Thailand warned of brain drain under AEC

BANGKOK, February 12 (TNA) - A leading Thai academic has cautioned once free flows of labour in the Association of Southeast Asian region or ASEAN kick start, under the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC), by 2015 with better opportunities for qualified and competent Thai personnel, the Kingdom will, probably, face the problem of brain drain to neighbouring economies. However, the senior academic, Dr. Watcharat Leelawat, Assistant Director of the Institution for Trade and Development (ITD), said in a special interview with TNA, on the sidelines of a seminar held in Bangkok on Monday, that Thailand should not be worried over the brain drain problem in the short term, pending the adjustment of national rules and regulations of each member country of the 10-nation ASEAN bloc to cope with the free flows of labour in the region. As for advantages of the free flows of skilled workers under the AEC, Dr. Watcharat pointed out that the agreed Mutual Recognition Arrangement (MRA) should provide conveniences for Thai labours in the seven agreed fields, including doctors, nurses, dentists, engineers, surveyors, accountants and architects, as well as, in the near future, tourism. Besides, Dr. Watcharat pointed out, the MRA will also help to set a standard for qualifications needed for the seven agreed fields of skilled labours for the whole region. The ITD assistant director was among hounoured lecturers participating in Monday afternoon's seminar, entitled “7+1 Fields of Skilled Labours to Help Propel Thailand into AEC”. (TNA)