Student loan ceiling to be reduced: Thai Education Ministry

[webfact]

Student loan ceiling to be reduced
The Nation



BANGKOK: -- The student loan ceiling for educational institutes is likely to be reduced soon as more than half of the loans granted so far have not been repaid, the Education Ministry said.

It has also told Krungthai Bank (KTB), which grants student loans, to provide details on all loans granted, especially those that haven't been paid.

Education permanent secretary Suthasri Wongsaman said the loan ceiling was being cut due to budget constraints, adding that institutes also need to help by screening loan applicants closely.

However, she dismissed rumours that those failing to pay their student loans would have their assets seized, saying this had never been discussed.

KTB has been ordered to provide details of outstanding loans along with the names of schools and universities whose students either made no payments, did not make all payments or were late with payments. Up to half of the total loans were non-performing. KTB will have details by December.

According to latest reports, loans have mostly been granted to vocational students, even though those in actual need of financial assistance are regular students at the upper secondary level. The study also found that the debt-collection method and tracking of borrowers was not effective. Hence, a hotline will be set up and the management of loans improved.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Student-loan-ceiling-to-be-reduced-30241506.html


-- The Nation 2014-08-22

[DocJohnnie99]

Really, the loans are mostly not being repaid? I don't believe it.

Say it ain't so!

[givenall]

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

Really, the loans are mostly not being repaid? I don't believe it.

Say it ain't so!

Here in our University more than 80% of student pay with loan and more than half should not even be in the University. Its a big money maker for the University

[Strangebrew]

Don't Thai me really you mean some Thai's deadbeat's?

[Pib]

The hopes of high paying jobs through higher education don't come true so many times. Then the graduate can't easily pay off the loan...and lord knows there seem to be more and more graduates who can pay off the loan but simply don't want to....just their attitude in live to avoid paying as many bills/loans as possible....take but not give...etc.

[Bulldozer Dawn]

The powers to be can't have it both ways. If they lower the ceiling of availble debt to female students, they will have to also increase the trading hours for go go bars.

[kurtgruen]

They make it quite clear, that they want to poor to remain uneducated.

[seajae]

the problem is that a lot of these students simply get their degree then refuse to take up any work offered to them because they think it is below their qualifications, what a joke. They also learn from their parents that if you dont want pay for something you dont or just try to avoid it as much as possible. I know a lot of thais that have borrowed money and simply refuse to repay it, to top it off they dont care who knows and figure if they avoid it long enough they the people they owe money to will simply stop trying to get it.

As for aiming this at the poor, my wife came from a very poor family, she got the loan and a good education(and a good job) then she paid it back, the poor are the ones that actually do repay money, its the ones that have money or middle class that dont repay the loans. The poor see it as a godsend and pay it back with pride, the others with money dont give a sh*t.

[kurtgruen]

the problem is that a lot of these students simply get their degree then refuse to take up any work offered to them because they think it is below their qualifications, what a joke. They also learn from their parents that if you dont want pay for something you dont or just try to avoid it as much as possible. I know a lot of thais that have borrowed money and simply refuse to repay it, to top it off they dont care who knows and figure if they avoid it long enough they the people they owe money to will simply stop trying to get it.

As for aiming this at the poor, my wife came from a very poor family, she got the loan and a good education(and a good job) then she paid it back, the poor are the ones that actually do repay money, its the ones that have money or middle class that dont repay the loans. The poor see it as a godsend and pay it back with pride, the others with money dont give a sh*t.

but reducing student loans will hurt the poor. The rest of them can pay for the education, if needed. The poor can't, so this is aimed at keeping the poor uneducated

[Mudcrab]

Who said Thailand can't learn anything from the West?

[gamesgplayemail]

On 8/22/2014 at 9:19 AM, DocJohnnie99 said:

Really, the loans are mostly not being repaid? I don't believe it.

Say it ain't so!

 

I am wondering what happens if they do not pay and do not have an official salary, but only land ?

 

 

[Eligius]

The sad truth is that a Thai degree is not worth the paper it is printed on. The REAL knowledge and abilities gained by most Thai students in my experience is pitifully little. Even Master's Degree students often don't really know much about the subject they are allegedly studying - and as for 'general knowledge' (about the world, intellectual ideas, etc.) it is often  zero.

 

As much as I like the Thais (and I do, generally, very much), I must say that their knowledge-base is usually the flimsiest and tiniest of any peoples I have encountered on this earth. And there usually seems no desire for self-betterment - no intellectual curiosity about life and the world.

 

So it is sad to see so many young Thais getting into debt for a piece of paper that probably is pretty much meaningless - and will become more so in the coming years. Soon everyone will have a Bachelor's Degree, most will have a Master's Degree, and then even a Ph.D. will be common currency. The whole of learning and education has been commercialised, dumbed down and turned into a money-spinning racket - with little real intellectual/ cultural achievement for most students at the end of it all. Very sad - but, regrettably, true.

 

 

[gamesgplayemail]

25 minutes ago, Eligius said:

The sad truth is that a Thai degree is not worth the paper it is printed on. The REAL knowledge and abilities gained by most Thai students in my experience is pitifully little. Even Master's Degree students often don't really know much about the subject they are allegedly studying - and as for 'general knowledge' (about the world, intellectual ideas, etc.) it is often  zero.

 

As much as I like the Thais (and I do, generally, very much), I must say that their knowledge-base is usually the flimsiest and tiniest of any peoples I have encountered on this earth. And there usually seems no desire for self-betterment - no intellectual curiosity about life and the world.

 

So it is sad to see so many young Thais getting into debt for a piece of paper that probably is pretty much meaningless - and will become more so in the coming years. Soon everyone will have a Bachelor's Degree, most will have a Master's Degree, and then even a Ph.D. will be common currency. The whole of learning and education has been commercialised, dumbed down and turned into a money-spinning racket - with little real intellectual/ cultural achievement for most students at the end of it all. Very sad - but, regrettably, true.

 

 

 

A university degree here brings people to the same level as high school in my country. So at 21/22 here they don't know more than what we know at 17/18 back home.

 

But at least back home they know that they do not deserve any job without studying more and trying to understand what they are doing.

 

 

 

 

 

[Eligius]

20 minutes ago, gamesgplayemail said:

 

A university degree here brings people to the same level as high school in my country. So at 21/22 here they don't know more than what we know at 17/18 back home.

 

But at least back home they know that they do not deserve any job without studying more and trying to understand what they are doing.

 

 

 

 

 

Thank you, my friend, for the above comment. I agree with you. In fact, I would go even further and say - from my many years of experience - that Thai university graduates know far less than, say, a UK school pupil of 18 years of age who has just taken his 'A' levels. Also, 'know' is not the same as 'understand': the 'graduate' in Thailand may have memorised certain facts - but has probably never really grappled with trying to understand them.

 

So not only is the breadth of knowledge enshrined in a Thai B.A. degree at best comparable to a Western 'A' Level (preparatory to university entrance), but what the Thai student has made of that 'knowledge' (how he/ she has processed it, engaged with it, and assimilated it) is probably roughly equivalent to the academic level reached by a 12 or 13-year-old school pupil in the West!

[Odysseus123]

The Thai tertiary education system is one vast money spinner with neither form nor  function and,most certainly,without morality or ethics-just ask my stepdaughter who is undertaking a higher degree in "Facebook" and "Line".

 

Four years so far;but she has now casually announced that she is going for six.

 

Her ultimate ambition?Mia noy..gik,prostitute-anything to avoid work.

[robblok]

Thank you, my friend, for the above comment. I agree with you. In fact, I would go even further and say - from my many years of experience - that Thai university graduates know far less than, say, a UK school pupil of 18 years of age who has just taken his 'A' levels. Also, 'know' is not the same as 'understand': the 'graduate' in Thailand may have memorised certain facts - but has probably never really grappled with trying to understand them.
 
So not only is the breadth of knowledge enshrined in a Thai B.A. degree at best comparable to a Western 'A' Level (preparatory to university entrance), but what the Thai student has made of that 'knowledge' (how he/ she has processed it, engaged with it, and assimilated it) is probably roughly equivalent to the academic level reached by a 12 or 13-year-old school pupil in the West!

I wonder how good your Thai language skills are to judge Thai their knowledge. Because if you judge it through English you actually put them ad a disadvantage to expect them to both have good knowledge and good English skill. Those two are not per se connected.

So i must applaud you on your great Thai skills to hold such in depth interviews in Thai. I wish i was that good at speaking Thai.

Sent from my SM-G955F using Tapatalk

[gamesgplayemail]

1 minute ago, robblok said:

I wonder how good your Thai language skills are to judge Thai their knowledge. Because if you judge it through English you actually put them ad a disadvantage to expect them to both have good knowledge and good English skill. Those two are not per se connected.

So i must applaud you on your great Thai skills to hold such in depth interviews in Thai. I wish i was that good at speaking Thai.

Sent from my SM-G955F using Tapatalk
 

 

Another genius who has nothing else to do than protect the Thai when anybody not completely insane perfectly know that they are totally useless.

 

How many staff do you have ? I had more than 200 over the years, all not even as smart as my dog.

 

 

 

 

 

[Odysseus123]

1 minute ago, robblok said:

I wonder how good your Thai language skills are to judge Thai their knowledge. Because if you judge it through English you actually put them ad a disadvantage to expect them to both have good knowledge and good English skill. Those two are not per se connected.

So i must applaud you on your great Thai skills to hold such in depth interviews in Thai. I wish i was that good at speaking Thai.

Sent from my SM-G955F using Tapatalk
 

Written,eternally,repetitively and without any form of left brain function from the script..

[wotsdermatter]

I read so many disparaging comments regarding the education system in Thailand, and generally, agree.  However, I have taught psychology at the Master and Doctoral levels and nobody got into either of the programmes I was in charge of without being thoroughly vetted by myself and a selected board which was under my jurisdiction.  A thorough investigation of their transcripts was the first step, and we knew every university in Thailand and their ability to educate psychology students and that included the content of all psychology courses, the grading systems, examination systems, and all other related materials.  Next came the English entrance examinations and a failure in that meant there was no hope.  Third, was our own psychology entrance examination set for both levels of tertiary education.  Even after passing the first two requirements, fail that and a student was not accepted.  Yes, we had some try all sorts of things to secure entrance, including many forms of bribery incentives, even using bully tactics by so-called upper echelon types, but the policies were rigidly enforced.  Some other universities now follow our example and have the same standards and apply them in the same manner. 

 

So, please do not brush all with the same tar brush because there are some programmes that are different from those many make comment about.  Incidentally, how many of those making disparaging remarks either push their youngsters to excel, take interest in their studies or have children who are at university, or is it a case of just saying because that is what others say?  Just curious about that.

 

Finally, a few years ago, the Canadian Government wiped out many student loan repayments due to many students not repaying their loans and the Government found it too expensive and time-consuming to go after those who reneged on their payments.  A few months ago, the same thing was proposed again due to the same reasons but to date, no action has been taken, to my knowledge.  That could stem from the fact that Trudeau is more concerned with legalising marijuana.  

[Eligius]

18 minutes ago, wotsdermatter said:

... please do not brush all with the same tar brush because there are some programmes that are different from those many make comment about. 

I am sure you are right - that there are some Thai university programmes that are very good indeed (your own programme deserves high praise), and some students who excel; but I think that many of us  here are speaking about the generality of Thai students and Thai education - and it seems to many of us that the Thai academic level in schools and at university has been deliberately kept shockingly low, doubtless so that most Thais won't learn critically to think, probe and question. Such independent, critical thinking would be really dangerous in a hierarchical society like Thailand's ...

[Kasset Tak]

3 hours ago, Eligius said:

The sad truth is that a Thai degree is not worth the paper it is printed on. The REAL knowledge and abilities gained by most Thai students in my experience is pitifully little. Even Master's Degree students often don't really know much about the subject they are allegedly studying - and as for 'general knowledge' (about the world, intellectual ideas, etc.) it is often  zero.

 

As much as I like the Thais (and I do, generally, very much), I must say that their knowledge-base is usually the flimsiest and tiniest of any peoples I have encountered on this earth. And there usually seems no desire for self-betterment - no intellectual curiosity about life and the world.

 

So it is sad to see so many young Thais getting into debt for a piece of paper that probably is pretty much meaningless - and will become more so in the coming years. Soon everyone will have a Bachelor's Degree, most will have a Master's Degree, and then even a Ph.D. will be common currency. The whole of learning and education has been commercialised, dumbed down and turned into a money-spinning racket - with little real intellectual/ cultural achievement for most students at the end of it all. Very sad - but, regrettably, true.

 

 

I work at an agricultural college and here are some examples on what you wrote:

CP gave 200 gees to the college, many of them died because the animal husbandry teacher that was put in charge of taking care of them didn't know what to do!? He has a Master's Degree in animal husbandry majoring in poultry production... his defense was that he had only studied about how to take care of chickens and ducks!?!?!? (apparently he can't use google either, only Facebook...)

We have 5 computer teachers working here, neither of them can install a printer unless it's just plug and play and they send any computer that don't work to the shop instead of fixing it them selves... my other coworkers asks me for help when they have problems with their computers!!!

The head of my department has her PhD. in microbiology and that is all she knows and she has no knowledge what so ever outside her own field. I even had to help her to change the camera setting on her mobile from being video to taking photos... all menus in Thai and I can not read a single word in Thai!!!

But on the bright side, I have several students that has been abroad (Europe, China and Japan) for internships and to study... they have better general knowledge about life and their chosen profession than most of the teachers here!!!

[robblok]

1 hour ago, Odysseus123 said:

Written,eternally,repetitively and without any form of left brain function from the script..

Ah attack the poster not the message.. had not expected any different from the likes of you.

 

Eligius also seems to refuse to go into the post. So one has to assume he has no Thai skills and did the interview in Thai thus putting all Thai candidates at a disadvantage. I wonder how good you lot would score if you were asked about your education in Thai and had to explain yourself in Thai.

But lets keep Thaibashing.. it keeps minor minds feel superior to all Thais.

[robblok]

14 hours ago, Kasset Tak said:

I work at an agricultural college and here are some examples on what you wrote:

CP gave 200 gees to the college, many of them died because the animal husbandry teacher that was put in charge of taking care of them didn't know what to do!? He has a Master's Degree in animal husbandry majoring in poultry production... his defense was that he had only studied about how to take care of chickens and ducks!?!?!? (apparently he can't use google either, only Facebook...)

We have 5 computer teachers working here, neither of them can install a printer unless it's just plug and play and they send any computer that don't work to the shop instead of fixing it them selves... my other coworkers asks me for help when they have problems with their computers!!!

The head of my department has her PhD. in microbiology and that is all she knows and she has no knowledge what so ever outside her own field. I even had to help her to change the camera setting on her mobile from being video to taking photos... all menus in Thai and I can not read a single word in Thai!!!

But on the bright side, I have several students that has been abroad (Europe, China and Japan) for internships and to study... they have better general knowledge about life and their chosen profession than most of the teachers here!!!

 

Thing is my dad is an engineer and has led a few factories, by no means a dumb person. I would say he is smarter than me as he has both the hands on skills and the technical knowledge where I am more book learned.

 

Though I often have to help him with computers and so on does that make him dumb or just not good at that computers. You should not confuse the two.

That is why i posted here about in what language the interviews were done of those students.. if in English then it totally invalidates it all because it equals people who know English as smart people but those who don't have good English skill as dumb while they might be masters at their own field.

 

As for the teacher that let many geese die he was just incompetent. I am not saying there are no incompetent teachers and students. I say give them a fair chance don't interview them in English. 

 

 

[Odysseus123]

22 minutes ago, robblok said:

Ah attack the poster not the message.. had not expected any different from the likes of you.

 

Eligius also seems to refuse to go into the post. So one has to assume he has no Thai skills and did the interview in Thai thus putting all Thai candidates at a disadvantage. I wonder how good you lot would score if you were asked about your education in Thai and had to explain yourself in Thai.

But lets keep Thaibashing.. it keeps minor minds feel superior to all Thais.

Sorry-your "live by date" has long since expired.

 

Please report to headquarters and request a fluffy duck..or something..

 

Perhaps parachute wings?

 

After all,it must be hell on the front lines..

[robblok]

1 minute ago, Odysseus123 said:

Sorry-your "live by date" has long since expired.

 

Please report to headquarters and request a fluffy duck..or something..

 

Perhaps parachute wings?

Ah the standard, i cant attack the arguments so I attack the poster. No problem just shows me I was right about your intellect. 

[Odysseus123]

9 minutes ago, robblok said:

Ah the standard, i cant attack the arguments so I attack the poster. No problem just shows me I was right about your intellect. 

Sorry...

 

It is termed :"ad hominem" but in your case the phrase "Past performance indicates present behaviour" does the trick.

 

By the way,I like your style,you hang on grimly where all else has failed.

 

Rather like the 44th Regiment  at Gandamak.

 

I kinda like the Thais by the way...but you are not a Thai,

[Kasset Tak]

2 minutes ago, robblok said:

 

Thing is my dad is an engineer and has led a few factories, by no means a dumb person. I would say he is smarter than me as he has both the hands on skills and the technical knowledge where I am more book learned.

 

Though I often have to help him with computers and so on does that make him dumb or just not good at that computers. You should not confuse the two.

That is why i posted here about in what language the interviews were done of those students.. if in English then it totally invalidates it all because it equals people who know English as smart people but those who don't have good English skill as dumb while they might be masters at their own field.

 

As for the teacher that let many geese die he was just incompetent. I am not saying there are no incompetent teachers and students. I say give them a fair chance don't interview them in English. 

 

 

I'm not saying that someone is dumb because he/she are not good with computer, the problem here is that many here only have their "edge competency" and do not have any knowledge outside of that. Actually I think the root to the problem lays with critical thinking, this is because there are many times they may know 2 things separately but when you add them together, 1+1(usually)=2, they just don't comprehend!

And incompetency is widely spread among teachers, both among Thai and foreigners working here in Thailand!

BTW, I speak Thai with most of my coworkers as they don't speak English and I teach speaking both in English and Thai (but I can not read or write Thai... I'm not smart enough to learn that) as I teach animal husbandry and the students has to learn the subjects in both Thai and English. And yes, within most coworkers I also include the 3 Thai English teachers who are working here because 2 out of 3 are lost if I would ask them "How are you today? instead of "How are you?"... all 3 of them have M Ed Teaching English!?

[Eligius]

4 minutes ago, Kasset Tak said:

 I also include the 3 Thai English teachers who are working here because 2 out of 3 are lost if I would ask them "How are you today? instead of "How are you?"... all 3 of them have M Ed Teaching English!?

I nearly fell off my chair just now, Kasset Tak, when I read your words above about making the sentence more difficult by asking 'how are you today' , - because I have frequently had EXACTLY the same experience - and analogous ones. It is extraordinary, isn't it?!

[robblok]

13 hours ago, Kasset Tak said:

I'm not saying that someone is dumb because he/she are not good with computer, the problem here is that many here only have their "edge competency" and do not have any knowledge outside of that. Actually I think the root to the problem lays with critical thinking, this is because there are many times they may know 2 things separately but when you add them together, 1+1(usually)=2, they just don't comprehend!

And incompetency is widely spread among teachers, both among Thai and foreigners working here in Thailand!

BTW, I speak Thai with most of my coworkers as they don't speak English and I teach speaking both in English and Thai (but I can not read or write Thai... I'm not smart enough to learn that) as I teach animal husbandry and the students has to learn the subjects in both Thai and English. And yes, within most coworkers I also include the 3 Thai English teachers who are working here because 2 out of 3 are lost if I would ask them "How are you today? instead of "How are you?"... all 3 of them have M Ed Teaching English!?

Like you I am not smart enough to learn it, or I might  be able too if i chose to put the time and effort in it. But like you I have a job to do that also eats much of my time. I don't think that not being able to speak a language makes you dumb. I speak English quite well but my mother tongue is Dutch. My Thai is ok not sure its on your level. My point is if your going to say that Thais are not educated at least do interview them in their own language otherwise you put them straight at a disadvantage and never get to the actual knowledge they have.

 

I am certainly not saying that the Thai education system is good but that is a different thing to saying students are all incompetent (you know the generalities they love to use here). I have met Thai students that were really bright and good in their field. They just did not speak English.. does not make them any less competent in their field of choice.

 

I think you right that most foreigners are more diversified, have more skills outside their field. My field of knowledge is accounting / taxes. But I am quite good at math and IT, but ask me to put up a shelf and I will probably do a bad job at it. (not level even if i use a spirit level as i might move a bit during drilling). Most Thai educations are not that broad so you got a point there.

 

Your example of Thai IT teachers not being able to fix computers might or might not be valid. I can build computers, even had a side job as building computers and selling them. The problem with not being able to fix computers is you need to have spare part, plus not every motherboard accepts the same memory or processor or video-card. So to check what item is at fault you need some parts and if you don't have them you can't truly diagnose what is wrong. Usually shops have those spares. I can still fix computers but often give it to the shop now as I just don't have the spares to check what is really defective. But it could of course be that the guy is really incompetent, building computers is really not that hard. 

[scorecard]

11 hours ago, gamesgplayemail said:

 

I am wondering what happens if they do not pay and do not have an official salary, but only land ?

 

 

 I don't know if there is a uniform approach but I can share this example.

 

Friend of my Thai son borrowed from the student loan fund, in total around 300,000Baht, his father (a farmer who is not poor, no luxury cars etc., he's comfortable and has more land that many farmers) signed as the guarantor.

 

About 3 years back, after some 10 years of ignoring the repayment bills the son and his father got an order to appear in court. They did attend the judge gave them 3 months to start making payments of 1,000Baht per month. They made the first payment then no more.

 

Some months later another order to appear in court with order to provide full documentation about what land and other assets the father owned.  Judge gave them six months to pay half the loan to be followed by full settlement within another six months. Default at six or 12 months and their land would be seized and sold.

 

Father realized it was now serious and sold a piece of land enough to settle the whole debt.

 

However I suspect there are hundreds of thousands guarantors who have very very limited assets and loan sharks would be the step.