The Thai TESOL Association (Durongphan et al., n. d.) has compiled the
history of English language teaching in Thailand as follows. English language
teaching has been conducted in Thailand for more than a century. It was started
in the reign of King Rama III (1824 -1851) by an American missionary. To cope
with the threat of Western colonisation, King Rama IV (1851-1868) himself
started to learn English and was the first king who could communicate with
foreigners without the help of an interpreter. He employed an English teacher to
teach his children and sent scholars to study in Europe. At that time, there were
also some commoners studying English. The first English textbook, consisting
of elementary lessons, the first workbook, and the first dictionaries (both
English - Thai and Thai - English) were also published during this time.
English became the most prestigious foreign language during the reign of
King Rama V (1868-1910), when many foreigners visited Thailand, creating a
greater need for English. King Rama V believed that the modernization and
progress of the country required more Thais to study foreign languages and be
educated abroad. The importance of English can be seen from a ruling issue
which stated that those who had completed English Schools’ Standard Two
could be exempted from military services. The Ministry of Education was
founded during this time and more schools for commoners were established. In
1891, English standard was added in the curriculum and examinations. It was a
6 year programme focusing on reading, writing and translation into and from
English. Knowledge of English thus enabled Thai officials to deal with foreign
traders and diplomats without the need for a translator, and also helped Thai
students to learn about modern technologies which helped to develop the
country.