BANGKOK, 8 June 2012 (NNT)-Deputy Director-General of the Department of ASEAN Affairs Mr. Naporn Atchariyawanit said people living in the border provinces are excited about the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) although they know little about the regional integration. Mr. Naporn said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has organized classes to educate civil servants particularly those stationed along the border about the AEC and to improve their English skills.
The Foreign Ministry’s efforts are in line with Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra’s statement declared in Parliament requiring all levels of civil servants to have a good understanding of the AEC, and to prepare themselves for the three mutually reinforcing pillars, namely ASEAN Security Community, ASEAN Economic Community and ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community. The Deputy Director-General of the Department of ASEAN Affairs noted that most of the public members still misunderstand that after the opening of the AEC, people would be able to cross the border freely to seek jobs. He explained that there are currently only 8 occupations that foreigners are allowed to work in ASEAN nations other than their own without having to obtain a work permit. The job seekers must be an engineer, an architect, an explorer, an accountant, or a doctor, among others.
