Delayed start to the 2014 academic year?

[Loaded]

I've heard informally a few times from people who should know that the start of the 2014 Thai academic year will be postponed by one month. This is in order to coordinate the Thai academic year with other ASEAN countries. Does anyone have an authoritative confirmation of this?

As a Westerner you'd expect this sort of change to be phased in over a number of years with plenty of notice to people and organizations that will be affected. However, this is Thailand and things work differently here.

[masuk]

Yes, things seem to work differently. I recently asked a friend what the vacation dates were at his university. He had no idea, so I asked if these weren't in the University Handbook/Year book.

All I got was a blank look.

Gives another meaning to 'moveable feasts'.

[Scott]

I look forward to someone answering this question as well. I have heard that the dates will change and then I read somewhere, and I can't remember where, that someone important said that there is no reason for it to change, except for Universities. I don't know if it registered that when you finish high school you go to University and that an extended vacation may be counterproductive.

[Slip]

My place is talking about changing to June, but it's not confirmed as yet.

[bigbamboo]

Our son will be starting university next year and we'd like to spend some time back in England beforehand. An extra month would be very handy.

I'm sure he'd like the idea too!

[TerryLH]

The change was announced quite awhile ago.

An extra month or two holiday is counterproductive, but a gap year isn't?

[aidenai]

OHEC wanted OBEC/ OPEC to start in August to synchronise with other ASEAN universities. This all was discussed in November 2012. A compromise was made. OBEC/ OPEC intend to start academic year 2014 on 10 June 2014. OPEC has officially announced that its schools will start on 14 June. OBEC has asked The Minister of Education to agree to 14 June.

Several articles about this topic can be found at ** Link Edited Out **

Edited September 7, 2013 by SlyAnimal
Edited out link to another forum

[KhaoNiaw]

I think both KMUTT and Bangkok University started in August this year. However, they did have an intake of first-year students in June so as not to lose out to other universities who started earlier. Their 2nd-4th year students had the August start.

Other universities will move to an August start in the 2014 academic year.

Edited September 6, 2013 by KhaoNiaw

[SlyAnimal]

Sorry guys but it's against the forum rules to post links to other forums.

My understanding of this is, that next year will start in June (for govt primary/secondary schools, rather than Mid-May. Although there's a bit of conflicting information out there which confuses things.

Universities already start in June I believe.

This is an idea which they initially floated last year (2012) I think, but won't actually happen until next year (2014).

[Loaded]

Sorry guys but it's against the forum rules to post links to other forums.

My understanding of this is, that next year will start in June (for govt primary/secondary schools, rather than Mid-May. Although there's a bit of conflicting information out there which confuses things.

Universities already start in June I believe.

This is an idea which they initially floated last year (2012) I think, but won't actually happen until next year (2014).

I've also received conflicting information. It seems unbelievable that a country's education ministry would be so late making an official change to the coming school year when it's just 8 or 9 months away. However, this is Thailand. Aidenai's post was helpful. It seems the change is planned but we're just waiting for the education Minister to sign to confirm. So, it seems highly probable but there's no confirmation yet.

[youreavinalaff]

Looks like the start of AEC will be postponed to 2016. So maybe the change in term time will be postponed too.

[Loaded]

Looks like the start of AEC will be postponed to 2016. So maybe the change in term time will be postponed too.

Haven't they already changed it already from January 1st, 2015 to December 31st, 2015. This way they can say it's still 2015.

[aidenai]

Looks like the start of AEC will be postponed to 2016. So maybe the change in term time will be postponed too.

Haven't they already changed it already from January 1st, 2015 to December 31st, 2015. This way they can say it's still 2015.

Yes. They've already changed it to 31 December 2015. Exactly because of the reason you wrote.

[richard10365]

I can answer this question for my university. I'm pretty sure all universities in Thailand were told to change in 2014. Primary and secondary schools don't have to change.....yet.

• 1st semester June, 2013 to October 2013
• 2nd semester October 2013 to March 2014
• 3rd semester is March 2014 to May 2014

At this point the 1st semester, which normally starts in June 2014, will be delayed until August 2014. Every year after this the 1st semester will start in August.

ASEAN's integration process, which includes the ASEAN Political/Security Community (APSC), the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC), and the ASEAN Social/Cultural Community (ASCC) started in 2008 and is scheduled to complete the integration process December 31st, 2015.

[Loaded]

How will this affect teachers on 1-year contracts?

Immigration and Labour won't extend visas and work permits unless the teacher's employment contract is extended which means schools paying salaries for a 13-month year. Plus, if they are extended from May, they can only be extended for 1 year (I believe) which means they will expire 1 month before the end of the 2014/2015 academic year.

If there's now a dead month in May, 2014, will schools just allow employment contracts to expire for this month? If yes, teachers will need to leave the country to obtain new visas and start the paper trail anew.

[youreavinalaff]

Looks like the start of AEC will be postponed to 2016. So maybe the change in term time will be postponed too.

Haven't they already changed it already from January 1st, 2015 to December 31st, 2015. This way they can say it's still 2015.

Indeed, but Thailand has a holiday on 31st December. So the earliest possible business date would be 4th Jan 2016.

Mind you, don't hold your breath. Most likely going to be later than that.

[Scott]

Where I work, the contractual situation will make little difference. Teachers sign contracts which are usually valid for a year. Occasionally, if we hire someone at the end of the school term, the contract is valid for longer -- maybe 13 or 14 months, since it is of little value to have a 6 week contract and then a new one.

The actual paper work to the MOE, Immigration, TCT (with all the different things needed -- including TOEIC), means that the work permits are issued at various times throughout the year. Very, very few people, with the exception of the old timers who have been around for a number of years, will have the visa and work permit in synch with the actual contract.

[schondie]

I can't see it happening next year, unless it's shoehorned in at the last minute. All the Thai teachers at government schools I've asked give me confused looks when I've asked about this.

Delayed as per usual and announced at the last minute in 2015 or 2016 probably.

[Spare]

Everybody is talking about AEC in Thailand.

In other ASEAN countries, no one have a clue what AEC is all about.

[David48]

Thanks ... I was trying to find out some information about this also.