Thailand's Caretaker PM to attend ASEAN Summit in Myanmar

BANGKOK, May 2 (TNA) - Thailand's Caretaker Prime Minister and Defence Minister Yingluck Shinawatra will attend the next ASEAN Summit, scheduled to be held in Naypyidaw, Myanmar's capital, from May 11-12. Caretaker Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Surapong Tovichakchaikul told journalists of the update on Friday, noting that the upcoming summit of leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) will be the last one prior to the formation of the ASEAN Community (AC) by next year. Surapong said the caretaker prime minister is scheduled to pay a one-day visit to Naypyidaw on May 11 to attend the 2014 ASEAN Summit. According to the caretaker deputy prime minister, the caretaker prime minister will take the opportunity to explain the updated political situation in Thailand and to build up confidence among other ASEAN member countries of Thailand's continued commitment to join the AC despite domestic political problems. Meanwhile, the caretaker prime minister stressed, at Friday's meeting on following up Thailand's education development, on a need that parties concerned jointly develop national education, especially vocational courses, to cope with the changing situation in the region and to meet demand of the integrated labour market in the lead-up to the AC by 2015, when there will be more job opportunities for specialized personnel. Caretaker Education Minister Chaturon Chaisang revealed that there has been progress on national education reform, covering the overall development of educational personnel. (TNA)