“We expect that more students from Laos, Myanmar, Cambodia and Vietnam will come to Thailand to study at our international and EP schools after AEC takes effect. Apart from children of expats from Western countries, many foreign students in such schools are from those countries,” acting secretary-general of the Office of the Private Education Commission (OPEC), Chanwit Tubsuphan, told The Nation.

“We’ve been asking many times about having an independent entity or agency to support international education in Thailand”

Before drawing up policy on foreign investment in the education sector, Chanwit said OPEC is studying regulations in other Asean countries. “For example, some countries may not allow foreigners to provide basic education in their countries. We’re studying this and its effect on people, culture and perspectives before Thailand makes a decision.”

There are 133 international schools in Thailand catering to some 50,000 international students, up from 40 schools in 1992. Similarly, private schools offering English increased from 144 in 2008 to 162 in 2012 with EP students climbing from 35,800 to 54,800. According to Chanwit, four hundred state and private schools offer EP to hundreds of thousands of students, 10% of them foreigners.

Educators in the country support the government’s plans to make international education a priority but say they need more backing in order to be influential in the region.

Usa Somboon, president of the International Schools Association of Thailand (ISAT), said: “I would like the government to sincerely support international education in Thailand in terms of strategic planning. We’ve been asking many times about having an independent entity or agency to support international education in Thailand, and that it acts like a centre of information for international schools in Thailand and helps develop strategically how to promote and compete in a growing global society.”

OPEC is also looking to change the policy regarding teacher training for foreign teachers and assessment methods.

The ASEAN Economic Community was agreed upon at the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) Summit in 2007 with the goal of creating a region with free movement of goods, services, investment, skilled labour, and freer flow of capital – akin to the European Union. Participating countries include Singapore, Indonesia, the Philippines, Burma, Malaysia and Vietnam.