A compressed presentation of Thailand's background and its educational system, specifically the effect of the use of English as language of instruction or a core subject itself

1. THAILAND
JAMES E. ROBISON
(Presenter)

2. • A unified Thai kingdom was established in the mid-14th century. Known as Siam until 1939,
Thailand is the only Southeast Asian country never to have been colonized by a European
power. A bloodless revolution in 1932 led to the establishment of a constitutional
monarchy. In alliance with Japan during World War II, Thailand became a US treaty ally in
1954 after sending troops to Korea and later fighting alongside the US in Vietnam.
• Thailand since 2005 has experienced several rounds of political turmoil including a military
coup in 2006 that ousted then Prime Minister THAKSIN Chinnawat, followed by large-scale
street protests by competing political factions in 2008, 2009, and 2010.
• THAKSIN's youngest sister, YINGLAK Chinnawat, in 2011 led the Puea Thai Party to an
electoral win and assumed control of the government. A blanket amnesty bill for
individuals involved in street protests, altered at the last minute to include all political
crimes - including all convictions against THAKSIN - triggered months of large-scale anti-
government protests in Bangkok beginning in November 2013.
BACKGROUND

3. • In early May 2014, YINGLAK was removed from office by the Constitutional Court and in
late May 2014 the Royal Thai Army, led by Royal Thai Army Gen. PRAYUT Chan-ocha, staged
a coup against the caretaker government. PRAYUT was appointed prime minister in August
2014.
• The interim military government created several interim institutions to promote reform
and draft a new constitution, which was passed in a national referendum in August 2016.
Elections are tentatively set for mid-2018.
• King PHUMIPHON Adunyadet passed away in October 2016 after 70 years on the throne;
his only son, WACHIRALONGKON Bodinthrathepphayawarangkun, ascended the throne in
December 2016.
• He signed the new constitution in April 2017.
• Thailand has also experienced violence associated with the ethno-nationalist
insurgency in its southern Malay-Muslim majority provinces. Since January 2004,
thousands have been killed and wounded in the insurgency.

4. • Location
Southeastern Asia, bordering the Andaman Sea and the Gulf of Thailand, southeast of
Burma
• Area
total: 513,120 sq km
land: 510,890 sq km
water: 2,230 sq km
• Land boundaries
5, 673 km
Border countries
• Burma 2,416 km, Cambodia 817 km, Laos 1,845 km, Malaysia 595 km
GEOGRAPHY

5. • Coastline
• 3, 219 km
• Climate
• tropical; rainy, warm, cloudy southwest monsoon (mid-May to September); dry, cool
northeast monsoon (November to mid-March); southern isthmus always hot and
humid
• Natural resources
• tin, rubber, natural gas, tungsten, tantalum, timber, lead, fish, gypsum, lignite, fluorite,
arable land
• Land use
• agricultural land: 41.2%
arable land 30.8%; permanent crops 8.8%; permanent pasture 1.6%
• forest: 37.2%
• other: 21.6% (2011 est.)
GEOGRAPHY

6. • Irrigated land
• 64, 150 sq. km. (2012)
• Population distribution
• highest population density is found in and around Bangkok; significant population
clusters found throughout large parts of the country, particularly east / northeast of
Bangkok and in the extreme southern region of the country
• Natural hazards
• land subsidence in Bangkok area resulting from the depletion of the water table;
droughts
• Environment (current issues)
• air pollution from vehicle emissions; water pollution from organic and factory wastes;
deforestation; soil erosion; wildlife populations threatened by illegal hunting
GEOGRAPHY

7. • Population
• 68, 200, 824
• estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due
to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality, higher death
rates, lower population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by
age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2016 est.)
• Nationality
• Noun THAI (singular and plural); adjective THAI
• Ethnic groups
• Thai 97.5%, Burmese 1.3%, other 1.1%, unspecified <.1% (2015 est.)
PEOPLE and SOCIETY

8. • Languages
• Thai (official) 90.7%, Burmese 1.3%, other 8%
• English is a secondary language of the elite (2010 est.)
• Religions
• Buddhist 94.6%, Muslim 4.3%, Christian 1%, other <.1%, none <.1% (2015 est.)
• Age structure
• 0-14 years: 17.18% (male 6,000,434/female 5,714,464)
• 15-24 years: 14.47% (male 5,030,930/female 4,839,931)
• 25-54 years: 46.5% (male 15,678,250/female 16,038,155)
• 55-64 years: 11.64% (male 3,728,028/female 4,208,624)
• 65 years and over: 10.21% (male 3,047,938/female 3,914,070) (2016 est.)
PEOPLE and SOCIETY

9. • Literacy
• definition: age 15 and over can read and write
• total population: 96.7%
• male: 96.6%
• female: 96.7% (2015 est.)
• School life expectancy (primary to tertiary)
• total: 16 years
• male: 16 years
• female: 16 years (2015)
• Unemployment, youth ages 15-24
• total: 3.4%
• male: 2.8%
• female: 4.4% (2013 est.)
PEOPLE and SOCIETY

10. • Country name
• conventional long form: Kingdom of Thailand
• conventional short form: Thailand
• local long form: Ratcha Anachak Thai
• local short form: Prathet Thai
• former: Siam
• etymology: "Land of the Tai [People]"; the meaning of "tai" is uncertain, but may
originally have meant "human beings," "people," or "free people"
• Government type
• constitutional monarchy; note - interim military-affiliated government since May 2014
• Capital
• Bangkok
• Administrative divisions
• 76 provinces
GOVERNMENT

11. • Independence
• 1238 (traditional founding date; never colonized)
• Constitution
• many previous; draft of latest completed 29 March 2016, approved by referendum 7 August
2016, signed by the king 6 April 2017;
• the final version has several changes not reflected in the one passed by referendum (2016)
• Flag description
• five horizontal bands of red (top), white, blue (double width), white, and red; the red color
symbolizes the nation and the blood of life; white represents religion and the purity of
Buddhism; blue stands for the monarchy
• similar to the flag of Costa Rica but with the blue and red colors reversed
• National symbols
• garuda (mythical half-man, half-bird figure), elephant; national colors: red, white, blue
• "Phleng Chat Thai" (National Anthem of Thailand)
GOVERNMENT

12. • Current education policy is guided by the National Education Act of 1999 and the 15-year
National Education Plan (2002-2016). Among other things, the most recent plan expresses
the need to expand access to higher education and improve quality standards.
• Under the National Education Act, 12 years of free public schooling is guaranteed to all Thai
citizens, with a 2002 amendment also guaranteeing two years of free preschool.
• Currently, the first nine years of primary and secondary education are compulsory,
consisting of six years of primary education and three years of lower secondary (age six to
15).
• Students continuing beyond compulsory education complete a further three years of upper
secondary education before entering the labor market or undertaking higher studies.
• In 2010, 76 percent of the relevant age group graduated from lower secondary (gross
graduation ratio).
EDUCATION POLICY

13. • The gross enrollment ratio for upper secondary in 2010 was 79 percent, which is low
compared to middle-income regional neighbors.
• At the tertiary level, the gross enrollment ratio in 2010 was a relatively high 48 percent;
however, the gross graduation ratio of 29 percent is suggestive of high drop-out rates.
• According to Ministry of Education figures for 2009, 16 percent of the 7,930,761 children
undertaking compulsory education did so in the private sector.
• At the upper secondary level, 20 percent of students studied at private schools,
particularly those following the vocational stream (35 percent);
• while 14 percent of tertiary students attended a private institution, again mainly in the
vocational sector
• Schools in the private sector are either for-profit, often internationally oriented, or fee-
paying non-profit schools typically run by charitable or religious organizations.
EDUCATION POLICY

14. • In 2010, 22.3 percent of the national budget was spent on education, a high percentage
relative to the global average and regional neighbors. As such, the main source of revenue
for education comes from the national budget. Other sources of funding include academic
tuition fees, donations and loans.
• The language of instruction is Thai, although universities now offer an increasing number of
international programs taught in English, and recent reforms have made English mandatory
one day a week in schools.
• Bangkok University, Mahidol University and Chiang Mai University offer some of their
programs in English, while Assumption University and the Asian Institute of Technology
offer all programs in English.
• The academic year has traditionally run from May to March in the school sector and June
to March in the tertiary sector, with two semesters per year.
EDUCATION POLICY

15. • There are 200 required school days each year.
• However, there are reforms currently being enacted pushing back the start of the academic
year at the tertiary level to August-September in order to align with other regional ASEAN
education systems.
• A reported 12 universities have so far shifted to the new calendar.
• The school calendar is also being adjusted in 2014 from a May start to a June start.
• Education is administered at three levels, national, regional and local.
• The Ministry of Education oversees most aspects of education in Thailand at the national
level, supported by the Office of the Higher Education Commission (or Commission on
Higher Education) in the tertiary sector, which recently took over the duties of the Ministry
of University Affairs.
EDUCATION POLICY

16. • Other ministries oversee relevant professional specializations in the tertiary sector.
• The Office of the Private Education Commission, under the Ministry of Education, oversees
and subsidizes private institutions of education.
• The Office of the Vocational Education Commission is responsible for technical and
vocational education and training.
• At the regional level, the 76 provinces are grouped into 12 education regions (not including
Bangkok), each with a regional office.
• In addition, the provincial offices oversee education in the individual provinces.
• At the local level, each municipality is responsible for primary education within its own
jurisdiction.
EDUCATION POLICY

17. • Extensive regulation limits the capacity for international institutions to establish operations
in Thailand.
• Regulations require foreign providers to partner with a registered Thai institution of
education with at least 51 percent Thai ownership and with majority Thai representation in
the governance arrangements.
• Currently there are very few foreign providers operating in Thailand.
• However, the UK’s University of Central Lancashire (UCLAN) has signed a deal with a
Thai-based entrepreneur to open a university campus in Bangkok this year.
• Degrees will reportedly be taught in English and validated by UCLAN.
• The University of Central Lancashire’s vice-chancellor, Malcolm McVicar, told the BBC in
early 2012 that UCLAN’s market research showed “strong demand” for undergraduate
and graduate programs in Thailand, especially if aspirations to attract regional
international students and establish Thailand as an education hub for Southeast Asia
are met.
INTERNATIONAL ENGAGEMENT

18. • Webster University has been operating a campus in Thailand since 1999.
• U.S. university is accredited as a private institution by the Thai Ministry of Education.
• The Netherland’s Stenden University of Applied Sciences also operates a campus in
Thailand. It works in collaboration with – and on the campus of – Rangsit University, a large
private institution based in Bangkok.
• The only other international institution with a physical presence in Thailand is the Beijing
Language and Cultural University, which has been offering a joint bachelor’s degree in
business Chinese in collaboration with Assumption University since 2003.
• According to a recent report from the British Council, there were 128 ‘collaborative degree
programs’ with international partners in 2011, relatively low compared to other countries
in the region, and far fewer than large transnational education (TNE) hosts such as Malaysia
and Singapore.
• The top five TNE partner countries in 2011 were China, USA, Germany, Australia and
Canada, according to the British Council.
INTERNATIONAL ENGAGEMENT

19. • In 2015, the counties of Southeast Asia will deepen their regional integration efforts
through the formalization of the ASEAN Economic Community
• an initiative that includes ambitions to promote greater regional academic mobility
through the expansion of the ASEAN International Mobility for Students (AIMS)
program
• a student mobility initiative similar in ambition to the Erasmus mobility program in
Europe, with its routes in mobility initiatives between Malaysia, Indonesia and
Thailand
• seven Thai universities along with 52 other institutions from the region are
currently implementing the AIMS program
• Thailand sits at the administrative center of these efforts, playing host to the headquarters
of both the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Regional Center for Higher Education
and Development (SEAMEO-RIHED), and the ASEAN University Network
EDUCATION HUB ASPIRATIONS

20. • ASEAN University Network – a network of 30 universities across 10 ASEAN member
countries. Drawing inspiration from its position at the heart of the ASEAN
community, the Thai government has made known its aspirations to develop the
country as a hub for international education, much like a number of its regional
neighbors.
• According to a May 2013 news release from the government, the Office of the
Higher Education Commission is preparing various universities to be ready for the
Government’s plan to turn Thailand into an international education hub.
• To date, 1,017 international courses have been opened in universities in Thailand.
Out of these courses, 344 are for bachelor’s degrees, 394 for master’s degrees, 249
for doctoral degrees, and 30 for training programs.
EDUCATION HUB ASPIRATIONS

21. • Thailand hosted 19,052 international students in 2010, up from 16,361 in 2009, according
to government data submitted to UNESCO’s Global Education Digest in 2012.
• Data from the former Ministry of University Affairs puts the 2011 total at 20,309
international students, with the top source countries as follows:
• China (8,444);
• Myanmar (1,481) and Laos (1,344)
• Regionally, 17,287 were from Asia. The top host institution was Assumption University
(4,179), followed by Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya University (1,276) and Mahidol
University (1,233).
• In terms of funding, 15,818 foreign students were self-funded and 2,692 and 1,082
students received scholarships from Thai and international organizations respectively. The
most popular field of study for international students is business (3,136).
STUDENT MOBILITY

22. • With regards to Thai students heading overseas, there has been a gradual
increase from 24,272 in 2008 to 26,233 in 2010.
• The top three destination countries in 2010 were the United States (8,455),
the UK (5,348) and Australia (4,229).
• While the United States continues to be the most popular destination for
internationally mobile Thai students, the country’s popularity has waned from
a high of 11,606 students in 2001/02 to 7,314 last year, with numbers
dropping quite consistently year on year since 2002.
STUDENT MOBILITY

23. • School education in Thailand is 12 years in length and free to all students in the public
sector.
• The first nine years of schooling are compulsory.
• The education system has a 6-3-3 structure: six years of primary education, three years of
lower secondary and three years of upper secondary.
• Grades one through six are known as Prathom 1 – 6, while grades 7 -12 are known as
Matthayom 1 – 6.
• Prior to 1977, the structure of school education was 4-3-3-2.
• Students take national examinations at the end of years 3, 6 and 9.
• Prathom III students are tested in mathematics and Thai, while at the end of the primary
cycle they are tested in mathematics, Thai, science and English.
• Secondary Grade 3 students are tested in mathematics, Thai, science, English and social
sciences.
SCHOOL STRUCTURE

24. • Schools attached to universities tend to be the most sought after, and students are
required to sit for competitive entrance examinations, as is also the case with prestigious
private schools.
• Admission to most public schools is open.
• Primary (Pratom Suksa)
• Primary education in Thailand begins at the age of six (after up to three years of non-
compulsory preschool), and constitutes the first six years of basic education. Learning
time at the primary level cannot exceed five hours a day.
• The curriculum is focused in eight core learning areas: Basic skills (Thai and math), life
experience (science and social studies), character development (ethics, arts, music and
PE), work education (technology & basic vocational skills), special education (English or
other subjects tailored to local community needs.) English is taught nationwide from
the first year of primary school.
SCHOOL STRUCTURE

25. • There is a final examination at the end of Prathon VI, which leads to the Certificate of
Primary Education.
• Secondary (Matayom Suksa)
• The six-year secondary cycle is split into lower (Matayom 1–3) and upper secondary
education (Matayom 4–6). The lower secondary cycle constitutes the final three years
of compulsory basic education. Students wishing to continue on to upper secondary
school must pass an entrance examination.
• At the lower secondary level, school learning time cannot exceed six hours each day
and at the upper secondary level it should not be less than six hours each day.
• Lower
• At the lower secondary level all schools offer a general educational program leading
to the Certificate of Lower Secondary Education, also known as Matayom 3 or MS 3.
SCHOOL STRUCTURE

26. • The basic admission requirement to public secondary school is the completion of primary
education or its equivalent.
• Admission to private schools and top public schools is by means of an entrance
examination.
• Competition for places at top public schools is high, as attendance at the best schools
maximizes the chances of gaining entry to the nation’s best universities.
• The general curriculum, which private schools must also follow, covers five main subject
areas: Thai and foreign languages, science and mathematics, social studies, arts, vocational
education.
• Students must complete 90 units of study, with passing grades in at least 80 units including
Thai and social studies. Assessment is conducted in school and students accumulate grade
points.
SCHOOL STRUCTURE

27. • Upper
• Students who have successfully completed the lower secondary level and passed the
entrance examination for upper secondary schooling can choose to follow general
(academic) upper secondary education or vocational upper secondary education.
• In 2009, a total of 1,250,233 students followed the general curriculum and 750,750
followed the vocational track.
• One-third of students in the vocational track attended a private institution, while
just one in 10 did so in the general stream.
• Government upper secondary schools are either general (academic), vocational or
comprehensive institutions.
• General education is intended for students hoping to further their education at
university, while vocational schools offer programs primarily designed to prepare
students for employment; comprehensive schools offer both general and vocational
programs. Typically, higher achieving students follow the general stream.
SCHOOL STRUCTURE

28. • General (Academic) Upper
• The general education curriculum includes five subject areas: Thai and foreign
languages, science (chemistry, biology, physics), mathematics, social studies, character
development (health and physical education, arts and crafts), work and occupational
education.
• Students must take a mix of compulsory and elective subjects, specializing in one of
three areas: sciences, arts and languages, and mathematics and languages.
Specializations are typically chosen according to desired program of university study.
• Students earn credits for each subject successfully completed, with passes in a
minimum of 75 credits required for graduation including in all compulsory subjects.
• Fifteen credits must be obtained in compulsory subjects (Thai language, social studies,
physical education, and science), 15 credits from compulsory elective subjects, with the
remainder (45) earned from optional subjects.
SCHOOL STRUCTURE

29. • Students must also take final examinations at the end of upper secondary in all subjects
taken. The certificate awarded on completion of upper secondary is the Certificate of
Secondary Education, also known as Matayom 6 (MS 6).
• After their final school examinations, students wishing to continue on to higher studies
take a mix of university admissions examinations.
• Vocational Upper
• Having completed lower secondary education, students may choose to follow a
vocational upper secondary specialization. In 2009, approximately 38 percent of all
upper secondary students were in the vocational stream. However, the government is
moving to try and increase the attractiveness of vocational secondary education,
setting a target of 49 percent participation in the coming years. The move has been
spurred by a perceived shortage of qualified vocational graduates in the labor market.
SCHOOL STRUCTURE

30. • Students take the same compulsory subjects as those in the academic stream (Thai, social
studies, physical education and science), with specializations in one of five major fields:
agriculture, home economics, business studies, arts and crafts, engineering.
• There are four types of certificates that may be awarded. The two most common are the
Certificate in Vocational Education (Bor Wor Saw) and the Certificate in Dual Vocational
Education (DVT), both requiring three years of study. DVT programs require a significant
amount of practical on-the-job training in partnership with industry.
• Students can also follow a credit accumulating system that can be taken over a period of
three to eight years and which results in the award of the Certificate of Vocational
Education, Credit Accumulating System. There is also a Certificate in Vocational Education,
Evening Class, generally taken by mature students.
• A grade point average of not less than 2.00 is required for successful completion.
SCHOOL STRUCTURE

31. • Non-Formal Education
• The system of Non-Formal Education is generally more flexible than regular programs in
terms of objectives, methods of instruction and study duration.
• The content and the curriculum can be adapted to suit the needs of individual students
and is intended for those who do not do well in the school system or who have failed –
for whatever reason – to complete formal primary education.
• The Department of Non-formal and Informal Education offers both general and vocational
programs for adults.
• General programs are offered at the lower and upper secondary level by means of day
and evening classes, distance learning (by correspondence and radio), and self-study
for external examinations.
SCHOOL STRUCTURE

32. • Admission to Higher Education
• Admission to higher studies has traditionally been based on the completion of upper
secondary education (general or vocational) and results obtained on the Joint Higher
Education Examination.
• Since 2006, the newly created Central University Admission System (CUAS) has reduced
the emphasis of examinations in admissions by increasing the weighting of students’
performance in upper secondary as measured by their GPA.
• Two new entrance tests were introduced in 2006.
• The Ordinary National Education Test (O-NET) is required by almost all universities
and tests basic knowledge across all mandatory upper secondary subject areas.
• The second examination, the Advanced National Education Test (A-NET) is a more
in-depth subject-specific test and students take only the subjects relevant to their
desired program of university study.
SCHOOL STRUCTURE

33. • Higher Education
• Tertiary education in Thailand is offered at universities, institutes of technology (known
collectively as the Rajamangala Institute), vocational and technical colleges, teachers
colleges (known collectively as the Rajabhat Institute), and other professional colleges
such as nursing colleges, and police and military academies.
• The Ministry of Education, through the Office of the Higher Education
Commission, regulates and oversees all state universities and private institutions of
higher education, vocational and technical colleges, and teacher training colleges.
• Specialized training institutions fall under the purview of the relevant ministries, such
as: tourism and sport, culture, defense, transport, and public health.
• In recent years, there has been significant growth in the number of tertiary institutions
operating in Thailand. This has come about in response to demand, and primarily
through growth in the private sector, but also through a reorganization of the public
sector.
SCHOOL STRUCTURE

34. • The reorganization has led to newly independent campuses being created from existing
universities, the upgrade of teaching colleges to universities (and an expansion of the
programs they can offer), and the reorganization of 35 institutes of technology into nine
regional universities.
• Thailand’s two open universities account for a huge share of Thailand’s almost two million
(2009) higher education students.
• Ramkhamhaeng University, which has an open enrollment policy and a reported 525,000
enrollees attending one of 34 campuses or studying via distance learning, is by far the
nation’s biggest educational institution.
• Sukhothai Thammathirat has an enrollment of 172,000 students all learning remotely.
• Dropout rates at the two institutions are very high.
SCHOOL STRUCTURE

35. • In 2011, the Higher Education Commission identified nine institutions to be upgraded to
national research universities in a bid to improve research standards and output, and also
to promote international collaboration through the provision of additional research
funding. Those universities are:
• Chulalongkorn University, Kasetsart University, Chiang Mai University, Khon Kaen
University, Thammasat University, Mahidol University, Prince of Songkla University,
Suranaree University of Technology and the King Mongkut’s University of Technology
Thonburi.
• Many state universities have been granted autonomy from government control in recent
years, a move that has been met with a degree of skepticism from students and lecturers
concerned about increasing fees and a lack of accountability.
SCHOOL STRUCTURE

36. • Autonomous universities receive block grants rather than per-student funding, which has
reportedly led to increased tuition fees, increasing enrollments and the introduction of new
commercial programs with higher tuition costs.
• Among Thailand’s 170 institutions of higher education, there are 15 universities that are already
autonomous and 65 public universities. The rest are private institutions, community colleges or
institutes.
• Quality Assurance and the Thai Qualifications Framework
• The Office for National Education Standards and Quality Assessment (ONESQA) was established
in 2000 as an independent body, and is responsible for external quality control, auditing
institutions at both the basic and higher education level.
• Assessment is on the basis of an ‘amicable assessment model’ and conducted by external
assessors certified by ONESQA. At the higher education level, external quality assessment is
conducted through analysis of annual reports and other quality assurance documentation,
including reports on key performance indicators, as well as institutional visits.
SCHOOL STRUCTURE

38. • https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/th.html
• http://www.studycountry.com/guide/TH-language.htm
• http://wenr.wes.org/2014/03/education-in-thailand
REFERENCES