Starting this year, 2014, universities in Thailand will begin the first semester in August or September. At Ubon Ratchathani university, where I work, they chose August. First semester to run from August to about mid December. Second semester from mid January to about mid May. This is to bring the Thai academic year into line with other Asean countries. Also fits in with the temperate northern countries of Europe and North America but not the southern hemisphere countries like Australia and New Zealand.

Universities (and schools) usually close during the hottest time of the year in other countries. This is what Thailand has done for generations.

Thai students will now be studying and doing final exams during the hot season. I guess Cambodian, Lao, Myanmar and Vietnamese students will be doing the same. Songkran comes just before the final stretch for second semester exams.

For those of us teaching agriculture it really stuffs up the teaching programme up. Experiments usually are planted at the beginning of wet season in June. Planting trials in the hot dry season requires heaps of water which we don't have.

I believe that schools throughout Thailand may also follow this academic year sometime in the future.

Who was the LUNATIC who thought-up this idea?

Why would we want to stuff around to be like Europe and/or North America and have our kids endure the stinking hot temperatures they'll be faced with around Exam time?

Already happening at the high school level. Kantaralak High School (a bog-standard government Wittaya) has already implemented the change onto the ASEAN cycle.

Moved to higher education section of forums as it's more relevant here

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August 4th is the start date for Payap University in Chiang Mai.

Our uni is already on this schedule... no sure how working through the hottest part of the year will work out, but will find our very soon

MSU Mahasarakham doing the same this year, my niece is bored shitless at the thought of her 6 month break she is now enduring.

Ramkhamhaeng is starting in July, instead of the usual June.

August 4th is the start date for Payap University in Chiang Mai.

I was toying with applying to Payap or any other similar CM uni to do the business management degree. I need to get a new passport as the current one is full. I won't arrive back into CM until August 2nd and I read that there is a three week lead time for international students to get the necessary approvals.

Can I do that and start the course late?

Or is there another CM uni that I can start in September?

MSU Mahasarakham doing the same this year, my niece is bored shitless at the thought of her 6 month break she is now enduring.

Apparently she was unlucky enough not to be in one of the many faculties that are doing a double summer term. As a result of that, many students will be able to graduate a half-year early. The silver lining.

August 4th is the start date for Payap University in Chiang Mai.

I was toying with applying to Payap or any other similar CM uni to do the business management degree. I need to get a new passport as the current one is full. I won't arrive back into CM until August 2nd and I read that there is a three week lead time for international students to get the necessary approvals.

Can I do that and start the course late?

Or is there another CM uni that I can start in September?

You can apply now. Pay the 6,400 baht deposit and Payap should issue you visa and acceptance letters which are needed when applying for you education visa. Payap can email you these letters.

This should read some thai Universities. Many are starting this year as usual. My niece heads off for fresher week on the 18th so the house will be a lot quieter....and I can probably get a slower intenet.