 40 minutes.  Then when they leave  , all they speak is Thai.

 

This is the same thing that happens in many countries.  In Ontario, as a student, I did the same thing with French and German.

 

There has to be the ability of students to meet after school with each other in an area tht they speak English. 

It all boils down to the fact that Thai people think they are the centre of the universe.
Everything else around them is of secondary importance, and you see this reflected in their culture.

12 hours ago, kickstart said:

For that, you would need a good degree, for that, it takes a lot of money, which a lot of Thais do not have, in my rural it would be a low percentage that would get a good degree., so why learn English.

And most Thais  I meet with a Thai degree, can just about string one or two English sentences together.

2 sentences? So many? That surprises me very much. I was thinking not more than 2 words!

No, sorry, 3 words: Good morning teacher!

53 minutes ago, NedR69 said:

In Isaan, there's older people that can't speak, or understand any Thai other that a few phrases that are the same, and cannot write or read their own name.

A dying problem.

Three thoughts on this.

1 - A former PM told students that they need not learn English as one day all the world would speak Thai.

2 - My wife studied to teach English. She showed me an A4 sheet of questions which contained in the region of a dozen inaccuracies. I highlighted and corrected them, she gave it to the professor - who threw it in the bin.

3 - When she got a job teaching English in Bangkok, I couldn't understand most of what she was teaching them - and I've been a journalist for over 40 years writing for news agencies and newspapers such as The Times. It was highly technical, what I imagine is taught in the UK at university level, rather than basic beginner needs. I cannot imagine that the kids had any understanding or interest in what she had been taught to teach.

1 hour ago, hughrection said:

They do get an unpleasant surprise when they go to university. That's when they meet me, and failing is not an issue where I work.

They are genuinely surprised (the students), when they fail the course & then ask me for a 'make-up', which was typically what their Thai teachers let them do in secondary school. It was usually cleaning the staffroom or some other unrelated activity.

I even offer open-book exams and students turn up with no materials with them, and so fail the exam. Some just can't be helped, no matter what you do for them. I could let them use their smartphones (I don't) & they would STILL fail.

It's depressing, demotivating and ruins the job. I push on, for the ones that want to learn. (there are not many of these)  😞 

Yes, keep going & help those that wish to learn.

34 minutes ago, Peterphuket said:

It all boils down to the fact that Thai people think they are the centre of the universe.
Everything else around them is of secondary importance, and you see this reflected in their culture.

Very much like the etonian elite of UK

2 hours ago, mfd101 said:

One of the effects of 'never been colonized' ...

 

Yes, I've heard all Indonesians are fluent in Dutch, and all Vietnamese in French... 😆 

18 minutes ago, MarkBR said:

Very much like the etonian elite of UK

I don't know anything about that.
That's not where I'm from.

 

 

 

1 hour ago, Andrew65 said:

On my numerous visits to Cambodia on visa runs it struck me how at street-level, tuk tuk drivers, waitresses etc, the level of English proficiency was better than it is in Thailand.

I wonder if UNESCO or some such body had got involved in education in Cambodia and this was one of the results?

 

Not only UNESCO

 

AI:Numerous foreign entities, including major UN bodies like UNESCO, UNICEF, USAID, global funds like the Global Partnership for Education (GPE), and numerous NGOs (e.g., World Vision, VSO,] See Beyond Borders, PSE, The Nippon Foundation), actively support education in Cambodia, focusing on teacher training, curriculum development, digital learning, and supporting vulnerable children, often in partnership with the Ministry of Education (MoEYS

 

"There is a significant presence in Cambodia of schools built and continuously funded by overseas supporters, and of education-support NGOs that assist with training, resources and funding. The role of these NGOs is significant to the extent that the Minister of MOEYS is on public record as saying that the input of these NGOs is an integral part of the education strategy and that without the NGOs the government would be unable to reach its education targets.

 

The relationship between MOEYS and the NGO sector is integral to the 2010 Education Strategic Plan which stated as an objective:

 

Expand public/NGO/ community partnerships in formal and non-formal education in border, remote and disadvantaged areas as well as increase support for the provision of local life skills and vocational training and basic/required professional skills responsive to the needs of the social and labour market."

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Education_in_Cambodia

 

 

 

On 12/18/2025 at 10:31 AM, webfact said:

Thailand's position in global English proficiency has taken a hit, according to the 2025 EF English Proficiency Index. Ranked 116th out of 123 countries, Thailand fell into the "very low proficiency" category with a score of 402. This represents a significant drop of 13 points from the previous year.

Despite the millions thrown at education...

There are Thai sudents who do speak excellent English, I teach (Biology) and many (with 2 exceptions) have had excellent English tuition prior to entering my classroom.  So, I do not know where they get this, but excellent uition can be acquired in Thailand for Thai students.  My concern is more with the work ethic problem.

On 12/18/2025 at 10:31 AM, webfact said:

 

Thailand's position in global English proficiency has taken a hit, according to the 2025 EF English Proficiency Index. Ranked 116th out of 123 countries, Thailand fell into the "very low proficiency" category with a score of 402. This represents a significant drop of 13 points from the previous year.

 

Quite amazing score for a country that rely on international tourism as it's main income!

When the entire educational system is built around stifling a student's level of curiosity, and preventing them from questioning the teacher for fear of the teacher losing face, it is bound not only to fail, but to produce a very inferior educational result. 

 

The only thing that makes sense is that the elites and the powers that be, want it to be that way. 

2 hours ago, mfd101 said:

One of the effects of 'never been colonized' ...

An interesting view, with some validity.  Of course many colonies were greatly abused and resources were stripped, but they did exposure to new things..some bad, many good 

On 12/18/2025 at 10:51 AM, Woke to Sounds said:

IF I were a Thai, I wouldn't worry too much about it.

 

This is Thailand and we speak Thai.

 

English has no place here when you think about it really.

Try obtaining a job in one of the professional fields particularly medicine, or with an international company if you don't  have good English skills and see where you end up.

No problem if you want to be a farmer, labourer.

46 minutes ago, MarkBR said:

My concern is more with the work ethic problem.

That applies to all kids everywhere. Phones, videogames. They're too busy to get a job. And then there are those who know AI will render unemployable.

 

My daughter's high school did not permit Thai to be spoken...on school grounds.

3 hours ago, Andrew65 said:

On my numerous visits to Cambodia on visa runs it struck me how at street-level, tuk tuk drivers, waitresses etc, the level of English proficiency was better than it is in Thailand.

I wonder if UNESCO or some such body had got involved in education in Cambodia and this was one of the results?

This confirms my experiences: I remember when BigC went to Cambodia a few years ago and young Cambodians received training here at BigC Surin, also as cashiers. And I was very amazed at how well the young Cambodians could speak English. No comparison to the minimal knowledge (if at all) of the Thais.

On 12/18/2025 at 10:51 AM, Woke to Sounds said:

IF I were a Thai, I wouldn't worry too much about it.

 

This is Thailand and we speak Thai.

 

English has no place here when you think about it really.

If you want to do business on an International level then English is a must. Similarly, if you want to travel outside of Thailand, most countries speak English even if it isn't their native language.

41 minutes ago, Photoguy21 said:

If you want to do business on an International level then English is a must. Similarly, if you want to travel outside of Thailand, most countries speak English even if it isn't their native language.

Business in TH, and daughter found out, Chinese is the better language to have, then Japanese, then English.

 

Marketing, those knowing Chinese, got more, better commissioned clients, at all 3 previous companies she worked for.

That doesn't surprise me. Relatively few Thais seem to value education, not limited to acquiring foreign language skills.