Although research shows that Thailand leads other ASEAN countries in the fields such as medicine, Thai doctors and nurses are not getting paid as much as those in other ASEAN countries. As a result, Thailand will have to face a labor shortage due to fact that Thai doctors and nurses will want to work in countries where the can get a higher pay. Other professions that might be at risk in the country are engineers, architects, dentists, accountants and other business-related jobs.
Thailand will face a conundrum as it offers a competitive lifestyle but wages do not match those of countries like Malaysia and Singapore, so more skilled people would leave for better pay, leaving more unskilled workers back home. To stay competitive, Thailand will have to offer better wages to skilled workers and develop education and training for less skilled workers.