Thai workers confident in their skills in AEC

BANGKOK, April 30 (TNA) - As the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) is scheduled to be formed by next year, Thai workers have expressed their confidence that their skills can compete with those in other member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), but acknowledging that they still need to improve their English skills. A latest survey conducted by Siam Technology College from April 24-29, 2014 found that most respondents, or 71.28 of 1,069 people questioned, believed their skills could compete with workers from other ASEAN member countries. But nearly one-third of the respondents, or 30.12 per cent, said they must improve their English skills and 19.27 per cent considered they must improve their educational levels. Asked whether there are more concerns over problems from the AEC formation or their own economic problems, 79.51 per cent of the respondents indicated they were worried more over their own economic problems. Besides, top five problems most respondents foresaw from the AEC include competition for jobs by regional workers (81.85 per cent), wage limitation (79.23 per cent), higher layoff opportunities (76.33 per cent), fewer choices of jobs (74.28 per cent) and more qualification requirements from employers (71.28 per cent). The survey showed, however, that 52.39 per cent of respondents were not interested in working in other ASEAN economies, while nearly one-third, or 31.43 per cent of them, eyed to work in ASEAN neighboring countries. (TNA)