Government urged to prepare Thai citizens' language proficiency for AC

BANGKOK, August 31 (TNA) - The government has been urged to speed up improving language skills for Thai nationals, especially the English language, in the lead-up to the formation of the Single Community of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) by 2015. Speaking at a public forum themed "important step:Thais move toward ASEAN Community, organized by the Senate Education Commission at the Parliament in Bangkok on Friday, Thai Senate Speaker Nikom Wairatchapanich suggested that the government speed up providing proper understanding to the public on the establishment of the AC and related developments and also preparing them for foreign languages proficiency, especially that of the English language, with the Ministry of Education being the leader in this regard, in conjunction with relevant agencies. Meanwhile, opposition Democrat Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva, who is also a former Thai prime minister, cautioned that local small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) may be affected by the formation of the AC, calling on the Thai government to set up a national-level SME centre to cope with the change and to assist the local SMEs. (TNA)