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When Tienwadee “Dew” Tungkaplin embarked to study overseas she was hit with the clear idea that nothing could stop her. Moving abroad would enable her to experience countless opportunities, she thought. And she would finally be able to properly live out her creativity.
“I felt that I could go further in life,” Dew told Thai Enquirer about the moment she left to continue her high school education in Wales. “The longer I stayed in Thai schools, the more problems I saw. Thailand’s institutions just won’t take any action to improve the educational system.”
Before moving to Wales, she spent the last 15 years inside Thailand’s educational system where she failed to thrive emotionally and intellectually. But since moving to Wales, the 17-year-old explained that everything has changed.
“The student body here is very strong, which makes a strong school. The school focuses on students’ mental health and treats everyone equally,” Dew said.
Since Thailand’s military junta seized power and rewrote the constitution in 2014, propaganda has increasingly permeated its schools. Today, the military government has tightened its control on the educational system and many education system reformers feel the school culture forces young thinkers to obey the military.
In October last year, it became public that a school textbook asked students if they would choose democracy with corrupt politicians, or a dictatorship with ethical leaders. Another textbook refers to Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha as the world’s leader. It’s examples like these that many say reflect how the state is conditioning students.
In 2020, The Bad Student, a student-led protest group held demonstrations against the country’s “oppressive structures” in universities. The newly founded Facebook group called “Let’s Move Abroad” went viral in May 2021, then millions of youth went online to express their desire to study overseas.
“Teachers and students are equal,” Dew said, pointing out how different the classroom is to Thailand.
As some political topics remain prohibited in Thailand’s schools, Dew noted that students in her school abroad are allowed to discuss alternative narratives on sensitive topics. After high school, Dew hopes to pursue her dream in government relations after she graduates.
‘Remain silent’
Dew is far from the only student who feels that studying in Thailand won’t give her the tools she needs to thrive.
According to UNESCO, around 27,000 Thai students study overseas each year. One report said that between 2012 and 2019, the number of outbound students increased by 10 per cent from 28,339 to 31,119 students.
Nuttapat “Beam” Jittratorn, 26, an engineering student who moved to study in Taiwan in 2018, told Thai Enquirer that he believes one weakness of Thailand’s educational system is there is too much focus on theory instead of discussions.
“In Thailand, lecturers are the only ones who speak until the end of the classes,” Beam said. “But in Taiwan, students are allowed to disagree with lecturers and raise a question.”
Beam said that Taiwan’s university structure is often discussion-based, lecturers encourage group debate where all students participate.
“The problem with Thai students here is that they find it difficult to debate or voice their opinions. They rather remain silent while international students would find discussion challenging.”
Beam believes that students are taught from a very young age to not speak up, only to listen passively. He said it’s part of a culture of passive learning in Thailand, where the root problem is disengaged listeners.
Taiwan’s schools not only offer better education, but they prioritize mental health and counseling for students who may need extra support. And university lecturers throughout Thailand have made much of the same observations.
“Students have only ever known authoritarian governments with conservative education ministry guidelines and as such, expectations are extremely low,” Damian Rodbard-Bean, a former social studies teacher in Thailand, told Thai Enquirer. “It’s a leading factor that motivates students to study overseas if they can afford it or qualify for a scholarship if they’re gifted.”
Rodbard-Bean unpacked how Thailand’s school management promotes a “toxic culture” which identifies only gifted students, yet negatively affects other students. He added that the military government has consolidated a culture of learning that promotes Thainess and traditional values over global mindedness and critical thinking skills.
“Schools still prohibit students who use their right to freedom of speech,” Rodbard-Bean said. “Thai history is still seen as uncontestable instead of a historical narrative with multiple interpretations.”
He noted that schools still refuse to empower student representatives who call for change or suggest reform to their academic conditions. “Schools should provide an education where humanities are used to enrich critical thinking skills rather than to inculcate nationalism and Thainess,” Rodbard-Bean said.
Back in Wales, Dew is grateful that her critical thinking skills are being challenged and sharpened. Away from a system that promotes passive learning in Thailand, she now said she now has the space to learn.
“The school here gives me a safe atmosphere where I am allowed to grow,” Dew said. “Everyone is allowed to discuss and express their opinions instead of instructing us to conform to the teacher.”