Chinese Students in Thailand: Cash Cow, At a Cost

[webfact]

Students and staff at Huachiew Chalermprakiet University (HCU) making Chinese New Year decorations. (Photo: HCU / Facebook)

 

ARANYA SIRIPHON|FANZURA BANU

 

Thailand is reaping the benefits of a steady stream of Chinese students being enrolled in its universities. The trend, however, is not cost-free.

 

The number of Chinese students enrolled in Thai universities have been on the rise. While Chinese students have varied reasons for picking Thailand, Thai universities have their own reasons for admitting them. The Thai government clearly wants to capitalise on this trend, which would boost the Thai economy and burnish the country’s credentials as an ‘educational hub’ for international students. However, there are a host of problems it has to grapple with, namely compromised academic standards and Chinese students flouting their visa conditions.

 

According to Thailand’s Office of the Higher Education Commission (OHEC), the number of Chinese students choosing Thailand for their tertiary education has been rising in recent years. In 2009, Thai universities hosted 5,364 Chinese students. In 2020, the number had tripled to 14,423. Between 2018 and 2022, 7,231 Chinese students graduated from Thailand’s higher education institutes.

 

The majority of the Chinese students prefer universities in the West, in countries such as Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States. In Asia, Thailand —together with Japan and Singapore — count among the top choices for Chinese students.

 

Full story: https://fulcrum.sg/chinese-students-in-thailand-cash-cow-at-a-cost/

 

-- © Copyright FULCRUM 2022-02-15

 

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[Jerno]

Educational hub? Puh....lee...zzz!   

[Geoffggi]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

The majority of the Chinese students prefer universities in the West, in countries such as Australia,

Yea I suppose if you keep on going West you will eventually arrive ..................LOL

[Orinoco]

1 hour ago, Jerno said:

Educational hub? Puh....lee...zzz!   

Well it could be as all students pass every time.

( all are top of the class)

So the system must be good. 

[bbko]

Are these Chinese students fluent in Thai?  Or are the classes taught in Chinese or English?

[Pouatchee]

Chinese Students in Thailand: Cash Cow, At a Cost

 

I don't get the title. It is not clarified the "at a cost" thing in this report. Once again misleading title ... 

 

 

[hotchilli]

2 hours ago, Jerno said:

Educational hub? Puh....lee...zzz!   

Infiltration more like.

[bbko]

18 minutes ago, hotchilli said:

Infiltration more like.

Oh the irony of an expat living in Thailand saying "infiltration"...555.

[hotchilli]

Just now, bbko said:

Oh the irony of an expat living in Thailand saying "infiltration"...555.

No the history of Chinese entering on ED visa's only to disappear and become a worker in a Chinese scam centre.

[MrJ2U]

6 minutes ago, hotchilli said:

No the history of Chinese entering on ED visa's only to disappear and become a worker in a Chinese scam centre.

More likely to run one under the guise of having an education visa.

[bbko]

4 minutes ago, MrJ2U said:

More likely to run one under the guise of having an education visa.

 

12 minutes ago, hotchilli said:

No the history of Chinese entering on ED visa's only to disappear and become a worker in a Chinese scam centre.

Well, the article says they're graduating, so there's that.

[MrJ2U]

Just now, bbko said:

 

Well, the article says they're graduating, so there's that.

I was under the impression China was detering most, including students from traveling or studying abroad due to the pandemic.

 

I guess not

 

Thats fine as long as there isn't any buffet's at the University.

 

 

[sammieuk1]

Looks like some strong hallucinogenic drugs are also available ‘educational hub’ for international students.????

[steven100]

so they are learning how to cut paper ......   Lol    

[topt]

2 hours ago, bbko said:

Are these Chinese students fluent in Thai?  Or are the classes taught in Chinese or English?

From the linked article.......

Quote

Although these international programmes are supposed to be taught in English, the language of instruction has morphed into a mix of Chinese, English and Thai to help students struggling with the language barrier. 

 

[Tropicalevo]

1 hour ago, Pouatchee said:

Chinese Students in Thailand: Cash Cow, At a Cost

 

I don't get the title. It is not clarified the "at a cost" thing in this report. Once again misleading title ...

 

5 hours ago, webfact said:

a host of problems it has to grapple with, namely compromised academic standards and Chinese students flouting their visa conditions.

 

[seajae]

problem is  the chinese students end up with a certificate/doctrate not recognized in the west, it may be a boon for the universities to make extra money but the chinese students are getting a poor/below par education compared to western countries, if they go to Australia they need to virtually redo their time again to be able to practice/be recognized 

[hotchilli]

1 hour ago, bbko said:

 

Well, the article says they're graduating, so there's that.

All or some?

[bbko]

1 hour ago, seajae said:

problem is  the chinese students end up with a certificate/doctrate not recognized in the west, it may be a boon for the universities to make extra money but the chinese students are getting a poor/below par education compared to western countries, if they go to Australia they need to virtually redo their time again to be able to practice/be recognized 

Or they remain in Thailand and work here, big money in import/exporting in Thailand with China, esp if someone has connections back in China.

[Nabby]

That means the Chinese students couldn't get into even low-level universities in their own abomination of a country and now Thailand has to deal with the bottom of the scrapheap of rude, disgusting Chinese students. 

[Burma Bill]

6 hours ago, bbko said:

Are these Chinese students fluent in Thai?

From my experience as a UK volunteer with the Thai Tourist Police, the answer is "reasonably good" also in English. Put me to shame as I could not converse in Thai or Chinese.  When I joined the TP in Khon Kaen (from Chiang Rai), the volunteer team were all ex-pats of differing nationalities. Over time, as many retired/left, replacements were recruited from Chinese students attending Khon Kaen University studying Tourism related subjects and providing them with job experience. Pre-Covid, and apart from office based administration, they used to join us ex-pats and TP officers on patrols, especially at local festivals. I personally found them well liked characters. In case any one was wondering, there were English and Chinese speaking TP officers and Thai speaking ex-pats so continuity was maintained during meetings. 

[John Drake]

7 hours ago, bbko said:

Are these Chinese students fluent in Thai?  Or are the classes taught in Chinese or English?

English. At least for the graduate classes I taught. The Chinese are good students--disciplined, prepared, and organized. In fact, they're a pleasure to teach. Trouble is, I don't know of any still in Thailand at least in large numbers. They were ordered out of the country on 1 April 2020.

[Pouatchee]

 

 

 10 hours ago, Pouatchee said:

Chinese Students in Thailand: Cash Cow, At a Cost

 

I don't get the title. It is not clarified the "at a cost" thing in this report. Once again misleading title ...

 

  14 hours ago, webfact said:

a host of problems it has to grapple with, namely compromised academic standards and Chinese students flouting their visa conditions.

Edited February 15, 2022 by Pouatchee

[Pouatchee]

9 hours ago, Tropicalevo said:

 

 

Yeah... I kinda got that... but the

" compromised academic standards and Chinese students flouting their visa conditions."

 

" compromised academic standards"

is on the Thai Universities ... I worked in one... in no way will the students turn down a system that passes all students no matter how much they achieve academically... this is on the Unis. Dots on 'i's and cross on t's

 

"and Chinese students flouting their visa conditions."

How are they any different than the illegal foreigners working in schools in Thailand? The foreigners keep the salaries stagnated and they take up jobs that qualified people could assume...

So, in a nutshell I still don't get the title 'cos I don't think the Chinese students should be the scapegoats for <deleted> education and a failed immigration program the relies on smart BMW's to do the agents' jobs...

[candide]

16 hours ago, webfact said:

However, there are a host of problems it has to grapple with, namely compromised academic standards and Chinese students flouting their visa conditions.

I had a look at the Thai Universities listed in the full article for being lenient and easily granting diplomas to Chinese students. I found the names of universities known for letting well-off Thai students pass as long as they are paying tuition fees. I am not going to cite any because of the computer and libel laws in this country, but Virgin Mary knows... ????

Edited February 15, 2022 by candide

[candide]

7 hours ago, Nabby said:

That means the Chinese students couldn't get into even low-level universities in their own abomination of a country and now Thailand has to deal with the bottom of the scrapheap of rude, disgusting Chinese students. 

The Chinese system is very selective, so there aren't really low-level universities

[candide]

11 hours ago, hotchilli said:

No the history of Chinese entering on ED visa's only to disappear and become a worker in a Chinese scam centre.

Many young farangs  are doing the same. The easiest way to do it is to register in a language school, not in universities.

[nattaya09]

I doubt there's a single Thai University in the top 500 globally

[arithai12]

17 hours ago, hotchilli said:

No the history of Chinese entering on ED visa's only to disappear and become a worker in a Chinese scam centre.

While all the western young ones with ED visas, instead, stick to their teaching schedules and leave promptly on the last day.

We should not generalize, good and bad apples everywhere.

[dj230]

Why anyone would come to Thailand for education is kind of surprising to me.

 

The universities, top ones (private) don't even require a GPA average to pass/get a degree. That will get you nowhere in life.