The content of the article:

• Higher education in Thailand: pros and cons
• Study programs: Bachelor's degree, Master's degree, doctoral degree
• Scholarships and grants for international students
• Documents for admission
• Top of the best universities in the Kingdom

For a long time, many foreigners considered Thailand only as a great place to relax and few people paid attention to the opportunities to study at universities in this country. But today the situation has changed: the state's policy is aimed at making Thai education the best in the Asian region. The Government of the country allocates large funds to attract highly qualified teachers, creates optimal conditions for the education of students from different parts of the world. Already, certified specialists from Canada, Australia, the USA and some European countries teach at the country's leading universities. 

The main advantages of a Thai higher education diploma:

• The diploma is recognized internationally
• In—demand specialties are in the field of advertising, management, business, design, engineering 
• Affordable tuition and accommodation fees
• The opportunity to live and study in good climatic conditions

All educational institutions in Thailand are controlled by the Ministry of Education through the Office of the Higher Education Commission. 

Universities in Thailand are divided into two categories:
colleges and universities in the department of the Ministry of Education
are specialized institutions subordinate to a specific ministry (sports, transport, culture)
Universities with a high degree of selection are very popular among school graduates. This is primarily due to the fact that education at such universities is innovative in nature: the latest equipment, special laboratories for practical training, computer classes with updated programs. A plus for foreign citizens is the opportunity to learn English at a fairly high level, since it is not taught by Thais, but directly by native speakers from English-speaking countries. 

Study programs at Thai universities:
Bachelor's degree is the first level of higher education. The average duration is 4 years. However, there are such areas as, for example, architecture, where the bachelor's degree is 5 years, and medicine is 6 years or more. In prestigious universities, students are offered international study programs, which are called double degree programs. After graduating from such a university, a graduate receives a diploma from two foreign universities at once, since he studied at a Thai university for the first two years, and the remaining two years at a partner university. There are about 115 English-language programs at universities in Thailand. 
The Master's degree is the second level of higher education. At this stage, the training lasts 2 years and there are already more than 180 programs in English.
Doctoral studies — training lasts from two to three years and is divided into several stages: first, the topic of the dissertation is selected, the necessary information is selected. Then work is underway on a dissertation, where various studies are already being conducted directly, the results of which are published in special scientific journals. At the final stage, it becomes important to defend a dissertation and obtain a doctorate degree. 

All universities for international students are paid. The cost varies depending on the chosen specialty and the rating of the university itself. Basically, payment at universities is per semester (on average $1,700-$1,800 for a bachelor's degree, $2,200-$2,400 for a master's degree), but in many institutions the calculation is per year. Despite the fact that tuition is paid, the Thai government provides grants and scholarships to foreign students at all levels of higher education. The most popular is the Thai scholarship. Of course, it's not easy to get it. Firstly, it is issued in certain directions. Secondly, in order to obtain it, it is necessary to confirm high test results or research results.

To help students pay for their education, many organizations have committed themselves to fully or partially fund capable and talented students. 
It is possible to identify the most famous:

• Thailand International Postgraduate Education Program (TIPP)
• International Scholarship of the Educational Foundation
• Scholarship to pay for the IELTS test
• Scholarship of the Master's Program at the School of Global Studies of Thammasat University 
• SIT Zero Fees English Scholarship
• EIT International Excellence Scholarship
• EFS Thailand Scholarship Program for International Students  
• Chulalongkorn University Graduate Scholarship Program
• Scholarships for graduates of the medical faculties of Prince Songkla University
• International Scholarship of the Asian Institute of Technology GAFS-AIT in Thailand.

A number of factors can be identified as disadvantages of studying at universities in Thailand:

The language barrier. Despite the fact that today the leading universities of the Kingdom have about 300 areas of study with English, most of the local population speaks English poorly. For students to live and move around the city, it is better to master everyday phrases in Thai. 
Many Thai universities have introduced a uniform form for students (as in schools). At the same time, it may be different for classes, exams and various university events, but everyone must wear it without fail, and this is an unnecessary expense item.
Every 3 months, international students are required to report their residential address to the Immigration Department of their city. By missing such a moment, students can receive a fine of $60.
Medical services. In Thailand, the price tag for medical care is very high, so foreigners should take care of medical insurance in advance. It is also necessary to find out in advance what services they can receive under insurance issued in their country.

Despite these disadvantages, the number of people wishing to receive higher education in the Kingdom is growing every year.  In general, it is not difficult to enroll in Thai universities. You can apply for the chosen program at the end of the 11th grade of secondary school. The deadline for submitting it is 3 months before the start of the academic semester. The application is submitted directly through the university's website and the Online Application button. After accepting the application, the applicant is invited for testing or an interview directly at the university. Each university may have its own internal tests. So Chulalongkorn University has developed its own test (CU-AAT), thanks to which it is possible to assess the academic knowledge of the applicant. This test was highly appreciated and began to be used in many educational institutions in Thailand.

Documents required for admission:

• an application filled out according to the sample and with a passport photo attached to it;
• scanned copy of the passport;
• confirmation of English proficiency test results — TOEFL (from 79 points), IELTS (from 6.0 points);
• certificate of full secondary education (original and copy);
• extract with grades;
• the results of the Thai SAT test (at least 600 points), if your specialty is related to mathematics, engineering, agriculture, architecture;
• motivation letter — applicants need to pay attention to this document, because it will need to reveal all their abilities and talents, show their interest in learning, and love for their future profession. If it is properly designed, the admissions committee will definitely pay attention to this;
• letters of recommendation (3) — they must be written on behalf of the teachers, the director and the head teacher of the school that the applicant graduated from;
• confirmation of financial viability (bank statement)
• medical certificate of the applicant's health status.

All documents must be translated into Thai or English and notarized.
We have already noted that both local and foreign school graduates want to enroll in one of the top universities in the country. Let's highlight the 5 best universities in Thailand:

• Chulalongkorn University was founded in 1917 on the basis of the Royal Pages Training School. Located in Bangkok, Over the years it has become a prestigious national university and is one of the oldest institutions of higher education in Thailand. It is also the only university that is a member of the Association of Pacific Universities (APRU). The university pays great attention to research activities. Graduates of this university are in demand and find jobs quite quickly. The competition among applicants is quite large, so candidates with high entrance scores are accepted first. 

            Tuition starts at $8000 per year. The university has 20 faculties,   
            23 colleges and research institutes, where about 37,000 students study   
            students, more than 10,000 graduate students. The university has quite a lot    
            partner universities around the world: more than 500 educational institutions in 56 countries. 

• Chiang Mai University is a public university founded in 1964. It is located in the north of the country, in the city of Chiang Mai. The University has 21 faculties, 1 school, 3 colleges and 3 institutes. All faculties are divided into 4 main groups: social and humanitarian, natural technology, group of health sciences, interdisciplinary group. Focusing on this division, it is easier for the applicant to choose the direction that he chooses for himself. The cost largely depends on the chosen faculty and the language of instruction (starts at $1,100 per year).

           The university has a large library where students can perform        
           homework or writing scientific papers. Also a lot of attention     
           attention is paid to the active lifestyle of students, therefore, on the territory of the university   
           sports grounds and various sports sections are open.

• Thammasat University — started its activity in 1934 in the city of Rathum Thani as an institution specializing in legal and political disciplines. In the early years of its operation, the university did not receive any government subsidies and operated due to small tuition fees and income from Bank of Asia, in which the university owned an 80% share. To date, the university has opened 25 educational departments. The percentage of international students studying at this university is small. However, the diploma of Tammasat is quite significant and helps in the further employment of graduates. In addition, the university works closely with the Association of Southeast Asian Institutions of Higher Learning group. The tuition fees for international students and citizens are different. On average, it is $1,400 per year. For more information, it is better to study the website of this university
• King Mongkut Thonburi University of Technology — opened its doors in 1960 under the direct supervision of the King of the country, later received the status of a state university. Almost all academic buildings of the university are located in Bangkok and most of the faculties have a technical direction. The Faculty of Engineering is particularly popular at the university. Its graduates have a fairly high employment rating. In addition, specialized schools have been opened at the university: School of Architecture and Design; School of Humanities; School of Bioresources and Technologies; Graduate School of Management and Innovation. In fact, these are separate faculties of the university. Tuition fees for international students range from $1,200 and above. The university, in turn, has the opportunity to provide a scholarship to a separate category of students. 
• Khon Kaen University — the academic activity of the university began in 1966. This educational institution is located in the city of Khon Kaen and occupies a fairly large area. The university has about 35,000 students, 2% of whom are foreigners. The university has 19 faculties and 4 colleges. Despite the affordable cost of tuition (about $ 1,000 per year), it is not so easy to enroll in this university, the admission committee pays a lot of attention to entrance exams and the average score of the applicant's certificate. According to statistics, 1 out of 10 applicants enter the university. The requirements for international students are not so strict, but still those who score more on the exam enter this institution. 

Of course, there are a large number of higher education institutions in Thailand, where anyone can find the right direction for him. 
In order to study peacefully, a foreigner must obtain an ED student visa. To do this, he must provide documents that he is enrolled in the full-time department of the university and has paid at least 50% of the total tuition fee. As a rule, student visas are issued for a period of 90 days to 1 year. For those foreigners who studied at a Thai school, the government can provide certain subsidies and benefits for admission to the University of Thailand.
And read about what schools there are in Thailand for immigrant children in our article.