Farang Obtaining Degree In Thailand

[RAZZELL]

You can read it all about it on their websites. Heres another link

http://www.paked.net/higher_education/rank...es_rankings.htm

Chulalongkorn are rated among the 200 best universities of the world at #161 (last year #121). I'm not making this up.

The Sorbonne number 200???

Chinese Universities (number of Nobel Prize winners = not many )

RAZZ

[madjbs]

Very well said Gumball. All it boils down to is if that person is good at what they do. Just because you graduate from a certain uni it doesnt mean they are going to be any more or less useless than the next person, its all about the individual. And to be honest most people simply dont have a clue what the top unis are like as they dont hire the average joe T.E.F.L er.

Also the top unis have quite hard entry requirements compared to allot of other unis outside the U.K and U.S which in turn means the studunts must be more inteligent.

[Robski]

London University, good reputation, well priced distance learning and you can sit the exams in Bangkok, HCM, HK, Singapore....

[Pepe']

I obtained a degree in Thailand. It was 98.6

[torito]

do not believe that universitites can be rated so simplistically. The only demonstration of an international recognition is that its graduates can work at the same level and salaries than professionals around the world, specially in developed countries. If the degree is good in Laos and Cambodia it means nothing. If you can work in USA, UK and Australia then I would accept it.

No thats not always right because theres also discrimination. Thai simply wouldnt get a chance to prove themself because of their education. That doesnt mean they arent better or less educated then westerners. They just wouldnt get a chance because the employer might think such a degree isnt worth anything anyway.

And like I said most of you teach english on high schools or first year students up country. So how would you know if never seen their labs, attended lectures, made their exams, compared the subjects, the textbooks etc. They probally use the same textbooks like on harvard. Teaching english is a whole different thing. You cant compare those experiences with the experiences on top thai universities.

Dear Kuhn 'fanta rood', perhaps you misread me or I was not clear on my point.

Your answers however somehow confirm my statement: Thai simply would not get a chance to prove themselves because of their education. Correct this is exactly the point. It is not the matter of wanting to, or appearing to, or whatever the university might rank in the world but what in practical terms a Thai professional can do with his Thai degree, internationally.

Caucasians will always discriminate against developing country people. This is a reality that we have to live with. But this is an argument that does not fit in the legality aspect of degree recognition. The only way to have a chance is to prove a competitive level.

The fact is that there are various elements of the educational system in Thailand that are not at international levels. This it is not a judgment on the Thais capacity or an insinuation that westerners are more educated than Thaïs.

I will give you only one sample that indicates the difference. Management is a role that demands decision taking, analysis, leadership, risk taking. The Thai educational system goes against this "attitudes" that a professional must have in this role. Farangs are trained to debate, to speak their mind, lead and follow their thoughts, to risk, to make analysis even if they have no idea what they are taking about. They are confident and hardly bend their heads on anything. This is not learnt in well equipped Labs or text books, no matter where they come from.

The university is the place in where professionals shape their character and prepares themselves for the future challenges that their jobs will demand. This applies to all professional fields. In here student of Political Sciences can not argue his position with his teacher.

The only ways that third world countries can improve their level is by recognizing their inadequacies and correct them. It is a hard reality that you Thais have to face. I also come from third world country and I know all about discrimination, racism and contempt. I am fortunate that the educational level in my country was at the time I study tough enough to be internationally recognized, and farangs can do nothing else more than accept it.

I am not an English teacher, and I have dealt with many Thais in my professional area. Great workers, committed, fun, intelligent but still need more strength to be internationally competitive.

It is not an easy stuff for people of the third world like us my friend. I can tell you this by experience.

Btw, concerning myself, I have a BS in Engineering from a so-so university in the US. Yet during the past 17 years I have managed to acquire good work opportunities in several top-100 companies including perhaps the world's best known government agency (NASA) and I have come across an entire spectrum of people from different backgrounds and qualifications. Never once did I question or consider where one acquired their university degree. All that mattered was whether they could do the job. And the same always applied to me as well.

.... After taking a short pause to tend to other (more important) matters, I wonder why I even bothered to write my opinion to this topic. Half the the postings in this topic contained misspelled words, poor grammar, and yet we are here to provide our opinions about the quality of the Thai educational system. I for one vote for Chula. They have a good school of education.

It is common among farangs never look to their degrees....but it would be interesting to see if Mr. 'Gumballl' ever come accross to a professional from the third world country....if ever a resume reach his hands...

And as you can see, even if the only objective is bragging about something not related with the topic, farangs still they feel with the authority to do it, and at the same time being derogative ...this is the attitude I am talking about....

Edited June 4, 2007 by torito

[qwertz]

London University, good reputation, well priced distance learning and you can sit the exams in Bangkok, HCM, HK, Singapore....

To be recommended - I went that route in England and Germany.

[my friend I]

The son of a local villager claims to have a master in education degree from Assumption Bangkok.

The son introduced me to his boyfriend saying "my friend I' the day I joined thaivisa.

I was told Assumption & Tammassat degrees are up for sale.

[nick2k]

Universities like chulalongkorn are rated among the best in asia and are highly rated internationally. And they won numerous awards (if i may believe them).

I would not make this statement if I would not have sufficient arguments.

I know many students of this university who think that a postgraduate course, e.g. Australia, would give to them a proper recognition of their skills..in Thailand!. IT is my industry.

I do not believe that universitites can be rated so simplistically. The only demonstration of an international recognition is that its graduates can work at the same level and salaries than professionals around the world, specially in developed countries. If the degree is good in Laos and Cambodia it means nothing. If you can work in USA, UK and Australia then I would accept it.

In UK for instance, NARIC is the national agency of the educational department providing comparative assessment of international qualifications. Are the Thai degrees from Chulanongkon University recognized by this organization and rated equivalent?. If it is so, it is a good start......but I seriously doubt it.

For what I have seen, Thai educational system is still third world class. I have never seen Thai professionals with degrees obtained in Thailand, working abroad.

one of my friends who had a thai girlfriend wanted to know what school would be good for her to study at which would pretty much guarantee her a job in the states. after a little research, I suggested - nursing.

there is a big demand for nurses in the usa.

I know of this because of my experiences with people from the philippines. there are so many nurses from the philippines going over to the usa to work, there are forums on the internet for these people to network.

I don't know about all the other schools of study. but nursing is good. that is - if you want to work in the usa.

pay is EXCELLENT TOOO!!!!

[Dakhar]

Universities like chulalongkorn are rated among the best in asia and are highly rated internationally. And they won numerous awards (if i may believe them).

I would not make this statement if I would not have sufficient arguments.

I know many students of this university who think that a postgraduate course, e.g. Australia, would give to them a proper recognition of their skills..in Thailand!. IT is my industry.

I do not believe that universitites can be rated so simplistically. The only demonstration of an international recognition is that its graduates can work at the same level and salaries than professionals around the world, specially in developed countries. If the degree is good in Laos and Cambodia it means nothing. If you can work in USA, UK and Australia then I would accept it.

In UK for instance, NARIC is the national agency of the educational department providing comparative assessment of international qualifications. Are the Thai degrees from Chulanongkon University recognized by this organization and rated equivalent?. If it is so, it is a good start......but I seriously doubt it.

For what I have seen, Thai educational system is still third world class. I have never seen Thai professionals with degrees obtained in Thailand, working abroad.

one of my friends who had a thai girlfriend wanted to know what school would be good for her to study at which would pretty much guarantee her a job in the states. after a little research, I suggested - nursing.

there is a big demand for nurses in the usa.

I know of this because of my experiences with people from the philippines. there are so many nurses from the philippines going over to the usa to work, there are forums on the internet for these people to network.

I don't know about all the other schools of study. but nursing is good. that is - if you want to work in the usa.

pay is EXCELLENT TOOO!!!!

Shame though, sick people want people that speak English to them in America. I don't get the logic in that?

If someone wanted my advice.... it would be, it is OK to start in Thailand, but don't finish here that is for sure. If you finish here, you are just that finished.

Get a BA/BS and head out to the US or some other location with recognized institutes, get your degree and come back if you wish.

[Furbie]

Some quick points on Thai Uni education for someone who has had hiring responsibility in Thailand and the US what it means to foreigners.

First, for US folks or those wishing to work in the US, you must ensure that your foreign degree has a recognized accreditation (an annoying process in itself, the US Department of Education keeps a database) if you want your degree recognized in the US. Meaning, for many employers, and especially the government of the US, the degree is not worth the paper it is printed on if there is no legitimate accreditation. This also means that many state or local licensing boards may not recognize the degree as well.

Second, foreigners residing in Thailand should skip anything but a top tier Thai university – the two best are Chula and Thamassat (depends on your program) and then I would add Assumption at a slight notch below (but again, it depends on your program) – some would add Mahidol and Bangkok U – but you can't go wrong with the first three. Why would any employer look to a foreigner who attended a middling Thai university as anything special? They would question why you earned your degree in Thailand

Third, some degree programs in Thailand have linkages to top tier Universities in the west, and you can add that to your resume/CV to point this out. For example, the MBA program at SASIN (Chula's Business School) has linkages with Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management – which is a top program in the US – and visiting professors from this Uni. HR people in the west will recognize this and give it proper notice. This is something useful in Thailand and the West.

Fourth, MNCs and big name Thai employers (we are talking the GEs and Citibanks of the world, and the CPs and SCBs of Thailand), rarely ever consider someone for a middle to senior management position who did not attend a top university in Thailand. The pedigree here is just too important. Sure, you can pull down 15k-30k per month if you went to a half way decent Uni as a Thai, but if you want to make senior management, you need Chula or a similar institution – this goes for foreigners too. Ironically, a degree from the middle of no where Uni USA will carry almost as much weight as a degree from Chula, which I think is terrible.

You are free to come to your own conclusions in life. But on-line degrees and degrees from second tier or lower Thai universities are not going to get you good positions in Thailand – unless you are very lucky, a member of the family or experienced enough to make up for this deficit. Every resume that has passed my desk in Thailand for a half way decent position in the companies I have worked for have come from a top Thai Uni or from overseas.

[JimmyCA]

You can read it all about it on their websites. Heres another link

http://www.paked.net/higher_education/rank...es_rankings.htm

Chulalongkorn are rated among the 200 best universities of the world at #161 (last year #121). I'm not making this up. I could quote a few from their websites if you want.

And we are talking about serious degrees not just some stuff where they just hire some foreigners without education to teach and who dont even give a crap. Wich is probally what you guys think about.

Also they encourage students to study abroad even here in my country. Even if most our universities belong to the top50 of europe. Thats part of your development. But I agree thai universities cant compete with the top of the world like harvard or MIT simply because they dont have the money for it. THey dont have money to build high tech advanced institutes, facilities or hire expensive professors to attract potential top students for in long term. Thats true. But this doesnt make a difference unless you really aiming for research. For a master degree and especially ph.d its probally better to do it in America but again it depends wich university.

do not believe that universitites can be rated so simplistically. The only demonstration of an international recognition is that its graduates can work at the same level and salaries than professionals around the world, specially in developed countries. If the degree is good in Laos and Cambodia it means nothing. If you can work in USA, UK and Australia then I would accept it.

No thats not always right because theres also discrimination. Thai simply wouldnt get a chance to prove themself because of their education. That doesnt mean they arent better or less educated then westerners. They just wouldnt get a chance because the employer might think such a degree isnt worth anything anyway.

And like I said most of you teach english on high schools or first year students up country. So how would you know if never seen their labs, attended lectures, made their exams, compared the subjects, the textbooks etc. They probally use the same textbooks like on harvard. Teaching english is a whole different thing. You cant compare those experiences with the experiences on top thai universities.

To have a top uni you need top professors, money and top students. Thailand does not have these type of professors or students to rank in the top 200 and there are few foreigners in Chula. There are about 200 Colleges in California, ALL are better than chula.

[esbobes]

First I would like to say Thai degrees are equal and equivalent to and American degree.

Show one recognized ranking system that supports this.

Thai and American degrees are not equal. Thai Degrees are better.

This was told to me by wife and her family. All who known so much and only went to school for 4 years if that much.

[Laughing Gravy]

Here is the simply answer to the OP's question. Getting a degree in Thailand will have no value for you at all. Simple as that . Unless you are planning to become a Thai Citizen in the near future. As you have mentioned you are in the UK now. You can do a degree (if you have the necessary entrance examinations) in two years now. You do not have to take 5 years for a degree at the OU, what they are saying is they will give you 5 years to complete it.

As someone who has worked in Universities in the UK and here in Thailand I will tell you quite simply, you can not compare and Thailand has no academic standing in the UK and many parts of Europe. America I cannot comment on, but as they are having their own internal battle of recognition of universities, I would think, they in many cases would have the same conclusion.

I could go into countless stories and examples of how the differences occur but many people have mentioned these before, especially in the teachers forum. As you are still 27 years old, why not invest a short time of your life in getting something that is valuable and will stay with you for life. Although it has been mentioned that a degree is a piece of paper and does not necasarily make someone. Unfortunately a degree is suppose to be a level of "a standard achievement" and that's what people and employers measure, rightly or wrongly and will continue too.

You never know and I am not saying this will happen but the way the present regime are going, one day everyone who enters Thailand might have to have a degree. so why not get it now just in case. Before I get flamed this is a joke.

[stevemiddie]

First I would like to say Thai degrees are equal and equivalent to and American degree.

Tee hee hee hee hee.

[madjbs]

To have a top uni you need top professors, money and top students. Thailand does not have these type of professors or students to rank in the top 200 and there are few foreigners in Chula. There are about 200 Colleges in California, ALL are better than chula.

I very much doubt it, I also doubt you have ever set foot in Chula let alone have any kind of idea about the quality of the education there.

[stevemiddie]

.... After taking a short pause to tend to other (more important) matters, I wonder why I even bothered to write my opinion to this topic. Half the the postings in this topic contained misspelled words, poor grammar, and yet we are here to provide our opinions about the quality of the Thai educational system. I for one vote for Chula. They have a good school of education.

I am not going to correct all of your post. Far too many grammatical errors and i have to tend to other ( more important ) matters.

Here are a few examples from Goofball..........."Half the the postings in this topic contained misspelled words, poor grammar, and yet...... "

the the ? Is that like..............same same? Surely that should be " Half of the postings............."

Contained? Why the use of past tense?

Why the comma after the word grammar? Does not the word "and" replace that comma?

You are one of the 50 percenters in the poor grammar section.

Edited October 25, 2007 by stevemiddie

[stevemiddie]

To have a top uni you need top professors, money and top students. Thailand does not have these type of professors or students to rank in the top 200 and there are few foreigners in Chula. There are about 200 Colleges in California, ALL are better than chula.

I very much doubt it, I also doubt you have ever set foot in Chula let alone have any kind of idea about the quality of the education there.

Ignore JimmyCA. He has no comprehension of Thailand whatsoever.

[blizzard]

op wants to matriculate with thai uni gurls........lol

[wasabi]

There is a Master degree student who I tutor from Thailand. She is a nice and intelligent person but she will be the first to admit her degree from Bangkok did almost nothing to prepare her for the rigor and demands of an American University. Over the past year and a half she has improved a lot but when she started I had to help her constantly and she often had trouble thinking critically and making independent decisions and this was not due to a language barrier as I am not talking about grammatical mistakes she may have made on papers or things related to language, and she can understand spoken English fluently. I realize one person does not make a sample study but her opinion and reading the others opinions here, coupled with the fact so many wealthy Thai's do not attend Thai universities leads me to believe a degree from a Thai University will only give you access to many lovely Thai University girls but not necessarily jobs and the enhanced critical reasoning one is supposed to acquire at a University. There are many things I love about Thailand, and I think we take ourselves too seriously and work too hard in the USA, we could learn a lot about life if we adopted some of the Mai bphen rai and sanuk aspects of Thai culture, but the Thai work ethic and education system does not seem to gear one towards success.

[Ijustwannateach]

I liked Guesthouse's last response so much that I am moving it into a new topic (as it is off-topic in this rapidly degenerating and aging thread- which I am closing).

For those of you who are truly interested in getting degrees in Thailand (whether in Thai universities or as part of a distance program) we have a long, rambling, pinned thread on the subject in the Teacher's Forum.

"Steven"