Bachelor's Degree graduates in Thailand face a bleak future for their careers

[MJP]

Degrees, especially from low ranking "Universities", seem to have become a supplement to failed high school/secondary education the World over.

I agree with the posters who advocate learning trade skills.

[brubakertx]

I think when ASEAN gets into high gear, it will get in worse for Thai people, with their crappy education system degrees.

[SiggiCM]

Actually this as a good evolution.

An income of 2.4 times the income of somebody that finished highschool is still pretty high compared to most Western countries.

We've just talking about a bachelor degree here.

In my country somebody with a bachelor degree starts around 1.25 times the income of somebody with a highschool degree.

So, there still a lot of inequality between Thai people.

2,4 is a wish, in Chiang Mai the people with degree starting in private sector with 8 to 10.000 Baht/month

even in 5 star hotels and with more than english language, to many students finish university every year,

it need to work 15 yrears to get the money back what the university costs

[dao16]

And, let's face it. Most Thai Bachelor degrees aren't worth the paper they are printed on.

Especially a BA in " English '.

I have never once found a person in Thailand with a BA in English that can even hold a decent conversation in English

Well, I work at a large, public university here and I do have some students who are smart, critical thinkers who can speak English quite well. I would gauge it at about 5% of students (possibly as high as 10% in certain classes). They apply themselves in class and outside of class. I think they will do fine when looking for jobs after graduation--in Thailand or abroad.

As for the 95% who don't know anything and pass along with them? I wish them luck, but not holding my breath.

The graduate level? Let's just say, no, it is not anything you would recognize as a graduate degree in a reputable school in the West (or in a lot of Asia). The dissertations I have reviewed (from several different provinces) seem like work I did when I was..very young, let's say.

[joebrown]

aring a

Thai degree is much better than Farang degree.

Farang don't study much in university, wear no uniform, no 8am oath and no discipline.

Thai students must study very hard, a lot of homework, a lot of test that needs memorizing long equations and do difficult mathematics with a calculator (calculator not allowed in exam hall to prevent cheating).

Farang student depend on calculator so much, they did not think know that pi = 22/7, or sin 30 = 0.5.

Please explain to me how wearing a uniform, and an 8am oath produces a better education/degreee. Now I'll tell you a true story........When I lived in a northern province I bought my beers and ice from a shop owned and managed by a young married Thai couple, who both had Thai uni 'degrees'. My order would be more or less the same every day, namely 3 large Changs and a pack of ice. At that time the Changs were 3 bottles for 100bht and the ice was 8 bht a pack. Amazingly, on each occasion I bought the same things the owners would use a calculator before telling me it was 108bht in total !!!!! Obviously,wearing a uniform and an 8am oath didn't form part of their Thai uni curriculum.

[joebrown]

Many people say that the UK political establishment is, like it or not the product of Eton, Harrow, Dulwich and Oxbridge education. I believe only a small minority of former Thai politicians were educated in the UK. The UK doesn't suffer from the same catastrophic political woes/coups which are a regular feature in Thailand. Maybe there is a lesson to be learnt here about the 'quality' of the Thai education system.

[ratcatcher]

aring a

Thai degree is much better than Farang degree.

Farang don't study much in university, wear no uniform, no 8am oath and no discipline.

Thai students must study very hard, a lot of homework, a lot of test that needs memorizing long equations and do difficult mathematics with a calculator (calculator not allowed in exam hall to prevent cheating).

Farang student depend on calculator so much, they did not think know that pi = 22/7, or sin 30 = 0.5.

Please explain to me how wearing a uniform, and an 8am oath produces a better education/degreee. Now I'll tell you a true story........When I lived in a northern province I bought my beers and ice from a shop owned and managed by a young married Thai couple, who both had Thai uni 'degrees'. My order would be more or less the same every day, namely 3 large Changs and a pack of ice. At that time the Changs were 3 bottles for 100bht and the ice was 8 bht a pack. Amazingly, on each occasion I bought the same things the owners would use a calculator before telling me it was 108bht in total !!!!! Obviously,wearing a uniform and an 8am oath didn't form part of their Thai uni curriculum.

I do believe chotthee ought to use this image after most of his well written posts.

[GOLDBUGGY]

The worst part for many is that many who graduate, and if they are lucky to find a job, it still pays poorly, while the cost of this education has gone way up.

So they end up getting stuck with a poor paying job and yet they still have to pay back a huge +100,000 Baht in Student Loans. It is like a mortgage for them as it will take many of them many years to do so.

[attrayant]

Farang student depend on calculator so much, they did not think know that pi = 22/7, or sin 30 = 0.5.

Your time in college was spent memorizing trig tables? There's money well spent!

Whether you know it or not, this is actually a point in support of the OP. An education system where students spend time in math class memorizing function lookup tables instead of learning how to apply math to solve problems speaks volumes.

I don't want my students wasting 20 minutes of class time manually extracting a square root. I expect them to know how to use a calculator and get on with finding a solution to the problem I've given them.

[Robby nz]

I find this extremely difficult to believe for I distinctly remember the previous Government, as one of their main election platforms, guaranteeing all graduates a starting salary of 15,000B per month.

Surely they couldn't have lied.

But then again possibly employers don't want to pay graduates that much when they can get someone without a degree who can and will do the job just as well for 300b a day.

[ratcatcher]

A few hopeless cases who never had the good fortune to get a university degree but made a bigger fortune without one.

1. Sir Richard Branson. The Virgin Man.

2. Bill Gates. The Computer Nerd.

3. Steve Jobs. The Bad Apple.

4. Mark Zuckerberg. Couldn't Face book Harvard any longer.

5. Ralph Lauren. Fashion.

6. Michael Dell. Coms.

7. Larry Ellison. Oracle.

8. Evan Williams. Twitter.

and this doesn't include the many Asians who have made fortunes without degrees.

More here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_college_dropout_billionaires

All of these people had a strong work ethic and desire to succeed, knew how to use other people to get to the top and stay there. They also recognize that an academic background is desirable, but also want to see innovation and individual thought and creativity from their employees..

Another important point made by several posters precviously is that there will always be a need for people who know how to weld all types of materials safely, bricklayers, carpenters, and all kinds of skilled trades people who can walk on to a construction site and know exactly what to do and how to do it in a professional and safe manner.

People who know how to build and maintain railways for the future, aircraft maintenance, the list is long yet many Thais think a BA or BSc is the passport to a high paying job. There is only a limited need for lawyers and paper pushers.

What Thailand needs is more entrepreneurs who can think on their feet and run with an idea.

[retarius]

Actually this as a good evolution.

An income of 2.4 times the income of somebody that finished highschool is still pretty high compared to most Western countries.

We've just talking about a bachelor degree here.

In my country somebody with a bachelor degree starts around 1.25 times the income of somebody with a highschool degree.

So, there still a lot of inequality between Thai people.

Most high school leavers are presumably at or near the minimum wage...which doubled in 2010....so it is not unreasonable to think that the graduate premium multiple over high schoolers should be reduced.

[herb59]

Same as the UK. Do a pointless easy degree and what do you expect ?

an easy life, nearly workless.....

[reallybigken]

This is my first post to the forum. I mostly observe and learn, but in this case it is something I really feel strong about.

The problem with this number (2.4) is that it really doesn't tell you much. The number I would really like to know is how many workers for a particular trade, have a degree, and how many don't.

In my experience, and as few have already mentioned in the post, the degree gets you through the door that may otherwise be closed. It never guaranties employment.

Unfortunately, I do not have a degree. But … I have several patents to my name. I have worked for NASA as a lead engineer for advanced satellites technology, worked with particle accelerator, and done advanced research into imaging technology that are now common place in most cell phones today. Just to name a few.

But I still STRONGLY believe in education and degrees. I have had to struggle to get where I am today, and still make less than my counter parts doing the same work. All because I don’t have a degree.

I can’t tell you how many times I applied for a job and didn’t even get a call back of email. I have even had situations where I applied for the job and never received a response, but after giving a lecture at a symposium the same company offered me a job on the spot. If it wasn’t for the lecture, and the extra hard work I do, I wouldn’t have had a chance. After talk to the company I found out the first level of screening was if you had a degree or not (they did even care where it was from). They would literally get 1000’s of applicants for a single opening and they had to screen them out quick, and the degree was the easiest first cut.

I even remember when I was a manager I would pick a set of criteria for each job opening, so I could weed through the stack of resumes quickly. Of course I didn’t base it on degrees, but most companies do.

I truly believe degrees get you past the first level of screen, and provide a foundation for the future. On the other hand I know from experience you don’t really learn a new trade until you have worked at it for a few years.

I’m not going to even get into the discussion about what counties have good or bad universities. As with any trade there are good and bad.

As a closing statement I would like to end this with a little levity:

I was asked to interview a few people in Silicon Valley California> I was to ask what they thought PI was. I first asked a child what PI was and he replied “it is like a cake but filled with fruit”. I then asked a scientist and he said “The number PI is a mathematical constant, for ratio of a circle's circumference to its diameter and is approximately 3.14159……………..”. Next I asked a company CEO (Chef Executive Officer) and he told me “it is like a cake but filled with fruit” (boy that sound just like a child … but I move on). Next I asked an engineer and he told me “its about 3.14159, but why do you ask?”. Lastly I asked a salesman (expecting no useful answer at all) and he told me “well the engineer will tell you it’s about 3.14 but I can get it to you for about 2.9 ….”

I now work in sales, because I believe the closer you are to the money the more money you get. But that is a completely different discussion.

[ratcatcher]

trouble is that the degree of knowledge associated to these degrees is very minimal, in reality they are no better than a western high school leaver and that doesnt mean finisher, it means someone that left as soon as they were able. When these people are still unable to add up manually, spell correctly or even understand an equation there is a big reason they are not able to get work. To pass a degree these days is a joke, they used to mean something 20 years ago when you needed to have a brain and think to be able to p[ass but no longer. Even iv]n schools they teach absolute garbage to the students, they treat them like idiots with their pass no matter what you answer tests and when only one class(out of several at the same level)actually teaches the harder subjects due to the fact most students cannot even fathom what the classes are about it becomes obvious.

Maybe some old fashioned learning and actually having to pass exams to advance or get a degree might help but I doubt it.

I recall, a friend, English teacher showed me one of his tests.....I couldn't believe it:

"Washington is the capitol of:"

a) Elvis Presley

Bangkok

c) USA

Beside that the question is very easy, even if you don't understand anything and make random marks you get 33% of the points. So with just guessing right on a few questions you pass.

I couldn't believe it......

(Some private University)

I hope your English teacher friend didn't write the test questions.

1. The capital of the U.S.A. is Washington D.C.

2. The United States Capitol sits atop Capitol Hill at the end of The National Mall, D.C..

3. Washington is a Pacific Coast State.

Elvis Presley left the capital and now resides in Bangkok.

Must have been the university that wrote the test. .

[Chao Lao Beach]

Garbage In = Garbage Out

[KIWIBATCH]

As well as teaching P and M grade students at my school....6 x 50 minute lessons per week are set aside for me to "teach the (Thai) teachers"

This involves teaching English grammar - vocab etc etc. The majority of these Thai teachers have Masters Degrees in English from (cannot name) Thai Universities - yet they struggle to string a simple sentence together.

When I was asked by the Director of the school as to what progress they were making I commented that he would be better off employing bar girls as their spoken English is far superior to that of his Thai teachers.

I got a long hard stare in amongst a 30 second silence from him...followed by a "I know what you are saying and agree" grin.

The Universities here are churning out graduates by the thousand....apart from the fact that there are not enough jobs to go around or won't be in the near future.......dare I mention a well covered topic and that is....Thailand and it's education system urgently needs to rid itself of the "No Fail" policy.

This would overnight reduce the number of graduates from the Universities.

On a seperate but related matter.....the final examinations have been completed at my school and the exam marking is underway. This involves us foreign teachers keying the results directly into the schools computer system.

The students are marked out of 10 for 5 seperate English examinations...spelling...fluency etc etc i.e a mark of 5 out of 10 is 50%

The schools computer system has been pre-programmed by the owners of the school to not accept any input of less than 5...!!!!.....and there it is in a nutshell.

Little Somchai in M6 who stuffs around all year, does not participate in any activities, refuses to do homework...blah blah blah.....passes....and proceeds through the Thai education system...and probably leaves University with a degree some years down the track

rant over

[attrayant]

Beside that the question is very easy, even if you don't understand anything and make random marks you get 33% of the points. So with just guessing right on a few questions you pass.

Not only does somebody not know how to write tests, they also don't know how to grade them. Multiple guess quizzes should have a weighting scale to eliminate the random chance element. On a 100 question multiple guess exam, for example, the first 20 to 25 points scored have a value of only a quarter to a half point. The difference is made up as the examinee gets more and more correct answers. This helps to weed-out the students who are just guessing from those who really know the material. Standardized assessment tests (like TOEIC) do this.

Of course we all know why this can't be done in Thailand.

Edited September 22, 2014 by attrayant

[laolover88]

I have available an extensive collection of beautifully engraved and embossed blank degree certificates, on parchment, with traceable barcodes, from a large number of very prestigious universities. ( Fortunately for you the universities in question have yet to discover the value or even existence of barcodes, they prefer manuscript)One is always open to offers.???

How is it that that there is barely 1 country/society in the world that can provide an education system? Even the best, whatever that means, Finland/Germany/UK/Aus/US????????????are dire. And to think learning and discovery and competence are such FUN

[Robert2006]

The income an individual earns is a direct reflection of the value their work produces for others. Believing that having a degree is all that needs to happen to earn money is the mistake, the degree is not the end of achievement it is just the beginning.

Degrees are valuable but if not backed up by performance power it really has no value. A skill has to be acquired and mastered; acquiring skills using the knowledge attained getting those degrees combined with motivation, diligence, and desire is fundamental to earning a good income.

In my opinion there is a lot of laziness in Thailand regarding the other essential ingredient, the mastering of skills; together the degree and the mastered specialized skill are the formula for a successful and well-paid career.

[thailiketoo]

Same in the US. A degree in underwater basket weaving gets you nowhere. You could go to Thailand and teach English for 30k baht.

But a degree in any of the computer sciences will land a good job. So will medicine. There is a shortage of those people.

So a person needs to choose a specialty that's in demand and really learn it. I don't know if that can be done in Thailand. Many of those people studied overseas. Also Thailand isn't a country with much technology; they use what's developed in the West. They manufacture computer hard disks and smartphones but the jobs are factory jobs for Thais because they didn't develop and advance the technology. The same is true with autos and scooters. They are working for someone else who has the technology.

Abstract

The Nuclear and Particle Physics Research Unit was founded by the school of physics, Suranaree University of Technology (SUT) in year 2000. Later in 2007, our group has joined the Research Center in Computational and Theoretical Physics which is financed by the Thailand Center of Excel

lence in Physics (ThEP Center). Suranaree University of Technology is one of the nation’s leading research universities with particular strengths in science and technology. The school of physics was

ranked first among all universities in Thailand.

The Mahidol Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit (MORU) develops effective and practical means of diagnosing and treating malaria and other neglected diseases such as melioidosis, typhus, TB and leptospirosis.

MORU was established in 1979 as a research collaboration between Mahidol University (Thailand), Oxford University (UK) and the UK’s Wellcome Trust.

MORU’s main office and laboratories are located within the Faculty of Tropical Medicine at Mahidol University in Bangkok, Thailand, with MORU study sites and collaborations across Thailand, Asia and Africa.

http://www.tropmedres.ac/home

https://indico.in2p3.fr/getFile.py/access?contribId=80&resId=1&materialId=poster&confId=2481

[rametindallas]

trouble is that the degree of knowledge associated to these degrees is very minimal, in reality they are no better than a western high school leaver and that doesnt mean finisher, it means someone that left as soon as they were able. When these people are still unable to add up manually, spell correctly or even understand an equation there is a big reason they are not able to get work. To pass a degree these days is a joke, they used to mean something 20 years ago when you needed to have a brain and think to be able to p[ass but no longer. Even iv]n schools they teach absolute garbage to the students, they treat them like idiots with their pass no matter what you answer tests and when only one class(out of several at the same level)actually teaches the harder subjects due to the fact most students cannot even fathom what the classes are about it becomes obvious.

Maybe some old fashioned learning and actually having to pass exams to advance or get a degree might help but I doubt it.

I recall, a friend, English teacher showed me one of his tests.....I couldn't believe it:

"Washington is the capitol of:"

a) Elvis Presley

Bangkok

c) USA

Beside that the question is very easy, even if you don't understand anything and make random marks you get 33% of the points. So with just guessing right on a few questions you pass.

I couldn't believe it......

(Some private University)

'Education' degrees are always the easiest to get.

[Trouble]

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

One of the problems here and it seems everywhere there is no real world education taught. Theory and history are great but to make it in the real world these kids need to be given some applicable skills or they will just flounder. I have 2 girls in the system right now. 1 just graduated from the Uni and I would equate her education level to be about a high school graduate in the U S She doesn't have much in the way of marketable skills and she is finding this out the hard way now, as she is having a very difficult time finding a job.

Correct, I have seen jobs here in Thailand where they require bachelors degree, but same thing in USA requires only a high school diploma. So Thai degrees are no where near the same standard as western degrees.

Anyway, that's really not the issue. The issue is that Bachelor Degrees were never meant as being vocational programs. They are purely education for the sake of learning only.

If ever anyone learnt anything in a Bachelors degree it was to be able to think, question, understand problems and find solutions. That's not enough for a career or job. But it's a good start. If any graduate can't make out with that then they really should have chosen a trade school instead.

The problem with the last paragraph, is that many Thai graduate are not even developing creative thinking and analytical skills. They are the same as high school here. The lecturer tells them what they need to know to pass the test. Passing is paramount. The learning is not all that important. I'm not surprised many graduates can't get work here. They are next to useless when ask to do anything more than a menial or repetitive task. That doesn't apply to all degrees; just a vast majority, especially generalised degrees.

With regard to developing creative thinking and analytical skill I think you are right on the mark. When I went to college back in the 60's there were those that had goals and definite ideas of what fields they wanted to pursue. Others, myself included, ended up in the social sciences. While we did not learn specific expertise in fields such as engineering, in those days one did have to think, research, and learn to pass the courses. Papers were written by researching in libraries and typed the old fashioned way. I even worked in the college library for a number of years and learned of the wonders and variety of books that exist. Today students seem to be hand fed what they need to pass the exams. Research is done on the computer and internet, things are easily cut and pasted into a paper. The bright students will always be bright but they have created a situation where it seems it is all to easy to earn a degree. They are turning out students without the ability to think and most importantly reason.

[harryfrompattaya]

Same the world over for most fields of study. parents were wrong to send their kids to university. trade school is a better bet for most

Too many go to school the schools are just mills

Most go to colleges because it is better than summer camp

Also the world needs less workers

The only jobs will be to take care of old people who have no money to pay

Edited September 22, 2014 by harryfrompattaya

[Jonde]

This whole education-complex should mainly fulfil two purposes:

1) Make (young) people fit for the system, respectively the economic market. Make and construct them as a multi-functional "product", i.e working horses for the slave owner. We are all slaves as such given the illusion of freedom.

2) Keep people "busy". Yes, you read it right. If one can't strive for their own path and goals, a higher instance must direct and "force" their will upon us. You are subjegted and "entitled" to learn what is given to YOU, thus what is useful for the system.

True education has something to do with evolution and the right path to enrich oneself and the society as a whole- but not in the sense of our understanding of free markets. We are nothing but "products". Corporations are buyers. What people don't understand that this HR-market-thing is nothing but a mirror like in a supermarket. An individual or company wants to get something really good for a lower price. Market demand applies to the employment situation as well folks! This is the real deal! Specific employment markets can be saturated!

Now if we got bubble bears (people with BA/BSC in economics, architecture, law etc), we get to see a lot of them in the shelves right? The shelves of sweets are so overfilled, that by the "law-of-fluctuation" and by economic books, the prices have to go DOWN. The demand is LOW, meaning the buyer (companies) can choose so many type of bubble bears as he likes, because there are so many. To put it simple: there are less jobs for more people, especially academics. Workers and academics alike have no direct influence in their market sector and situation. Example: let's talk about the solar energy crisis. This sector is vastly owned by the Chinese now. The solar energy department was certainly a runner. People were required: specialists, engineers etc. Now if this particular sector breaks completely down, the demand of people who have specialised in that field hits a low to bottom record. Is it the fault of these people? Most likely not, it's due to the law of "free markets", aka globalisation. You buy "the best", good stuff for the least price and applies to the job market as well.

We hit a record high on people with Bachelors and Masters. The market is indeed saturated. In some countries it has become a synonym for a must-have and back in the days high school diploma was the only prerequisite. Now I've seen secretaries with a BA degree doing ordinary secretary job (duh..). I've seen chemists, engineers, physicians cut out of job market and doing underpaid work other fields. But yet we produce "more of them". We have a handful of qualified people struggling and a large portion of graduates will come up.. We produce more illusion to get the perception of fulfilling an illusion. If you don't understand the system, the monetary system... then by all means, respectfully and without offence, you are a blind sheep, trying to keep the train running, but those mean people try to kick you out and not let you in. Eventually the train is destined to crash anyway.

I do agree that Thai education is friendly spoken: Disney World. For our understanding, perception and worldview, it sucks a** from a to z. It does not matter what you actually "learn". What matters is that you get the ability to critically analyse the situation and topic, thus finding a solution accordingly. The West applies more practical approaches by letting the students speak, explain, theorise and do extensive group working. It adds more dynamic and Thai students, not all of course are mediocre at English. English is not my main language by the way.

We have to keep things into perspective. Within the last centuries, it was obviously the high-noon era for the Western civilisation. Any particular culture had it's peak. The West had theirs, sometimes not fairly, by looting and destroying other cultures and countries. Besides that, the West was eager to enhance. They had the the resources, infrastructure, knowledge, monetary power and other things. All those factors came together- it was the right thing at the right time and the forefathers, the Europeans, made the most of it and continued to strive. It has nothing to do with superiority or anything, it was just simply the right time.

Countries such as India, Thailand, China etc had different paths, history, priorities at that time. India was once the richest nation did you know? China was once the most powerful nation and it likely is going to retain the position... You get my point? South Korea - look at them. You give them hell, show them some technology and they are on fire trying prosper. You got to give them time, the tools, the freedom of choice. And even so.. it's also a matter of culture and mentality. You can't force anyone to attend a "technology and innovation lesson".

[Anon999]

And, let's face it. Most Thai Bachelor degrees aren't worth the paper they are printed on.

Especially a BA in " English '.

I have a stepdaughter doing a BA in English, at a BKK uni, she is currently halfway through it. Having spent 3 months studying conversation and grammar in London. during the summer break. she was graded higher intermediate. On completion of her BA she wants to do her Masters in England. The big problem is that many students do not want to apply themselves to the task of learning, regardless of the subject. Acknowledging that the reason is to study and not treat the course as an excuse to avoid working and having a great time partying is the first and main hurdle. Saying no to the party and pub crowd is the hardest thing.

[tubby johnson]

I have taught at various Thai universities and encountered indifferent and venal management as well as incompetent teachers with "teaching diplomas".

A Norwegian psychopath and English alcoholic whilst at Dhurakij Bundit, a senile Yank at UTCC, an oversexed Frenchman at Mahidol, an incoherent marijuana-addicted Yank at Rangsit Univ., just to name a few. And the government still wonders why this country scores rock bottom in English proficiency and why students waste 4 years of their lives getting bachelor degrees.

[Baerboxer]

That could be something to do with the fact that they leave university knowing absolutely nothing ! From my 33+ years of observation here I would guess that a mere english O-Level pass would require a much higher degree of useful knowledge than a thai university degree, and until the powers that be do something about the lamentable state of education I see no imminent improvement

Then your guess would be wildly wrong.

[3NUMBAS]

trolley boys and shelf stacking awaits them ,the golden post war job years have passed by

[3NUMBAS]

A few hopeless cases who never had the good fortune to get a university degree but made a bigger fortune without one.

1. Sir Richard Branson. The Virgin Man.

2. Bill Gates. The Computer Nerd.

3. Steve Jobs. The Bad Apple.

4. Mark Zuckerberg. Couldn't Face book Harvard any longer.

5. Ralph Lauren. Fashion.

6. Michael Dell. Coms.

7. Larry Ellison. Oracle.

8. Evan Williams. Twitter.

and this doesn't include the many Asians who have made fortunes without degrees.

More here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_college_dropout_billionaires

All of these people had a strong work ethic and desire to succeed, knew how to use other people to get to the top and stay there. They also recognize that an academic background is desirable, but also want to see innovation and individual thought and creativity from their employees..

Another important point made by several posters precviously is that there will always be a need for people who know how to weld all types of materials safely, bricklayers, carpenters, and all kinds of skilled trades people who can walk on to a construction site and know exactly what to do and how to do it in a professional and safe manner.

People who know how to build and maintain railways for the future, aircraft maintenance, the list is long yet many Thais think a BA or BSc is the passport to a high paying job. There is only a limited need for lawyers and paper pushers.

What Thailand needs is more entrepreneurs who can think on their feet and run with an idea.

the money for investment is in the grubby hands of a few in LOS and unlikely to speculate