Skyline of Bangkok at night
Photo credit: Andreas Brucker
Thailand is gearing up to position itself as a regional education hub by inviting prestigious international universities to open campuses in its country. Supamas Isarabhakdi, Minister of Higher Education, Science, Research, and Innovation (MHESRI) of Thailand, stated in early December that the government has been actively exploring partnerships with universities from the UK, Australia, and China. She felt such a move would attract international students and thus provide a massive boost to the economy.
Supamas stressed that the barriers put on foreign students in countries like the United Kingdom and Singapore present a big opportunity for Thailand to make mutually beneficial deals with international institutions. She cited the country's low living costs, efficient logistics, and several other benefits as attractive factors for universities planning to set up branch campuses.
All of this poses to be a part of a bigger plan to revive the higher education industry in Thailand, amidst the country's demographic crisis. With fewer students seeking higher education domestically, the government has been looking to attract students from other countries through international partnerships. To this end, the state hopes that Transnational Education (TNE), where foreign universities offer their curriculum in Thailand, will serve this purpose.
However, TNE has yet to be a popular choice across the country. While Thailand has been one of the countries with the strongest record of student mobility, with 5,840 Thai students enrolled in the UK during the academic year 2021-22, only 1,055 students were enrolled in UK-affiliated higher education programs within Thailand during the same period. A report by the British Council published in January 2024 noted that many Thai students still choose to go abroad to get a more immersive experience.
The British Council is also actively involved in TNE partnerships with Thailand, focusing on popular majors for Thai students seeking overseas education, such as business and management. Other potential disciplines of interest include artificial intelligence, electric vehicles, and sustainable agriculture—thus fitting into global trends and the innovation-driven growth scheme of the Thai government’s vision.
Thailand's international programs offer English-language degrees and appeal to foreign students, with a large bulk of students coming from China. A large number of Chinese students have been going to Thailand since 2019 because education costs are significantly lower compared to that of the USA, UK, and even China itself. For these students, Thailand means a cheaper alternative to highly competitive education systems of countries such as the USA, UK, and China.
As the government continues to embrace foreign universities, success will depend on how well these collaborations serve the needs of both the domestic and international student population while strengthening Thailand's higher education system.
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