Thai cabbies to be trained on English speaking skills

BANGKOK, April 20 (TNA) - The Thai government has launched an English speaking program for taxi drivers in the country, as part of its policy on promoting the domestic tourism. Thai Deputy Prime Minister Air Chief Marshal Prachin Jantong on Friday presided over a ceremony in Bangkok on the signing of a cooperation agreement on running the training program between Airports of Thailand Public Company Limited (AOT), under the Thai Ministry of Transport, and the Thailand Professional Qualification Institute (Public Organization) and Suan Dusit Rajabhat University. Under the government-supported joint training program, cab drivers in Thailand will be trained on speaking skills for basic English communications, namely how to introduce themselves and domestic tourist and important sites, as well as how to express their thankfulness and apology to their passengers. Besides, local taxi drivers will be trained on how to use technological devices and maps for finding and guiding travel routes, tourist destinations and related places and how to fix their cabs in non-complicated problems. Only drivers whose taxis are legally-registered for their public service are eligible to attend the training program and to receive their certificates after the completion of the program. The Thai government has targeted to first train 1,000 taxi drivers under the program this year, giving the priority to those serving passengers at Thailand's main Suvarnabhumi International Airport. According to the Thai deputy premier, the English speaking training program for local taxi drivers will not only promote the domestic tourism, but also raise income for taxi drivers in the country in the future. (TNA)