VZCZCXRO1648
PP RUEHCN RUEHDT RUEHGH RUEHHM RUEHVC
DE RUEHCHI #0073/01 1331031
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 121031Z MAY 08
FM AMCONSUL CHIANG MAI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0757
INFO RUEHZS/ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN NATIONS
RUEHOO/CHINA POSTS COLLECTIVE
RUEHIN/AIT TAIPEI PRIORITY 0018
RUEHCHI/AMCONSUL CHIANG MAI 0813

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 CHIANG MAI 000073 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SCUL ETRD PREL TH CH
SUBJECT: CHINESE LANGUAGE STUDY RISING IN NORTHERN THAILAND, BUT NOT 
SUPPLANTING ENGLISH 
 
REF: 2006 CHIANG MAI 74; 2006 CHIANG MAI 18; 2004 CHIANG MAI 278; 2004 CHIANG MAI 34 
 
CHIANG MAI 00000073  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
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Summary 
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¶1. Though not at the cost of English language students, Chinese 
language learning is growing more popular across northern 
Thailand, from high school students to Royal Thai Government 
(RTG) officials.  Despite this trend, English study continues to 
be the students' preference as it comes with the highest 
pay-offs in the job market.  The growing popularity of Chinese 
language study here reflects the trend of northern Thailand 
growing more accommodating to Chinese visitors and, 
consequently, Chinese commercial activity.  End Summary. 
 
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More Chinese = More English 
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¶2. More Thai students studying Chinese does not mean fewer 
students studying English, according to high-level officials at 
Chiang Mai University (CMU).  "If you want to work in Asia, 
you'll need both English and Chinese," one Vice President told 
us.  Although he described the PRC as "aggressive" in its 
promotion of Mandarin Chinese study in Thailand, the preference 
to study English is still strong and certain barriers to 
expanding Chinese language learning exist. 
 
¶3. On the preference to study English, he said that although 
Chinese language learning at CMU is increasingly popular, 
English is still the top choice for students who wish to pursue 
graduate studies overseas.  Because English is a required 
subject in the Thai secondary education system, Chinese is 
typically selected as a third foreign language at the university 
level.  Thus, students usually graduate from university with 
stronger English skills and, therefore, a preference to pursue 
graduate studies in Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, the UK, 
or the U.S. 
 
¶4. The combination of English as the main second language and 
Chinese as a third foreign language is increasingly popular for 
students who are seeking business careers in Asia.  A CMU 
student majoring in English with a minor in Chinese said that 
knowledge of English and Chinese language skills opens more 
career opportunities in the Asian business world.  This student 
is a common example of one who has advanced English skills 
because of more years of study and time spent practicing 
overseas, in his case in the United States, combined with 
intermediate Chinese skills acquired while at CMU.  He said that 
although Chinese language is more important in regional 
commercial affairs, students continue to perceive English as the 
primary means of communication within the region. 
 
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Not Your Average Students 
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¶5. Chinese language students in Thailand typically fall into 
three categories: those who elect to study Chinese at the 
university, those whose parents selected Chinese as a second 
language, and those already in the labor force whose jobs now 
require Chinese language skills.  The first group is growing 
rapidly at CMU as students start to observe more job 
opportunities for English and Chinese language speakers in Asia. 
 For some of these students, study abroad in China and Taiwan is 
becoming more popular; however, these programs tend to last for 
a single semester or summer and only cover Chinese language 
study.  Most students are not at a proficiency level sufficient 
to take other coursework taught in Chinese, according to a CMU 
official in the International Affairs Department. 
 
¶6. The second group is those whose parents decided that Chinese 
languages skills are important for their children and had them 
taught at an earlier age.  These students are in the minority, 
but popularity is also growing as parents begin to foresee the 
benefits of Chinese skills for their children.  In Chiang Mai, 
students in this category are typically graduates of the Xin 
Sheng High School, which requires Chinese language study of all 
students.  Many of these students continue their Chinese studies 
at the university level and pursue careers where Chinese 
language is a basic requirement, such as working for the Chinese 
Consulate in Chiang Mai, a Chinese airline, or teaching Chinese 
to Thai students. 
 
¶7. The third group, which is also growing rapidly, are those 
already in the labor force and whose employers have decided that 
Chinese language is relevant or necessary for job functions. 
One example is RTG customs and immigration officials who work 
along the northern Thai-Lao and Thai-Burma borders.  As trade 
across the border increases, more Chinese are entering Thailand 
 
CHIANG MAI 00000073  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
either to transport goods, to conduct other business 
transactions, or for tourism; and, consequently, the demand for 
Chinese-speaking border officials is increasing.  The Confucius 
Institutes at CMU and Mae Fah Luang University in Chiang Rai are 
the main venues for RTG officials to study Chinese in northern 
Thailand.  Operating as a non-profit organization with support 
from the Chinese government, the Confucius Institute at CMU 
currently only offers courses to "government officials who need 
Chinese language skills for their jobs," according to the 
Institute's director.  The Confucius Institute plans to expand 
operations to provide instruction to CMU teachers and students; 
but with a staff of only three instructors, the director says 
that they are teaching at full capacity already.  He hopes to 
expand to six teachers in the near future to meet the growing 
demand for Chinese language study in northern Thailand. 
 
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Fewer Chinese Students in Thailand 
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¶8. Whereas Thai students' interest in Chinese language learning 
is growing, interest is not strong in the reverse direction. 
Our CMU Vice President contact said that although Chinese 
students would like to pursue higher education overseas, 
language barriers have limited the success of exchange programs 
in the region.  He cited a three-year-old exchange program 
between CMU's Faculty of Social Sciences and Chinese 
universities.  In the program's short history, enrollment 
dropped from 30 students per year to three.  Those three current 
Chinese students must enroll in courses taught in English; and, 
although they know conversational Thai, they do not have 
advanced Thai skills to take topical courses in the host 
language. 
 
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Comment 
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¶9. The growing popularity of Chinese language learning among 
Thais reflects the trend of northern Thailand becoming a more 
culturally accommodating space for Chinese traders, business 
people, and tourists as well as for Chinese commercial activity 
more broadly.  As the region grows more integrated through 
programs such as the Greater Mekong Subregion infrastructure 
project, this trend should contribute positively to the north's 
goal of becoming a logistics hub for regional trade. 
 
¶10. While more students learn Chinese, however, the popularity 
of English as their first "second language" has not faltered. 
Thai students continue to perceive strong English skills as 
having the greatest pay-off by facilitating communication across 
the region, not only with China.  With many students seeing the 
greatest benefits in knowing both languages, English language 
learning will continue to flourish in northern Thailand, even as 
Chinese becomes more and more popular. 
MORROW