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Thailand's economy has grown by 3% in the first three months of 2011, helped by increases in both exports and consumer spending. Thailand has been trying to boost growth after civil unrest in 2010.
In the first three months of 2011, Thailand's gross domestic product (GDP) increased by 2% from the previous quarter. That would translate into an annualised figure of 8%, which is considered very strong, even compared to other booming countries in Asia.
The latest Thailand figures showed continued momentum. Thailand rebounded from a mild recession in the last few months of 2010, thanks to a recovery in exports and domestic consumption. Economists had warned that supply chain disruptions resulting from the earthquake and tsunami in Japan, in March 2011, could hurt exports. In common with other countries in Asia, rising prices of food and fuel are pushing up inflation in Thailand.
Yingluck Shinawatra, the youngest sister of ousted former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, led the opposition Pheu Thai party to a landslide victory in July 2011. She is set to become Thailand's first woman prime minister. In the country's first general election since 2007, Pheu Thai won 265 seats out of a possible 500 - enough to form a single-party government.
Ms Yingluck, aged 44 and a successful businesswoman, has promised to bring stability and reconciliation to her troubled country. However, critics have been quick to point out her inexperience, given that she had never before run for office nor held a government post.
Yingluck Shinawatra has degrees in politics and until now has pursued a corporate career in telecommunications and property.
Migration of labour within Asean countries will begin in 2015 and career training and self development are needed now for Thai workers to be competitive in time. Thailand will face an oversupply crisis in the midlevel labour market if workers do not improve their skills to compete with their counterparts in Vietnam and the Philippines. There are 400,000 graduates with degrees and only 100,000 of them get jobs, while those with vocational degrees graduate in much smaller numbers, but 90 per cent of them find jobs. Few languages are taught in government and private vocational schools. Skills alone are not the crucial factor in making Thai workers superior to other countries - Thai workers need to improve their English skills. The Asean Economic Community in 2015 will make travel and employment among member countries easier, with higher salaries and better incentives.
The Thai market in the UK is predominantly for postgraduate studies. Fewer Thai students choose the UK for undergraduate degrees and those who do have to adapt to a different approach to teaching and learning. Except for a few elite institutions, Thai universities are less known for the excellence of their postgraduate courses and research degrees, which is one of the main reasons why students seek overseas qualifications. The Government is keen to improve the research base, but, as yet, the funding has not been put in to expand and improve the postgraduate and research sector.
Boarding schools in the UK have traditionally attracted the wealthier Thai elite, with a smaller number of richer members of the middle class. The existence of some high-quality international schools, especially in Bangkok, has lessened the demand for boarding overseas. However, the international schools have become more expensive over recent years, leading cost-conscious families to seek out boarding schools in Australia and New Zealand, which are seen as increasingly more affordable by comparison. Thailand is a regional ‘hub’ for many international organisations, such as UNESCO and the International Labour Organisation, which have their South-East Asian regional hubs in Thailand. Many commercial and industrial organisations also have their regional headquarters in the country, creating a demand for international schools, particularly in Bangkok and the Eastern Seaboard area. These schools are proving popular with Thai parents.
Demand for overseas education has been centred on Bangkok, but Chiang Mai in the north is expanding and creating new economic opportunities, particularly in information technology, hospitality and tourism. Several state schools have started to teach both in Thai and English and international schools have been expanding as more students seek to become fluent.
According to our HESA statistics which provides information on the Higher Education Student Data, the top three courses with the greatest increase in the number of Thai students from 2008/9 to 2009/10 are Agriculture, Mass communications and documentation, and Creative arts and design. The number of students in Business and administrative studies remain the highest followed by Engineering and Languages. As for the institution region, there has been an increase of over 50% of Thai students going to Wales. Scotland and South West have also increased in popularity(41% increase in the number of Thai students). Most Thai students continue to study in London, followed by Yorkshire and The Humber.
According to British Council’s Student Insight study (an online decision making study with over 4,000 respondents), 48% Thai students consider the qualification from the UK to most enhance career opportunity, followed by 35% for USA and 4% for Australia. As for the ways students search for information, the top three sources of information are website/prospectus of institution, education exhibitions and search engines.
Thailand is predominantly a postgraduate and ELT market (specifically summer schools and preparation programmes for postgraduate study). These two sectors account for over 60 per cent of all student visas issued.
There is considerable room for growth in the postgraduate sector, which has seen steady growth in one-year taught programmes. There is an increase in the number of governmental scholarships, as well as a growth in the self-funded sector for doctoral programmes.
The ELT sector also demonstrates scope for growth in the March / April language holiday period for 14 to 19 year-olds.
The British Council in Thailand operates four centres in Bangkok and one in Chiang Mai. Education is a priority sector for the British Council's work in Thailand, covering partnership programmes with the Ministry of Education in schools, and in vocational and higher education. This complements a substantial education promotion programme marketing UK education; and relationship management through a UK alumni network of students of English or students who have attended language holidays in the UK. Over the last two years, the British Council has embarked on an ambitious growth strategy, seeking to extend its activities throughout Thailand with the opening and development of partnership centres in the north, north-east and south of Thailand.
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