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Asean Community challenges

Thai English skills

2 Jan 2016 at 10:15 7,431 viewed4 comments

WRITER: TERRY FREDRICKSON

ORIGINAL SOURCE/WRITER: DUMRONGKIAT MALA

Level switch:
1. Advanced

English Programmes, which teach multiple subjects in English, are one option for
schools readying their students for the Asean Community. (Photos by Panupong
Changchai)
Welcome to the AC. How's your English? For many Thais, the answer
appears to be 'not good enough' and they may miss out on employment
opportunities the community offers.
Please join us on our Facebook
page http://www.facebook.com/bangkokpostlearning
Note: The new Asean Community consists of three parts:
Asean Political Security Community (APSC)
Asean Economic Community (AEC)
Asean Socio Cultural Community (ASCC)

Thais fear AC English barrier

Dumrongkiat Mala
The launch of the Asean Community (AC) on Thursday, and
the integration ofregional economies through the free movement
of skilled labour in an English-mediated environment,
has prompted fears among Thais, who worry their
Englishcompetency is not up to par to compete in the labour
market.

Thais' poor grasp of the English language has generated concern among
students, teachers and policy-makers, and comes despite
the vast new employmentopportunities promised by the Asean
Economic Community (AEC).

An English language classroom at Chetupon Commercial College, which is

preparing students for the Asean Community.
According to the EF English Proficiency Index 2015 conducted by
Education First Language Institute, Thailand is a non-English speaking
country with "very low" Englishproficiency.
The English abilities of Thai people are ranked at 14th out of 16 countries
in Asia and 62nd out of 70 countries worldwide.
Tothsaporn Thongdee, 20, a second-year higher vocational student at
the Eastern Technological College in Chon Buri said he worries about
whether his English is strong enough for his future career as
an accountant, a profession that is granted free movement under the
AEC.
"I think I'm good at accounting but I'm not sure I can find a job
after graduation since my English is not good," he said.
Under the Asean Mutual Recognition Arrangements, professionals in
eight fields are allowed free movement throughout the region.

The
eight fields are accountancy, engineering, surveying, architecture,
nursing,medical services, dental services and tourism.
"Workers from other countries can come to work here. Competition will get
fiercer for those who are not well-prepared," said Kanjana Kiewpimai, 16, a
student enrolled in the English Programme of Chetupon Commercial
College's Hotel Management course.

Kanjana Kiewpimai (left) and Pairtiwa Rampool, students in Chetupon Commercial

College's English Programme seem positive about the opportunties the AC will offer
them.
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha yesterday urged Thais to pay more
attention to improving their capacity to communicate in English, which
he also considers a weak point for Thais in the era of the AC.
He called on people to boost their skills to compete in the AC labour
market, as they will face tougher competition from people
from neighbouring countries, according to government spokesman
Sansern Kaewkamnerd.
By contrast to the lack of confidence expressed by political leaders,
the minority of students who study under English Programmes (EP) or
mini-English Programmes introduced by the Office of Vocational Education
Commission (Ovec) in 2012, and do speak well, are optimistic about the
opportunities that will open up to them in the AEC.

Pairtiwa Rampool, 16, a Hotel Management student at Chetupon

Commercial College,anticipates much travel in her future.
"After graduation, I plan to study further in Switzerland, then I
will consider applying for jobs outside my country as the AEC will open
doors for me," she said.
"I would like to work in Singapore because the salary over there is better
than here in Thailand."
Chetupon Commercial College's English Programme was introduced three
years ago to prepare Thai students for the AC.
Ovec oversees 167 vocational institutes nationwide, teaching 22
subjects to more than 4,000 students in the EP and Mini EP.
The EP is part of the government's six-point strategy for the country
to thrive in the AC, which also includes creating public awareness of
Asean, improving
education,sharpening labour proficiency, boosting technology and
forming more networks withneighbouring countries.

Amornrat Kreetatorn, the head of the English programme at Chetupon Commercial

College.
Following the launch of the AEC, the job market will become more
competitive. People with higher skills in English will be at an advantage,
so we try to prepare them for the AEC, said Amornrat Kreetatorn, 54, the
head of the English programme at Chetupon Commercial College.
While Thai students are relativelycompetitive in terms
of vocational skills, the lack of English proficiency is a
majordisadvantage, said Ms Amornrat.
"I am seeing an influx of skilled workers from countries like the

Philippines doing jobs that require English-speakingemployees in

Thailand. Our students need to be aware that workers with stronger
English skills will have the cutting edge," she said.
Meanwhile, Wanich Uamsri, Ovec's deputy secretary-general, said the
college is just one example of how Thailand is preparing itself
to ensure Thai workers do not fall behind in an integrated market that
promises a free flow of labour.
"Apart from the EP and mini EP students, the English competence of
Thai technical students in general remains low," Mr Wanich said.
He attributes the low English proficiency among most Thai vocational
students to thetraditionally prescriptive approach to education,
which he says hinders language learning.
The influence of Thai culture and low motivation among students to
learn a foreign language also play a part, he added.
"Thai students are good workers, but they still lack language abilities,
which will limittheir career opportunities," he said.
Meanwhile, Ovec has introduced an urgent plan to improve the
English skills of both students and teachers, including the publication of
small books with 1,000 often-used English vocabulary words for
the vocational sector and a one-month "train-the-trainer" programme
for vocational teachers in the first two months of this year.
"We are not expecting our teachers and students to become experts in
just a short period of time, but we want to boost their confidence in
using English," Mr Wanich said.
Learn from listening
Click "play" to listen to Asean Community challenges Thai English skills and "Download" to keep this
file for educational purpose.
Download

Vocabulary:
accountancy: the work or profession of an accountant, the process or work of keeping financial
accounts -

accountant: someone whose job is to prepare financial records for a company or person -
accounting: the preparation of financial records for a company, organisation or person -
advantage: a condition giving a greater chance of success -
anticipate: to expect something - ,

apply for a job (verb): to make a formal request for a job -

approach: a way of doing or dealing with something; a particular way of doing something or thinking
about something -
architecture: a particular style or way of designing buildings - ,

attribute to: to believe that something is the result of a particular situation, event, or persons actions
-
aware (verb): to know that something exists, or to have knowledge or experience of a particular thing
- ,
awareness: knowing that something exists, or having knowledge or experience of a particular thing , ,
barrier: an object like a fence or wall that prevents people from moving forward from one place to
another - , ,
boost: to increase -

capacity: the ability to do a particular thing - ,

career: a job or series of related jobs that you do, especially a profession that you spend a lot of your
working life in -
commercial: for business purposes -

commission: an official group of people who have been given responsibility to control something, or
to find out about something, usually for the government - ,
compete: to try to be more successful or better than somebody else who is trying to do the same as
you -
competence (noun): the ability to do something well -

competency: competence; the ability to do something well -

competition: a situation in which people or organizations compete, i.e., try to be more successful or
better than somebody else who is trying to do the same as you -
concern: a worry -

conduct: to do something in an organised way; to carry out - , ,

confidence: being certain of your abilities or of having trust in people, plans, or the future -

consider: to give careful thought to something before making a decision -
consider: to regard as; to think of as -

contrast: a noticeable difference -

culture (noun): the customs and beliefs, art, way of life and social organization of a particular country
or group -
cutting edge: the newest, most advanced stage in the development of something; an aspect of
something that gives it an advantage dental (adj): related to the teeth and gums -
deputy: a person whose rank is immediately below that of the leader of an organisation -

disadvantage: something that makes someone or something less effective, successful or attractive
economy: the relationship between production, trade and the supply of money in a particular country
or region -
employee: someone who is paid regularly to work for a person or an organisation -

employment (noun): when a person has work that earns them money - ,
engineering (noun): the activity of applying scientific knowledge to the design, building and control of
machines, roads, bridges, electrical equipment, etc -
English-mediated environment (noun): a situation where English is the language used to
communicate, especially where many different languages are spoken among the participants enroll: to put yourself onto the official list of members of a course or college -
ensure: to make certain that something happens or is done - , ,

era: a period of time that has a particular quality or character - ,

expert: someone who has a particular skill or who knows a lot about a particular subject -
fears (noun): the bad feeling that you have when you are in danger, when something bad might
happen, or when a particular thing frightens you -
field (noun): an area of specialized knowledge that people work, study, teach and do research in , ,
fierce: very strong - ,

flow: supply of something that continues without stopping -

generate: to produce -
graduation: the act of successfully completing a university degree, or studies at an American high
school; a ceremony at which degrees, etc. are officially given out - ,
grant: to officially give something -

grasp (noun): ability to understand something - ,

hinder: to hamper; to stop someone or something from making progess or developing -
improve: to make better -

in general: including the most important aspects of something; not exact or detailed; overall -

in terms of (idiom): regarding; used to show what aspect of a subject you are talking about or how
you are thinking about it - ,
index: a number that shows the price, value, or level of something compared with something else
influence: the power to have an effect on people or things -

influx: a large number of people or things coming in to a place - (

)
institute (noun): an organization that has a particular purpose, especially one that is connected with
education or a particular profession; the building used by this organisation ,,,
integrated: combining things of different types in one effective system -

integration: the process of combining with others to create a single unit or system - ,

introduce (verb): to start something new, for the first time - , ,

job market (noun): labour market; the number of people who are available to work, considered
together with all the available jobs -
labour: work -

labour market (noun): the number of people who are available to work, considered together with all
the available jobs -
lack of: when there is not enough of something -
launch: starting something -

limit: to stop something from increasing beyond a particular amount or level -

management: the people who run and control a business or similar organisation -

meanwhile: at the same time -

medical: connected with illness and injury and their treatment - , ,

minority: involving less than half of a group -

motivation: a reason for doing something -

mutual: felt or done in the same way by each of two or more people - , ,
nationwide: throughout a whole country -

neighbouring: located or living near or next to a place or person - , ,

network: a large system of connected parts, organisations, people, etc. -

nursing: the job or skill of caring for people/animals who are sick or injured -
opportunity: a chance to do something, or a situation in which it is easy for you to do something
optimistic: expecting good things to happen or to be successful - ,

oversee: to watch or organise a job or an activity to make certain that it is being done correctly -
,

pay attention: to watch, listen to, or consider something or someone very carefully - ,
policy: a set of plans or action agreed on by a government, political party, business, or other group
positive: in a good way -

prescriptive (adj): telling people what should be done -

profession: a type of job that needs special training or skill, especially one that needs a high level of
education -
professionals (noun): people who do jobs that need special training and a high level of education -
,

proficiency (noun): the ability to do some task or work correctly and efficiently; skill, knowledge,
competence - , , , ,,
prompted: caused -

publication: the act of printing something in a newspaper, report, etc. so that the public knows about
it - , ,
rank: to put someone or something into a position according to their success, importance, size etc
recognition: the act of accepting that something exists, is true or is official - ,

region: a large area of land or space, usually without exact limits or borders - , , ,

regional: of or relating to a region -

relatively: somewhat; in comparison with someone or something similar -

salary: a fixed amount of money that you earn each month or year from your job -
secretary-general (noun): the person who is in charge of the department that deals with the running
of a large international or political organisation - ,
sector: a group that is part of a larger group - ()
sharpen (verb): to become or make something better, more skilful, more effective, etc. than before

skill: the ability to do something well, usually as a result of experience and training - ,

skilled: having enough ability, experience and knowledge to be able to do something well - ,
strategy: a plan or method for achieving something, especially over a long period of time - ,

surveying: the act of examining and recording the measurements, features, etc. of an area of land ,
technical students (noun): vocational students -

thrive: to become, and continue to be, successful, strong, healthy, etc. - ,,

tourism (noun): the business activity connected with providing accommodation, services and
entertainment for people who are visiting a place for pleasure -
traditionally: of a custom, a way of life or a way of doing things that has not changed for a long time ,
up to par (idiom): as good as the required standard or as good as it should be -

urge: to advise someone very strongly about what action or attitude they should take - ,
urgent: needing to be dealt with immediately -

vast: extremely large in area, size, amount, etc. - ,

vocational: teaching the skills necessary for particular jobs -

vocational student (noun): a student attending a school which provided the skills necessary for
particular jobs -
worldwide: throughout the world -

Asean Community challenges Thai English skills

English Programmes, which teach multiple subjects in English, are one option for
schools readying their students for the Asean Community. (Photos by Panupong
Changchai)
Welcome to the AC. How's your English? For many Thais, the answer appears to
be 'not good enough' and they may miss out on employment opportunities the
community offers.
The launch of the Asean Community (AC) on Thursday, and the integration of
regional economies through the free movement of skilled labour in an Englishmediated environment, has prompted fears among Thais, who worry their
English competency is not up to par to compete in the labour market.
Thais' poor grasp of the English language has generated concern among
students, teachers and policy-makers, and comes despite the vast new
employment opportunities promised by the Asean Economic Community (AEC).
An English language classroom at Chetupon Commercial College, which is
preparing students for the Asean Community.
According to the EF English Proficiency Index 2015 conducted by Education First
Language Institute, Thailand is a non-English speaking country with "very low"
English proficiency.
The English abilities of Thai people are ranked at 14th out of 16 countries in Asia
and 62nd out of 70 countries worldwide.
Tothsaporn Thongdee, 20, a second-year higher vocational student at the Eastern
Technological College in Chon Buri said he worries about whether his English is
strong enough for his future career as an accountant, a profession that is granted
free movement under the AEC.
"I think I'm good at accounting but I'm not sure I can find a job after graduation
since my English is not good," he said.
Under the Asean Mutual Recognition Arrangements, professionals in eight fields
are allowed free movement throughout the region.
The eight fields are accountancy, engineering, surveying, architecture, nursing,
medical services, dental services and tourism.
"Workers from other countries can come to work here. Competition will get
fiercer for those who are not well-prepared," said Kanjana Kiewpimai, 16, a
student enrolled in the English Programme of Chetupon Commercial College's
Hotel Management course.
Kanjana Kiewpimai (left) and Pairtiwa Rampool, students in Chetupon
Commercial College's English Programme seem positive about the opportunties
the AC will offer them.
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha yesterday urged Thais to pay more attention to
improving their capacity to communicate in English, which he also considers a
weak point for Thais in the era of the AC.

He called on people to boost their skills to compete in the AC labour market, as

they will face tougher competition from people from neighbouring countries,
according to government spokesman Sansern Kaewkamnerd.
By contrast to the lack of confidence expressed by political leaders, the minority
of students who study under English Programmes (EP) or mini-English
Programmes introduced by the Office of Vocational Education Commission (Ovec)
in 2012, and do speak well, are optimistic about the opportunities that will open
up to them in the AEC.
Pairtiwa Rampool, 16, a Hotel Management student at Chetupon Commercial
College, anticipates much travel in her future.
"After graduation, I plan to study further in Switzerland, then I will consider
applying for jobs outside my country as the AEC will open doors for me," she
said.
"I would like to work in Singapore because the salary over there is better than
here in Thailand."
Chetupon Commercial College's English Programme was introduced three years
ago to prepare Thai students for the AC. Ovec oversees 167 vocational institutes
nationwide, teaching 22 subjects to more than 4,000 students in the EP and Mini
EP.
The EP is part of the government's six-point strategy for the country to thrive in
the AC, which also includes creating public awareness of Asean, improving
education, sharpening labour proficiency, boosting technology and forming more
networks with neighbouring countries.
Amornrat Kreetatorn, the head of the English programme at Chetupon
Commercial College.
Following the launch of the AEC, the job market will become more competitive.
People with higher skills in English will be at an advantage, so we try to prepare
them for the AEC, said Amornrat Kreetatorn, 54, the head of the English
programme at Chetupon Commercial College.
While Thai students are relatively competitive in terms of vocational skills, the
lack of English proficiency is a major disadvantage, said Ms Amornrat.
"I am seeing an influx of skilled workers from countries like the Philippines doing
jobs that require English-speaking employees in Thailand. Our students need to
be aware that workers with stronger English skills will have the cutting edge,"
she said.
Meanwhile, Wanich Uamsri, Ovec's deputy secretary-general, said the college is
just one example of how Thailand is preparing itself to ensure Thai workers do
not fall behind in an integrated market that promises a free flow of labour.
"Apart from the EP and mini EP students, the English competence of Thai
technical students in general remains low," Mr Wanich said.

He attributes the low English proficiency among most Thai vocational students to
the traditionally prescriptive approach to education, which he says hinders
language learning.
The influence of Thai culture and low motivation among students to learn a
foreign language also play a part, he added.
"Thai students are good workers, but they still lack language abilities, which will
limit their career opportunities," he said.

Meanwhile, Ovec has introduced an urgent plan to improve the English skills of
both students and teachers, including the publication of small books with 1,000
often-used English vocabulary words for the vocational sector and a one-month
"train-the-trainer" programme for vocational teachers in the first two months of
this year.
"We are not expecting our teachers and students to become experts in just a
short period of time, but we want to boost their confidence in using English," Mr
Wanich said.
Vocabulary:
accountancy : the work or profession of an accountant, the process or work of
keeping financial accounts -

accountant : someone whose job is to prepare financial records for a company or

person -

accounting : the preparation of financial records for a company, organisation or

person -

advantage : a condition giving a greater chance of success anticipate : to expect something -

apply for a job (verb): to make a formal request for a job -

approach : a way of doing or dealing with something; a particular way of doing

something or thinking about something -

architecture : a particular style or way of designing buildings -

attribute to : to believe that something is the result of a particular situation,

event, or persons actions -

aware (verb): to know that something exists, or to have knowledge or experience

of a particular thing -

awareness : knowing that something exists, or having knowledge or experience

of a particular thing -

, ,

barrier : an object like a fence or wall that prevents people from moving forward
from one place to another boost : to increase -

, ,

capacity : the ability to do a particular thing -

career : a job or series of related jobs that you do, especially a profession that
you spend a lot of your working life in commercial : for business purposes

commission : an official group of people who have been given responsibility to

control something, or to find out about something, usually for the government -

,
compete : to try to be more successful or better than somebody else who is
trying to do the same as you -

competence (noun): the ability to do something well -

competency : competence; the ability to do something well -

competition : a situation in which people or organizations compete, i.e., try to be

more successful or better than somebody else who is trying to do the same as
you -

concern : a worry -

conduct : to do something in an organised way; to carry out -

,
confidence : being certain of your abilities or of having trust in people, plans, or
the future -

consider : to give careful thought to something before making a decision -

consider : to regard as; to think of as contrast : a noticeable difference -

culture (noun): the customs and beliefs, art, way of life and social organization of
a particular country or group -

cutting edge : the newest, most advanced stage in the development of

something; an aspect of something that gives it an advantage dental (adj): related to the teeth and gums -

deputy : a person whose rank is immediately below that of the leader of an

organisation -

disadvantage : something that makes someone or something less effective,

successful or attractive -

economy : the relationship between production, trade and the supply of money
in a particular country or region -

employee : someone who is paid regularly to work for a person or an

organisation -

employment (noun): when a person has work that earns them money -

engineering (noun): the activity of applying scientific knowledge to the design,

building and control of machines, roads, bridges, electrical equipment, etc -

English-mediated environment (noun): a situation where English is the language

used to communicate, especially where many different languages are spoken
among the participants enroll : to put yourself onto the official list of members of a course or college -

ensure : to make certain that something happens or is done -

,
era : a period of time that has a particular quality or character -

expert : someone who has a particular skill or who knows a lot about a particular
subject -

fears (noun): the bad feeling that you have when you are in danger, when
something bad might happen, or when a particular thing frightens you -

field (noun): an area of specialized knowledge that people work, study, teach and
do research in -

, ,

fierce : very strong -

flow : supply of something that continues without stopping generate : to produce -

graduation : the act of successfully completing a university degree, or studies at

an American high school; a ceremony at which degrees, etc. are officially given
out -

grant : to officially give something -

grasp (noun): ability to understand something -

hinder : to hamper; to stop someone or something from making progess or

developing -

improve : to make better -

in general : including the most important aspects of something; not exact or

detailed; overall -

in terms of (idiom): regarding; used to show what aspect of a subject you are
talking about or how you are thinking about it -

index : a number that shows the price, value, or level of something compared
with something else -

influence : the power to have an effect on people or things -

influx : a large number of people or things coming in to a place -

()

institute (noun): an organization that has a particular purpose, especially one

that is connected with education or a particular profession; the building used by
this organisation -

,,,

integrated : combining things of different types in one effective system -

integration : the process of combining with others to create a single unit or

system -

introduce (verb): to start something new, for the first time -

, ,

job market (noun): labour market; the number of people who are available to
work, considered together with all the available jobs labour : work -

labour market (noun): the number of people who are available to work,
considered together with all the available jobs -

lack of : when there is not enough of something launch : starting something -

limit : to stop something from increasing beyond a particular amount or level -

management : the people who run and control a business or similar organisation
-

meanwhile : at the same time -

medical : connected with illness and injury and their treatment -

,
minority : involving less than half of a group motivation : a reason for doing something -

mutual : felt or done in the same way by each of two or more people -

, ,
nationwide : throughout a whole country -

neighbouring : located or living near or next to a place or person -

,


network : a large system of connected parts, organisations, people, etc. -

nursing : the job or skill of caring for people/animals who are sick or injured -

opportunity : a chance to do something, or a situation in which it is easy for you

to do something -

optimistic : expecting good things to happen or to be successful -

,
oversee : to watch or organise a job or an activity to make certain that it is being
done correctly -

pay attention : to watch, listen to, or consider something or someone very

carefully -

policy : a set of plans or action agreed on by a government, political party,

business, or other group positive : in a good way -

prescriptive (adj): telling people what should be done -

profession : a type of job that needs special training or skill, especially one that
needs a high level of education -

professionals (noun): people who do jobs that need special training and a high
level of education -

proficiency (noun): the ability to do some task or work correctly and efficiently;
skill, knowledge, competence -

, , ,

,,
prompted : caused -

publication : the act of printing something in a newspaper, report, etc. so that

the public knows about it -

, ,

rank : to put someone or something into a position according to their success,

importance, size etc -

recognition : the act of accepting that something exists, is true or is official -

,
region : a large area of land or space, usually without exact limits or borders -

, , ,
regional : of or relating to a region -

relatively : somewhat; in comparison with someone or something similar -

salary : a fixed amount of money that you earn each month or year from your job
-

secretary-general (noun): the person who is in charge of the department that

deals with the running of a large international or political organisation -

,
sector : a group that is part of a larger group -

()

sharpen (verb): to become or make something better, more skilful, more

effective, etc. than before -

skill : the ability to do something well, usually as a result of experience and

training -

skilled : having enough ability, experience and knowledge to be able to do

something well -

strategy : a plan or method for achieving something, especially over a long

period of time -

surveying : the act of examining and recording the measurements, features, etc.
of an area of land -

technical students (noun): vocational students -

thrive : to become, and continue to be, successful, strong, healthy, etc. -

,,
tourism (noun): the business activity connected with providing accommodation,
services and entertainment for people who are visiting a place for pleasure -

traditionally : of a custom, a way of life or a way of doing things that has not
changed for a long time -

up to par (idiom): as good as the required standard or as good as it should be -

urge : to advise someone very strongly about what action or attitude they should
take -

urgent : needing to be dealt with immediately -

vast : extremely large in area, size, amount, etc. -

vocational : teaching the skills necessary for particular jobs -

vocational student (noun): a student attending a school which provided the skills
necessary for particular jobs -

worldwide : throughout the world -

As Asean members prepare for regional integration under the Asean

Economic Community (AEC) in 2015, stakeholders in Thailand's
healthcare industry need to consider many issues in order to take full
advantage of the opportunities.
The AEC aims to make Asean a single market and production base, with a
free flow of goods, services, investment, skilled labour and freer flow of
capital. This will pose major challenges, as well as increased
opportunities, for Thai stakeholders. They will need to reposition

themselves as effective and efficient operators within Asean as a whole

and not simply within Thailand.
Harmonisation of pharmaceutical registration: Healthcare is one of
12 service industries to be liberalized under the AEC. The commitment to
a single market and production base requires, among other things, tariff
liberalization, removal of non-tariff barriers, harmonisation of product
standards and technical regulations, and mutual recognition of test
reports and certification.

Healthcare and the

road to Asean Economic Community (AEC) in 2015
To this end, through the Asean Pharmaceutical Product Working Group,
member countries have started implementing the Asean Harmonisation
on Pharmaceutical Registration. Under these new rules, Asean
pharmaceutical manufacturers (and manufacturers outside Asean wishing
to export their products into Asean) are required to prepare application
dossiers in a common format in accordance with the guidelines of the
Asean Common Technical Requirement (ACTR) on safety, quality and
efficacy and the Asean Common Technical Dossier (ACTD) on other
details.
The ACTR guidelines cover analytical validation, bio-availability and bioequivalent studies (BA/BE), process validation, and stability data that

comply with the standards set forth in the International Conference on

Harmonization of Technical Requirements for Registration of
Pharmaceuticals for Human Use (ICH) guidelines.
The Thai Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has implemented the Asean
Harmonisation rules voluntarily since 2008. These rules became effective
on Jan 1, 2009.
The harmonisation rules will have an impact on both importers and
manufacturers whose drug application dossiers have not been prepared in
accordance with Asean guidelines (known as non-Asean drugs). Under the
Thai Drug Act, B.E. 2522 (revised edition), drug application dossiers that
were registered and received certificates before the Act came into effect
could have been used until the expiration of the term of the certificate.
This, in effect, meant a life-long certificate, since no expiry date was
specified, unlike other countries where a five-year validity is the norm.
Therefore, for drugs registered before Jan 1, 2009, the application
dossiers will have to be adjusted in compliance with the Asean guidelines.
Furthermore, once the AEC takes effect, all pharmaceutical manufacturing
premises in the region must comply with the Pharmaceutical Inspection
Convention and Pharmaceutical Cooperation Scheme (PIC/S). Upgrading
premises to meet PIC/S requirements should improve Thailand's
attractiveness as an investment location, but will also involve substantial
costs and may have a significant impact on small and medium operators.
Excerpt from :
Healthcare and the road to asean integration