Thais need more work and language skills for AEC, experts say

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AEC
Thais need more work and language skills for AEC, experts say
Thiranat Sucharikul
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- The need for Thais to equip themselves with professional and language skills is growing significantly, as Thailand is set to become a part of the Asean Economic Community next year.

The need was highlighted at the "Wake up Worker" event hosted by the Labour Ministry late last week.

It aimed to review, evaluate and prepare Thailand for the upcoming merger into an Asean community.

The event also marked the launch of Happy Talk AEC, a phone application capable of translating all Asean languages plus Mandarin.

Developed by the ministry, the Thai Health Promotion Foundation and the Thai Federation on Logistics, the app looks set to facilitate basic communication among Asean peoples and cut problems of miscommunication.

But even with such an app, Thais needed to be well prepared in their skill sets, both professional and language skills, particularly English, said Tanawong Areeratchakul,

an executive from Siam Cement Group.

They also need to change their mindset to be more aware of international perspectives.

"Even in SCG, only three out of almost 300 wanted to work in other Asean countries," he said.

"Because we're skilled at what we do, we tend to have the feeling of being the 'elder brother'.

"However, when we have to go work with people from different countries, we have to keep our minds open. When working with others, this [feeling of being the 'elder brother'] becomes our constraint," he said.

It was necessary to prepare both offensive and defensive strategies in regard to the AEC, he said.

Using SCG's regional preparation as a basis, he asked people to keep three questions in mind in order to determine what underlying direction Thailand is heading in so that it can improve its labour force.

The three fundamental questions are "What is Thailand's competitive landscape?", "What brand does Thailand want Asean to perceive her as?" and "How can we overcome potential friction?'"

Student attitudes need to change

Noppawan Chulakanista, general manager of JobsDB Recruitment Thailand, said the attitudes of students must change, because Thai students are now seen as not as proactive as their foreign counterparts as they stick only to their comfort zone.

"Thai students want a higher education without fully understanding what the current market is looking for," she said.

Chokchai Suttawet, a lecturer at Mahidol University, said students believe that by earning a higher degree, they are building up their "grade" within society.

Fresh graduate Haripan Wongsuwan said foreign students are more hardworking and confident in expressing their opinions.

If Thais want to become a real part of the AEC, they must learn more about the people.

"The more I researched [about them], I realised that we may have better learning skills [than they do] but we are lacking in work ethic," he said.

When Thais adopt an Asean citizen frame of mind they will be truly ready for the AEC with a valuable and efficient workforce.

"We need to help each other in creating something like a new giant country, with 10 countries in one," he said.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Thais-need-more-work-and-language-skills-for-AEC-e-30238411.html


-- The Nation 2014-07-14

[taony]

Yes, attitudes do need to change. Elder brother? 555555

-*I typed this myself*-

[thesetat2013]

With Thai people who skate thru school passing every class even though they have not learned anything.

With Thais inability to be creative, innovative, or willing to try seeing or doing things unlike what they have been taught it is going to be a long road to making Thais a constructive part of the ASEAN community. Going to school and getting higher degrees does not mean they even understand what they were supposed to learn.

Sent from my GT-S5310 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[worgeordie]

Left till last minute again,they better start learning NOW,or they

are going to be left behind,by Vietnam,Cambodia and Burma.

regards Worgeordie

[AGareth2]

planet Thailand

gone?

[Gutterboy]

Did we really need experts to tell us this?

[janpharma]

The article should be discussed at schools in all classes...

[kannot]

Left till last minute again,they better start learning NOW,or they

are going to be left behind,by Vietnam,Cambodia and Burma.

regards Worgeordie

From what I see in Myanmar staff I have had they are on the same par as the Thais, cue vacant look and no thought process often.

In the most basic sense, Im not talking University educated I mean at a very basic common sense level.

Today one of our banana plants got blown over, snapped in half, I told the staff to get some stick under the ones likely to fall and the one that had fallen was to be cut down completely.

I came back later and they had propped up the broken one with a stick and ignored the others unbroken but about to break completely.

The tree they propped up was already a gonner as it had snapped in half.

No thought at all, no " oh look some of the others are leaning a lot too maybe we should prop those up"

They wait until it falls down then attempt a fix.........on just that plant only.

[klauskunkel]

"Wake up Worker" event hosted by the Labour Ministry late last week.

Finally! Wake up Worker! It's all your fault if you can't keep up and stay competitive, you lazy worker, wake up!

Doesn't matter if all governments in the past have continued snoring on their stuffed bellies and done absolutely nothing. It's still the workers fault. I say "Wake up Workers", but not the way the Labor Ministry means it.

[Local Drunk]

"When Thais adopt an Asean citizen frame of mind they will be truly ready for the AEC with a valuable and efficient workforce.

"We need to help each other in creating something like a new giant country, with 10 countries in one," he said."

I'm all for Thais learning English and getting a broader liberal arts education for the sake of self enlightenment, but never for the sake of commercial enterprise and an absurd ASEAN citizen's role in the greater scheme of some power monger's plan.

[DaveHKT]

Here in Phuket most of the local English language fm radio stations are, currently, off air. One exception is relaying 'Radio Thailand English Language (RTEL)' programmes for most of the day. Generally, the English spoken on these programmes is abysmal. Presumably RTEL will only employ university graduates as their broadcasters.

On the other hand pop into virtually any bar and you'll find young ladies with the most basic of Thai education virtually fluent in English, with a fair number fluent in Swedish, German, Italian etc. It'll only be a matter of time before Russian and Chinese (which ever version) joins the list.

[kerrysum]

With Thai people who skate thru school passing every class even though they have not learned anything.

With Thais inability to be creative, innovative, or willing to try seeing or doing things unlike what they have been taught it is going to be a long road to making Thais a constructive part of the ASEAN community. Going to school and getting higher degrees does not mean they even understand what they were supposed to learn.

Sent from my GT-S5310 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

I'd agree with your statement, education is something you learn, not buy.

Kerry

[trainman34014]

And....what are these 'experts' going to do about it other than talk ? My guess is nothing.

[razer]

There are some cultural changes that need to be made. One is this concept that Thais are superior to people in other ASEAN countries. Work ethic is another. The world economies do not rely upon Thailand. The false perception generated through various ministries that Thailand is the hub of everything has to stop. Thais need to learn how to respect other people of other nationalities, especially in business. This means being on time, getting projects or tasks completed on time and accepting accountability for work not done well or not done at all. I think Thais don't really understand what accountability is and this starts with the education system. The time is soon coming when Thai graduates will be competing with other ASEAN graduates for the good jobs here in Thailand. For example, the English among staff and management of the big international banks here is appalling, so much so, they have real difficulty communicating with branches in other countries and with home office. (My wife is a banker) I think Singaporeans will be filling a lot of bank management slots now held by Thais because of language ability and work ethic.

[ColdSingha]

luckily we are not experiencing a massive visa crackdown that will force out a lot of native english speaking teachers

oh wait..

Edited July 14, 2014 by ColdSingha

[chainarong]

After reading all the comments on this subject , one can only arrive at a conclusion that Thailand is thirty years too late , once again I hammer home the importance of good education standards and education excellence , an understanding of international curriculums and standards, otherwise you will be the same in fifty years time ,though I won't hold my breath.

[bushwacker]

I have had a few experiences with university students learning english and even watched a few programs on TV. One move in the right direction might be to modernize the material. The uni students came to me with a problem on an assignment on Emily Dickinson. Who????? That is right an American author from the 1800's that often writes with words that are not used today, with a style that is not used today, and when the words have different means today.

It was boring, tiring and frustrating. And that is how I felt. How can they expect students to jump into this crap? And what benefit does it do a student in Thailand to learn about the history of dear Emily?

Turned on the TV 3 nights ago and they were trying to teach students english by translating some passage about Edison. I am thinking that the material is so old that it can easily be taken free of charge and free is what they want to pay. No wonder they have problems learning english.

Just saying ....

[hobz]

Let's kick out the English teachers when they are needed the most

[12DrinkMore]

Here in Phuket most of the local English language fm radio stations are, currently, off air. One exception is relaying 'Radio Thailand English Language (RTEL)' programmes for most of the day. Generally, the English spoken on these programmes is abysmal. Presumably RTEL will only employ university graduates as their broadcasters.

On the other hand pop into virtually any bar and you'll find young ladies with the most basic of Thai education virtually fluent in English, with a fair number fluent in Swedish, German, Italian etc. It'll only be a matter of time before Russian and Chinese (which ever version) joins the list.

"virtually fluent in English, with a fair number fluent in Swedish, German, Italian"

Maybe compared to the strange version of pidgin English uttered by native English speakers and adopted by other nationalities in ordering the beer and organising the nocturnal activities.

"We go eat, I very hungry"

"You go with me?"

"What your name?"

"Where you go?"

"Where you stay"

"My name Peter, I from England"

Pathetic.

[spermwhale]

They've been talking about this since 2011 or 2012 as the start of the AEC approaches. All talk no action.

[siampolee]

spermwhale post # 20.

They've been talking about this since 2011 or 2012 as the start of the AEC approaches. All talk no action.

This was on the agenda in 1996 ( 18 years ago) when my then boss attended the inaugural meetings in his capacity as a senior government official when it was then agreed that English was to be the working language of A.S.E.A.N...

​Procrastination is the thief of time

[Cake Monster]

Having an 11 year old child in education here, I can only comment upon the gusto in which her school has entered into the Asean spirit.

The school has been absolutely flat out in educating the children about the Asean nations.

But only for the last 6 months, when all of this Asean thing has been in the pipeline for more than 15 years to my knowledge.

[Lupatria]

planet Thailand

gone?

Yeah, but in its next step it is morphing into an out of reach galaxy...

Edited July 14, 2014 by Lupatria

[siampolee]

Cake Monster post # 22.

Having an 11 year old child in education here, I can only comment upon the gusto in which her school has entered into the Asean spirit.

The school has been absolutely flat out in educating the children about the Asean nations.

But only for the last 6 months, when all of this Asean thing has been in the pipeline for more than 15 years to my knowledge.

Agreed, however how many other languages than Thai have been used?

The window display is faultless, however when ones enters the shop there is no stock nor substance to matters.

[diehard60]

"Student attitudes need to change"

Well first you must change the student's teachers attitudes. The teacher must help the students to learn how to compete in this world.And the teachers don't know. They feel that just because they are teacher they know everything.

[Lupatria]

Thailand’s whole idea to join ASEAN is comparable to this situation:

You contract an architect to build an igloo, sign a contract to buy a snowmobile, and out of the blue you realize you live in the tropics. Consequently you complain and blame the dealer over the missing snow.

[diehard60]

Let's kick out the English teachers when they are needed the most

wrong. if yo were to do this legally you would not have a problem. I blame you and the place where you teach. Do it right. It is not difficult.

[diehard60]

Left till last minute again,they better start learning NOW,or they

are going to be left behind,by Vietnam,Cambodia and Burma.

regards Worgeordie

From what I see in Myanmar staff I have had they are on the same par as the Thais, cue vacant look and no thought process often.

In the most basic sense, Im not talking University educated I mean at a very basic common sense level.

Today one of our banana plants got blown over, snapped in half, I told the staff to get some stick under the ones likely to fall and the one that had fallen was to be cut down completely.

I came back later and they had propped up the broken one with a stick and ignored the others unbroken but about to break completely.

The tree they propped up was already a gonner as it had snapped in half.

No thought at all, no " oh look some of the others are leaning a lot too maybe we should prop those up"

They wait until it falls down then attempt a fix.........on just that plant only.

are you hiring illegals?????

Edited July 14, 2014 by diehard60

[kannot]

Left till last minute again,they better start learning NOW,or they

are going to be left behind,by Vietnam,Cambodia and Burma.

regards Worgeordie

From what I see in Myanmar staff I have had they are on the same par as the Thais, cue vacant look and no thought process often.

In the most basic sense, Im not talking University educated I mean at a very basic common sense level.

Today one of our banana plants got blown over, snapped in half, I told the staff to get some stick under the ones likely to fall and the one that had fallen was to be cut down completely.

I came back later and they had propped up the broken one with a stick and ignored the others unbroken but about to break completely.

The tree they propped up was already a gonner as it had snapped in half.

No thought at all, no " oh look some of the others are leaning a lot too maybe we should prop those up"

They wait until it falls down then attempt a fix.........on just that plant only.

are you hiring illegals?????

Nope this is what our previous staff told us, they are Myanmar and said its EASY to get into Thailand with NO papers as the border officials get paid off by the BUS load regularly.

I k now Thais who hire illegals for 5 k a month no passport no nothing

[Cake Monster]

Fortunately my child is attending a school that is also educating her in English and Chinese, which is taught by native teachers from the relevant countries.

Not only is English the working language of the Asean nations, but it is the working language of the whole world.

You can travel all over this planet, and will hear English spoken in every country to varying degrees, but not so many speak Thai, and this is a fact that I continually remind her of.