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Published on April 26, 2008

Chalida Ekvitthayavechnukul

The Nation

Chairman Rodney Bain said nowadays, the government was attracting investment mostly in the manufacturing sector. However, for the long-term it should promote greater investment in the area of services: skilled labour, technology transfers, education and training.

"When we talk to our members, particularly in manufacturing companies, they mention concern about skill shortages. What we are trying to do is encourage more investment in education and vocational training, such as engineering and industrial design," he said.

He said the government should revise some regulations and make it easier for foreign companies to run their service businesses here.

"We try to encourage foreign universities and technical vocational-training institutes to come to Thailand. But there have to be certain technical changes in some regulations for achieving education and training in Thailand," said director Stephen Frost.

He said that for example, an education company wholly owned by foreigners could not be set up in the Kingdom, because education was a service business. But they can do so in some other countries in Southeast Asia, such as Singapore.

Deputy Prime Minister and Industry Minister Suwit Khunkitti, a key speaker at the BCCT luncheon yesterday, said the government had allocated 24 per cent of its budget to improving the country's education system.