Thais Face Challenges Getting Asean Jobs

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EDUCATION

Thais face challenges getting Asean jobs

Wannapa Khaopa

The Nation

Poor language, IT, and numerical skills will eliminate many

BANGKOK: -- Seven professions in the labour market will be freed |up in 2015 by Asean nations under mutual recognition agreements (MRAs). But it will not be easy for Thai workers in these |jobs to gain accreditation, Assoc Prof Patcharawalai Wongboonsin, a researcher from Chulalongkorn University's College of Popula-|tion Studies, told a seminar last week.

Accreditation by foreign countries requires top qualifications, and most Thais would find it really hard to reach the criteria in order to be recognised in Asean, Patcharawalai said.

She spoke at a seminar on Thai workers' qualifications for the Asean labour market, held as part of a Future of Thai Education symposium, at Impact Arena Muang Thong Thani.

The seven occupations she referred to are: medical practitioners, dental practitioners, nursing services, engineering services, architectural services, surveying qualifications, and accountancy services.

Thais' lack of foreign-language skills was an obvious major |obstacle, compared to people from Singapore, Malaysia and the Philippines. Without accredita-tion by foreign countries, Thai |engineers would lag behind rivals in Singapore and Malaysia in |foreign recognition, she said, |noting that Singapore had been accredited by many engineer-|ing technology leaders, includ-|ing the US, UK, Canada, Japan, South Korea, Ireland, Australia, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Malaysia. Malaysia was trying for similar recognition.

"Now, less than 100 engineers across the region have been re-|cognised as Asean chartered professional engineers because it's really tough and difficult to |achieve the criteria," Patcharawalai added.

Only 3,712 engineers - just 2 per cent of the total 170,830 engineers in Thailand - have the necessary certificates, portfolios and eight years of continuous work experience. More newly graduated engineers who have just started their careers are likely to change to other fields.

The researcher said engineers who want to register as Asean chartered professionals had to apply to the Asean Chartered Professional Engineer Coordinating Committee. Important criteria include a bachelor's degree in engineering accredited by a professional agency in their own country or in countries that would hire them; having at least seven years' working experience; and having been in charge of important work for at least two years.

The criteria for Asean professional architects are also difficult to achieve - people must have worked in architecture for at least 10 years, half of which they must have held a professional licence; and been in charge of important architectural projects for at least two years.

The demands mean architects have to plan, design and coordi-nate with agencies in a public |building construction project. However, Thai architects' training is usually limited to design, so individuals here need to understand and be responsible for a complete project, or one that is made up |of various fields, according to Patcharawalai.

"With these tough criteria, |most Thai engineers and architects cannot compete with leading skilled workers in the region," she said.

Boonlert Theeratrakul, director of the labour market research division at the Department of Labour, said a survey found many Thai workers lacked most in English, IT and numerical skills.

"So, this makes it really hard |for them to compete in Asean," he said.

Patcharawalai also said Thai professionals had more weak points than strong ones. Most workers in Thailand were low-skilled, although Thais were easy to train and could learn their jobs quickly. They were polite and not aggressive. However, Thailand had fewer individuals at medium and high skilled and professional levels. Many workers lacked training, preparation, ethics, discipline and punctuality.

Therefore, she urged Thai authorities to prepare Thai students in those professions for the future.

In 2015, the number of workers in the Asean region is expected to increase from 250 million to 300 million. Higher quality Chinese and Indian workers were likely to come to the Asean region as well, said Chirapun Gullaprawit, director of social development strategy and the planning office at the National Economic and Social Development Board.

"Thailand should prepare its workforce with different levels of ability to gain higher quality so |that they can compete in the |Asean labour market," Chirapun urged.

He said the education system in Thailand should produce workers for the 21st century with discipline, synthesising, creative, respectful and ethical minds, aside from knowledge in their fields and professional skills.

-- The Nation 2012-03-12

[marquess]

No surprise that the majority of Thai Engineers/ Architects etc will be struggling for professional accreditation, they have had a nice wooly existence where they are and only they can do those jobs in this country-- hence no need to try to improve. I have known a fully qualified architect from the UK married here for years and years but unable to ply his profession and a Swiss medical doctor who too was prohibited from plying her profession, both were reduced to teaching English. So in truth I have very little sympathy for the position of Thai professionals when it comes to ASEAN, as it is largely been brought about by the xenophobic/nationalist policies of their government, which if you spoke to most of them in the past and possibly some of them now, they were or are quite happy to lap up.

[Unkomoncents]

"Most workers in Thailand were low-skilled, although Thais were easy to train and could learn their jobs quickly. They were polite and not aggressive."

And there we go! I was waiting for the inevitable self-backpatting. Unfortunately, willful ignorance, robotic compliance and high-wais are not skills the world needs. I love that they keep comparing Thai workers to Malaysians and Singaporeans. Thai factory owners are loathe to hire Malaysians because for some reason (???) they require much higher salaries and are somehow able to speak more than one language. The article keeps plugging the non-aggression/'respectful' angle and that is so revealing about Thailand. Thais should be able to compete with the citizens of other ASEAN nations just so long as they don't get too intelligent and ask too many questions. Oh Thailand. Woe is me.

[seaeagle]

Thais unable to work in Asean, but also many Asean nationalities unable to work here because of Thai language requirements on a day to day basis in these professions.

Result? No change : Thais stay here, and not many foreigners come to take the jobs. Just what those who run this country want.

[Sing_Sling]

Patcharawalai also said Thai professionals had more weak points than strong ones. Most workers in Thailand were low-skilled, although Thais were easy to train and could learn their jobs quickly. They were polite and not aggressive. However, Thailand had fewer individuals at medium and high skilled and professional levels. Many workers lacked training, preparation, ethics, discipline and punctuality.

As noted above . . . utterly pathetic to talk about professional qualifications and then go on about how Thais are polite and non-aggresive.

Let's see:

Positive Negative

Low-skilled

Lack of Training

Polite No ethics!!!!!

Non-Aggro No preparation

No discipline

Not punctual

Mono-Lingual

Yes, I can see that the obvious reaction would be to concentrate on the positives instead of boning up and trying to compete . . . Entitlement at its worst

[IsaanUSA]

Thais unable to work in Asean, but also many Asean nationalities unable to work here because of Thai language requirements on a day to day basis in these professions.

Result? No change : Thais stay here, and not many foreigners come to take the jobs. Just what those who run this country want.

You don't know anybody in Thailand that would prefer an English speaking medical practitioners, dental practitioners, nursing services, engineering services, architectural services, surveying qualifications, and accountancy services?

I think the medical dictors and nurses will have the greatest oppurtunity.

[Thai at Heart]

Barriers to entry abound. However, there is one bit of legislation hiding in this bunch that is interesting.

A wholly owned Asean company is supposed to have free entry into buying or entering any industry Asean business. So a foreign company that owns its company 100% in a legal entity that allows 100% foreign ownership can enter the Thai market? I can't see the Thai-Chinese agro exporters giving that one up for a millisecond.

[sparebox2]

If Thais need English language skill to go to work in Singapore.

I hope the Thai govt return an eye for an eye, and request Thai language skill for Singaporeans to work in Thailand. (Complimentry Thai language skill may be picked up in Nana & Soi Cowboy)

Edited March 12, 2012 by sparebox2

[seaeagle]

Thais unable to work in Asean, but also many Asean nationalities unable to work here because of Thai language requirements on a day to day basis in these professions.

Result? No change : Thais stay here, and not many foreigners come to take the jobs. Just what those who run this country want.

You don't know anybody in Thailand that would prefer an English speaking medical practitioners, dental practitioners, nursing services, engineering services, architectural services, surveying qualifications, and accountancy services?

I think the medical dictors and nurses will have the greatest oppurtunity.

You haven't quite got the point of this and my post. In ALL of the above professions, in order to function and perform, the job-holder must be able to read, write and speak Thai. We're not talking about expats on temporary assignments here, we're talking about ASEAN people who want to come and work in Thailand without barriers.

Imagine if a non-English reader, writer and speaker wished to work in USA as a dentist, surveyor or accountant. Just how would that work? They may pick up a little business from 'their own' who perhaps lived in the local area, but they couldn't interact with the business world outside their language capabilities.

With the AEC, English is the defining language to make this work. And, both ways, that is a virtual non-starter for Thais and Thailand.

Often, you hear about a "threat to National Security" from Thais. Having qualified and intelligent foreigners come here, and take important jobs like you list would be exactly that, in their eyes. They won't tolerate it, and the Thai language is the best form of security.

And don't forget, we have all the different mafia and protection here. Do you think for one minute that local engineers, surveyors et al are going to sit back quietly while 'clever foreigners' come in to take their jobs? There'll be blood, man!

One of the better countries around here with English speakers is, surprisingly, Burma. It makes me giggle when I think of some Burmese coming here to work in the hotel industry and, probably, getting a reasonable position due to their superior English skills. Then, one day, we'll see a Thai employee wai-ing his Burmese line manager : they'll just love that!!

[wackysleet]

sparebox2

Maybe your just hiding behind the fact that Thais international language skills are amongst the lowest in Asia whereas the Singaporean will speak at least two languages and that skill also applies to several other nationalities who are also capable of communicating in English.

If you read the article carefully you would realise that the main reason Thais would not be able to compete is education and the necessary skills and experience needed to compete.

The Thais need to take their head out of their arse and stop thinking they are better than others and learn to compete in the Asean market place.

Wasn't it last year that the goverment announced English was going to be the official second language and then a couple of days later withdrew the plan. " Because we don't want Thai people thinking they were once colonised by the British" Bloody pathetic and soon the chickens will come home to roost.

[crobe]

If Thais need English language skill to go to work in Singapore.

I hope the Thai govt return an eye for an eye, and request Thai language skill for Singaporeans to work in Thailand. (Complimentry Thai language skill may be picked up in Nana & Soi Cowboy)

You are missing the point - it is not that English is spoken in Singapore and so there should be a quid pro quo, it is the fact that there needs to be a common language for people to work on large and pan-national projects, and the hope of the ASEAN Economic Community is that more of these should be forthcoming - if you look at the way the European project has developed (in terms of langauge), you do not get many Finnish doctors moving to be GPs in Portugal without knowing the language there, but on large programs and projects it is English that is the default language - companies such as EADS - the biggest defence contractor in Europe, may be majority owned in France and Germany but the default language inside the company is English.

A lot of technical work is done in English, and although people see the rise of Chinese, I do not see Mandarin, Cantonese or any of the other Chines languages taking over in the near future.

I am glad to say that some parts of the technical establishment in Thailand are taking these matters seriously, and are trying to raise the skillbase in technical and language terms to be able to compete after 2015.

For the first time I see them now opening up and accepting external help to prepare them.

the ASEAN experience could be the biggest shockwave to ever hit the insularity of the Thais.

Highlighting the skills of the Malaysians and Singaporeans is not a bad thing as this is the internal competition in ASEAN and the regional rivalry is the only thing that makes the politicians listen

Crobe

[Thai at Heart]

It may not hurt all employees, but for example it will hurt a lot of Thais competing for better paid jobs with multinationals where English is a daily part of the workplace.

In some way, it may actually create a lot of jobs, because regional offices might move here to avail themselves of low rents and be able to bring all their Asean employees along without the need for workpermits.

[sparebox2]

If Thais need English language skill to go to work in Singapore.

I hope the Thai govt return an eye for an eye, and request Thai language skill for Singaporeans to work in Thailand. (Complimentry Thai language skill may be picked up in Nana & Soi Cowboy)

You are missing the point - it is not that English is spoken in Singapore and so there should be a quid pro quo, it is the fact that there needs to be a common language for people to work on large and pan-national projects, and the hope of the ASEAN Economic Community is that more of these should be forthcoming - if you look at the way the European project has developed (in terms of langauge), you do not get many Finnish doctors moving to be GPs in Portugal without knowing the language there, but on large programs and projects it is English that is the default language - companies such as EADS - the biggest defence contractor in Europe, may be majority owned in France and Germany but the default language inside the company is English.

A lot of technical work is done in English, and although people see the rise of Chinese, I do not see Mandarin, Cantonese or any of the other Chines languages taking over in the near future.

I am glad to say that some parts of the technical establishment in Thailand are taking these matters seriously, and are trying to raise the skillbase in technical and language terms to be able to compete after 2015.

For the first time I see them now opening up and accepting external help to prepare them.

the ASEAN experience could be the biggest shockwave to ever hit the insularity of the Thais.

Highlighting the skills of the Malaysians and Singaporeans is not a bad thing as this is the internal competition in ASEAN and the regional rivalry is the only thing that makes the politicians listen

Crobe

I understand you loud and clear. I also understand the important of a common language.

When EU come together, they pick a common language from the memeber countries. They didn't pick Chinese just because Chinese is the most widely used first language. Come to think of it, have the French, German or Spanard accepted English as the common language in EU? I still see headphone on almost every deligates in Brussel's meetings.

When ASEAN come together, they should pick a common language from the memeber countries. Not English, just because it is the most widely used second language. Most likely it will be Thai or Bahasa Indonesian.

Edited March 12, 2012 by sparebox2

[Thai at Heart]

If Thais need English language skill to go to work in Singapore.

I hope the Thai govt return an eye for an eye, and request Thai language skill for Singaporeans to work in Thailand. (Complimentry Thai language skill may be picked up in Nana & Soi Cowboy)

You are missing the point - it is not that English is spoken in Singapore and so there should be a quid pro quo, it is the fact that there needs to be a common language for people to work on large and pan-national projects, and the hope of the ASEAN Economic Community is that more of these should be forthcoming - if you look at the way the European project has developed (in terms of langauge), you do not get many Finnish doctors moving to be GPs in Portugal without knowing the language there, but on large programs and projects it is English that is the default language - companies such as EADS - the biggest defence contractor in Europe, may be majority owned in France and Germany but the default language inside the company is English.

A lot of technical work is done in English, and although people see the rise of Chinese, I do not see Mandarin, Cantonese or any of the other Chines languages taking over in the near future.

I am glad to say that some parts of the technical establishment in Thailand are taking these matters seriously, and are trying to raise the skillbase in technical and language terms to be able to compete after 2015.

For the first time I see them now opening up and accepting external help to prepare them.

the ASEAN experience could be the biggest shockwave to ever hit the insularity of the Thais.

Highlighting the skills of the Malaysians and Singaporeans is not a bad thing as this is the internal competition in ASEAN and the regional rivalry is the only thing that makes the politicians listen

Crobe

I understand you loud and clear. I also understand the important of a common language.

When EU come together, they pick a common language from the memeber countries. They didn't pick Chinese just because Chinese is the most widely used first language. Come to think of it, have the French, German or Spanard accepted English as the common language in EU? I still see headphone on almost every deligates in Brussel's meetings.

When ASEAN come together, they should pick a common language from the memeber countries. Not English, just because it is the most widely used second language. Most likely it will be Thai or Bahasa Indonesian.

Indeed, that will put them on the international stage. Hokkien would probably win as the international business language of Asean.

[Gillespie]

OK, let's cast reality to the wind and assume that Thailand can sort the language issue out within, um, three years.

We still have the problem that the Thai education system is based on rote memorisation and mechanical box-ticking, and prioritises knowing one's place and respecting one's superiors above any form of critical thinking.

"OK, Somchai, how do we build a safe, durable, affordable bridge across that river?"

"My ajarn he say the answer is C."

[crobe]

Sparebox

No, you obviously do not understand,

it is not the EU bureaucrats that have picked English as the default language, it is the multi-national companies and the projects they are working on that have gone this way in order to have the communications, technical documentation and standards in a common language,

Your argument about picking a language from one of the ASEAN countries does not hold water, is like the EU opting for Esperanto - could be an official decision but in practice would not be used

Crobe

Edited March 12, 2012 by crobe

[Tatsujin]

When ASEAN come together, they should pick a common language from the memeber countries. Not English, just because it is the most widely used second language. Most likely it will be Thai or Bahasa Indonesian.

And how exactly will everyone speaking Thai for example help those businesses who wish to compete in a 'global' business setting when it is English that is most commonly used?

EDIT: sorry, my mistake, I am using logic, and that doesn't apply here . . . I keep forgetting.

Edited March 12, 2012 by Tatsujin

[alant]

it will be interesting to see when the asean dream is realised or if the member countries just give up as it is hurting too much. change incorporating experience from overseas? not in my back yard

[Jerrytheyoung]

"Patcharawalai also said Thai professionals had more weak points than strong ones. Most workers in Thailand were low-skilled, although Thais were easy to train and could learn their jobs quickly. They were polite and not aggressive".

Not only Thais, Malaysians (and Malays particularly) are very polite and non agressive in general. Language is not an efficient protection. When you have already learnt 3 languages at school (Malay, Chinese, English) it is gaming to learn a fourth one.

Thais are going to receive a solid lesson from Asean,,,, continue your xenophobic approach and you will stay aside the story...

Edited March 12, 2012 by Jerrytheyoung

[arrowsdawdle]

No surprise that the majority of Thai Engineers/ Architects etc will be struggling for professional accreditation, they have had a nice wooly existence where they are and only they can do those jobs in this country-- hence no need to try to improve. I have known a fully qualified architect from the UK married here for years and years but unable to ply his profession and a Swiss medical doctor who too was prohibited from plying her profession, both were reduced to teaching English. So in truth I have very little sympathy for the position of Thai professionals when it comes to ASEAN, as it is largely been brought about by the xenophobic/nationalist policies of their government, which if you spoke to most of them in the past and possibly some of them now, they were or are quite happy to lap up.

Not sure if it stops at the xenophobic/nationalist policies of the government. Seems more like Thai business interests manipulate the givernment to put the highest priority on keeping wages low, sacrificing the buying power of Thai citizens which in turn has a negative impact on the Thai economy.

[Pseudolus]

Kind of ironic they are complaining about this considering how dam_n difficult they make it for Foreigners to work in Thailand. Most other ASEAN nation makes it considerably easier for people to go to work there.

[Thai at Heart]

No surprise that the majority of Thai Engineers/ Architects etc will be struggling for professional accreditation, they have had a nice wooly existence where they are and only they can do those jobs in this country-- hence no need to try to improve. I have known a fully qualified architect from the UK married here for years and years but unable to ply his profession and a Swiss medical doctor who too was prohibited from plying her profession, both were reduced to teaching English. So in truth I have very little sympathy for the position of Thai professionals when it comes to ASEAN, as it is largely been brought about by the xenophobic/nationalist policies of their government, which if you spoke to most of them in the past and possibly some of them now, they were or are quite happy to lap up.

Not sure if it stops at the xenophobic/nationalist policies of the government. Seems more like Thai business interests manipulate the givernment to put the highest priority on keeping wages low, sacrificing the buying power of Thai citizens which in turn has a negative impact on the Thai economy.

Well better to see who controls most of the private wealth of the country. Interesting to see the head of one of Thailands larger conglomerates on Channel News Asia yesterday talking about investing successfully in his ancestral homeland......

[arrowsdawdle]

"Patcharawalai also said Thai professionals had more weak points than strong ones. Most workers in Thailand were low-skilled, although Thais were easy to train and could learn their jobs quickly. They were polite and not aggressive".

Not only Thais, Malaysians (and Malays particularly) are very polite and non agressive in general. Language is not an efficient protection. When you have already learnt 3 languages at school (Malay, Chinese, English) it is gaming to learn a fourth one.

Thais are going to receive a solid lesson from Asean,,,, continue your xenophobic approach and you will stay aside the story...

First mistake, thinking there is value in a passive, non-aggressive skilled labor force. This equates to no ambition, which is evident in spades in LOS. How do you compete for competitive advantage in market share with passive staff? It is part of the mentality of micro-management where employees must clear every simple act with a superior. The contemporary international business empowers and encourages staff to make and act on decisions. If a staff member is afraid to make a decision, how do you manage indecision? You can't, of course.

[arrowsdawdle]

When ASEAN come together, they should pick a common language from the memeber countries. Not English, just because it is the most widely used second language. Most likely it will be Thai or Bahasa Indonesian.

And how exactly will everyone speaking Thai for example help those businesses who wish to compete in a 'global' business setting when it is English that is most commonly used?

EDIT: sorry, my mistake, I am using logic, and that doesn't apply here . . . I keep forgetting.

Don't apoloize for being right. Amazing. He suggests not using the internationally accepted language of business, art, travel, and technology in favor of a language that is 100% useless outside the borders where it is spoken, Now there is a novel way for several countries to come together as a group and move backwards in tandem.

[arrowsdawdle]

Sparebox

No, you obviously do not understand,

it is not the EU bureaucrats that have picked English as the default language, it is the multi-national companies and the projects they are working on that have gone this way in order to have the communications, technical documentation and standards in a common language,

Your argument about picking a language from one of the ASEAN countries does not hold water, is like the EU opting for Esperanto - could be an official decision but in practice would not be used

Crobe

You might have mentioned international law, as well as tourism and transportation.

[arrowsdawdle]

OK, let's cast reality to the wind and assume that Thailand can sort the language issue out within, um, three years.

We still have the problem that the Thai education system is based on rote memorisation and mechanical box-ticking, and prioritises knowing one's place and respecting one's superiors above any form of critical thinking.

"OK, Somchai, how do we build a safe, durable, affordable bridge across that river?"

"My ajarn he say the answer is C."

[chrisinth]

Thais unable to work in Asean, but also many Asean nationalities unable to work here because of Thai language requirements on a day to day basis in these professions.

Result? No change : Thais stay here, and not many foreigners come to take the jobs. Just what those who run this country want.

You don't know anybody in Thailand that would prefer an English speaking medical practitioners, dental practitioners, nursing services, engineering services, architectural services, surveying qualifications, and accountancy services?

I think the medical dictors and nurses will have the greatest oppurtunity.

I know a lot of people in Thailand who would prefer English speaking (anyone) and they are generally the arrogant ones who would never think to learn the native language of the country they have decided to habitate.

[arrowsdawdle]

sparebox2

Maybe your just hiding behind the fact that Thais international language skills are amongst the lowest in Asia whereas the Singaporean will speak at least two languages and that skill also applies to several other nationalities who are also capable of communicating in English.

If you read the article carefully you would realise that the main reason Thais would not be able to compete is education and the necessary skills and experience needed to compete.

The Thais need to take their head out of their arse and stop thinking they are better than others and learn to compete in the Asean market place.

Wasn't it last year that the goverment announced English was going to be the official second language and then a couple of days later withdrew the plan. " Because we don't want Thai people thinking they were once colonised by the British" Bloody pathetic and soon the chickens will come home to roost.

You are exactly right. If other ASEAN countries people are so smart, why were they colonised in the first place?

Because they recognized opportunity when they saw it and chose to be smart.

[HuaHinHim]

Well Thailand has been trying to squeeze everything it can out of me so it will be good to see them getting caught out by their own arrogance

[wackysleet]

sparebox2.

You totally epitomise the utter stupidity of the Thai race, it was never about defeating clever races to enable the Brits to colonise it was about whether the country in question had anything that we wanted.

Tell me, do you consider Thais as being more intelligent than either the Japanese or the Germans because if you do then you would be deluding yourself even further.

Learn something about the world before you spout off your rubbish. The E.U never chose English as the common language, it is used because it is the widest used language in international trade and chosen by the world as THE language to be used.