Thailand Set To Be Asian Education Hub

[KevinBloodyWilson]

Ministry plans exhibition to push 'education foreigners'

BANGKOK: -- In response to the government's policy to promote Thailand as an international education centre, the Commerce Ministry is preparing to lure more foreign students by organising an annual international education exhibition.

The government has set a goal to transform the country to be the Asian region's education hub by next year, according to Rachane Potjanasuntorn, director-general of the ministry's Department of Export Promotion.

The Thailand International Education Exhibition (TIEE) 2009 will be held between October 9 and 11 at Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre.

"The department has played a key role in promoting international education business in Thailand ...to be accepted among target groups local and aboard. It has been organising TIEE to invite more international students to further their studies in Thailand. Visitors from 37 countries visited TIEE 2008," Rachane said.

This year's exhibition will be held under the concept of 'Asia's Hub of International Education' and it's expected there will be at least 12,000 visitors, both local and aboard.

Full details international education in Thailand will be provided at TIEE 2009. Leading international academic institutions nationwide will be at the exhibition venue to give information about studying at their institutions.

-- The Nation 2009-08-24

When looking to see how well Thais are suited to telling foreigners how education should be done, it is useful to see how they educate their own people.

If they are wanting to export Thai education methods and standards, I seriously doubt they will have many buyers. Bolivia perhaps or an atoll somewhere in the Galapagos, but not many others. On the other hand, if they have a better product to sell than the ones I have seen, why don't they give it to their own people first?

Sometimes I think the most useful thing you lear living in Thailand is to expect less from Thais. Talking the talk is easy. Walking the walk is harder.

[harrry]

How can it become an Educational hub unless it makes the educational institutions physically accessible to people with disabilitie. All this will do is open more valid oportiunities for other countries to criticize Thailand.

[stevehaigh]

have you seen the new advertising poster?

[Thai at Heart]

If parents have the money to send their kids overseas for boarding school, please pray tell what are the benefits of sending your kids to Thailand over say, UK, Oz, New Zealand, US or any other country with hundreds of years of educational experience in running boarding schools?

People don't choose to send their kids to schools just because the sun shines somewhere.

[mrtoad]

Seems that August is the month for reissuing the same old stories. We've had the Uniform issue, same as last year, and now the re- announcement of Education Hub.

What will be the next one?

[Ijustwannateach]

In terms of reputation and English, Singapore's universities are really winning the regional battle. Thailand will be fighting for a share of what's left after Singapore's full.

Japan is behind in terms of English but way ahead in terms of subject matter, etc.

Thailand simply doesn't have the excess capacity of English-speaking expertise necessary, either among its large Thai teacher population who generally lack English-speaking ability, or among the smaller and generally underpaid and underscreened foreign teacher population. Even the best-staffed and most expensive programs here (which are barely suitable on the whole, considering a large number of factors but especially the high costs) are already basically full from year to year.

[Beacher]

Thailand...education hub....really?

555555555555

[quiksilva]

Thailand never ceases to amaze!

[Thai at Heart]

Can't they just focus on :

"Thailand model emerging democracy hub" and "Thailand model sustainable economic growth hub".

[Plus]

In terms of reputation and English, Singapore's universities are really winning the regional battle. Thailand will be fighting for a share of what's left after Singapore's full.

Japan is behind in terms of English but way ahead in terms of subject matter, etc.

Thailand simply doesn't have the excess capacity of English-speaking expertise necessary, either..

The fact is even Ramkhamhaeng has some courses with 50% international students. There IS demand, there IS capacity, there IS a chance of becoming a hub.

What should be government response be? "fuc_k those students. We will NOT help them, we will NOT help our universities because of endless rants on Thaivisa. We DON'T stand a chance. Go back where you come from, you are NOT welcome to study here."

Maybe they get dregs who couldn't get a place in Singapore, but they'll get them. I also don't think Singapore has any excess capacity itself, Thailand maybe already ahead of them in providing infrastructure and facilities to support practically unlimited number of foreign students. Thais could replicate the success of "medical hub" policies, I don't see the problem. It's already working.

[chuang]

Thailand - Hub of Education?

What difference does it make if you can get a degree from Khao San Education's Hub....

[animatic]

As long as the SOP teaching style remains the same it is pretty hopeless.

While there are some segments like robotics, where there is some creative invention going on,

in general; the rote learning, never question the teacher; right or wrong, and disincentive to

'think out of the box', in the whole school system; top to bottom, does not auger well to it

EVER being an education center, let alone learning hub for the region.

In general there is a diligent ability to copy at high levels, but free invention is beaten

out of too high a percentage of the students culturally and systemically for it to be truly

innovative here. At least not in the near term. Innovation is the wellspring of a culture progressing.

Still love the place of course.

2 cents

Edited August 24, 2009 by animatic

[slapout]

I think we have to put all of the statements regarding hubs, economics, medical concerns(flu, aids, etc), in fact most of the statements made by political types in perspective. The people who appoint these people do not appear to want anyone in a reporting position to be more educated/clever than themselves. As these appointees move up the food chain, they in turn appoint people who meet the mentioned criteria by which they were chosen. If we continue with this observation/theory it only makes sense that the present generation in politics/appointed slots, after having gone thru this procedure 3 or maybe 4 times, may be a little short in many mental processes. This could be extrapolated out to include the majority and that is a real scary scene. But, I guess several people have made passing reference to having the latter scenario already.

[Sisaketmike]

I hope there is more to this story than meets the eye. Having worked in the education field in Thailand for a number of years, I hardly see the country as being able to be an education hub in the next year. Of course the advertising brochures can advertise that you get a visa, you are guaranteed to pass if you pay your fees, your degree will most likely not be recognized outside the country!

It's unbelievable to read this.

[Datsun240Z]

I would go with some posters here, improve the quality first. I mean everybody can wave around with a piece of paper.

[Sisaketmike]

have you seen the new advertising poster?

Amazing legs. Amazing Thailand. Amazing colours. Amazing bombs. Amazing classrooms. Welcome to Thailand.

[wilsongbrown]

Thailand...... the hub of the first of April.

Ah you beat me to it

Not sneering. Just can't get my head around the double standards of the wealthy sending their children overseas whilst keeping the rice producing peasants ignorant. Oh yes, where would they get their wealth via cheap uneducated, ill skilled, non English speaking labour from?

[KhaoNiaw]

I've read somewhere that Thailand has a lot of international students already, why not make it official policy? They aren't going to attract Americans but Laos, Burma and Cambodia are practically Thailand's backyard. They are not going to challenge Australia either but build their own niche, their own value for money.

Plus is spot on here. It's already happening and it's just the goverenment jumping on the bandwagon.

There are thousands of Chinese students already taking degree courses in Thailand, including at very average private universities. They haven't got to the best universities back home and Thailand offers better alternatives than at home, at cheaper prices than in western countries. There are also students from places like Bhutan and Nepal here, and also some from the Middle East.

Thailand is not vying for the cream of the crop but there is a market that Thai universities are already tapping into. Very average academically and financially unable to go West.

There is also growing cooperation among universities within Asia. Faculty exchanges, student exchanges for a semester or a year, 2+2 and 3+1 tie-ups etc. and this is bringing opportunities for Thai universities to form partnerships with other Asian universities from Japan, Korea etc.

It can only be a good thing.

Edited August 24, 2009 by KhaoNiaw

[Hawkup2000]

I hope there is more to this story than meets the eye. Having worked in the education field in Thailand for a number of years, I hardly see the country as being able to be an education hub in the next year. Of course the advertising brochures can advertise that you get a visa, you are guaranteed to pass if you pay your fees, your degree will most likely not be recognized outside the country!

It's unbelievable to read this.

Why? He describes it exactly as it is. No exaggeration and no opinion, he just states plain facts. As my friend would say: "there's much talk in the workshop, but no work is done."

[toptuan]

Thailand: Hub of Pseudo-Education.

With all the form-without-substance education here, THAT moniker, I'll buy!

As an educator here, I spend all my time trying to be part of the solution, not the problem--an uphill battle which is a full-time job + O.T.

Edited August 24, 2009 by toptuan

[chrislarsson]

Thailand is ahead of China when it comes to international programs, so there are surely a window of opportunity open for this. Chinese universities also suffer from the problem of low faculty wages, making it difficult for them to attract faculty from abroad.

Thailand has 5 universities ranked within the top 500 in the world. Chula 166, Mahidol 251, Kasetsart 400, Chiang Mai University and Thammasat between 400 -500.

http://www.topuniversities.com/university_...s/fullrankings/

AIT has better professors than most universities in the region. The problem is that faculty are overpaid, making it difficult for them to compete. Their MBA is now ranked 25 in Asia-Pacific (going downhill).

For what I have heard both Mahidol and Chulalongcorn are attracting good faculty from abroad and are paying them well too.

Thammasat mainly have Thai faculty, but the majority of them have Phd's from top universities in the US and Europe. That's the case for a few more unis in Bangkok.

I'm not sure about the quality of ABAC, but they are attracting plenty of students from around Asia.

Some of the major issues for Thailand are regarding to work opportunities and work permit when students are graduating. Countries like UK and Australia offers work permits to graduating international students, Thailand does not. Work opportunities for international professionals are also limited in Thailand.

Edited August 24, 2009 by chrislarsson

[toptuan]

Thailand is ahead of China when it comes to international programs, so there are surely a window of opportunity open for this. Chinese universities also suffer from the problem of low faculty wages, making it difficult for them to attract faculty from abroad.

Thailand has 5 universities ranked within the top 500 in the world. Chula 166, Mahidol 251, Kasetsart 400, Chiang Mai University and Thammasat between 400 -500.

http://www.topuniversities.com/university_...s/fullrankings/

AIT has better professors than most universities in the region. The problem is that faculty are overpaid, making it difficult for them to compete. Their MBA is now ranked 25 in Asia-Pacific (going downhill).

For what I have heard both Mahidol and Chulalongcorn are attracting good faculty from abroad and are paying them well too.

Thammasat mainly have Thai faculty, but the majority of them have Phd's from top universities in the US and Europe. That's the case for a few more unis in Bangkok.

I'm not sure about the quality of ABAC, but they are attracting plenty of students from around Asia.

Some of the major issues for Thailand are regarding to work opportunities and work permit when students are graduating. Countries like UK and Australia offers work permits to graduating international students, Thailand does not. Work opportunities for international professionals are also limited in Thailand.

Excellent information here. Thanks for the post.

However, I'm afraid you'll find Thai university rankings are a bit bloated on the website to which you referred. The ranking is much more dismal if one does their due diligence with other school-ranking organizations:

For example, Chula comes through with a disappointing ranking of 320 (almost twice as bad as your reference) at this well-respected organization.

Other rankings at the same site:

Mahidol: 411

Chiang Mai and Thammasart don't even make it into the top 500.

As usual, cross-check your sources before arriving at your own conclusions about the quality of education here.

[caf]

Ramkhamhaeng seems to have built up a substantial international institute. I have no connection with them, but was looking at their website recently for someone who was interested in a course there. They have a lot of visiting professors from the US and European countries. http://www.iis.ru.ac.th/IIS/professors.htm

They'd better grab one of those visiting professors to give their website a proofing then.

Our current about 1,500 students come from 50 countries (in 2007). All together make it a unique international program for a very affordable tuition fee.

In some courses are even 50% foreign students from different countries.

I know it's the policy of the forum not to denigrate too much but I feel that a supposedly respected seat of learning which proudly boasts of it's western professors teaching English that can't even present a grammatically correct website either can't be bothered to check it's own work or has nobody capable of checking the work.

I find it rather pathetic really and a sad indication of the state of education in Thailand.

When my daughter is old enough to study M.4 or above she's on the first plane out of here.

All due respects to the teachers on this forum though. I know the majority of them are doing their best under the circumstances.

Pot calling kettle black I think.

[chrislarsson]

Thailand is ahead of China when it comes to international programs, so there are surely a window of opportunity open for this. Chinese universities also suffer from the problem of low faculty wages, making it difficult for them to attract faculty from abroad.

Thailand has 5 universities ranked within the top 500 in the world. Chula 166, Mahidol 251, Kasetsart 400, Chiang Mai University and Thammasat between 400 -500.

http://www.topuniversities.com/university_...s/fullrankings/

AIT has better professors than most universities in the region. The problem is that faculty are overpaid, making it difficult for them to compete. Their MBA is now ranked 25 in Asia-Pacific (going downhill).

For what I have heard both Mahidol and Chulalongcorn are attracting good faculty from abroad and are paying them well too.

Thammasat mainly have Thai faculty, but the majority of them have Phd's from top universities in the US and Europe. That's the case for a few more unis in Bangkok.

I'm not sure about the quality of ABAC, but they are attracting plenty of students from around Asia.

Some of the major issues for Thailand are regarding to work opportunities and work permit when students are graduating. Countries like UK and Australia offers work permits to graduating international students, Thailand does not. Work opportunities for international professionals are also limited in Thailand.

Excellent information here. Thanks for the post.

However, I'm afraid you'll find Thai university rankings are a bit bloated on the website to which you referred. The ranking is much more dismal if one does their due diligence with other school-ranking organizations:

For example, Chula comes through with a disappointing ranking of 320 (almost twice as bad as your reference) at this well-respected organization.

Other rankings at the same site:

Mahidol: 411

Chiang Mai and Thammasart don't even make it into the top 500.

As usual, cross-check your sources before arriving at your own conclusions about the quality of education here.

I think all rankings can be taken with a grain of salt. A university good at research, can be crap at teaching. A university good at teaching engineering, can be crap in other fields.

And if a university does not appear in a ranking list, it can simply be because it did not participate in the study.

[toptuan]

Ramkhamhaeng seems to have built up a substantial international institute. I have no connection with them, but was looking at their website recently for someone who was interested in a course there. They have a lot of visiting professors from the US and European countries.

I've had some personal eggsperience with Ramkhamhaeng and some of their foreign proffesors (proffesers? proffessers? OK, can we agree to "Profs.?" ) OMG. Beleive me, it's much more sub-standard than my own central Isaan universaty (which ranks 2,641 among the school-ranking orginizations, by the way).

Yes, I'm calling the kettel black.

Signed,

Aj. Charcoal

Edited August 24, 2009 by toptuan

[A30]

have you seen the new advertising poster?

Sign me up NOW.

[puyaidon]

These exhibitions have been held for a number of years, at least since 2002.

I expect they're looking at the various international programs, where there are resident or visiting overseas academics and an English requirement (about IELTS 6.0) for entry.

Ramkhamhaeng seems to have built up a substantial international institute. I have no connection with them, but was looking at their website recently for someone who was interested in a course there. They have a lot of visiting professors from the US and European countries. http://www.iis.ru.ac.th/IIS/professors.htm

The international students at RKU come from many countries, mainly from East and Southeast Asia. I have also met a lot of Bangladeshi students at Assumption University. The "education hub" may not intend to attract people from the BANA countries (Britain, North America, Australia & NZ).

I have taught in an international university here in Thailand and can safely say that most of the foreign students know more than their teachers unless they get lucky and get a foreign teacher. Thai teachers do not like international students in my observations, they don't want to be proven or shown to be wrong. By the way, Ram students are really good in English. I did not teach there but met many in my travels in that area of Bangkok.

[mca]

Ramkhamhaeng seems to have built up a substantial international institute. I have no connection with them, but was looking at their website recently for someone who was interested in a course there. They have a lot of visiting professors from the US and European countries. http://www.iis.ru.ac.th/IIS/professors.htm

They'd better grab one of those visiting professors to give their website a proofing then.

I know it's the policy of the forum not to denigrate too much but I feel that a supposedly respected seat of learning which proudly boasts of it's western professors teaching English that can't even present a grammatically correct website either can't be bothered to check it's own work or has nobody capable of checking the work.

I find it rather pathetic really and a sad indication of the state of education in Thailand.

When my daughter is old enough to study M.4 or above she's on the first plane out of here.

All due respects to the teachers on this forum though. I know the majority of them are doing their best under the circumstances.

Pot calling kettle black I think.

Got me!

Edited August 24, 2009 by mca

[Plus]

Yeah yeah bla bla bla it's impossible bla bla bla bla bla it's an April 1 joke bla bla bla bla bla.

Foreign students are already here. Period.

And there will be more coming.

The policy didn't come out of nothing, and the govt better get their shit together, providing all kinds of services to prospective students. Here, in Thailand, Australians have their education fairs and I believe have a permanent facility to help those who want to study there. That's what Thailand should do in its prospective markets, too.

[Chunkton]

Ah nothing like a government "hub" announcement to bring a little mirth into your day.

Now we all know what Thailand really is the "hub" for, and it does that very well, albeit with no help from the government. Heck, they don't even need to announce it. In fact it still does well despite all the government and bureaucracy trying to stuff it up.

The poster was very amusing and very nice, could be onto something there. However in Thailand the elite send their kids to be educated overseas, as do I believe most ex-pats. So what can they really sell, quality education? Hardly, more like cheap courses with guaranteed degrees for idiots, and that is it. Maybe there is a hub there after all.