The ASEAN Community is scheduled to come into effect on 31 December 2015. Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha has urged all sectors of Thai society to be at the peak of readiness to seek opportunities offered by the advent of regional integration.

 

In his televised national address on 25 December 2015, the Prime Minister stated that changes brought about by the ASEAN Community would not take place abruptly. The public should not be overly concerned about them, as Thailand has prepared for the new situation for a certain period.

 

In fact, he said, efforts to integrate ASEAN have been made continuously since the establishment of the ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA) in 1992. ASEAN has also agreed to set up FTAs with six dialogue partners, namely China, Japan, the Republic of Korea, India, Australia, and New Zealand.

 

The Prime Minister called on all sectors to develop themselves steadily. On the part of the Government, it attaches great importance to preparing human resources and skilled labor for greater competition. Emphasis is placed on promoting better understanding about ASEAN, language skills, the use of technology, and ASEAN solidarity.

 

In terms of education, six strategies have been set, with the Ministry of Education serving as the core agency in implementing them. The first strategy seeks to enhance better understanding about the ASEAN Community. The second one seeks to upgrade the quality of education and create educational opportunities. In the third strategy, the skills of workforce will be promoted in response to the demand of the ASEAN market. The fourth strategy seeks to develop the use of information and communication technology. In the fifth strategy, related mechanisms will be developed to accommodate the mobility of skilled labor in this region. The sixth strategy seeks to promote networking in ASEAN.

 

The Prime Minister said that a total of 447 ASEAN studies centers will be set up across the country to develop the quality of secondary education to international standards in order to accommodate both Thai and foreign students in the ASEAN region. Another objective is to develop Thailand as a regional education hub. Moreover, the National Qualification Framework will be developed, in comparison to the ASEAN Qualification Reference Framework.

 

The Prime Minister said that the Government has set an initial target to develop English skills for students, teachers, executives, and the general public. English capacity-building centers will be set up at both primary and secondary schools across the country, including the distance learning via satellite project.

 

At the same time, the teaching and learning of other languages, such as Chinese, Japanese, and ASEAN languages, will be accelerated, as necessary, and in accordance with the demand. The Prime Minister also called on private companies and workplaces to give a helping hand for the benefit of both workforce and businesses.