Thailand has a long tradition of literacy and education dating back
centuries, primarily as the result of the Sangha (Buddhist order). Young men
could spend time at Buddhist monasteries and in the process could study both
This account of English in the formal education system in Thailand traces briefly its historical background and then looks at the teaching of English today. The country itself has quite a complex sociolinguistic context and in order to understand the teaching and learning of English, one must understand the basic tenets of the culture. From this cross-cultural perspective, we can then understand some of the new initiatives that are presently being taken in English Language Teaching in Thailand.