So how can we fix this problem? I don't have all the answers, but I think that Thai people will continue to put in a very small amount of effort as long as they don't see any real need to learn English. But as ASEAN becomes stronger and more unified, and as the world in general becomes more of a tight-knit community Thailand will soon see they are lagging far behind other countries where many if not most of the citizens actually speak their second language.
PJ