Introduction
English is widely used as a communicative
device by people across the globe. Crystal (2008)
states that the number of English users worldwide
is estimated to reach two million people. Crystal
further adds that the figure of non-native speakers
of English is significantly greater than English native
speakers’. Thus, the status of English is more noticeable
as a lingua franca over the world. In Thailand,
English also plays a leading role as a lingua franca
(Baker, 2009) because it is mostly used by Thais to
interact with people whose first language is not
English, particularly in the Thai tourism industry
(Todd, 2006). Furthermore, this can be most obviously
seen with the establishment of the ASEAN Community
in 2015, when English will become an official tool
for communication among the ASEAN member
countries and its counterparts.
Thus, English is extremely important for
Thais for communicating with people from various
countries and multicultural backgrounds. In order to
prepare Thais for this situation, developing effective
English users for intercultural communication has to
be taken into consideration. It can be said that Thai
English teachers who are in charge of providing Thai
students with knowledge and skills for communication
in English may have the most significant role.
Consequently, this paper proposes some important
recommendations to Thai English teachers in providing
students with skills and knowledge for more
successful intercultural communication in the era
of English as a lingua franca in Thailand.