SkillLane Brings eLearning to Thailand

[Jacob Maslow]

EdTech start-up SkillLane is bringing eLearning to Thailand. The self-paced, online-based company is helping Thais improve their personal and professional skills.

Entrepreneurs Ekachat Assavarujikul and Titipong Pisitwuttinan are the masterminds behind the eLearning company. The two started building their EdTech company while earning their MBAs at Kellogg School of Management in the United States. The two realized that online learning platforms were plentiful in the U.S., but few resources were available in Thailand, their home country.

Pisitwuttinan says that while there are opportunities for Thais to learn and improve themselves, many Thai citizens don’t know English very well. With many online learning platforms geared towards English-speaking users, this presents a challenge for Thais.

SkillLane solves this problem by offering self-paced online courses geared towards Thai people. Pisitwuttinan says that 90% of people want to improve their professional skills and earn more income, but lack the time to learn. After working a full-time job, people are just too tired to take night classes. Weekends are reserved for time with family and friends. In a country like Thailand, where work-life balance is a top priority, SkillLane allows users to learn at their own pace and in bite-sized pieces. It’s a solution that allows people to easily juggle a full-time job, family obligations, and a social life without having to sacrifice learning.

Since its launch in July 2014, SkillLane has attracted 18,000 students and 70 instructors in Thailand alone. Using a revenue-sharing model, courses range from THB$1,000 to THB$3,000. Although the online learning platform is still in its infancy, success stories are already coming through. One student earned a promotion after learning new Excel skills. Another student was inspired to launch their own startup.

SkillLane has plans to expand further into other Southeast Asian countries, such as Indonesia, in the near future. The company recently raised an undisclosed amount of money in a post-seed round.

-- 2015-03-17

[bob4you]

Great plan and concept, it would also be very good if they had English training for Thai's from primary, secondary and university levels, help to make English a second language here in Thailand. Go for it.

[maidee]

and this in the country, where you only have to attend once and a while

to get any degree

daughter of our maid, followed school for 18 years .... they also had english ...

when i ask, if she can speak any or understands any ....

(asked my kid to ask her in thai, off course )

tip 1 : would have been nice to include a LINK !!!!!!!!

but google is my friend

anyone visited the site ? not a word in ENGLISH, no language changing button

me thinks : those guys ripped some sites / databases, and translated it to THAI (or had someone paid to do it)

end of story, 0% new innovative idea

if english would be taught seriously, than people don't have to go to a thai only website for improvement ....

Edited March 19, 2015 by maidee