Country unprepared for AEC, minister says

The Nation

The Thai education system has not developed sufficiently to make the country competitive at the regional level or to prepare it for the launch of the Asean Economic Community (AEC) in 2015, Education Minister Woravat Auapinyakul said yesterday.

Speaking at a Senate hearing on the AEC, Woravat said sufficient funds were not available for special school and university courses to boost national awareness and skill training geared toward the regional competition expected under the AEC.

Officials and members of the private and public sectors lack the knowledge needed to compete when the region-wide free-trade scheme takes effect in 2015, the minister said.

There will be more than 8,000 products made in all member countries that could be sold regionally without tariffs, against which Thai goods will find it difficult to compete because they are costlier to produce.

Woravat said he would call for a review of certain conditions of the EAC.

English-language training and courses on Asean-relevant knowledge are under way, but Thailand needs more experts on Asean in many issues relating to specific countries, the minister said.

He said local universities were working on a programme to assign teaching orientation courses on specific Asean members to specific universities, ahead of the preparation of a curriculum to teach Thai students about the regional grouping.

-- The Nation 2011-11-22

It will be interesting to see if this lasts, given some of the countries involved. Will they REALLY put up products- especially products that are designed to fail easily (all the better to make their replacement and resulting kickbacks necessary)- against similarly or lower priced, genuine quality goods? I would be only too happy if they would, but somehow I see the whole deal falling apart rather sooner than later- and if Thai educational departmental practice is anything to go by, they'll be in the vanguard of the saboteurs in this case.

It will be interesting to see if this lasts, given some of the countries involved. Will they REALLY put up products- especially products that are designed to fail easily (all the better to make their replacement and resulting kickbacks necessary)- against similarly or lower priced, genuine quality goods?

Like spoons that don't bend if you stick them into anything harder than melting ice-cream.

Thailand is ready. After Banhan, all Thai PM now speak English.

Education ministry has always had the slogan like "keep the masses of peasants dumb (so we can get away with our unsavory antics...). Sad from day dot!

in other ASEAN countries ( Malayia, Singapore, Indonesia as I know), already in the undergrad classes they tell students about their own strengthen and weakness in the ASEAN Economy Community.

I bought this discussion in Chulx, and the year 4 students answered - we are Thai, we are generation Y, we have potential.

my goodness !

Woravat said he would call for a review of certain conditions of the EAC.

What's he going to do? Force the other countries to dilute their curriculum?

Woravat said he would call for a review of certain conditions of the EAC.

What's he going to do? Force the other countries to dilute their curriculum?

Well that would make it a level playing field.

in other ASEAN countries ( Malayia, Singapore, Indonesia as I know), already in the undergrad classes they tell students about their own strengthen and weakness in the ASEAN Economy Community.

I bought this discussion in Chulx, and the year 4 students answered - we are Thai, we are generation Y, we have potential.

my goodness !

That very reassuring!

Thailand is ready. After Banhan, all Thai PM now speak English.

Banharn a proud holder of master’s degree in Law.

Yes all after him speak English but only one understands English. And that is only because he grew up in the UK and was educated in the UK.

Based on years of experience in Thailand with Thais, teaching English to Thais in Thailand is a total failure. Please give up Thailand, try your hand at Chinese you may have better luck. Chinese it is not bothered with the Thai syndrome Farang.