A BAD MOVE FOR THAILAND

The University Presidents' Council of Thailand has announced plans not to include foreign language tests for students in the criteria for universoty admissions, according to a story in The Nation this morning. French and German are mentioned although, interestingly, English is not.
I personally cannot see English being disregarded but I predict a big negative impact for Thailand if it happens. My views are also shared by many leading academics according to the report. This news comes hot on the heals of a report by Grant Thornton which shows English Language development is regarded as a high priority for a majority of Thai companies - ahead of project management, business management and financial management skills.
Like it or not English is the language of global business. If Thailand wants to compete on a global stage then more - not less - people need to be confident about communicating with partners overseas.