Vocational and Technical Education
Formal vocational and technical education is conducted at three
levels: upper secondary (leading to the Lower Certificate of
Vocational Education), post secondary (leading to a Diploma or
Vocational Associate Degree) and university level (leading to a
Degree). There are currently over 1 million students enrolled in
the various vocational study pathways. Eight fields of study are
undertaken as majors: trade and industry, agriculture, home
economics, fisheries, business and tourism, arts and crafts,
textiles and commerce.
The move toward lifelong learning and a learning society has
been embodied in a credit transfer system to facilitate mobility
between institutions; in the recognition of different types of
qualifications from various institutions offering vocational training;
and the evaluation of prior learning and work experience from
within the formal, non-formal and informal sectors. Reforms are
currently being implemented to remodel the system towards
a Thai Vocational Qualification (TVQ) based upon industrial
practices and needs.