Thailand may encounter both crises and opportunities when the Asean Economic Community is implemented in a few years. But if Thais prepare thoroughly, the AEC would not affect them that badly and they may even find opportunities, academics said recently.
However, after seeing no concrete move towards preparing for the AEC by the government, Visanu Vongsinsirikul, director of Dhurakij Pundit University’s Asean Community Preparation Centre (ACPC), the most influential body with the power to prepare the country for changes, called on the government to think and act as soon as possible. Otherwise Thailand would lag behind other countries rather than be able to grasp the opportunities.
“Thailand has advantages over other Asean countries in terms of geographical features, weather, races and cost of living. The question is how can we make use of the advantages we have?” he said.
“Foreign languages, English in particular, are our big problem. But we can learn them,” he said.
“We cannot escape the AEC. Even if we don’t want to work in other Asean countries, citizens from those countries will certainly come to work in Thailand,” he said.
The government should put preparing for the AEC on the national agenda.
