Thai Business delegations visited Peru and Venezuela as part of the business negotiation trip to Latin America

(10-05-2013)

On 7 May 2013 Ambassador Ruengdej Mahasaranond hosted a welcoming dinner for a group of 35 Thai business delegations from heavy industries sectors from 25 companies, led by Mr. Paniti Uthairat, Director of Office of Service Trade Promotion, Department of Export Promotion, Ministry of Commerce and Mr. Passavudh Rimcharoen, Director of Comercial Office of Thailand in Santiago, Chile. They visited Peru as part of the business trip to 3 Latin American countries namely Venezuela , Peru and Chile between 3 – 13 May 2013.

For Peru, the group  visited  Lima between 6 – 7 May to explore business opportunities as well as participated in the Business Matching with more than 40 Peruvian entrepreneurs at Lima Chamber of Commerce. Before arriving in Peru, they stopped at Caracas, the capital of Venezuela between 5-6 May and participated in the Business negotiation at Fedecamaras ( Federation of Chambers  and Association of Commerce of Venezuela).

According to the interview of Mr. Jorge Roig, Vice President of Fedecamaras to Noticia 24, the event was held successfully as the first commercial interexchange and initiative between Thailand and Venezuela and received great response from Venezuelan private sector.

Ambassador of Thailand Chaired the Special “Team Thailand” Meeting

(10-05-2013)

On 1 May 2013, Mr.Marut Jitpatima, Ambassador of Thailand to Singapore, chaired the Special “Team Thailand” Meeting together with the executive officers from the Budget Bureau of Thailand. The discussion in the Meeting prioritized on the harmonized works of the offices of Thailand in Singapore in corresponding to the urgent and important policies of the Royal Thai Government, especially on “Thai Kitchen to the World” which promotes Thai food and products in Singapore.

Furthermore, Royal Thai Embassy has arranged a study programme for these executive officers for the Thai Budget Bureau to visit prominent business venues that will facilitate the promotion of Thai food and products, namely NTUC Fairprice Xtra in Ang Mo Kio, Thai restaurant “Baan Beer Thai” in Golden Mile Tower and Supermarket “Puen Thai” of Yen Investments Pte Ltd. in Golden Mile Complex.

Thai Ambassador to Argentina paid a joint courtesy call on Mr. Mauricio Macri, Governor of the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires

(02-05-2013)

On 11 April 2013, Mr. Medha Promthep, Thai Ambassador to Argentina, together with Ambassadors and representatives from other ASEAN embassies in Argentina, namely Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Vietnam, paid a joint courtesy call on Mr. Mauricio Macri, Governor of the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires.

The Governor of Buenos Aires made a remark to welcome diplomatic corps from ASEAN embassies and underlined the importance of the Southeast Asian region especially in the aspect of economic growth which is comparable with that of China and India. Thus, the Governor and Buenos Aires City stand ready to cooperate with ASEAN to promote and strengthen trade and investment relations.

The Thai Ambassador expressed his condolences for the victims and damages caused by the recent flash flood in Buenos Aires City which affected numerous of people. Thailand and other ASEAN countries also experienced the similar natural disaster many times, and stood ready to cooperate with Argentina to extend relevant assistance. Moreover, Thailand would like to continue promoting its relations and cooperation with Argentina in various fields. This year the Royal Thai Embassy has planned to organize a Thai cultural performance in Buenos Aires in July and would like to extend an invitation to Governor Macri to participate in the event.

The joint-call to the Governor of Buenos Aires City is one of the activities arranged by ASEAN embassies in Argentina with an aim to promote the awareness of ASEAN and Southeast Asian region in Argentina and in Latin America.

MOE Minister opens National Research Universities Summit

(10-05-2013)

Queen Sirikit National Convention Center– Mr. Phongthep Thepkanjana, Minister of Education, presided over the opening of 2/2013 National Research Universities Summit on May 7, 2013.

During the opening ceremony, the minister said that, after visiting the exhibitions from many universities, he had seen a number of outstanding and interesting research projects.He admitted that in the present world, all kinds of products, services, and work processes, need research and development. For example, in the past we only had Chang Dao Brand sandals, which did not use any sophisticated knowledge in their production. However, shoe production in the presenttimerequires a lot of know-how, research, and development.Shoes of different kinds are produced specifically for walking, running, and playing sports. There are even some shoes that make you run faster and smoother. Even the dry ice smoke we see today will smell better with further research and development. In a car race, the equipment needed in the rest area such as brake pads or tiresalso need systems, research, and development, to make the whole process of changing equipment finish within a little more than two seconds.

Mr. Thepkanjana commended the research universities that showed their works at the exhibition. He said that many of the works were outstanding and could be used to bring great benefits to society. Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra and her government place a lot of emphasis on research and development. She believes that if Thai people know how important it is, we will be able to gain many benefits for our country. She also believes that, in the future, people will demand and request the relevant officers to increase the budgets for research and development. 


At present, the government plans that the public sector should support 30% of research finance while private sector provides 70%. This is because private organizations and businesses are the ones to gain direct benefits from the research and they can earn their profits from it as well. For example, they may invest 50 million baht on research and development but the results can bring them an income higher than that amount. This is why it should be easy for private organizations to do research.

The Minister of Education also said that universities should present themselves to businesses and private organizations, showing them the areas of interest in which they have expertise in study and research. Even a simple thing like how to reduce monthly electricity costscan be a topic for research for any inventions that save electricity will certainly be beneficial for society and bring income to the researcher as well. Universities can begin with small scale research for SMEs.  Thai people should realize how important research and development is because we can never become a developed country if all that we do is to copy from other countries. We should have our own inventions with patents to share and sell to the world.  This is what the government hopes to see.

More Students Choosing toStudy Education Rather than Medicine

(10-05-2013)

Mr. Kittichai Trirattanasirichai, the President of Khon Kaen University (KKU), revealed the results of the screening process to find suitable students to study in universities through a direct admission system or clearing house for the academic year 2013. Altogether, 43, 445 students have been selected but 11,735 of them have given up their rights. KKU can takeup to3,647students but now 1,429 of them have given up their places. We are finding thatstudents today are more interested in studying social science than regular science. Even the brightest students graduating from high schoolseem to choose faculties that relate to humanities and social science rather than science and medicine. The most popular faculty in KKU this year is the Faculty of Education. The proportion of competition is 1:30. The second most popular faculty is the Faculty of Law, with competition proportion of 1:20. The possible reason that less students are choosing to study medicine this year is because there have been many news items about doctors being sued for their mistakes. Even those who choose to study medicine still prefer the branches that are less likely to be sued by the patients and more likely to earn high incomes such as surgery. 

"It is good that students today prefer to study education. This is a good direction indeed. Thailand will have better quality teachers. In KKU, the student who won the last place in the Faculty of Education has a higher score than those who were selected for the Faculty of Engineering. Some students have very high scores and are qualified to study in the Faculty of Dentistry but they willingly choose to become teachers.  Some people say that if too many students choose to study education, we may end up with more cases of corruption in the screening and selecting process to select teachers and educational personnel, similar to the case of teacher assistant selection. In my opinion, this is hardly likely to happen because the new curriculum for the study of Education is the Four-Plus-One, which means that after five years of study, you will graduate and be automatically selected to work as teachers in public schools. The first generation of students that studied this curriculum graduated this year and is now happily working. This is different from the case of teacher assistants. They are not the ones who directly graduated from the Faculty of Education. They are only temporary employees of the government and need to take examinations in order to work in public schools,” said the President of KKU.

Mr. Kittichai also said that National University Admissions for the year 2013 is asking KKU to submit the number of seats still available. So we will also tell them the numbers of seats that have been given up. Overall, the proportion of students selected to study in Khon Kaen University through direct admission and regular admission is75:25.

30 Educational Areas Have No Directors, Causing Low Academic Achievement and Poor Management

(10-05-2013)

On May 7, Mr. Shinnapat Phumrat, the Secretary General of the Office of the Basic Education Commission(OBEC), reported after the meeting of the executives that the results from following up performance effectiveness of the Offices of Educational Service Areas in the 30 districts that still do not have directors show that there are many management problems. For example, the quality of education is falling. The scores from the national test show us that the academic achievements of students in these areas are lower than national average. Their systems of school supervision and evaluation are also dragging. Technological skills of students in this group are at low and average level.   

"They are very slow in taking care of students in remote areas, and slow in repairing educational tools and equipment. Furthermore, the indicators of basic education management show that their guidance and counseling work is of poor quality. The same is true with the relationship between schools and parent networks. We need to continue helping these areas,” Mr. Phumrat said. 

The Secretary General of OBEC also added that from now on it is necessary to review the system of filling up the positions of educational service area directors. In the past, the selection of the person to take this position was based on seniority without considering their competency of leadership. As for the current problem of having no directors in these areas, OBEC will continue to coach and urge them to quickly solve the problem. In the present state, the lack of leadership is severely affecting the quality of education and has negative impacts on the students. OBEC will follow up and find more details, especially regarding their management problems. The participants at the meeting believe that having no directors causes ineffectiveness in many work processes such as budget reimbursement. Once more data has been collected they will be able to find a more concrete way to solve the problems.

Press Conference “26 Centuries of World Visakha Bucha”

(09-05-2013)

On May 7, 2013 at Queen Sirikit National Convention Center in Bangkok, Mr. Phongthep Thepkanjana, the Deputy Prime Minister and the Minister of Education, participated in a press conference for “26 Centuries of World Visakha Bucha,” an event that invites people to live virtuous lives. Attending the event were Phrathep Wisuthithamkawee, a monk from Wat Yannawa who was the president of the Sangha, Mr. Sirithat Rojanapruk from The Center of Buddhism Promotion in Thailand. The activity was arranged by Buddhist Nun Sansani Sathiansutra from Sathien Dhamma Sathan Retreat Center and Mr. Thakorn Thannasit, the Secretary General of the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBT)..

The Minister said that, for the special occasion of “26 Centuries World Visakha Bucha” and the Buddhism promotion event at Sanam Luang (the Royal Field) during May 18-24, 2013, the government was asking for cooperation from all related public offices and had approved a budget of 56 million baht for the following activities: 1) A World Buddhist Leader Seminar, hosted by Chulalongkorn University 2) A seminar for Thai Bhikkus Living Abroad and the World Buddhist Leader Conference, to encourage participation in and promotion of the  World Buddhism Center, hosted by the National Office of Buddhism 3) A Mantra Ceremony by Thai and Foreign Bhikkusto make merit for King Bhumibol, Queen Sirikhit, and the Royal Family, taking place at Government House 4) Activities for celebrating26 Centuries of World Visakha Buchaat Sanam Luang, including activities for the spreading of Buddhism conducted by public and private offices    For the celebration of“26 Centuries of World Visakha Bucha”, His Majesty King Bhumibol has given his Royal Permission for people to visit and worship his personal Buddha relic. Her Royal Highness Princess Sirindhorn is going to preside over the opening ceremony on May 18, 2013 from 3.00 – 5.00 PM, and Princess Soamsawali is going to come to listen to the sermon on May 19, 2013, at 7.00 PM. There will be students coming to participate in different activities such as a Self-Announcement Ceremony, which is going to take place every day at 7.00 PM, a Walking Meditation and a Poetry and Prose Competition for Scholarship Award. The Minister of Education said that all Buddhists in Thailand should come and join this significant celebration of Buddhism from May 18-24 at Sanam Luang.      Examples of interesting activities that will take place in the event can be summarized as followed: - A Buddha Relics Processional Ceremony: His Majesty the King has granting his permission for a procession to take the relics of the Buddha from the Royal Grand Palace to Sanam Luang for people to worship. - The Opening Ceremony by Princess Sirindhorn:May 18, 2013 from 3.00 – 5.00 PMat Sanam Luang - A Buddha Jayanti Cerebration: Blessing the lotuses and making merit by purchasing golden leaves to construct a Buddha Jayanti image - An Exhibition of Tripitaka Pali - The Ordination of199 Bhikkus: to honor His Majesty the King in 10 temples simultaneously - The Giving of Buddhist Sermons by Famous Preachers: participants will be led through a meditation by Bhikkus who are experts in Vipassana Meditation from many temples throughout the country - Praying on Buddha Jayanti Day: Nine million rounds of Lackkhi Chant and regular Visakha Bucha Chant on May 24, 2013 from11.30 PM – 12.00 AM, the event will be broadcast live in 170 countries throughout the world by NBT and TGN

VEC and Ramkhamhaeng University Develop Vocational Personnel for Tourism

(09-05-2013)

The Office of the Vocational Education Commission(OVEC) and the Faculty of Humanities, Ramkhamhaeng University signed a cooperation agreement to develop tourism vocational personnel at a meeting in the Phuangsad Meeting Room, Ramkhamhaeng University.

Dr. Shanwet Boonpraderm,the Advisor on Vocational Standards of Industrial Technicians, said that the Office of the Vocational Education Commission(OVEC) is overseeing 110 educational institutions that offer courses on Hotel Management and Tourism and provide opportunities for students who graduate with a vocational diploma to continue their studies for Bachelor Degrees. Together with the Faculty of Humanities, Ramkhamhaeng University, they discussed and agreed that there should be a Bachelor Degree course in Culture for Tourism offered as a regular program in Ramkhamhaeng University so that graduated vocational students can further their studies in this field. Some of the credits can be transferred between institutions; therefore, it is possible for these students to graduate within 2 years. The signing of this agreement shall be in effect for five consecutive years with the purpose of developing the quality of university students in foreign language skills, hotel management, and tourism. It is a project that supports the ASEAN Common Competency Standard and goes in line with current world circumstances. It also provides necessary resources such as personnel, tools and equipment, technology, research, academic knowledge learning and other factors, which can be shared between institutions. There will be good collaboration in developing curriculums, providing training, studies, and researches, as well as services to the community. So far, another institution that has joined the project is Bangkok College of Business Administration and Tourism. It is expected that this kind of cooperation will cover more educational institutions under OVEC that offer courses in tourism.

Doing Good and Getting Higher Academic Standing

(09-05-2013)

Mr. Chinapat Phumrat, the Secretary General of the Office of Basic Education Commission (OBEC), said that the steering board of OBEC discussed the integration between increasing education quality and increasing morality in one of its meetings. Schools will be supported and encouraged to focus more on the development of morality together with academic excellence. School directors and teachers must be trained in ethics and morality by serious practical learning.  OBEC has signed an agreement of collaboration with the Council of University Presidents of Thailand (CUPT) in a project called “Good Children Always Find a Place to Study.” It is believed that by the academic year 2013, there will be students who have been selected to continue their studies in higher education by using the scores for their good behavior.        

Mr. Phumrat also said that the government wants to uplift morale and offer encouragement to teachers who have been trained in ethics and morality by adding “goodness and morality” into the criteria for academic standing evaluation. Also, the selection of people to take the position of school directors, supervisors of educational areas, and teachers will include goodness and morality as a qualification. It will be divided into three categories: discipline, performance, and academic works. It is necessary for teachers to provide evidence of their goodness and morality from their own practical work, and morality/ ethics training. OBEC will present this suggestion to CUPT at a later date.

CUPT Trying to Prevent Plagiarism

(08-05-2013)

Prof. Dr. Somkid Lertpaitoon, the President of Thammasat University, talked about the issue of students hiring another person to write their theses, which is still unresolved. Every university is trying to deal with the problem by being stricter when grading the theses submitted by the students. They are also aware that some companies are willing to accept payment to do the work for the students. This problem is frequently found in Special Program Studies.  Most of the students in such programs also plagiarize their work but most universities have been able to detect this. During the meeting of the Council of University Presidents Thailand (CUPT), there was a discussion about including a new rule. All students will be allowed to take the exams but will only graduate if their theses have been approved by specialists and granted certificates that they contain no plagiarism. It should be emphasized in the thesis work regulations that plagiarism is strictly forbidden and that one cannot copy any parts of other peoples’ work without citing the sources.  Anything other action is considered piracy of intellectual property. It is illegal and those who commit such a crime must forfeit his or her academic degree.

Professor Doctor Phirom Kamol-ratanakul, the President of Chulalongkorn University, said that hiring other people to do one’s academic work or copying content from other sources and claiming it as one’s own is a problem we should take seriously for it is an act of corruption in the academic community. This problem results from a mistaken belief that if a person has many degrees, he or she will be highly respected in society, no matter how that degree was earned. Some people use this belief to earn their living, making a business by producing academic work for students. Both sides should be taken as guilty and should be punished so that such acts which will ruin the reputation of the academic community in Thailand will not happen again. She also said that the tool for checking the Thai version of Theses that Chulalongkorn University is working on, should be ready for use in July.

Results of 2/2013 Meeting of One Project One Scholarship Management Committee

(08-05-2013)

MOE- Mr. Pongthep Thepkanjana, the Minister of Education, presided over the 2/2556 meeting of One District One Scholarship Project Management Committee on May 3, 2013 at Ratchawallop Meeting Room. The meeting was attended by Dr. Phuangphet Chunla-iad, the Deputy Minister of Education.The results of the meeting was reported by Mr. Thepkanjana below:

1. The implementation of the “One District One Scholarship” Project for the second time in the 4th year The methods and criteria to select people to receive the scholarship were approved at the meeting. There will also be a competitive examination with the same regulations as the one conducted before. To be eligible for the interview, one must get at least 70% of the score from examination in Mathematics, Science, Social Science, and English. These criteria will ensure that the examination is using the same standards to the one conducted when the project was first implemented. The timeline for the project is shown below: - Publicizing the project: May-June 2013 - Submission of Applications: June17 – July 31 2013 - Announcement of applicants eligible for examination:August 30,2013 - Paper Exam: October13, 2013 - Announcement of Exam results: November29, 2013 - Interviews: December8, 2013 - Announcement of scholarship winners: December30,2013 - Scholarship winners report to the office: January6-10,2014 - Orientation: March 2014 - Language and Culture Preparation: From April 2014 onward(This period will be longer than the last time to ensure readiness for study) - Scholarship winners travel to study abroad:September 2014

2. Third year scholarship winner studying in Thailand was permitted to change subject and move to private university.
At the meeting, it was agreed that a student from Ang Thong Province who had won a scholarship in the “One District One Scholarship” Project in the third year would be permitted to change his area of study and university. He is currently a first year student of the Veterinary Medicine Faculty in Mahidol University and wishes to move to the Faculty of Medicine in Rangsit University.The scholarship winner aimed to become a doctor and had considered that a private university would offer courses of high quality. There were five more scholarship winners from the third year who had requested to change their areas of study and university, and who were also given the permission.

Permission was granted according to the regulations of the scholarship in the third year, which stated that “Scholarship winners should first consider studying in public universities, but, if it is necessaryfor them to study in private universities, permission might be granted after consideration by the “One District One Scholarship” Committee.

Outcome of Education Management Committee for Southern Border Provinces Meeting 2/2013

(08-05-2013)

Preparation for the New Semester
Mr. Thepkanjana said that the participants at the meeting were informed of the unrest that affects education in the Southern border provinces of Thailand. He asked that all related government sectors coordinate with one another as well as with national security departments to prepare everything before the new semester starts. Next week, in the area that needs supervision from a higher authority, the Minister or the Deputy Minister of Education will be there to attend a meeting with the relevant sectors before schools start.  

The Project for Teachers in Southern Border Provinces
During the meeting, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Education who had set up the donation project to help teachers in the Southern Border Provinces, reported that the donated money had been given to the heirs of teachers and educational personnel killed in the area. On the first occasion, the sum of 7,600,000 baht had been divided and given to 76 people on March 28, 2013 at the C.S Pattani Hotel. The second time, 5,700,000 baht was given to 57 heirs of those who had been killed and 800,000 was given to 8 disabled government officers at Had Yai Palace Hotel on April 10, 2013. The total amount of financial aid was15,700,000 baht altogether.  There were 12 people who did not receive any money. Nine of them did not have a contact address; two have not yet presented sufficient required documents, and one does not belong to the Ministry of Education.

   Before the meeting, the Permanent Secretary received 100,000 baht from Mr. Chaiwat Anankawanich, the President of the “Book Boon Today” Group. He wished to donate the money to the “Fund for Teachers in Southern Border Provinces.” The money donated to the fund will be given to teachers who had been affected or injured from working in the three southernmost provinces of Thailand and their families or descendants. Ms. Wiparat Rattanalertnawee, the Director of the Office of the Permanent Secretary, will deposit the money in the bank account of the fund.


Project to Develop the Potential of Teachers in Southern Border Provinces
Mr. Thepkanjana said that everyone at the meeting had been informed of the results of the implementation of the project, which had been created to provide development, learning, and exchange of teaching experience for local teachers in public and private schools. The development can be grouped into three programs, which are:
1) An intensive Summer Camp for Teachers in the Southern Border Provincesduring April 17-26, 2013
2) Teaching Development Courses for700 primary teachers, to help them become “Teacher Tutors”   in 5 subjects:Thai language, English Language, Malay Language, Mathematics, and Science
3) Potential Development Courses for High School Teachers, attended by 300 teachers in private schools that teach Islamic Religious Studies within the regular school curriculum. The program was to help them become “Teacher Tutors” for six subjects: Thai Language, English Language, Mathematics, Physics, and Biology. The period of the program was from April 29 – May 8, 2013.

In addition, the participants at the meeting also considered the preparation and installation of more security systems to increase safety for teachers and educational personnel in the three border provinces of the South.

MOE Minister giving interview after Thungsong-Bangkok Train Ride

(07-05-2013)

1. On“Train Systems”
   “Last night (May 1,2013) I took the train because I needed to travel from Trang to Hua Hin and there were no other better transportation options available. I boarded the train at about 10.30 pm and found out later that my program at Hua Hin had been cancelled, so I took the train straight on to Bangkok and arrived there at 11.00 am. It took quite a long time.  
           I have to admit that the train system in Thailand is underdeveloped. Its services have not been improved for a long time. The locomotives are at least 25 years old. That is why not so long ago, the cabinet made a resolution to purchase a number of new locomotives. You can see that taking a train from Thungsong to Bangkok took more than 13 hours. Traveling by train should be much faster than that. All of these delays were caused by the ineffectiveness of the system such as time spent waiting to shunt.   
          The government has just set up a new train track system, which will be beneficial for the transportation system in Thailand as a whole. More space to carry cargo and new trains that run at faster speeds are provided for people to choose from. I spoke to an officer of the State Railway of Thailand and he said that the numbers of people using the train services exceed the capacity of the trains to carry them. Train schedules do not continue for 24 hours a day. There are only a number of trains leaving the main station but there are long lines of people waiting to board them every day.
         The train is still in high demand in our country, therefore, if the train system is developed and improved so that trains can take people to their destinies faster, it will become an even more popular and inexpensive choice of transportation. I believe that the Thailand 2020 Project that the government has started will bring great development to the rail system.”   

Progress of High Speed Rail Project

    “Mr. Chadchart Sitthiphan, the Minister of Transportations and Communications, is working on this and there has been a lot of progress made. Many rail systems in Bangkok have been constructed, especially the Red Line. The State Railway of Thailand is still using diesel electric locomotives on the old tracks because the whole electric system is incomplete, but once the high-speed trains are ready to go on service, the people will have many more choices of train on which to travel. These trains will be very convenient and fast, almost like air freight. The trains will run through the middle of the city. Actually, it will be even better than using airplanes when you calculate the time and compare the price. It will be a safer way of traveling, too. People are afraid that the prices will be too high and that ordinary people will not be able to afford it, but I believe that the Ministry of Transportations and Communications will carefully consider the price structure. They will make sure that the system is affordable for most people. We really want everyone to have access to this service.”

 

MOE preparing human resources for this new train services

“We are usually assigned to prepare human resources whenever there are new development projects. For the coming new rail services, we need a lot of people to work in the system. Vocational and academic institutions must prepare them. We have discussed and speculated on the types of personnel suitable for different areas. The government will not only produce the workforce, but will also consider which industries to develop in order to support this new public transportation project so that we don’t have to waste money on foreign currency. We want more income and more business opportunities for Thai people.”

2. On“Corruption in the Teacher Assistant Examination”
Information expected from the Department of Special Investigation:
“The DSIis processing this criminal case and we are going to use the information from the case for investigating and deciding on the consequences for those who passed the exam by cheating. So far, we have received some information from DSI for our consideration and it was presented to OTEPC at the last meeting.”
“I assure you that this is not a phony fight. No one will be protected. We are working through the process in the most straightforward way. Any MOE personnel involved in this corruption will certainly be punished. As for the offenders outside the MOE, the Department of Special Investigation will find out whether or not they have any criminal liability."

Alcohol-Free Freshmen Welcome Party

(07-05-2013)

Mr. Supphakorn Wongprad, the Deputy Permanent Secretary of the Minister of Education, presided over a seminar of school directors and student leaders on the topic of alcohol-free activities in educational institutions, in cooperation with Professor Dr. Suchart Thaweepornpathomkul, the manager of the "Fund for Alcohol-free Activities in Educational Institutions" project, at the Thai Health Promotion Foundation on April 27, 2013.

Mr.Wongprad said in the seminar that Thailand is like an ill person who needs medication and therapy. People in Thailand can be divided into four categories:  (1) Youth, the most problematic group, involved in fights and drug abuse, (2) People in General, involved in conflicts, quarrels, divisions, and lack of unity, (3) Politicians, and (4) government officers and intellectual groups like university students. The last category is the important one. They are capable of solving social problems, like doctors treating a sick society. These people are the ones participating in this seminar on non-alcohol activities in schools and universities.

As the office supervising university students, the Ministry of Education assigns all educational institutions in the country to strictly observe student activities, especially freshmen welcome parties. It must not involve any kinds of violence or any unhealthful activities such as smoking, drinking, or illegal drug using.

“Cooperation between the MOE, the TPF, and educational institutions to initiate this campaign will help reduce alcohol consumption, smoking, and violence among youth and increase fraternity between university students,” said the Deputy Permanent Secretary.  

In this seminar, there was a forum to exchange opinions between heads of educational institutions and students, as well as a special lecture on “Knowing the Truth behind the Liquor Business” which was attended by 347 people, including university students and celebrities

MFA refuses to extend visa of foreign teachers

(07-05-2013)

Mr. Somkid Lertpaitoon, the President of Thammasart University and the Chairman of the Council of University Presidents of Thailand (CUPT), said that CUPT had submitted an official letter to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA), asking for a change in visa regulations for foreign teachers and students by extending their length of stay in Thailand. At present, foreign teachers who apply for a 4-year visa are usually granted only 1 year, and foreign students who apply for a 1-year visa are granted only 90 days. The MFA replied to this letter by refusing to do as requested. A similar petition sent to the Office of Thai Royal Police and to the Immigration Bureau was also turned down.

The Chairman of the CUPT disagreed with their decisions because he viewed that it is a way that universities should respond to the opening up of our country to the world. It is important for universities to employ quality people as teachers and to take good care of foreign students. The request was made for the benefit of all Thai universities and for the country. It is a waste of time and energy for foreign people to ask for visa extensions so often. He said that he will continue to send the petition, this time to those in higher authority such as Mr.Phongthep Thepkanjana, the Minister of Education, and Mr. Surapong Tovichakchaikul, the Minister of Foreign Affairs.

Minister calling up a meeting to find strategies for students fighting problem

(03-05-2013)

Golden Tulip Essential Vasu Hotel, Bangkok– Mr. Phongthep Thepkanjana, the Minister of Education, presided over a workshop on SO Strategy to prevent and solve the problem of quarrels and fights among vocational students on April 29, 2013. The participants of the meeting included Mr. Pradit Rasitanon, the Deputy Secretary General of the Vocational Education Commission, Mr.BunditSriphutthangkul, the Secretary General of the Private Education Commission, the Deputy-Commissioner General of the Royal Thai Police, Representatives from the Ministry of Defense, the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Public Health, the Office of the Royal Thai Police, parents, and school directors.

The Minister of Education stated his opinion at the beginning of the meeting that the problem of students fighting with one another is not an uncommon thing because there are always conflicts at places where a number of people stay together. However, if we let the students continue to fight without setting up any preventive measures, they will continue to behave this way and will ask the other person or group out for a fight, whenever a conflict arises.

More and more violence is used in student fights today than in the past. Parents now begin to reconsider whether they should let their children study in vocational schools because they are worried about safety. News about vocational students violently fightingand ending up with people getting injured or killed has had great impact on the decisions of those who want to study in vocational institutes. They are afraid that studying there might cause them to lose their own lives or lose their friends and family. This kind of news does not come out every day, but it severely affects the feelings of people.

Thailand is still in need of people graduating from a vocational line of education. They account for only 34 percent of all graduated students today. One of the educational goals of our nation is to have 50 per cent of students graduate from vocational institutions and the other half graduate from universities. Therefore, we need to attract people to this line of study and eliminate whatever makes them afraid to do so.
   The government needs cooperation from every sector to seriously deal with the problem. In some other countries, student bullying or students fighting within a school is already considered an act of violence. Most schools in other countries will immediately deal with the problem by dismissing the student who uses violence, in order to give a strong warning to others that this kind of behavior is really unacceptable. However, only some vocational schools in Thailand dismiss students who commit violent crimes. Although they ensure that the students can continue their study elsewhere, the act of dismissing the wrongdoing students is a good example for others, for it shows them the consequence of fighting and using violence. This should be a matter for all vocational institutes to consider.

The minister also thanked many public sector organizations that have given their cooperation to solve this problem. There have been times when some conflicts were resolved and the root cause of the problem was removed. He admitted that the cause of conflicts among these students is hard to determine, like the reason why dogs hate cats. It is hard to find out how they can become enemies with students studying in another institution. However, the minister believes that it is possible to change their attitudes. Some graduated vocational students are able to work peacefully in the same organization with those whom they used to fight with in the past. Therefore, taking students from different institutions to participate in activities together is an effective method.

The minister also mentioned that the cause of the problem has been analyzed by psychological experts, such as the Director of Nakhonratchasima Rajanagarindra Psychiatric Hospital. The problem is being studied at the hospital and they are working to find a solution. The result of their study should lead to practical actions that will solve the problem. An opinion was stated in the meeting that it is important to let students know that vocational education can help them get a job with private organizations after graduating. If they are convinced that this kind of education can give them a bright future, they might want focus more on their studies and try to behave well. Currently, the Minister of Education is cooperating with many top companies such as BMW, B.Grimm, and Bosch in order to provide opportunities for vocational students to have on-the-job-training during their studies or getting a real job with good companies after graduating.

In conclusion, the minister asked that every sector should collaboratively find solutions and implement them. He hoped to see more positive news about vocational students through the media and more people studying in vocational institutions for it would have a good impact on the numbers of vocational personnel in Thailand. He looked forward to seeing effective strategies being established to end the problem of vocational students fighting, and hoped that he would be able to report this to the prime minister soon.

ASEAN Trade Leader

(03-05-2013)

Mr. Phongthep Thepkanjana, the Minister of Education, presided over the opening ceremony of a business forum called “The Path Toward Becoming a Leader in ASEAN-China Trade” arranged by the University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce in cooperation with the ASEAN Trade Promotion Association on April 29, 2013 at Thai Chamber of Commerce, Bangkok.  

The Minister said that the opening of the ASEANEconomic Community in 2015 would lead to more freedom in trading and services. Some businesses and some groups of people might be affected but it is an opportunity for those who can adjust and change. The market will increase from 67 million people within Thailand to 600 million people in the ASEAN region. Larger markets also mean more opportunities and channels of trade. E-Commerce will be beneficial for small businesses for it saves them the cost of setting up a store and helps them access all groups of customers. 

The Minister of Education said that university students and business people should have knowledge and expertise of languages, not just Thai and English, but also Chinese and other languages used in the ASEAN region. Possessing language skills will bring advantages to one’s business. Most importantly, university students should learn to look for more business channels, not just in Thailand but in other countries as well. They should know where to find resources and a variety of markets as well as knowing how to impress and create trust with the neighboring countries by showing them sincerity, good attitudes, and ethical trading. Sustainable business can happen if one does not take advantage of others and intend to bring benefits to both sides.    

“I would like academic and business institutions to provide courses for ASEAN business leaders. We need cooperation from well-known and widely-accepted business institutions to enhance people’s knowledge, open their vision to the world, and give opportunities for them to build business networks in the ASEAN region,” said the Minister of Education.

MOE sells 30-70% discounted student uniforms

(03-05-2013)

Mr. Sermsak Pongpanit, Deputy Minister of Education, said that the government has a policy to provide quality education and has allocated a budget to support children from early childhood until they complete primary education. This budget should help reduce the tuition fees and the cost of learning tools, school uniforms, textbooks, and enabling activities in order that all Thai children have equal education opportunities. This year, the government wants to lighten the burden of parents who are facing changes in the economics so the Office of the Non-Formal and Informal Education is assigned to arrange a big sale of discounted school uniforms during May 2-12, 2013. The uniforms will be discounted from the price tags about30-70%.

"I reported this to Mr. Phongthep Thepkanjana, our Minister of Education, and he agreed with the idea. He also suggested that this type of sales should be arranged in other provinces as well, to lighten the burden of the parents,” said Sermsak.

Mr. Prasert Boonruang, Secretary General of Ministry of Education, received cooperation from many uniform stores and companies such as Samor, Somchainuk, Mammoth, Normchit, etc. The uniforms produced by the students of Clothing Construction Vocational Center will be on sale in this fair as well, with prices discounted by 70%. Whether similar types of sales will be arranged in other provinces will depend on their policies.

Ministry of Labour launches project to ensure transparency in Office of Permanent Secretary operations

(03-05-2013)

Deputy Permanent Secretary of Ministry of Labour presided over a ceremony to launch a project to ensure transparency in Office of the Permanent Secretary’s complaint service at Rangsit University’s Viphavadee Study Centre. The project, the second of its kind, emphasized on satisfaction of service receivers.

Mr. Poonsak Sethanandha, Deputy Permanent Secretary of Ministry of Labour, said the project is part of the government policy, which requires all government agencies to evaluate and explore their missions that are risk of being involved in corruption. Office of the Permanent Secretary chose to improve its complaint service.

He said with information system and good knowledge about service, officials at Office of the Permanent Secretary can quickly search for needed information and examine services delivered, which would satisfy service receivers.

The project would also enhance knowledge on the usage of benefits-claiming service for insured person who are unemployed. These would make Ministry of Labour’s Labour Service Centre a place where people can truly rely upon.

According to the deputy permanent secretary, the project consists of three activities; the improvement of search system to help ensure transparency in the complaint service process, the training to improve knowledge about the system for service providers and the data collection and satisfaction evaluation of the service.

A total of 50 officials joined the project at Rangsit University’s Viphavadee Study Centre.

Alien workers service center for 3 nationalities(Burmese, Laos, and Cambodian) at Major Hollywood Suksawad Ratchaburana

(03-05-2013)

POL.COL. Watcharapol Prasaratchakit, Deputy Director-General of the National Police Bureau presided over the opening ceremony of alien workers service center for 3 nationalities (Burmese, Laos, and Cambodian) of Office of Migration. In this regard, Mr. Anusorn Kraiwatnussorn, Vice Minister of Labour and Mrs. Naruemon Tarndumrong, Advisor to Minister of Labour also joined the opening ceremony. MOL has coordinated with National Police Bureau in increasing one stop service at Major Hollywood Suksawad Ratchaburana and Imperial Department store Latprao in order to facilitate 3 nationalities of alien workers (Burmese, Laos, and Cambodian) and provide a better service of alien works.

Thailand, Oman explore ways for labour cooperation

(02-05-2013)

Mr. Anusorn Kraiwatnussorn, Vice Minister of Labour, said Mr. Pornchai Danvivathana, Ambassador of Thailand to the Sultanate of Oman, met with Mr. Lee Chee Khian, CEO Specialist Economic Zone Authority at Duqm, to discuss about the possibility of singing accords on labour cooperation between Thailand and Oman. The accords concern the sending of Thai workers to work in Oman and skill development training.

 

According to the vice minister of labour, Thailand was asked to arrange lectures and develop curriculums for skill training program, designed for local workers in petroleum drilling and refining, building, iron and welding industries in Oman. The Arab state also wanted Thailand to send semi-skilled and skilled workers in building and oil drilling sector to work in the country.

Minister of Labour urges workers to improve skills to prepare for AEC

(01-05-2013)

Minister of Labour presided over a ritual ceremony held to mark the National Labour Day on May 1, 2013. He urged workers to speed up improving their skills to prepare for the formational of ASEAN Community in late 2015 and said the new minimum wage policy would help improve workers’’ quality of lives.

Mr. Phadermchai Sasomsub, Minister of Labour, said after the ritual ceremony held to mark the National Labour Day near the Equestrian Monument that May 1 was a very important day for workers. Ministry of Labour was the main agency that took care and protected workers from both formal and informal sectors as well as those working overseas. It looked to improve workers’ quality of lives, ensure they have career stability and increase their skill so they could compete with workers from other foreign countries, especially when the formation of the AC was just two year away.

Mr. Phadermchai said the increase of minimum wage to 300 baht per day was just the guarantee of workers’ basic pay. They had to keep improving their skills to earn higher pay.

He stressed that the new minimum wage would certainly help improve workers’ quality of lives. Workers affected by the policy could contact Department of Employment for information on available job positions or skill training courses. They could also attend skill training courses organized by Department of Skill Development. Workers could send their complaints about unfair treatment under the policy to Office of Labour Protection and Welfare or concerned Ministry of Labour’s agencies across the country. The ministry would launch punishment against employers who breached the policy.

In response to 11 demands rasied by the Labour Congress of Thailand on the National Labour Day, the labour minister said his ministry had implemented some of the demands including the setting up of breast-feeding corner in workplaces, which the ministry was waiting for the enactment of a bill to enforce workplaces on the matter. It had also requested workplaces to allow male workers to take leave for 15 days to take care of their wife after giving birth but still had to wait for the enactment of a bill to enforce workplaces on the matter.

As for the signing of the International Labour Organization (ILO) Convention No. 87 and 98, he said the issue had reached Office of the Council of State. Once it was approved, it would then be forwarded to the cabinet and the House of Representatives.

As for other demands, he said some concerned other organisations, including Ministry of Finance. Ministry of Labour would coordinate with Ministry of Finance through Office of Labour Protection and Welfare in speeding up the implementation of the demands.

Ministry of Labour and its agencies jointly organized the Labour Day ceremony to promote public awareness of workers. To mark the National Labour Day, ritual activities were in the morning. The labour minister and Ministry of Labour’s executives then led 14 processions of workers in a march to the Sanam Luang for Labour Day cerebrations, where there were concerts from musicians from R-Siam Co Ltd, mor lam musicians from Ubon Ratchathani province and quiz contest by Ministry of Labour’s agencies.

Permanent Secretary for Labour chairs meeting on career promotion for people with disability

(30-04-2013)

Mr. Somkiat Chayasriwong, Permanent Secretary of Ministry of Labour, chaired a meeting to discuss ways to promote employment and business opportunities for people with disability. The meeting, which took place at Department of Employment’s Amporn Junnanond Conference Room, was attended by representatives from public, garment, toursim, retail, agricultural, food and financial sectors.

US envoy, Vice Labour Minister discuss illegal workers problem

(30-04-2013)

Mrs. Miriam Awad, Deputy Economic Counselor, and a group of delegation from the U.S. Embassy in Thailand met with Mr. Anusorn Kraiwatnussorn, Vice Minister of Labour, at Office of the Permanent Secretary’s Conference Room. During the meeting, the U.S. delegation and Thai representatives from Department of Labour Protection and Welfare and Department of Employment exchanged information on measures designed to prevent and examine illegal workers of the two countries.