24. THE CHALLENGES OF THAILAND IN PROMOTING THE STUDENTS’ ENGLISH SKILLS TO BE AN EFFECTIVE ASEAN CITIZEN

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SURANGKANA CHUANPONGPANICH

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The official establishment of the ASEAN Community in 2015 has become the center of global interest during the past few years. As a member of ASEAN, Thailand has been influencing by this establishment. Whereas, the English language is considered as one of the most important keys towards the development of Thailand, to keep pace with the growth of the ASEAN Community. Since it was stipulated in the ASEAN Charter, Article 34, that “The working language of ASEAN shall be English” (Association of Southeast Asian Nations, 2008b: 29). As a result, using English as a means of communication in the ASEAN community has become an important issue.


Despite the Thai government's efforts to promote English education in Thailand. It was obvious that the English proficiency of Thai students was relatively low compare to some countries in ASEAN. This article described the English language in the Thai context and indicated the major causes of English teaching-learning problems in Thailand, such as the teacher factor, the student factor, the curriculum factor, and classroom management. The author also proposed a guideline for the university to promote English proficiency among the students who would become the efficient workforce for ASIAN in the future.

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