Thai PM impressed with China's voluntary teacher project

BANGKOK, May 11 (TNA) - Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra has expressed her appreciation to a project under which the Chinese government sends Chinese voluntary teachers to teach the Chinese language in Thailand, as part of the Kingdom's preparations for the formation of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) by 2015. When presiding over a ceremony to launch the project at Bangkok's Government House Friday morning, Yingluck said that she believes the project will also further promote trade, investment and relations between Bangkok and Beijing, as it is part of expanding bilateral cooperation between Thailand and China, which also covers education, transportation and tourism. Under the project, a total of 1,200 voluntary Chinese teachers will teach the Chinese language in Thailand for one year. The Thai Ministry of Education will later invite 4,000 more Chinese voluntary teachers to do so to serve Thai people’s demand for learning the Chinese language and to support Thailand's economic development, trade and investment growth. Yingluck acknowledged that Thailand and China have developed sound bilateral relations for a long time and are further expanding the bilateral ties in comprehensive ways and levels, and that Thai people are more interested in learning Chinese, which is now one of the world's common languages. The Thai prime minister thanked the Chinese voluntary teachers, noting that the Thai Ministry of Education will then support the establishment of Thai study centers at universities and schools in China. (TNA)