Thailand’s performance in the 2023 English Proficiency Index by EF, a global English teaching institute, was notably poor. The index evaluated 2.2 million adults across 113 countries and regions, categorizing proficiency into five levels: very high, high, moderate, low, and very low.
Among ASEAN nations and globally, Thailand received a “very low” proficiency ranking, positioning it as the lowest performer among the tested ASEAN countries, securing the 8th position in ASEAN and 101st globally, as reported by the Bangkok Post. Notably, Singapore and the Philippines surpassed Thailand within the region, along with Malaysia, Vietnam, Indonesia, Myanmar, and Cambodia, all demonstrating better proficiency. It’s important to note that Brunei, Laos, and Timor-Leste were not part of the assessment.
Singapore clinched the top spot in ASEAN with a “very high” proficiency score of 631, securing the second position globally among the 113 countries and regions. The Philippines followed with a score of 578, categorized as “high proficiency,” securing the 20th position globally and second in ASEAN. Malaysia ranked 25th worldwide, Vietnam stood at 58th globally, Indonesia at 79th, Myanmar at 90th, Cambodia at 98th, while Thailand ranked last among ASEAN countries, obtaining a score of 416, signifying a “very low” proficiency level for the kingdom.
