2,000 native English teachers to boost Thai students’ language skills

BANGKOK, 14 March 2012 (NNT) - Education Minister Dr. Suchart Thadathamrongvech said 2,000 English speaking teachers will be hired to teach English language in schools overseen by the Office of the Basic Education Commission (OBEC).

Dr. Suchart said the move is in line with the government’s policy which supports language learning with native speakers. According to the report, the Education Minister has met with Mr. Martin Davidson, the Chief Executive of the British Council, for a discussion over the establishment of English classes in OBEC schools.

The British Council, Dr. Suchart said, will be responsible for recruiting 2,000 native speakers of the English language to teach at the schools. However, they will only be hired on a part-time basis. Each school is expected to pay a partial sum of money to these teachers in addition to the financial support from the Education Ministry if needed.

The British Council will provide electronic course materials which the Education Ministry will then convert to tablet-compatible files. The new teachers are expected to undergo 4 hours of training each day for a period of 10 weeks.

-- NNT 2012-03-14

Transport Ministry to complete flood prevention plan in 3-4 months

BANGKOK, 14 March 2012 (NNT) - The Ministry of Transport has laid down an urgent flood prevention plan, which is expected to be completed in a few months, with a goal to upgrade the country’s flood draining system.

As part of the government’s flood prevention strategy recently clarified to Japanese investors to raise their confidence, Deputy Transport Minister Chatchart Sithipan said the Transport Ministry’s plan will cover keeping the situation under control at the source of the problem to quickly resolve the issue at hand.

Over 246 business districts in flood-prone provinces will come under the 24.8 billion baht prevention scheme which is expected to be implemented by the Ministry soon.

It will consist of canal dredging in the Chao Phraya and Tha Chin Rivers, repairing bus and cargo terminals, roads, bridges, airport runways and public buses. Mr. Chatchart said it would be completed within a period of 3-4 months.

He added further that the Japanese government has expressed interest in the investment with Thailand in Dawei port in Myanmar, citing that it would provide trade routes to the Indian Ocean and European nations at cheaper costs when compared to the port in Laem Chabang.

-- NNT 2012-03-14

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Thailand Live Thursday 15 Mar 2012