Is there a hidden agenda for AIT?

As a Thai and AIT alumnus, I feel it is rather unfair to Thailand and the Thai government on the criticism in the article. I quote “Thailand is not supporting the AIT as much as it should. Whether it is a case of benign, lack of vision or something else”.

Since the establishment of AIT in 1959, Thailand has been the largest contributor to AIT both in cash and in kind especially the scholarships for international students to study at AIT. Under Thailand’s generous privileges and support, AIT has been able to operate its international post-graduate program within the framework of the AIT Enabling Act issued in BE 2510 for the last 52 years. However, on 30 January this year, we alumni have received an official announcement from AIT that it has become an “Inter-governmental Organisation (IO)” owned by 7 country members without Thailand. We learnt in total surprise that the new charter would go ahead even though Thailand has not ratified the new charter. This means “the new AIT-IO”, under this new charter, will not be recognised by Thailand. 

There have been a lot of rumours about this rush for AIT to become IO even without Thailand, especially in relation to a hidden agendum to bring a profit organisation, the Laureate Group, to be AIT’s strategic partner. If this is true, we are afraid the profit-seeking organisation will take advantage of the privileges given to AIT as a non-profit organisation. Thailand as the founding member, the host country and the core supporter of AIT has had the right to re-evaluate its position toward the new AIT. I quote at the end of the article, “You don’t always know what you have, until it’s gone”. We would like to reply to the authors that we indeed know what we have, so we try to protect it at all cost.

Dr Subin Pinkayan

First batch of AIT Alumni

Bangkok