Thai Students Intelligence Quotient (IQ) Below Global Average

[webfact]

Thai students found below global average

By The Nation

Thai children's average intelligence quotient (IQ) is just 98.59, a little lower than the world's median of 100, according to new research.

Of 72,780 Thai students surveyed recently, 6.5 per cent suffered intellectual disability because their IQs were lower than 70.

"Judging from global statistics, the percentage of children with below-70 IQ should not exceed two," Dr Apichai Mongkol of the Mental Health Department said yesterday.

He said the survey of Thai students was conducted using the Standard Progressive Matrices (SPM parallel version; updated 2003) in December and January.

"Given the size of the sample, this is the biggest IQ survey," he said.

By region, students in the Northeast had the lowest average scores, with 95.99. In the South, students did a bit better, scoring 96.85.

On average, Northern students' scores were 100.11 while students in the Central region achieved 101.29. Students in Bangkok had average scores of 104.5.

"But Bangkok students do not demonstrate the highest average IQ scores [by province]," Apichai said. "Their average scores are just the fourth highest in the country".

By province, students in Nonthaburi were the brightest, scoring an average of 108.91. Next were students in Rayong with 107.52 and students in Lampang with 106.62.

The survey showed 14 other provinces had children with average IQ scores above 100. They were Chon Buri, Samut Sakhon, Trat, Pathum Thani, Phayao, Prachuap Khiri Khan, Nakhon Pathom, Ratchaburi, Sing Buri, Phuket, Samut Songkhram, Nakhon Sawan, Phrae and Chiang Mai.

Children in 20 other provinces had average IQ scores of 100.

In 38 provinces, the children's average scores were below 100. Seventeen Northeastern provinces were in this group but the lowest IQ scores were detected in the Southern province of Narathiwat (just 88.07).

Apichai said he believed insufficient iodine intake was the main cause of the below-average IQs of children in these provinces.

To promote higher IQs, he said parents should express their love for their children, provide them with nutritious food and allow them to interact with nature.

"Let children play without restrictions because that will boost their creativity," Apichai said. "Aside from that, parents should encourage their children to read, sing and play sports."

Chulalongkorn University lecturer Narongrit Asawaruangpipob said students in urban areas had higher IQs than those in rural zones. "The percentage of geniuses or those having IQ scores of above 130 is 3.4," he said. In Nonthaburi, 9.5 per cent of students surveyed had IQs of more than 130.

-- The Nation 2011-07-08

[wolf5370]

I was watching this on the news last night - they showed a coloured map showing the regions over the kingdom. It puts an end to the average 80 IQ statements last year. I am always concerned about the testing here though - I hope this was conducted correctly and without the usual teacher help (aka cheating) - as that would actually be a disservice - how can one tackle a problem that is not visible?

It also shows that Thai kids have the right foundation (biologically) - so poor education can really only be blamed on the education system, not the students ability to learn.

[AyG]

Meaningless twaddle. No mention of sample sizes or standard errors on the figures. And no authority has an IQ of 130 being at genius level. Hollingworth, for example, uses an IQ of 180 and above for genius.

As for not more than 2% having IQs of less than 70, also wrong. IQ is defined as having a standard deviation of 15 (or 16 in some versions of the test). 70 is two standard deviations away from 100, so approximately 2.5% of subjects will have an IQ of less than 70 (and 2.5% have an IQ above 130).

[edgarfriendly]

what a pack of misleading nonsense. NON-SENSE.

quick, eat a bunch of iodine. drink some too. now ur smarter than ever.

im fine,,,,and yoo?!

ef

[caribbeanman]

i think that the only thing that this research has proved is that in thailand the educatio system is awful, particulary in the rural areas of the country, i am really sorry for those poor thai kids

[jonclark]

Does anyone else think the graphic accompanying this article needs a rethink - 85% (ish) of Thai children have an IQ of less than 100 = happy smiling girls face. What is there to smile about?? Is she stupid?

[kurnell]

Is cunning taken into consideration? I have seen many cunning stunts since I arrived here many years ago.

[simon43]

Perhaps the researchers can explain why those with the lowest IQ all live in my ex-wife's village???

Simon

[geriatrickid]

I would like to see the IQ of foreigners residing and visiting in Thailand measured.

I suspect it would make for an interesting comparison.

[Xangsamhua]

This stuff gets recycled every few years by the Thai media, and previous posters have highlighted the sort of nonsense it is and the kinds of questions one must ask about e.g. test administration and conditions.

The national mean score of about 99 is well within the normal range for a country that does not suffer exceptional poverty, poor health and social distress (e.g. war, violence). If scores are lower in regions that do have these features that is quite understandable. 88.07 does seem rather low, but Narathiwat has multiple problems. Likewise average scores a bit higher than 100 may be acceptable in prosperous areas. However, to me - no expert - a mean score of 108 (Nonthaburi) does seem rather high. The sample population may have been skewed.

[Scott]

Off-topic political posts have been removed. This thread is about IQ scores in Thailand.

Stay on topic, please.

[wolf5370]

Does anyone else think the graphic accompanying this article needs a rethink - 85% (ish) of Thai children have an IQ of less than 100 = happy smiling girls face. What is there to smile about?? Is she stupid?

Erm it says 48%, not 85%.- as 90 and 70 are both under 100 too

[looping]

It's common knowledge that the Thai education system is messed up. Parents and teachers lose face if students fail. Students who are aware that they can't fail don't try. Thai teachers are paid a pittance so they work accordingly and the best brains go elsewhere. Parents pay fees and it's a done deal. Schools have deals with Universities to supply them with 'x' number of students each year and they give them the required grades to go there. Everyone's happy as students are ushered the education system. The whole system needs reform. Will it happen? Do the current government want a population who can reason, read media IN ENGLISH, make informed decisions, and question their policies? Sadly, the answer is no.

[apetley]

I would like to see the IQ of foreigners residing and visiting in Thailand measured.

I suspect it would make for an interesting comparison.

The IQ of foreigners residing in Thailand is irrelevant. The op is about the youth of Thailand, the future workers and lifeblood of the nation who are sadly being failed by what appears to be an incompetant leadership.

[tartempion]

Thais live in a vacuum, som nam na.

Sufficient economy is a proof. They don't need foreigners nor their knowledge.

Ask any Thai what is IMF and who is DSK, what nationality his replacement is, what they know about Khadaffi, Assad, where is Libia, Syria, the Yangzte, Missipi, where is Brussels.

But they did watch the 10 minutes hi-so thing on the Monaco marriage, who got married again???

In a conversation yesterday no one could remember the country the new Monegasque princess was from let anyone could tell the name of Albert II

And where on Earth is Monaco, wondering how many TV members do know that?

[kuffki]

I would like to see the IQ of foreigners residing and visiting in Thailand measured.

I suspect it would make for an interesting comparison.

The IQ of foreigners residing in Thailand is irrelevant. The op is about the youth of Thailand, the future workers and lifeblood of the nation who are sadly being failed by what appears to be an incompetant leadership.

Well this was an IQ of supposedly educated people, NOW imagine IQ for the rest of the country

A huge number of foreigner leave their brain in the suitcase the moment they entered Thai air space and many of them have forgotten that brain either on the plane or in the airport.

[DNPBC0]

....

As for not more than 2% having IQs of less than 70, also wrong. IQ is defined as having a standard deviation of 15 (or 16 in some versions of the test). 70 is two standard deviations away from 100, so approximately 2.5% of subjects will have an IQ of less than 70 (and 2.5% have an IQ above 130).

No, you are wrong.

While it is theoretically true that, if IQ scores were normally distributed, there would be just over 2% of the population with scores of 70 or less on a test with a mean =100 and a standard deviation of 15, in reality there is always a hump in the lower end of the IQ frequency distribution leading to a greater than expected number of individuals with IQs less than 70. The reason for this is the multitude of genetic, congenital and environmental factors which impair cognitive functioning.

[janverbeem]

It's common knowledge that the Thai education system is messed up. Parents and teachers lose face if students fail. Students who are aware that they can't fail don't try. Thai teachers are paid a pittance so they work accordingly and the best brains go elsewhere. Parents pay fees and it's a done deal. Schools have deals with Universities to supply them with 'x' number of students each year and they give them the required grades to go there. Everyone's happy as students are ushered the education system. The whole system needs reform. Will it happen? Do the current government want a population who can reason, read media IN ENGLISH, make informed decisions, and question their policies? Sadly, the answer is no.

A hundred years ago there was a saying in the western world," The mayor keeps them stupid while the pastor keeps them poor".This is at current times still a fact in Thailand.

[lonewolf99]

The State of Alabama requires a child to have an IQ of 70 or more.......

Mrs Gump is there a Mr Gump ?......

While over in Springfield...I quote Homer.....Doooohh !!

Lies damned Lies and statistics...coupled with Bribery and Corruption gets you anything you want.....

[KireB]

2 things that make me wonder!

1. 6.5 under 70, that's quite shocking! 13 out of 200 kids are mentally retarded. Internationally that's 4 out of 200! So 3 times more retardation in Thailand than global.

2. Nonthaburi has an average of 108!!!! Sheer brilliance. Unbelievable almost. There must be a lot of iodine in the drinking water there.

These results seem rather off chart!

[Xangsamhua]

It's common knowledge that the Thai education system is messed up. Parents and teachers lose face if students fail. Students who are aware that they can't fail don't try. Thai teachers are paid a pittance so they work accordingly and the best brains go elsewhere. Parents pay fees and it's a done deal. Schools have deals with Universities to supply them with 'x' number of students each year and they give them the required grades to go there. Everyone's happy as students are ushered the education system. The whole system needs reform. Will it happen? Do the current government want a population who can reason, read media IN ENGLISH, make informed decisions, and question their policies? Sadly, the answer is no.

A hundred years ago there was a saying in the western world," The mayor keeps them stupid while the pastor keeps them poor".This is at current times still a fact in Thailand.

The quality level of Thai education should not be a factor in determining IQ, unless children are not exercising their literacy, numeracy, discriminatory and predictive abilities at all. Thais have a very high rate of literacy, so if the test is a valid one, the mean should be close to 100 (as it is nationally) and the score range following a bell curve. Significant factors such as poor nutrition, general health, social and personal distress will impact on results, as will, perhaps, some general cultural dissonance with the IQ testing process and expectations (e.g. memorization and repetition, a feature of Po Noh schooling in Narathiwat, is not tested).

[jdg]

This is not NEWS !!

[Thai at Heart]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IQ_and_Global_Inequality

Now here is a scary quote

The authors argue for a substantial role of genetics and race in explaining these differences. They were led to this conclusion from observing racial clusters regarding national IQs. Thus, the six East Asian nations all have IQs in the range between 105 and 108. The 29 European nations all have IQs in the range between 92 and 102. The 19 nations of sub-Saharan Africa all have IQs in the range between 59 and 73. Rushton thus argues that "They show that there is remarkable consistency in the IQs of nations when these are classified into racial clusters." The book also argues for feedback between genes and environment. For instance, a genetically caused high national IQ leads to high per capita incomes which enables high quality nutrition, education and health care for children which enhance their intelligence.[5]

IQ tests are overrated in terms of making specific short term judgements.

[Richb2004v2]

It's a lot like the driving here. The Thais might seem to be terrible drivers but they are not. They can maneuver and control a car very well, they just have never been educated to do it like rational people. They are also not stupid people, I'm sure. It is simply their environment and education that makes them appear stupid sometimes. In a different place and under better conditions things might be different. Sadly as others say the system here will not help them improve either their driving habits or their way of thinking very soon.

[AyG]

....

As for not more than 2% having IQs of less than 70, also wrong. IQ is defined as having a standard deviation of 15 (or 16 in some versions of the test). 70 is two standard deviations away from 100, so approximately 2.5% of subjects will have an IQ of less than 70 (and 2.5% have an IQ above 130).

No, you are wrong.

While it is theoretically true that, if IQ scores were normally distributed, there would be just over 2% of the population with scores of 70 or less on a test with a mean =100 and a standard deviation of 15, in reality there is always a hump in the lower end of the IQ frequency distribution leading to a greater than expected number of individuals with IQs less than 70. The reason for this is the multitude of genetic, congenital and environmental factors which impair cognitive functioning.

No, I'm correct. IQ is defined as being normally distributed with a mean of 100, a standard deviation of 15 (or 16 for one test - from memory I think it's the Alice Hines test).

[oldsalt]

<br />This stuff gets recycled every few years by the Thai media, and previous posters have highlighted the sort of nonsense it is and the kinds of questions one must ask about e.g. test administration and conditions.<br /><br />The national mean score of about 99 is well within the normal range for a country that does not suffer exceptional poverty, poor health and social distress (e.g. war, violence). If scores are lower in regions that do have these features that is quite understandable.  88.07 does seem rather low, but Narathiwat has multiple problems.  Likewise average scores a bit higher than 100 may be acceptable in prosperous areas.  However, to me - no expert - a mean score of 108 (Nonthaburi) does seem rather high.  The sample population may have been skewed.<br />

<br /><br /><br />

Re test administration and conditions, these results are in line with a United Nations funded survey done globally every five years. So even if one does query how the tests are done, the results still show Thai students in that percentile as against students from other countries. In fact, the Thai students have been slipping on the two surveys done in the last decade. Thaksin famously announced after the results of the 2005 UN survey that he would institute a program to "raise the IQ of Thai students by at least 10 per cent within five years." Yeah.......

[geriatrickid]

I would like to see the IQ of foreigners residing and visiting in Thailand measured.

I suspect it would make for an interesting comparison.

The IQ of foreigners residing in Thailand is irrelevant. The op is about the youth of Thailand, the future workers and lifeblood of the nation who are sadly being failed by what appears to be an incompetant leadership.

I believe it is. I find it disturbing that some people of limited intelligence see fit to comment on Thai's intellectual capabilities. However, it goes beyond that. How pray tell can someone who has never taken a statistics course and has no understanding of a data distribution comment on the results with self appointed authority? There havebeen a few perceptive comments made on the actual subject at hand. Concepts such as standard deviations and the distribution of the IQs themselves have eluded some commentators, while others have identified the key aspects in respect to to accomodating the IQs within the educational system. Some people were quite right to inquire on the methodology. What if the test over emphasized visual tests? In a nation where there is a serious problem with the diagnosis and treatment of vision defects in the young population, there could have been an impact. One study does not give a definitive answer. Once there are a few studies using alternative reliable tests that show a similar result, then more specific conclusions can be drawn. All that one has here is one study. My concern is that a study of this kind which can be taken out of context creates more problems.

In respect to your comment about the future workers, do you really think that a greater number of higher IQs really makes a difference? Does the typical Thai banking clerk need more than an IQ of 95 to function effectively? What's the difference if that bank clerk scores 102 on the IQ test? Do you think that this will somehow magically translate into improved service or better account management? What of the majority of the work force found in the agricultural sector? What good would an IQ of 130 be for a field hand or the person cleaning shrimp? The question thsat should have been asked is if the "super achievers" found at the far end of the distribution were actually achieving. A large part of the population in a general IQ population study has attained a level of success if one measures it in terms of self sufficiency, happiness and integrated functioning. In any population analysis of this kind, one must determine what the base value is to reach the ability to function in the society. The relationship between IQ and functioning in the society is not addressed.

[slapout]

A few years ago (4 or 5), a recap of IQ testing in Thailand reveled a average score of 79. The out cry from NGO's, and other groups, resulted in a follow up test (less than a year later) where the results produced an average when published, of 89+ or 90.

It seems the Education groups now realize that an IQ of 100 is the target number on the bell curve system, and the subsequent testing selection/procedure, have reveled that the Thai population have achieved the intelligence level which is desired/accepted.????

"A little knowledge can be a dangerous thing" maybe should be a required poster which all of us can see every day as a reminder.

[geriatrickid]

Re test administration and conditions, these results are in line with a United Nations funded survey done globally every five years. So even if one does query how the tests are done, the results still show Thai students in that percentile as against students from other countries. In fact, the Thai students have been slipping on the two surveys done in the last decade. Thaksin famously announced after the results of the 2005 UN survey that he would institute a program to "raise the IQ of Thai students by at least 10 per cent within five years." Yeah.......

As you know, the Prime Minister was overthrown in an illegal military coup, so his plans were not effected. Following the illegal military coup, defense spending was increased. i don't know if the same could be said for pre-natal care, assistance to the poor or to early childhood education programs. Oooooops.

[hehehoho]

I'd be surprised if the teachers did much better.