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Punch 11-01

Asean Economic Community

Ready or not, here it comes (Bangkok Post). The Association of Southeast Asian Nations

(ASEAN) has become an important role in Thailands economy after the establishing of the ASEAN

Economic Community, or as known as AEC, at the very end of 2015. It is supposed to produce an

association-wide economic integration. Some observers believe that the AEC plans expected to

much that our community is still not prepared for it. The process has mostly emphasized in the

wrong aspect. As a result, this leads to the slow process of developing the AEC. However, Thailand

is taking various steps that can be done to educate, promote and give out the information about AEC

to the public mind, but is that all?

The goal of the AEC is to create a free trade zone in ASEAN, reduce poverty, and unify

ASEAN into a global economy. Creating a huge market for over 622 million people with 2.6 trillion

US dollars (ASEAN). Every year since 2012, the Ministry of Education has largely organized

seminars and encouraged schools to realize the importance of the AEC; along with starting the

English programs and included the English classes in Thai school. The writers previous school also

has an ASEAN day to let students get to know more about each ASEAN country. Also getting to

involved in lots of activities and seeing a traditional show of each country as well. Furthermore, the

government also set out campaigned for people to be more accustomed with the AEC. They

published an article about Thailand and the AEC on the governments website; encouraging people

to travel around ASEAN countries to boost up each other economy. But are we --Thai people-- ready

to be a part of the AEC? How can we create equality among ASEAN countries when we still have
poverty in our own country? To be ready to be a fully developed country, Thailand should therefore

reduce poverty and have more equality in the society by spread out the civilization.

AEC has truly emphasized most about economics, but another thing that most people neglect

is about the income inequality. Poverty is still plays a huge role in our society. Written by the

Bangkok Post: Thailand has been ranked the world's third most unequal nation after Russia and

India, with a constantly widening gap between rich and poor. There are not many opportunities

for people who live far from Bangkok, the capital city of Thailand. Most of the good universities,

huge shopping malls, delicious restaurants and better-paid jobs are all in the same area. Even though

Bangkok is a really civilized place, but other provinces in Thailand is facing a poverty problems.

According to the UN Millennium Development Goals, they have encouraged a wide-range of

practicals steps that allow people to improve their lives and as well as their future: MDGs helped to

lift more than one billion people out of extreme poverty. They also claim that they would try to put

an end to poverty and leaving no one behind in the next fifteen years. We, indeed, should start to

improve our country not only in big cities but also the poor places that needed help. Nevertheless,

Thailand is said to be just the second behind Singapore in terms of the readiness; releasing 93.3

percent of the AEC blueprint which provides broad directions through strategic measures for the

AEC from 2016 to 2025 (The Nation). Thailand has a higher development level than other countries

among ASEAN including the basic education, skilled labor, and high quality public health through a

developed infrastructure. Moreover, Thailand is located in the center of the region and borders four

countries, which made the trade and transportation of goods and labor became easy. But that

readiness seems to spread out just only to who owns a big business or a rich landowners in the

country.
English is a second language that most of the people in the world use to communicate to

people in other country. English is also the official language for ASEAN and also plays a huge role

in integrating ASEAN nations. The Ministry of Thailand has started to involve an English language

in Thai curriculum before the first AECs strategics approach; trying to get children to be ready and

more familiar with the English, also to be able to communicate with others fluently. Still, more than

half of Thai people is incapable of speaking English. Thailand is said to be 8th in the list of speaking

English in ASEAN country. It would be a lot easier not only to start a business but also an

investment in other countries if we all can communicate in the same language and understand each

other. Even more, technology has helped globalize us in a world of business, education, and science.

This could open an opportunity for people to find jobs outside the country with the support from the

AEC. This can even lead to the economy of the countries because, with the support of the AEC,

people who are capable to communicate in English is more likely to get a job than people who cant.

These are why we should started to be concern and more active to learn English to be able to

compete with others.

Having an equality and be able to communicate not only in each own country but the whole

ASEAN would be a great step for AEC to move forward to compete with other economic regions.

Free trade of good and also labor would be so much easier and quicker. People will move freely

from place to place like there is no border between each country. There might even be the same

currency that is uses in ASEAN countries. Our economy would grow bigger and stronger, and

people would have a better quality of life. Opportunities for people would increase and they can

move further in their life to seek for happiness. But all of these would not happen if the inequality

still occurs and English is still not widely and effectively taught to all Thais.
References

22059, W. (2014, January 14). Is Thailand ready for Asean Economic Community? Retrieved

January 31, 2017, from

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/696208-is-thailand-ready-for-asean-economic-comm

unity/

C. (2015, March 12). Readiness for Thailand with AEC. Retrieved January 31, 2017, from

https://chayanmai.wordpress.com/2015/03/12/readiness-for-thailand-with-aec/

Hey Thailand - Are You Ready for AEC? I Hope So. (n.d.). Retrieved January 31, 2017, from

http://www.gregtodiffer.com/hey-thailand-are-you-ready-for-aec-i-hope-so/

Importance of English in ASEAN. (n.d.). Retrieved February 22, 2017, from

http://ceemeeagain.blogspot.com/

Is Thailand REALLY ready for the AEC? (n.d.). Retrieved January 31, 2017, from

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/news/opinion/achara_deboonme/30259859

PCL., P. P. (n.d.). Asean Economic Community 2015: Ready or not, here it comes. Retrieved

January 31, 2017, from

http://www.bangkokpost.com/learning/work/454697/asean-economic-community-2015-rea

dy-or-not-here-it-comes

PCL., P. P. (n.d.). Thailand 'third most unequal' Retrieved February 22, 2017, from

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/general/1193341/thailand-third-most-unequal

Thailand's Readiness for the ASEAN Economic Community: Strengths and Weaknesses for

Integration. (2012, August 16). Retrieved January 31, 2017, from

http://www.kriengsak.com/asian aec

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