As more foreign investors choose Thailand as their Southeast Asian hub, the demand for localized talent is surging. Companies are now seeking professionals who not only master technical skills but also understand international standards, Thai culture, and can lead diverse, cross-border teams, said Mr. Fu Yuxin, President of the Southeast Asia International Education Association, during a forum “The Role of Education in Shaping ASEAN’s Industrial Future” at the Sustainability Expo 2025 held at the Queen Sirikit Convention Center.
Fu noted that industries face ongoing challenges such as mismatched skill standards, cultural integration, and the need to build talent ecosystems from the ground up.
Echoing his message, Prof. Surin Khomfoi, PhD, Vice President of the National Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation Policy Council (NXPO), said that although Thailand is improving in producing higher-skilled STEM workers, it is still not enough.
“We don’t have enough skilled workforce in the industry we want to focus on,” Dr. Surin explained. “There are only about one in three students in the system pursuing STEM studies. Most of the skilled workforce must come from STEM students. Thailand needs to inspire more students to take this path before they enter high school.”
NXPO has been developing co-creation programs bringing various institutions together to produce more potential students and workforce. It has also created a skill-mapping platform to help students identify possible career routes based on their skill sets and chosen curriculum.
“The gap is closer than years ago but we’re still not catching up. This problem is not only Thailand’s; the whole world is facing the same issue—there aren’t enough STEM talents,” said Dr. Surin.
Dr. Rangsan Thepmondhri, Director of the Public Sector Development Group at the Office of the Vocational Education Commission, added that Thailand currently has about one million vocational students. “We produce 300,000 graduates for the industry. That’s very small. Our curriculum is 70% focused on industrial areas and only 30% on home economics, tourism, agriculture, etc.”
He said the Office of the Vocational Education Commission oversees the curriculum of almost 900 public and private colleges nationwide and can design programs to meet industrial demands.
“We try to make sure they will get a job. Students need to graduate with skill certification by the Department of Skill Development and also be certified by Thailand’s Professional Qualification Chambers. There are more than a hundred skill certification centers working with the Ministry of Labour,” Dr. Rangsan explained, highlighting efforts to increase employment opportunities for new vocational graduates.
Changing Students Means Changing Education
“If you want to change students, you need to change the professor in university as well, because the technology has changed a lot,” Dr. Surin said, noting how rapidly change is happening. He added that teachers should also be encouraged to upskill themselves.
Currently, three majors have been developed, with curricula tailored to another nine sectors in the works.
“We want to encourage lifelong learning, even after leaving school. Speaking is easy. Doing it is not easy at all,” Dr. Rangsan said, addressing experience validation and knowledge transfer with more flexibility in curriculum.
Dr. Surin also mentioned the female workforce. Although men are still more common in these fields, women are very welcome in the industries. “We do believe that if we want to build a better future for women through workforce development, we cannot do it alone. What we need is more connections. We are looking for more networks in the future. We also believe that education can change someone’s life. Better education means a better future—not just for Thailand but all over the world.”
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