Pattaya students told teachers and public officials that improving English-language skills is the most-important thing the city can do to prepare for the ASEAN Economic Community.
Speaking at a “What Thai Children Think About the AEC” forum at the Town and Town Hotel Sept. 10, student participants in the Goodness & Genius program spoke on the common market that begins next year and “the direction of education in the area of standard tourism.”
Top students from Pattaya schools were selected to speak at the special “What Thai Children Think About the AEC” forum at the Town and Town Hotel.
With educators and Pattaya’s top politicians in the audience, Jirapreeya Rathanan, a 12th-grade student at Pattaya School No. 11, who placed second in the Pattaya Young Tourist Ambassadors contest, led off the speeches.
She and other speakers talked on goals to improve the quality of education and management. In addition to learning the interests and skills of students, teachers must focus on training students better in English.
They noted that Thailand lags its Southeast Asian neighbors in English proficiency. With the AEC, Thailand will see a greater number of ASEAN-region visitors who use English as a common language. If Thailand wishes to compete, it has to do better in learning and speaking English.
Pattaya Mayor Itthiphol Kunplome expressed his approval of all the speeches, saying the day’s event showed Pattaya’s educational preparation has progressed far in the past three years and, “Pattaya has taken another big step toward the ASEAN Community.”
“We can clearly see that we have the potential to enter the ASEAN community,” he said.
