Thai Higher Education

[CqK]

My daughter, of sorts (Thai who has lived with my husband and I since we put her in 1st grade nearly 12 years ago) will be going to a Thai university next year around this time.

Since she's done reasonably well in school, I've pushed for Khon Kaen University. I'm old enough to know some of the Peace Corps folks who spoke very well of Khon Kaen University and I was at the campus six years ago for a cremation ceremony and liked what I saw of the university at that time. I also remember reading good reviews of Khon Kaen University in some of the older issues of Lonely Planet . . . around 1988.

Now my daughter is telling me Khon Kaen's reputation is not what it once was. I don't know if this knowledge is coming from a desire to go to a school where her friends are heading (which is NOT Khon Kaen) or if it's true.

However, she's not the only voice telling me to consider elsewhere . . . but the other voices are Thai voices and they're, in my opinion, often more interested in what's "in", or what looks good, versus getting an education. I don't care if Khon Kaen is not THEE place to go . . . I care about the reputation I once read about them having and that was, they were a good school providing a good education.

We live in Khorat province. I would prefer she go to a NE or Northern university and she has said she would like to avoid the more conjested BKK schools.

I'm looking forward to reading your opinions.

Thanks.

[Briggsy]

If she doesn't want to go to a university in or around Bangkok and wants to go to a uni in the north or north-east, Khon Kaen or Chiang Mai are generally head and shoulders above the vast majority.

The question may be, "Will Khon Kaen accept your daughter?" You need good grades to get in.

Many of the universities in Thailand (particularly some of the private ones) have zero educational standards. Still, it's better to have a degree from one of them than not at all.

[Briggsy]

According to the World University Rankings, Thailand features as follows:-

295 Prince of Songkhla

369 Chulalongkorn

418 Kasetsart

548 Mahidol

633 Chiang Mai

675 Thammasat

680 Khon Kaen

http://stang.sc.mahidol.ac.th/text/pdf/Sou...tAsia_Jan09.pdf

Full info can be found at the above link.

[bravingbangkok]

Fu7ck any Thai education after 13, if I can afford it my girls are going to English boarding schools and then English Uni, for education from 13-18 there is no better ! I guess international schools like Harrow in Bangkok are obviously good but I would not want my daughters being caught up in the Thai university social bullshit.

Edited June 2, 2009 by bravingbangkok

[citizen33]

As Briggsy's list suggests, Khon Kaen is one of the best Thai universities outside the Bangkok Metropolitan area and certainly the best in Isaan. The campus is pleasant and it seems to have quite a nice student culture. Does KKU compare with a leading Western university? That is a more difficult question and I would say the answer is: 'only in some subjects'. Incidentally it is Chula that usually ranks highest in the ratings game - it is currently 166th in the Times QS rankings:

http://www.topuniversities.com/worlduniversityrankings

I have some sympathy for Bravingbangkok's view. A good English University is hard to beat. As the recent Research Assessment Exercise results showed, Higher Education is one thing the British still do very well. In terms of bang per buck I'd say it is the world's best system.

Edited June 2, 2009 by citizen33

[TerryLH]

When choosing a uni you should also consider what faculty your child will study in.

My daughter will be going to uni next year, and KKU is her preferred school.

[TheLaughingMan]

My daughter, of sorts (Thai who has lived with my husband and I since we put her in 1st grade nearly 12 years ago) will be going to a Thai university next year around this time.

Since she's done reasonably well in school, I've pushed for Khon Kaen University. I'm old enough to know some of the Peace Corps folks who spoke very well of Khon Kaen University and I was at the campus six years ago for a cremation ceremony and liked what I saw of the university at that time. I also remember reading good reviews of Khon Kaen University in some of the older issues of Lonely Planet . . . around 1988.

Now my daughter is telling me Khon Kaen's reputation is not what it once was. I don't know if this knowledge is coming from a desire to go to a school where her friends are heading (which is NOT Khon Kaen) or if it's true.

However, she's not the only voice telling me to consider elsewhere . . . but the other voices are Thai voices and they're, in my opinion, often more interested in what's "in", or what looks good, versus getting an education. I don't care if Khon Kaen is not THEE place to go . . . I care about the reputation I once read about them having and that was, they were a good school providing a good education.

We live in Khorat province. I would prefer she go to a NE or Northern university and she has said she would like to avoid the more conjested BKK schools.

I'm looking forward to reading your opinions.

Thanks.

Seriously, you are making a huge mistake educating her in Thailand at all. You are wondering if the crap school you want to send her to is better than the other crap schools, it's all crap so I would not worry too much about which is the least crappy.

[givenall]

My daughter, of sorts (Thai who has lived with my husband and I since we put her in 1st grade nearly 12 years ago) will be going to a Thai university next year around this time.

Since she's done reasonably well in school, I've pushed for Khon Kaen University. I'm old enough to know some of the Peace Corps folks who spoke very well of Khon Kaen University and I was at the campus six years ago for a cremation ceremony and liked what I saw of the university at that time. I also remember reading good reviews of Khon Kaen University in some of the older issues of Lonely Planet . . . around 1988.

Now my daughter is telling me Khon Kaen's reputation is not what it once was. I don't know if this knowledge is coming from a desire to go to a school where her friends are heading (which is NOT Khon Kaen) or if it's true.

However, she's not the only voice telling me to consider elsewhere . . . but the other voices are Thai voices and they're, in my opinion, often more interested in what's "in", or what looks good, versus getting an education. I don't care if Khon Kaen is not THEE place to go . . . I care about the reputation I once read about them having and that was, they were a good school providing a good education.

We live in Khorat province. I would prefer she go to a NE or Northern university and she has said she would like to avoid the more conjested BKK schools.

I'm looking forward to reading your opinions.

Thanks.

I teach management courses in a university here in Bangkok. And I don’t think any of the university in Thailand has the same teaching quality as US or Europe. I would not send my daughter her to study if i have a chance to send her abroad

[bravingbangkok]

As Briggsy's list suggests, Khon Kaen is one of the best Thai universities outside the Bangkok Metropolitan area and certainly the best in Isaan. The campus is pleasant and it seems to have quite a nice student culture. Does KKU compare with a leading Western university? That is a more difficult question and I would say the answer is: 'only in some subjects'. Incidentally it is Chula that usually ranks highest in the ratings game - it is currently 166th in the Times QS rankings:

http://www.topuniversities.com/worlduniversityrankings

I have some sympathy for Bravingbangkok's view. A good English University is hard to beat. As the recent Research Assessment Exercise results showed, Higher Education is one thing the British still do very well. In terms of bang per buck I'd say it is the world's best system.

I think it is the ONLY thing we do well anymore, Labour even tried to fuc_k it up as well by changing exams and all this sort of nonsense. It is cheap as well even for overseas students, if you cannot quite make it let the lazy brat get a job while they are there Part time can earn them a good 600 pounds a month sometimes more with tips, halls is very cheap but food and amenities are not. Booze is cheap though

Thai uni education itself is not so bad, it is the social scene that puts me off.

[CqK]

When choosing a uni you should also consider what faculty your child will study in.

My daughter will be going to uni next year, and KKU is her preferred school.

English is her language study. The faculty will be tourism, hotel management, etc.

[CqK]

If she doesn't want to go to a university in or around Bangkok and wants to go to a uni in the north or north-east, Khon Kaen or Chiang Mai are generally head and shoulders above the vast majority.

The question may be, "Will Khon Kaen accept your daughter?" You need good grades to get in.

That's what we hear and hopefully she will pass the entrance exams. If she doesn't, then we'll look elsewhere. To date her overall grades are a B average. Math does her in.

[CqK]

According to the World University Rankings, Thailand features as follows:-

295 Prince of Songkhla

369 Chulalongkorn

418 Kasetsart

548 Mahidol

633 Chiang Mai

675 Thammasat

680 Khon Kaen

http://stang.sc.mahidol.ac.th/text/pdf/Sou...tAsia_Jan09.pdf

Full info can be found at the above link.

Thank you so much. This is helpful.

[CqK]

As Briggsy's list suggests, Khon Kaen is one of the best Thai universities outside the Bangkok Metropolitan area and certainly the best in Isaan. The campus is pleasant and it seems to have quite a nice student culture. Does KKU compare with a leading Western university? That is a more difficult question and I would say the answer is: 'only in some subjects'. Incidentally it is Chula that usually ranks highest in the ratings game - it is currently 166th in the Times QS rankings:

http://www.topuniversities.com/worlduniversityrankings

I will take a look at this list as well. Thank you so much for including it.

I understand Thailand's universities do not equal Western universities. I doubt Thai primary schools equal Western primary schools. My daughter is Thai. She has visited the west, had a wonderful time and thinks its a nice place to visit but she wouldn't want to live there. She is Thai . . . her qualities will never be "Western" . . . so I don't think putting her in a school half a world away, far from those she loves and where it is highly unlikely she will ever live, to be of benefit to her.

[CharlieB]

According to the World University Rankings, Thailand features as follows:-

295 Prince of Songkhla

369 Chulalongkorn

418 Kasetsart

548 Mahidol

633 Chiang Mai

675 Thammasat

680 Khon Kaen

http://stang.sc.mahidol.ac.th/text/pdf/Sou...tAsia_Jan09.pdf

Full info can be found at the above link.

From reading the actual site http://www.webometrics.info/about_rank.html this ranking is based purely on the web presence of universities rather than on any actual statistical measure on the 'quality' of education provided by them, i.e. the number of papers/pages published and the number of links into those pages, rather than on the actual quality of any teaching going on there. On that basis alone, I wouldn't rely on it too much when deciding where to send your kids, unless you value a huge net presence over quality of teaching. Look at the 'top' universities on the list and many of the top 50 are 'tech' universities, who would obviously have a larger number of web pages than a university that concentrates more on 'arts' subjects.

Personally, I wouldn't send my kids to a Thai school or university unless it was a last resort. I have told my wife that there is no way we are relocating to Thailand before our kids (Only have one at the moment, but planning at least one more) have left school and started uni in the UK. After that, it's up to them where they decide to live and work. I'll be driving past KK uni in about 30 minutes on my way into town.

Edited June 4, 2009 by CharlieB

[CqK]

As Briggsy's list suggests, Khon Kaen is one of the best Thai universities outside the Bangkok Metropolitan area and certainly the best in Isaan. The campus is pleasant and it seems to have quite a nice student culture. Does KKU compare with a leading Western university? That is a more difficult question and I would say the answer is: 'only in some subjects'. Incidentally it is Chula that usually ranks highest in the ratings game - it is currently 166th in the Times QS rankings:

http://www.topuniversities.com/worlduniversityrankings

I have some sympathy for Bravingbangkok's view. A good English University is hard to beat. As the recent Research Assessment Exercise results showed, Higher Education is one thing the British still do very well. In terms of bang per buck I'd say it is the world's best system.

I think it is the ONLY thing we do well anymore, Labour even tried to fuc_k it up as well by changing exams and all this sort of nonsense. It is cheap as well even for overseas students, if you cannot quite make it let the lazy brat get a job while they are there Part time can earn them a good 600 pounds a month sometimes more with tips, halls is very cheap but food and amenities are not. Booze is cheap though

Thai uni education itself is not so bad, it is the social scene that puts me off.

WHAT "social scene"?

And to help in your response to said question, cheap booze anywhere in the world would not be of interest to the daughter in question.