This consultancy visit was greatly facilitated by the existence of a number of recent reports on
bilingual education in Thailand, in particular Keyuravong (2008) and Coleman (2009). In the first of
these, a comprehensive background report on bilingual English programmes in Thailand,
Keyuravong explains what EBE means in Thai terms, and in the Thai school system:
“In Thailand, the term used to refer to a school program with English as a medium of instruction is
‘English Program’ or EP. ……… According to the Bureau of Education Innovation, Ministry of
Education (2003), there are two types of English programs: the Mini English Program and the
English Program:
The Mini English Program (MEP) – offers at least two core subjects (out of the total of nine
subjects) taught in English, excluding Thai language and social studies with aspects related
to Thai culture. The English-medium classes occupy at least 8-14 hours per week.
The English Program (EP) – offers at least four core subjects taught in English (out of the
total of nine subjects), excluding Thai language and social studies with aspects related to
Thai culture. The English-medium classes occupy at least 15 hours per week. “