ASEAN integration in 2015 may make English a lingua franca. Learning languages will be important. Thai students have been urged to improve their English and also learn a third language so they can compete with people from other Southeast Asian nations
Filipino laborers could speak better English than Thais, giving them a much better chance of getting hired in other countries.
It was now time for Thai students to improve their English and learn a third language such as Vietnamese, Bahasa, Japanese or Korean, he added. if the education system and students paid no attention to language improvement, Thailand mightlose its competitive edge to Vietnam as many Vietnamese could now speak English or even Thai.