A Change of Guard

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Wednesday 20 May 2015

Is Thailand REALLY ready for the ASEAN Economic Community?


17-May-15 | By Achara Deboonme
 
BANGKOK (The Nation/ANN) -- Former finance minister Korn Chatikavanij should be commended for his devotion. As chairman of the Democrat Party's policy unit, he has proved that his eyes and ears are open to every nuance of national policy.

The latest proof came at a talk on "Asean Economic Integration: Will the Asean Way Get in the Way?", hosted by Chulalongkorn University last month. 

Indicating that he had been glued to the junta's TV programme on the achievements of its first eight months in power, Korn noted that during its 90-minute talk by Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha, the word "AEC" had not been mentioned even once. Neither was it mentioned during the next two and half hours, in which ministers reported on the performance of their respective areas.

Korn did not hide his deep concern that economic integration would fail to materialise at the end of this year, as planned. 

Aside from the Thai leadership's lack of attention, he was worried about the general public's readiness for integration. 

His fears centre on our level of English-language proficiency. He recalled a visit upcountry where he met a mother who proudly said that her 11-year-old had top-scored in English at school. As a test, he asked the girl what the verb "to do" means. The girl didn't have a clue, and nor did her sister, reported Korn.

"If awareness of the AEC is highest in Thailand, that's worrying, because awareness in Thailand is still very low," he said.


Well, Korn should at least be glad that the junta has taken some action, seven months ahead of the deadline.

Last week, after a briefing on preparations, Prayut appointed himself chairman of the working group on political integration.

Meanwhile, Prawit Wongsuwan, a lifelong general and currently deputy prime minister for security, has been appointed chairman of the working group on economic integration. (Pridiyathorn Devakula, deputy PM on economic affairs, is chairman of the social and cultural integration pillar.)

The prime minister has also insisted that Thailand is ready for the AEC. 

As if addressing Korn's concerns, he said that readiness was not gauged by English proficiency alone. 

Yet, he tacitly acknowledged the problem by revealing that the Education Ministry has been ordered to promote more use of English among Thais, as well as the teaching of our neighbours' languages. 

It seems the PM realises that English - spoken by 1.2 billion around the globe and chief among the United Nations' six official languages - is key to our future. 

His conviction is heartening. But I also count myself among the doubters over Thailand's readiness for economic integration.

Following the briefing on AEC preparations, the government's website published an article claiming that Thailand is second only to Singapore in terms of readiness. It said Thailand had realised 80 per cent of theAsean blueprint for integration.

Just before Prayut headed to Kuala Lumpur for last month's Asean Summit, Deputy Commerce Minister Apiradee Tantraporn claimed that Thailand had realised 93.3 per cent of the blueprint, with only 34 measures left to be completed ahead of deadline time, including the ratification of trade accords. This information was also available on the government's website.

Amid the conflicting data, the prime minister demonstrated his leadership. 

Last week, he urged all to deliver a vision of integration for the next 10 years and specify how Thailand could achieve it. 

He emphasised that the public should know both the advantages and the disadvantages associated with integration.

In doing so he fulfilled the vow he made in December with other regional leaders in signing the Nay Pyi Taw Declaration on the Asean Community's Post-2015 Vision to "shape a bold and forward-looking future for Asean which will enhance and strengthen the Asean Community and enable the realisation of a politically cohesive, economically integrated, socially responsible, and a truly people-oriented, people-centred and rules-based Asean".

As integration draws near, academics, the business sector and the general public remain confused over what exactly will follow after the launch at the end of this year. 

"The [AEC] is just one mission accomplished. People are wondering what will come after 2015," Michael Yeoh, CEO of the Malaysia-based Asian Strategy and Leadership Institute, told a recent China Daily roundtable on the theme "China, Asean and the New Silk Road - Global Financial Perspectives". 

Experts at the roundtable meeting agreed that Asean needs new plans for the post-2015 period and the new era of a single regional market.

Having the vision is good. But we also need the correct information to shape it.

What is necessary in Thailand and other Asean members -including least-developed countries like Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar - are concerted efforts to keep tabs on the progress of integration.

Awareness of the AEC is apparent among rich landowners in border provinces, who are busy buying up tracts in the anticipation that integration will boost land prices. 

But whether that awareness is spreading through the rest of the country remains a big question. 

If the AEC still seems a faraway fantasy to many Thais, how can we envisage life after 2015?

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