Education Services - Study Abroad
Thailand
Overview
2004 2005 2006(Estimated)
Total Sales 508 584 700
Sales by Local Firms 0 0 0
Sales by International Firms 508 584 700
Sales by U.S. Firms 214 233 280
Exchange Rates $1:THB36
The United States remains the number one choice for Thai students who would like to continue their higher education abroad. Graduate programs maintain a 60 percent share of the programs Thai students attend abroad, undergraduate program students are about 20 percent and the remaining 20 percent are short-term exchange and ESL programs. Business administration is the leading major subject. Engineering, computer science and mass communication are also subjects that interest Thai students. ESL programs operated by a university gain better acceptance among students. They have direct links to the degree programs that students aim for and the conditional acceptance offered by universities after completion of the ESL requirement is desirable.
Growing number of high school graduates from international schools in Thailand are a major factor in the growing potential of undergraduate students. Currently, there are 88 international schools, but only about half of them offer classes through 12th grade. Most of them have begun to generate high school graduates during the past few years. These graduates are strong potential students at schools abroad. Naturally, these students have very limited knowledge of Thai language and there are not enough English programs at universities in Thailand to accommodate their applications. A better choice for them is to enroll into a school in an English speaking country outside of Thailand. Many schools in the US had experienced growing numbers of undergraduate student enrollments during the past few years although the numbers are still very small.
The growing popularity of J-1 visa for work and study program in the U.S. has become a driving force of the growing number of Thai students in the United States during the past few years. J-1 visa approval was half the total student visa approved in 2004 and 2005. The J-1 visa is expected to surpass the standard F-1 student visa in the very near future. Apart from the approximate 2,000 scholarships granted by the Royal Thai Government to Thai students in 2005 and a few hundred students under one-year exchange program, the remaining approximately 2,000 students are under the work-study program. Schools in Australia and the United Kingdom have started offering work-study program recently through some of their agents in Bangkok.
In 2006, it is estimated that there was between 12,000 to 14,000 Thai students in the United States (Institute for International Education’s Open Door reported an estimated of about 9,000 Thai students). The numbers of Thai students in Australia is estimated to have between 9,000 to 10,000 students. The number of Thai students in the United Kingdom is estimated to be growing and should be in the range of 9,000 to 10,000 students. It is estimated to have around 3,000 Thai students in New Zealand and around 1,200 Thai students in Canada.
During the past few years, schools in Australia have initiated stringent requirements for new international applicants. The schools had become more selective in their enrollments and their student visa fee has doubled. Therefore, the number of Thai students to Australia has decreased. Study abroad consulting companies in Thailand that normally represent schools in Australia only have now tried to represent schools from other countries. In contrast, schools from the United Kingdom have increased their promotional efforts and activities to recruit Thai students during the past several years. They have relaxed their enrollment requirements and the introduction of a one-year fast track graduate program by many schools in the United Kingdom has attracted a lot of interest from Thai students.
Best Products/Services
Major programs that the students in Thailand interested in pursuing:
- MBA
- Computer Science and Engineering
- Engineering
- Computer Graphic and Designs
- Summer Language Training and Cultural Programs Short and Long ESL Program
Resources
Major Educational Trade Fair:
OCSC International Education Fair
November 2007
Mr. Punroung Puntuhong – Director
Education and Training Abroad Branch
Office of the Civil Service Commission
Phitsanulok Road
Bangkok 10300, Thailand
Tel: 662-281-9549, 662-281-3333, ext. 2132
Fax: 662-628-6202
E-mail: punroung@ocsc.go.th
IIE Fair October 2007 Mrs. Chalintorn N. Burian, PhD Regional Director, SE Asia Institute of International Education 6th Floor, Maneeya Center North 518/3 Ploenchit Road
Nalin Phupoksakul - Commercial Specialist
U.S. Commercial Service American Embassy 3rd Floor, GPF Witthayu Bldg. A, Room 302 93/1 Wireless Road Pathumwan, Bangkok 10330 Thailand Phone: 662-205-5090, 662-205-5275 Fax: 662-255-2915, 662-205-5914 E-Mail: nphupoks@mail.doc.gov