Welcoming visitors with a warm “Ni Hao,” Suchart Thada-Thamrongvech, a septuagenarian learner at the Confucius Institute of Chulalongkorn University in Thailand, eagerly displays his eleven-year Chinese language journey. Suchart, a former minister of education in Thailand, has fervently championed the inclusion of Chinese in Thailand’s educational syllabus.
For Suchart, the compelling motivations behind this endeavor are multifaceted. China’s impressive economic trajectory and its geographical closeness to Thailand have spurred a rising interest among Thai citizens to grasp the Chinese language and gain an authentic understanding of China.
During his tenure leading Thailand’s education department, Suchart was instrumental in advocating for Chinese language instruction, hoping to realize a vision where Thai students achieve fluency in both English and Chinese at an early age. Envisioning a future where Thai officials are bilingual, speaking both English and Chinese, Suchart opined, “Considering that one-fifth of the global populace communicates in Chinese, it’s pivotal. I am hopeful that future dialogues between China and Thailand can unfold primarily in Chinese.”
Han Shenglong, the Chinese director at the Confucius Institute at Chulalongkorn University, shared that the prominence of Chinese in Thailand has seen a significant surge. Over time, Chinese has eclipsed Japanese to emerge as the predominant foreign language choice following English. At present, Thailand boasts 17 Confucius Institutes. Han disclosed that at the zenith of this educational initiative, the country had over 2,000 educators and volunteers imparting Chinese lessons.
A pivotal development in this realm was the establishment of the institute in 2007, birthed from a collaborative effort between Peking University and Chulalongkorn University. Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn of Thailand, renowned for her enduring camaraderie with China spanning four decades, played a crucial role in this endeavor.
Adding to this, Han highlighted that the Thai government has acknowledged the imperative of Chinese instruction. Consequently, every academic institution registered under the Thai Ministry of Education now includes Chinese in their curriculum. This has seamlessly integrated Chinese into Thailand’s national education framework.
For Suchart, embracing the Chinese language, while challenging given its intricate characters and pronunciations, is a journey of rediscovering his ancestral ties, tracing back to the Chaozhou-Shantou region in southern China. Beyond this personal linkage, Suchart’s pursuit of Chinese is also a reflection of his profound appreciation for Chinese philosophy and millennia-old wisdom, often referencing seminal works like The Art of War and The Analects in his strategic governmental advisories post-retirement.
Reflecting on his travels, Suchart vividly recalled the transformative growth he witnessed in Beijing over the decades, symbolizing China’s meteoric rise. His observations mirror the sentiments of numerous Thais who have discerned China’s comprehensive development since its economic reforms.
In recent epochs, the deepening symbiosis of China-Thailand economic strategies has ushered in a new chapter of educational partnerships. Han elucidated that modern Chinese instruction in Thailand is exceedingly pragmatic, gearing students towards sectors like high-speed rail, logistics, tourism, and e-commerce.
Furthermore, China and Thailand have inked a memorandum of understanding (MOU) focused on translating and publishing classic literary treasures from both nations, intending to publish 50 translated classics in the upcoming five years. This endeavor, hailed as a monumental milestone, promises to amplify cultural exchanges and mutual enlightenment between the two nations.
Reiterating his aspirations, Suchart expressed his unwavering wish to witness an influx of Chinese educators and learners in Thailand, further cementing the cultural bridges between the two nations.
READ MORE: