Speed Up Or Thailand Will Miss Out On AEC: Asean Chief Surin

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Speed up or we'll miss out on AEC : Asean chief

Wannapa Khaopa

The Nation

Asean sect gen says Thailand is moving too slowly in preparing for 2015 community

Surin Pitsuwan, secretary-general of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, last week voiced concern over Thailand's slow pace of preparation for the Asean Economic Community, when seven professions will be the first areas of the labour market to be freed up in 2015.

"If we're not prepared, we're not qualified, we're not able to compete while others are moving into the Thai economy and landscape. I'm worried that they will take advantage of our country," he said.

He was speaking at the Asia Education Leaders Forum co-located with Worlddidac Asia at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre.

To facilitate labour mobility under the AEC, Asean agreed to mutual recognition of professional accreditation.

Asean has already concluded mutual recognition agreements (MRAs) for seven occupations - medical practitioners, dental practitioners, nursing services, engineering services, architectural services, surveying qualifications, and accountancy services.

Professionals who are accredited as agreed in the MRAs will be recognised in all member countries, enabling them to work more easily in any member country.

The MRAs have taken in two more professions, hotel services and tourism, which consist of 32 positions.

According to the AEC's blueprint for the free flow of skilled labour - allowing for managed mobility or facilitated entry for the movement of natural persons engaged in trade in goods, services and investments, according to the prevailing regulations of the receiving country - Asean is working to smooth the issuance of visas and employment passes for Asean professionals and skilled workers engaged in cross-border trade and investment-related activities.

"Our professionals can cross borders. Dentists from Thailand can open up clinics in Singapore. Accountants from the Philippines can practise in Malaysia. Malaysian architects can open up consulting companies in Brunei, crossing the border, because there wouldn't be any economic borders between us anymore, 10 economies and 600 million people.

"Without quality education or preparation, it is impossible to imagine the economic community of Asean," Surin said.

"People in these seven professions are going across borders. The question is who will be able to cross borders? Will Thai engineers, nurses, doctors and architects be able to cross borders? Teachers, schools and institutions will have to ask, and the answer is no, we are not quite sure.

"So, education is critical, fundamental and a necessary condition for that economic community in 2015. We are promoting goods, investments and also professionals crossing the borders - but without preparation and quality some member states will lag behind others," he said.

Although quality education would help Thailand move forward into the future, politicians, having become policymakers, have not achieved such quality education.

"We are only interested in the Ministry of Education because it has the largest budget. Every political party here is interested in the ministry because it has the largest number of people, teachers, students and parents. For many years, many governments, we have not seen one party or one minister going to the ministry because of their passion for the future that Thailand has to compete with the world, because of the budget," he said.

The English language skills of Thai skilled workers were also a concern. It would be useless if a dentist cannot communicate with his or her patients speaking another language in another environment no matter how skilful he or she is in their profession.

"English is the working lan-guage of Asean. That's what Thailand needs to do and do urgently. There is no interpreta-tion unlike the European Union where you have to translate everything into 12 or 13 languages. The most expensive part of the EU is interpretation/translation," he said.

He has been spreading this same message in Indonesia and Vietnam and all the member states of Asean to encourage every country to prepare for the AEC.

"We must put our efforts into training our pupils for future cooperation and prosperity for the entire region. This is a combined US$2.1 trillion GDP, almost half of China is being produced here.

"We trade with the world and with each other more than we produce. We have to compete with the emerging countries like India and China. Those who are not prepared will be left on the sidelines," the secretary-general said.

However, a publication from Siam Commercial Bank's Economic Intelligence Centre issued early this year said that despite mutual recognition, labour movement might not be so easy in practice.

Many countries still preserve rules and regulations that may prevent labour mobility from happening. For example, medical personnel who wish to work in Thailand will have to obtain a licence by passing an examination, some parts of which are in Thai. There are also other obstacles such as differences in language, culture and social acceptance.

Anyhow, it would be better if Thais prepared themselves for the changes in the AEC as Surin urged, rather than doing nothing.

-- The Nation 2011-10-31

[jonclark]

Nationalism prevents development and without nationalism Thailand is weak. Imagine if the tourism sector gets the nod and is included in the list of occupations, Singaporeans (or other asean members) can come and open up businesses and profit from Thai culture and history. That will be about as popular as a turd in a swimming pool amongst the locals, or any of the natives who are driven out of business as a result.

Edited October 31, 2011 by jonclark

[seaeagle]

As usual, this is full of typical Thai contradictions.

Firstly, he says, "Asean has already concluded mutual recognition agreements (MRAs) for seven occupations - medical practitioners, dental practitioners, nursing services, engineering services, architectural services, surveying qualifications, and accountancy services. Professionals who are accredited as agreed in the MRAs will be recognised in all member countries, enabling them to work more easily in any member country."

Then he says, "Many countries still preserve rules and regulations that may prevent labour mobility from happening. For example, medical personnel who wish to work in Thailand will have to obtain a licence by passing an examination, some parts of which are in Thai."

So, which is it, then?

Instead of wasting time learning English, probably best for the rest of ASEAN to learn Thai

This AEC is really going to affect Thailand big time. They'll dig their heels in about proptectionism and nationalism, and will likely get pushed to one side as the rest of ASEAN copperate between themselves.

ASEAN could punish them with 'sanctions', I suppose, but ASEAN is not particularly well known for taking tough stances.

[Scott]

This statement is of interest:

"The MRAs have taken in two more professions, hotel services and tourism, which consist of 32 positions."

Does that mean that member countries can run tourism businesses in Thailand? What about the 'protected' areas of tourism?

[Chang_paarp]

Not relevant to Thailand, as said in the article you need English language ability and professional skills. Blind acceptance is not the way in other places, but then again those who cannot accept that will not fit in, and will not apply.

[whybother]

I'm planning on opening a 100% "me" owned company in Singapore, which I can then operate in Thailand. No need to worry about 51% Thai ownership.

[bushwacker]

<"The English language skills of Thai skilled workers were also a concern. It would be useless if a dentist cannot communicate with his or her patients speaking another language in another environment no matter how skillful he or she is in their profession.">

This is a somewhat useless statement. Yes, Thai people typically cannot speak english even though they have taken it for many years in school. Maybe part of the problem is the teachers of english in the schools also cannot speak any (good or proper) english. I recently had lunch with 4 university students that were studying to be English school teachers and an english school teacher of 17 years. They could not put a sentence correctly together.

But, as a Thai Dentist would fail if a shop was opened in an english speaking country so would the english speaking dentist fail if they set up shop here in Thailand. So, instead of nagging about the english abilities ... is the real point not .... learn the language of the country that you want to work in? :jap:

[TheWalkingMan]

I'm planning on opening a 100% "me" owned company in Singapore, which I can then operate in Thailand. No need to worry about 51% Thai ownership.

I suspect that lots of people are looking into it also.

[LTGTR]

Atomic Energy Commission?

[whybother]

Atomic Energy Commission?

Surin Pitsuwan, ... , last week voiced concern over Thailand's slow pace of preparation for the Asean Economic Community,

[peterdk]

Oh the new fresh horror to hit Thailand.

Soon there will be evil Singaporeans stealing all the money from the tourists.

And no money to the poor poor Thai tourism operators.

Maybe the Thais will soon look towards their ASEAN "friends" as the new evil falangs.

And then burden their ASEAN "friends" with even tighter visa / business regulations.

Maybe a bit pessimistic here, but all I see, is a new fresh wave of protectionship-nationalisism-evil foreigners campaigns.

[peterdk]

Any prospect of the government will actually wake up and smell the smoke, that is a failing school system, effectively keeping the general population dumb ?

Well maybe not dumb dumb, but at least unable to speak English and not forcing them to study at all, since they cannot fail tests.

And how about making actual educations for trade crafts ?

So the Thais would have a chance at going abroad and bringing back money, as seen in the Philippines.

At least there will be job openings in the government sector, coming up with new protective measures, to keep out these ASEAN "friends".

[chuang]

Oh the new fresh horror to hit Thailand.

Soon there will be evil Singaporeans stealing all the money from the tourists.

And no money to the poor poor Thai tourism operators.

Maybe the Thais will soon look towards their ASEAN "friends" as the new evil falangs.

And then burden their ASEAN "friends" with even tighter visa / business regulations.

Maybe a bit pessimistic here, but all I see, is a new fresh wave of protectionship-nationalisism-evil foreigners campaigns.

Care to elaborate on " evil Singaporean "....maybe you know something we don't...

[sausageandmash]

I wonder how Thais will react when they eventually have to decide on a single currency.

[doggie888888]

I wonder how Thais will react when they eventually have to decide on a single currency.

Like the Greeks in relation to the Euro?

[rogerdee123]

Oh the new fresh horror to hit Thailand.

Soon there will be evil Singaporeans stealing all the money from the tourists.

And no money to the poor poor Thai tourism operators.

Maybe the Thais will soon look towards their ASEAN "friends" as the new evil falangs.

And then burden their ASEAN "friends" with even tighter visa / business regulations.

Maybe a bit pessimistic here, but all I see, is a new fresh wave of protectionship-nationalisism-evil foreigners campaigns.

Most prosperous Thai companies and the tycoons that are so admired here are excellent at making profits when they have monopolies or have arranged some "concessions" from their military or police networks. Of course it's like this in most other neighboring countries also. An ASEAN common market will be an interesting sight to behold.

[theanimaster]

.... Or Thailand can just opt out of ASEAN and starve. Who wants to bet on it? Thais would rather not have their country "thought of as a former colony" than to allow open competition with neighboring nations. They KNOW they're going to lose!

[lensta]

As usual, this is full of typical Thai contradictions.

Firstly, he says, "Asean has already concluded mutual recognition agreements (MRAs) for seven occupations - medical practitioners, dental practitioners, nursing services, engineering services, architectural services, surveying qualifications, and accountancy services. Professionals who are accredited as agreed in the MRAs will be recognised in all member countries, enabling them to work more easily in any member country."

Then he says, "Many countries still preserve rules and regulations that may prevent labour mobility from happening. For example, medical personnel who wish to work in Thailand will have to obtain a licence by passing an examination, some parts of which are in Thai."

So, which is it, then?

Instead of wasting time learning English, probably best for the rest of ASEAN to learn Thai

This AEC is really going to affect Thailand big time. They'll dig their heels in about proptectionism and nationalism, and will likely get pushed to one side as the rest of ASEAN copperate between themselves.

ASEAN could punish them with 'sanctions', I suppose, but ASEAN is not particularly well known for taking tough stances.

I think that the 2 quotes that you cited from the op are from 2 different people, the first one is from Surin Pitsuwan, secretary-general of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and the 2nd is from a publication from Siam Commercial Banks Economic Intelligence Centre that was issued earlier this year???

[bigbamboo]

As with all modern regional economic associations you have to compromise to join the party. The UK for example has struggled with this in Europe. Thailand has mainly great attributes but compromising isn't really one of them.

Edited October 31, 2011 by bigbamboo

[ramrod711]

Oh the new fresh horror to hit Thailand.

Soon there will be evil Singaporeans stealing all the money from the tourists.

And no money to the poor poor Thai tourism operators.

Maybe the Thais will soon look towards their ASEAN "friends" as the new evil falangs.

And then burden their ASEAN "friends" with even tighter visa / business regulations.

Maybe a bit pessimistic here, but all I see, is a new fresh wave of protectionship-nationalisism-evil foreigners campaigns.

an easy solution to any problems that may arise; have jatuporn blame abhisit. problem solved!

[animatic]

This statement is of interest:

"The MRAs have taken in two more professions, hotel services and tourism, which consist of 32 positions."

Does that mean that member countries can run tourism businesses in Thailand? What about the 'protected' areas of tourism?

Citizens of these countries can come to Thailand and run business without 51% Thai partner. That alone will make some business people apoplectic.

Never considering that Thais can go to other countries and run business too.

And repatriate their profits after taxes, and likely not pay more at home.

I am sure tax agreements will be part of the deal.

Edited October 31, 2011 by animatic

[sausageandmash]

If they are accepted into the AEC, the other countries within the bloc will no longer need Visas or work permits to be in Thailand.

Oh the new fresh horror to hit Thailand.

Soon there will be evil Singaporeans stealing all the money from the tourists.

And no money to the poor poor Thai tourism operators.

Maybe the Thais will soon look towards their ASEAN "friends" as the new evil falangs.

And then burden their ASEAN "friends" with even tighter visa / business regulations.

Maybe a bit pessimistic here, but all I see, is a new fresh wave of protectionship-nationalisism-evil foreigners campaigns.

[peergin]

I'm planning on opening a 100% "me" owned company in Singapore, which I can then operate in Thailand. No need to worry about 51% Thai ownership.

I suspect that lots of people are looking into it also.

That is a splendid idea. And I guess you would have to pay the usual taxes in Singapore.

[peterdk]

Oh the new fresh horror to hit Thailand.

Soon there will be evil Singaporeans stealing all the money from the tourists.

And no money to the poor poor Thai tourism operators.

Maybe the Thais will soon look towards their ASEAN "friends" as the new evil falangs.

And then burden their ASEAN "friends" with even tighter visa / business regulations.

Maybe a bit pessimistic here, but all I see, is a new fresh wave of protectionship-nationalisism-evil foreigners campaigns.

Care to elaborate on " evil Singaporean "....maybe you know something we don't...

Since its hard for you, then yes.

Anyone not Thai, making money in Thailand is a very evil and bad person.

At least if you ask the general public. Very protective the Thais.

Dont believe me ? Go setup a company in your name, or buy a piece of land in your name.

[wintermute]

The AEC is a pipe dream. SE Asia in general is too corrupt and indolent to ever make this happen. Malaysians, Thais, Filipinos, Indonesians, et al are all horrible at organizing any kind of competent economic system. It will soon descend into an orgy of financial looting and pissing contests.

The only competent nationality in SE Asia are the Singaporeans. They rightfully, see a lot of opportunities but are also smart enough to control their exposure to these highly corrupt nations.