BANGKOK, THAILAND – Thailand dropped to 116th place out of 123 countries in the latest EF English Proficiency Index, placing it in the band of “very low” English skills and alarming business and tourism leaders.
Sharp decline in international ranking
The international comparison, based on data from 2.2 million test participants, showed a dramatic decline, with Thailand losing 13 points compared with the previous year. While the global level of English had largely stagnated since 2020, Thailand not only failed to keep pace but fell significantly behind in global competition. In Asia, the country ranked second to last, ahead of only Laos, while regional leader Malaysia placed 24th worldwide.
Speaking and writing emerge as key weaknesses
The study highlighted a clear imbalance in skills: reading scored 416 points and remained Thailand’s strongest area, but speaking was identified as the major weakness. In speaking, the country reached only 377 points, and writing performed even worse at 363 points, indicating severely limited communication skills. This gap between passive understanding and active speaking was seen as a brake on international competitiveness in tourism and in globally operating companies.
Younger generation falls behind pre-crisis levels
The trend among young people was described as particularly alarming, as the English abilities of those aged 18 to 20 had fallen significantly since 2018. They had not regained their pre-crisis level, and the pandemic had left deep marks that the education system had been unable to offset. The highest competence was found in the 26–30 age group with 481 points, after which scores declined, seen as a sign of insufficient practice in working life.
Pattaya outperforms the capital
Within Thailand, the city ranking brought a surprise: Pattaya achieved 474 points, ahead of the capital Bangkok with 467. The report attributed this to the coastal city’s role as an international tourist hub, where daily use of English was essential and practical exposure outweighed theory. For Bangkok, which positioned itself as an international business centre, the result amounted to a stinging rebuke, as the metropolis failed to deliver even basic language foundations.
Economic risk and political wake-up call
The poor level of English was described as an economic risk that hindered foreign investment, slowed higher-value tourism and left skilled workers more isolated. In a globalised world, English was portrayed as a key to education, technology and international cooperation, and the country was seen as squandering opportunities. The study was framed as an urgent wake-up call to education policymakers, demanding more speaking practice, better teacher training and a stronger focus on real-world application.
Calls for reform and investment in skills
Experts called for a fundamental reform of English teaching, arguing that rote grammar drills should give way to communicative competence.
“Instead of cramming grammar, communicative competence must come first.”
said unnamed experts, calling for a shift in classroom priorities. The business sector was urged to promote language training and create more international working environments, as every point gained in the index was described as a competitive advantage.
A crossroads for Thailand’s future
The report concluded that Thailand now stood at a crossroads: it could continue to shut itself off linguistically, or it could accept the challenge and invest in the future viability of its population.
“Thailand can continue to shut itself off linguistically – or accept the challenge and invest in the future viability of its people. The time to act is now.”
said education commentators in the study. Against this backdrop, the index score was portrayed as more than just a number, raising the question of how many doors to jobs, knowledge, travel and trust would remain closed if English proficiency did not improve.