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Just1Voice, on 2011-11-14 19:16:00, said:
Xangsamhua, on 2011-11-14 18:44:38, said:
Just1Voice, on 2011-11-14 16:21:09, said:
I could be wrong on this, but I read somewhere that even the current Foreign Minister cannot speak English!
I'm afraid you are wrong on this, though the rest of your post was very interesting.
Dr Surapong has a masters and a doctorate from the United States and has taught at university level in the US. (Doesn't mean he's the right man for the job, of course.)
I think the previous Democrat Education Minister and the Deputy Minister of Education did not speak English. I heard both of them make a terrible mess of speeches written for them in English at a World Teachers' Day forum before an international gathering. On another occasion, at an English-medium (World Bank) seminar I attended the minister gave the introductory speech entirely in Thai. This is the same minister who said English could not be an official language for teaching purposes here because other countries would think Thailand had been colonized!
Thanks for the correction. As I said, I wasn't sure, as the article was some months back, so memory may have failed me a bit.
(Doesn't mean he's the right man for the job, of course.) Now, Thailand actually does have "the right man for the job" in many cases. Unfortunately, the "right man" is usually ignored and the position given to someone from the family, or a political crony, who knows nothing about the job.
I remember the comment the Minister made about how English could not be an official language as other countries would think Thailand had been colonized. That one had me laughing for a very long time. Made me wonder if anyone had ever pointed out to him that both Hong King and Singapore were once colonies, but look at how far ahead of Thailand they are in just about every area?
Your comparisons are based on pointless assumptions. Let's try listing the countries that had been or have been colonised and you soon discover how detrimental it has been to them. Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar,Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iraq, all of Africa, Central and South America but to name a few. Did the people of HK have any rights? No! Do they now? Very few! Did Singapore? No! Does Singapore now, it's improving, but you still wouldn't want to live there.
The importance of English is declining as world language. It used to be French until they became overly self-indulgent, English is not far behind. If a country wants to be at the fore front of a modern advancing world,they would be better advised to instruct Chinese or Indian. These so called advanced western industrialised countries are swiftly becoming nobodies as they spend the next few centuries paying off debt due to greed and the costs of sustaining imperialism.
It's a myth that Thailand has not been colonised, they tend to overlook the Burmese, Chinese who own and run the country, Japanese and now the Americans. It helps if you understand a little more than 60 years of Thai history. There is another 7 centuries before the devastating effect of allowing the USA to colonise Thailand during the Vietnam massacre and US advancement of imperialism into South East Asia.
To this day American's are amazed that the Japanese attacked. Brainless fools. Might have something to do with the invasion of Japan by the USA in the 19th century solely for the purpose of gaining access to goods that they had squandered, whale oil for their industrialized growth.They had already killed off their own supplies. Ring any bells? Texas dry, let's meddle in the Middle East then. Prior to the US invasion, Japan was a peaceful insular country. Before the American invasion of Thailand, Pattaya was not the world's largest brothel. Am convinced syphilis has made Americans brain dead.
What the Thais learnt from these imperialist was that they were and still are an easy touch. Thailand made billions and continues to do so, yet the imperialists still believe they are a superior civilisation. The communists control their people for the greater good of all, while the Americans control their citizens for the greater good of a few. Walk outside of the tourist spots of the USA and you soon realise what a disgraceful state that country actually is in and has been for decades. All in the name of GOD.
