Thai Students Studying Abroad...

[lightstar]

Hi all,

I've seen a few advertisments here for Thai students to study English abroad, or to study at degree level in Western universities. I was just wondering whether many do?

I imagine it would be very expensive for local students to study at prestigious schools / universities overseas... but presumably if the schools are advertising there must be a fair few who can afford it.

Where would Thai students favour studying? The UK I would think is expensive... there are cheaper places like NZ or Oz... But they don't have the much sought after American 'accent'... is that an issue here?

(((When I taught in Korea, a lot of my students wanted to go study to the US to get an American accent, then they wanted to get PR for Canada and live there. I don't know what the Korean fascination is with Canada, but... In actuality, most of them ended up studying in OZ or NZ because they were cheaper, easier to get in, and closer.)))

Also, given the choice, do you think Thai students want to get PR for those countries, or do they just study there and then come back here to work/live?

[Losangels]

Sure they can, courtesy of rich dadies and momies.

Besides it is a status symbol thing like driving a Mercedes

[Prakanong]

Every one of my Thai colleagues who I work closely have degree's from oversea's Uni's - English, american, aussie and Canadian. The positions I am talking about we only employ people with oversea's degree's in a native English speaking country

These are a mix of either undergrad or post-grad qualifications.

PS: We have Koreans with degree's from Canada in our Seoul office

[madjbs]

The positions I am talking about we only employ people with oversea's degree's in a native English speaking country

What happens if someone comes along who appears to be just the kind of person you need but they have an Asian degree?

[Prakanong]

The positions I am talking about we only employ people with oversea's degree's in a native English speaking country

What happens if someone comes along who appears to be just the kind of person you need but they have an Asian degree?

For the particular research role I am talking about and who I have daily contact with

A lot of them do have Asian degree's but they also normally need to have a further degree in a native English speaking country as well - that is the type of person they need.

The language of the pharma business is English and in the actual specific positions I am talking about they do need a high level of English that people employing them in Thailand (who are Thai) think can only be achived with a degree obtained in an English speaking country - its not just the degree but the living in the other country too.

There are of course jobs in the company with less English skills but they are usually just dealing internally in Thailand - not regionally or globally.

I also think an element of snobbery comes into play as well but from the Thai's - they are the ones that want the oversea's degree - its not required in any other Asian country and we are in all of them except Cambodia, Burma, Laos and N Korea

[paully]

I've seen a few advertisments here for Thai students to study English abroad, or to study at degree level in Western universities. I was just wondering whether many do?

I imagine it would be very expensive for local students to study at prestigious schools / universities overseas... but presumably if the schools are advertising there must be a fair few who can afford it.

Yes, you'd be surprised by the number. There must be some thousands of Thai students studying in UK, US, Australia alone. Yes, it's expensive - but there are a few rich Thais around and others are able to get scholarships from their government or other governments. It's now a well-worn path, and lucrative for western universities.

[Prakanong]

I've seen a few advertisments here for Thai students to study English abroad, or to study at degree level in Western universities. I was just wondering whether many do?

I imagine it would be very expensive for local students to study at prestigious schools / universities overseas... but presumably if the schools are advertising there must be a fair few who can afford it.

Yes, you'd be surprised by the number. There must be some thousands of Thai students studying in UK, US, Australia alone. Yes, it's expensive - but there are a few rich Thais around and others are able to get scholarships from their government or other governments. It's now a well-worn path, and lucrative for western universities.

Very lucrative for western Uni's as you say.

British Uni's are also moving and building campus's close to their new clients too - nottingham Uni has built a replica of their campus in China i was told

The Uni where I am studying for my MBA are now going to offer under-grad degree's too in Singapore

There are Thai students associations at quite a few Uni's in the UK as well.

[mbkudu]

With the US$ so weak it is an excellent time for Thai students to study in the US. Unfortunately student visas are now harder for them and many others to obtain.

[DragonQuest]

Agreed.

[PeaceBlondie]

At the recent mass killing by an Americanized uni student of Korean birth, it was mentioned that South Korea has the highest number of uni students in the USA. There is hardly any comparison between Korean and Thai students - almost all contrast. South Korea basically got culturally colonized by the West, although they are nearly as xenophobic as Thais. Koreans are serious about education; most Thais are sanuk about school.

I only met one Thai in America who earned a BA in Bangkok and his next 2.5 degrees in the USA. Bullshitter, perpetual student, unashamed to live off his rich lover for many years, a stealth money-boy, working illegally, over-stayed, etc.

[madjbs]

I know lots of Thais who have been educated abroad, from high school level to PhD's. The ones I know are highly motivated and hard working, most return to Thailand after they have finished their education.

[otherstuff1957]

Several of the managers & other executives I work with have studied at, if not graduated from, Universities abroad. Usually Australia & the UK.

The Thais have a saying about going to University abroad: "Old money goes to England, new money goes to America and no money goes to Australia!

[Rionoir]

I knew many Thai in Chicago that were going to school there... most of that circle of friends had lots of family money, of varying amounts though.

Is it expensive for them to study at "prestigious" schools? Yea, it's expensive for Americans to study at prestigious schools too naa...

[Sporting Dog]

Doing an MBA at an Australian Uni and there a few Thai students. Did some group work with a couple of them and was pleasantly surprised at their knowledge and commitment. (I have worked at a Thai High School so I was initially a bit suspicious about their work ethic). But I guess they need to be committed because the course fees work out to be quite a substatial amount of Thai Baht!!

All of the work I have seen them present has been of acceptable standard and I know they all work BLOODY hard to keep up. I don't know where they got their UG degrees. The biggest problem they have is participating in the class discussions and interactions (which are pretty important for most of the units) but slowly they are getting over the Thai reticence to speak in front of others (tho' my former boss in LOS had no problem public speaking - every school occasion we'd get monologues of up to 3hrs!!!)

Edited May 7, 2008 by Sporting Dog

[thaihome]

There are also a fair number of Thias going to school in China and India. When we lived in Beijing, we knew several Thais going to med school.

I know an Indian guy (thorough my tailor) that arranges for Thais to go to school in India. Claims he has about 300 kids (primary to university) there now. Says that they often go to learn English before studying in the west, as it is much cheaper.

TH

[Groongthep]

I've seen a few advertisments here for Thai students to study English abroad, or to study at degree level in Western universities. I was just wondering whether many do?

I imagine it would be very expensive for local students to study at prestigious schools / universities overseas... but presumably if the schools are advertising there must be a fair few who can afford it.

Over the years I have met literally dozens of Thai students studying in the Seattle area alone, mostly at the University of Washington but at other colleges and universities as well. And that's just in the Seattle area. It would be my guess that there are probably a few thousand Thai students studying at US colleges and universities throughout the country at any given time. I don't have any official figures to back this up but I believe its probably a fairly reasonable guess. Keep in mind that most (but not all) of these students are from wealthy families and as such attended expensive private preparatory schools here in Thailand and are therefore not overly visible to western teachers working anywhere but in the top schools.

[mizzi39]

I teach M1-M3. The director (my boss who is Thai) of our English program earned her BA from the U. of Oklahoma.

[jaja]

Over the years I have met literally dozens of Thai students studying in the Seattle area alone, mostly at the University of Washington but at other colleges and universities as well. And that's just in the Seattle area. It would be my guess that there are probably a few thousand Thai students studying at US colleges and universities throughout the country at any given time. I don't have any official figures to back this up but I believe its probably a fairly reasonable guess. Keep in mind that most (but not all) of these students are from wealthy families and as such attended expensive private preparatory schools here in Thailand and are therefore not overly visible to western teachers working anywhere but in the top schools.

ME, as one of them - in the 80s. There were just about 250 of us at that time (approx. 1/3 grad students and 2/3 as undergrad)

Most of the undergrads were pursuing various business degrees, a few were in electrical/mechanical/chemical engineering, and I think only one of them was in anthepology. I earned mine in geography and architecture. ALL of the grad students were on some type of scholarship from the thai gov't .

btw...GO HUSKIES!