Will lack of education be the downfall of Thailand?

[Stradavarius37]

They should put you lot in change - everything would be fixed in a week...

[GoodThaiGirl]

Khunpa: Everything you have said is very accurate, insightful, and well stated.

The bottom line is Thais don't take life seriously. Their major concern is what's for lunch.

Not entirely true.

Extra tuition is a big money spinner for those that can afford it, most cannot.

Education in state schools in Thailand is dire.

I do know, have worked for years trying, to no avail, to teach Thai teachers.

Thai teachers were taught by Thai teachers and there lies the problem, plus of course face and an inability to be open to change.

Add to that fifty plus children in a class is difficult unless you take the easy way of rote learning.

Grouping and assigning projects is not known by Thai teachers.

Rant over.

but mant teaching extra tuition are the same teachers in said classroom.its a money spinner for them only....fact...lets be honest a 14 year old from europe knows more than a teacher in thailand..

[buhi]

Lunch time now with my good Thai friends; see you later.

[rayongchelsea]

The system only really benefits the well off and those with advantage. Education will not be the downfall of them only those who are neither.

[edhart]

the thais ,that have money and won't education go overseas ,sending kids to a thai school is almost a waste of time ,

[islandguy]

Let's look more closely at the suggestion to take a survey and see how many Thais asked for the answer to the multiplication of 6 times 7 could do this in their head. In America learning your 'times tables' (multiplying all the numbers from 1 times 1 to 12 times 12 or 15 times 15) was downgraded in importance as something every student had to do in the 1960's and 1970's in favor of what was called the new math. Very controversial at the time. Many Americans now are not good at doing arithmetic in their heads and students in schools there are often allowed to use calculators. Since Thai public schools do use rote learning, shouldn't they actually be better at knowing 6 times 7 than Americans currently are?

I do notice that the Thais I teach can remember more steps in a sequence shown to them than my Western students can and attribute this to the rote learning method. So why haven't they memorized their times tables?

[Pdavies99]

Thai attitudes will never change!

Maintainance and servicing etc mean nothing!

Thai's invented "If it ain't broke, don't fix it"

[BlackJack]

it is well known there is a problem

I have interviewed many potential staff and English reading and writing is very low

Consequently we dont have staff to do the work but the law requires that we do

it is double handling which I hate as I have to proof and correct all their work

the system is broken - and how to fix it is the million baht question

[duanebigsby]

It comes to something when our son ,who lived for many years in the UK and speaks,reads and writes perfect English and is now in university ,is paid to teach english in his spare time at same university ,as he knows it better than the teachers.

Wouldn't ",who lived for many years in the UK and speaks, reads and writes perfect English" be a clue as to why his English is better. Remember for the Thai teachers it's still their 2nd language. They haven't lived many years overseas, they've learned it at a school in Thailand. My Thai English co-teachers all speak quite decent English, and are better at grammar than I am. Of course, they are always asking about new words, but so am I.

[Alan poole]

http://www.chiangraitimes.com/is-thailands-low-iq-levels-a-wake-up-call.html

This article restates the issue.

Part of the problem is that Thais are deeply, deeply ethnocentric, that coupled with a huge inferiority complex, reduces their ability to question themselves, their country, their institutions, yet they are taught to maintain "Thai Pride".

Ask a Thai to name any invention or discovery by a thai.. ANY! Sadly there are none.

[torpedo1970]

A nation's treasure is in its scholars.

Chinese Proverb

[duanebigsby]

but mant teaching extra tuition are the same teachers in said classroom.its a money spinner for them only....fact...lets be honest a 14 year old from europe knows more than a teacher in thailand..

Before "lets be honest" your statement is completely incoherent.

What does any 14 year old European kid know more about than any Thai teacher?

History of SE Asia? No

Math? No

Science? No

Asian Art? No

History of Europe?...Yes.

English?....Yes, unless he's French

Thai Culture? Thai language? No

European Artists? Yes

Pointless post.

[attrayant]

While in the mean time 100 000 doctors working in Thailand can not speak a word of English and prescribe antibiotic for muscle pain.

Why should they speak a foreign language? Speak to the doctor in Thai, its Thailand

How many medical research papers are published in Thai? Can you name the top three Thai medical journals?

[GoodThaiGirl]

Who do you all think you are? You move to a country and expect them to change everything because you said so?? The arrogance of Westerners(in general) is baffling! The Thai educational system is preparing Thai children to survive in Thai society. The majority of Thai kids will be unaffected by Thailand's entry into ASEAN. There will never be any freedom of movement between these countries other than for tourism.The movement of labour will be highly restricted, as it should be. Thailand has almost full employment and little or no welfare state. The education system here is not trying to prepare students to be statesmen or women.Its giving them the tools to be successful...in Thailand! And it des exactly what it sayd on the tin...

Westerners need to realise that this is not Europe of the US. Things are different here.That doesn't mean that things are bad. Look at how happy Thai people are. Compare that to people from Nanny states in Europe who are miserable and do nothing but complain and pay their taxes and bills. Look at the respect that Thai people have for elders.Look at how they take care of their families.. Look at the positives instead of attempting to impose Western ideas and values upon the world. The most evil race of people to ever walk the Earth were White people! Realise this and open your narrow minded perceptions of Asian civilisation.

Okay, so let me understand this... You think it is good for Thailand and Thai-people that their education system way is behind most other countries? Do you think it is good that a large part of the population can not read and write? Is it good parenting to just accept a bad educational system, that gives your child no real options in life?

Yes, Thailand has a nearly full employment rate. And what does most of the jobs really consist of? Sitting on a chair sleeping or playing Candy Crush all day. Do you really think education is something unimportant in todays world? You sound like you believe education is something only White-persons value... Are you serious?

And by the way... Not all Thai people are happy. I know many Thai-people who are sad and frustrated, that they are forced to work shitty jobs for the rest of their life, because they never had access to a good educational system. Just because they smile when you pay them, does not mean they are happy.

nice post but.....there is no such thing as a shitty job..unless you work in a sewer..all jobs are equally important to me as they are all needed from the street cleaner..to the shelf filler ..both of whom we need to either eat or walk down roads that are not infested with rats...if everyone was a millionaire.who would do the street cleaning..chicken and egg like question..but anyone with a brain knows the answer is...chicken..

[KarenBravo]

Actually, you're wrong.

The egg came first. Dinosaurs laid eggs. Birds are descendants of dinosaurs.

Sorry, back on topic.

I disagree that a 14 year old western student knows less maths and science than the average Thai teacher.

[wow64]

The education system is going to be fixed in the road map... right after the Kek Van boys and lottery system.. priorities.

[Borzandy]

Solly, solly, Farangs no underestand.
Why farangs are studying in their country ? Because, they are hoping to get more money, a good job and then a better life.
In Thailand, Thais have only to study corruption from their family and then they're sure to get a very good life.

[laobali]

Ask as many Thais as you can what 6x7 is and report back your findings ( no calculators allowed)

This is an anomaly because those of us know our 'times tables' were taught by rote (constant repetion until indelibly in your mind). 6 times 7 is 42. 6 7s are 42. We were taught that way long before calculators existed. The Thai education system is based on rote but as everyone has calculators I'm sure the times tables are not even in the curriculum. Sad.

But as someone commented: how can it change? Who teaches the teachers?

Edited June 10, 2015 by laobali

[Robert24]

My wife's niece went to the state school in Chonburi. She is now studying clinical medicine on an international English speaking course at a university in China and she was awarded a scholarship on her first year results. She did fairly well at school but was not at the top of the class. It is not all bad.

While in the mean time 100 000 doctors working in Thailand can not speak a word of English and prescribe antibiotic for muscle pain.

well all the Thai doctors I know are had contact with, do speak English quite well.

[mike324]

While in the mean time 100 000 doctors working in Thailand can not speak a word of English and prescribe antibiotic for muscle pain.

Why should they speak a foreign language? Speak to the doctor in Thai, its Thailand

How many medical research papers are published in Thai? Can you name the top three Thai medical journals?

what does medical journals have to do with being a good doctor? Are you saying doctors in countries such as France who speaks no English are as bad as the ones in Thailand? Do you know that even though Thai Medical Journal might not be the top compare to western ones, but some of the articles in the top medical journals were translated from foreign languages to English!

People need to wake up ....

[outre99]

My wife's niece went to the state school in Chonburi. She is now studying clinical medicine on an international English speaking course at a university in China and she was awarded a scholarship on her first year results. She did fairly well at school but was not at the top of the class. It is not all bad.

While in the mean time 100 000 doctors working in Thailand can not speak a word of English and prescribe antibiotic for muscle pain.

Why should a doctor have to speak English when the patients are Thai?

Are you implying that doctors have not been trained properly if they do not speak English.

My comment was regarding the education provided by the state school in Chonburi and not the medical profession but as usual there is always someone that wants to go off at a tangent.

Because the vast majority of professional literature on most subjects is in English, the latest research on treatments is in English, all of the professional publications and conferences are in English.

This is true not only for doctors but for most professional fields.

Are you suggesting that Thai doctors wait for somebody to translate highly specialized and esoteric information into their own language before they find it useful for their practice?

[buhi]

It comes to something when our son ,who lived for many years in the UK and speaks,reads and writes perfect English and is now in university ,is paid to teach english in his spare time at same university ,as he knows it better than the teachers.

Wouldn't ",who lived for many years in the UK and speaks, reads and writes perfect English" be a clue as to why his English is better. Remember for the Thai teachers it's still their 2nd language. They haven't lived many years overseas, they've learned it at a school in Thailand. My Thai English co-teachers all speak quite decent English, and are better at grammar than I am. Of course, they are always asking about new words, but so am I.

Grammar is not the number one priority, communication is.

I speak strangled Thai and Thai speak to me in strangled English, but we communicate and understand!

[i claudius]

Who do you all think you are? You move to a country and expect them to change everything because you said so?? The arrogance of Westerners(in general) is baffling! The Thai educational system is preparing Thai children to survive in Thai society. The majority of Thai kids will be unaffected by Thailand's entry into ASEAN. There will never be any freedom of movement between these countries other than for tourism.The movement of labour will be highly restricted, as it should be. Thailand has almost full employment and little or no welfare state. The education system here is not trying to prepare students to be statesmen or women.Its giving them the tools to be successful...in Thailand! And it des exactly what it sayd on the tin...

Westerners need to realise that this is not Europe of the US. Things are different here.That doesn't mean that things are bad. Look at how happy Thai people are. Compare that to people from Nanny states in Europe who are miserable and do nothing but complain and pay their taxes and bills. Look at the respect that Thai people have for elders.Look at how they take care of their families.. Look at the positives instead of attempting to impose Western ideas and values upon the world. The most evil race of people to ever walk the Earth were White people! Realise this and open your narrow minded perceptions of Asian civilisation.

dont like white people eh,racist it seems

[KarenBravo]

Who do you all think you are? You move to a country and expect them to change everything because you said so?? The arrogance of Westerners(in general) is baffling! The Thai educational system is preparing Thai children to survive in Thai society. The majority of Thai kids will be unaffected by Thailand's entry into ASEAN. There will never be any freedom of movement between these countries other than for tourism.The movement of labour will be highly restricted, as it should be. Thailand has almost full employment and little or no welfare state. The education system here is not trying to prepare students to be statesmen or women.Its giving them the tools to be successful...in Thailand! And it des exactly what it sayd on the tin...

Westerners need to realise that this is not Europe of the US. Things are different here.That doesn't mean that things are bad. Look at how happy Thai people are. Compare that to people from Nanny states in Europe who are miserable and do nothing but complain and pay their taxes and bills. Look at the respect that Thai people have for elders.Look at how they take care of their families.. Look at the positives instead of attempting to impose Western ideas and values upon the world. The most evil race of people to ever walk the Earth were White people! Realise this and open your narrow minded perceptions of Asian civilisation.

dont like white people eh,racist it seems

Nah........just another farang in touch with his "Thainess".

[buhi]

I flaunt the rules of grammar when writing and yes I am a writer, bad one maybe.

In conversation I never correct usage, unless needed.

Thai teachers of English are abysmal and need help from native speakers. They will not accept that assistance!

[buhi]

I flaunt the rules of grammar when writing and yes I am a writer, bad one maybe.

In conversation I never correct usage, unless needed.

Thai teachers of English are abysmal and need help from native speakers. They will not accept that assistance!

Have you ever read any classic works of English/ American fiction or poetry.

Grammar sucks!

[ttthailand]

Just asked my gf who has a two year degree in hotel management and is working on her 4 year degree a question about English knowledge of the students. Question was " how many students that finished their two year degree in hotel management with you could have a basic conversation with me in English ?" . She said that out of the 37 students who finished only 4 including herself would be able to speak and understand English. She continued to say that most could not speak or understand any English, none ! Most of these students hope to some day work in an international 4 or 5 star hotel.

For what it's worth.....

[buhi]

Classic example, in a top fee paying private school a quiz.

Question, " What animal lives in the desert?"

Answer from one, "A snake. "

Me correct, Thai teacher no the answer is camel , it is wriiten here!

Hell, with that mind set. expletive!

[DavisH]

My wife's niece went to the state school in Chonburi. She is now studying clinical medicine on an international English speaking course at a university in China and she was awarded a scholarship on her first year results. She did fairly well at school but was not at the top of the class. It is not all bad.

While in the mean time 100 000 doctors working in Thailand can not speak a word of English and prescribe antibiotic for muscle pain.

Why should they speak a foreign language? Speak to the doctor in Thai, its Thailand

This the basic mistake that Thailand in general makes. The answer is that most knowledge and most medicines are from the West in English. How is a doctor to know what to prescribe if it's named in English and its use is described in English? How is the doctor to get on the internet and improve knowledge?

How is a doctor to stay abreast of the newest medicines and techniques when the professional writings are in English? The internet is the greatest research tool the world has ever known and it's mostly in English.

I'm not sure about medical degrees, but a past student of mine studied pharmacy and here textbooks were in english.

As an aside, I've met very few doctors who cannot speak english. They certainly now enough to read and understand medical texts in english, even if their speak is not that great.

Unfortunately, getting 'that piece of paper' regardless of what a graduate knows, still seems paramount here. The degree gives face to the family, and the 'better' university, the better.

[Berkshire]

Question: How do you get the rabid, serial Thai bashers all in one place?

Answer: Start a Thai bashing thread....like this one.

I think you'll find that the people most critical about the Thai education system are the Thais themselves. But most of the comments on this thread are near worthless as the haters here are not knowledgeable enough to discuss education at any level and wouldn't have the first clue on how to fix it.

So rant away if you must. But just remember that it's the Thai educated folks who built this country that you chose to live in, so it can't be all that bad.