Like many other Asian countries, Thailand went through an education
reform in order to cope with the advances in modern technology which transformed Thai society from an agricultural one to a semi-industrial and service-based one (Pitiyanuwat and Anatrasirichai 2002). Other causes also contributed to the education reform, the chief one being the economic crisis in mid-1997 which reflected the country’s social and educational weaknesses. Developments in information technology have changed the world and the way
of life of many, especially those in the rural areas. The lifestyle of rural people’s lifestyle has become more urbanized due to the high-speed telecommunications. In addition, changes in demographic structure and the results of family planning, public health, and medical progress have all had their influence on education reform. With the increasing ratio of older people to younger people, education needs to focus more on human development, i.e., producing qualified manpower for the economic development of the country, and creating a higher quality of life that involves morality, intellectual progress, happiness and lifelong learning.