Australian graduates from Thai open university

[Thaivisa News]

Bangkok:- Richard Carney, 42, may appear like a general farang living in Thailand. But this English teacher is very fluent in the Thai language like a native speaker. Actually, he is so fluent in Thai that he has graduated from Ramkhamhaeng University’s Faculty of Political Science.

Ask Thai students how difficult for them to graduate from this open university! Without self-discipline and hard working, it is hard even for Thai students to get a Ramkhamhaeng degree, let alone a foreigner.

More impressively, Carney graduated from a normal Thai-language program, not super expensive English program for super rich kids.

Matichon Online has talked to Carney and found that he spent six years to earn over 200 credits from Ramkhamhaeng, more than enough to graduate with a bachelor’s degree.

According to Matichon, Carney has been living in Thailand for over ten years and has been working as an English teacher for the Thep Leela school.

“Shortly after I came to Thailand, I learned the Thai language by practicing from self-taught text books,” Carney told Matichon. “Then, I realized I should seek a higher education if I want to stay here.”

He said he initially enrolled in the Faculty of Education, thinking it would be useful for his teaching job. After two years, he switched to study in the Faculty of Political Science, majoring the judicial management. He said he also enrolled in other subjects off the course that he felt interesting so he earned over 200 credits.

He decided to switch to the Faculty of Political Science because he would like to know more about Thailand’s ruling and administration.

He will participate in the commencement ceremony on March 5.

[WitawatWatawit]

There's a bald-headed geezer with big ears who's been there, done that. He's also Australian, but he gets by.

[kaorop]

maybe he should write his own press release, i dont enjoy baby talk

[Hopho]

it is hard even for Thai students to get a Ramkhamhaeng degree,

[Hopho]

He decided to switch to the Faculty of Political Science because he would like to know more about Thailand’s ruling and administration.

They're great.

Negative polls are banned.

They're great.

[neverdie]

Well done Richard.

[chooka]

But can he use it when he goes back to Australia, I doubt it will be recognised and only good for local use in Thailand.

[Mango Bob]

For those who like to criticise him I wonder how many could even make it pass the first grade in a Thai school. I am sure not many are even fluent enough to do that. Congratulations on a job well done sir.

[jcisco]

Chooka.... university degree use it? What you mean use it?

[car720]

There's a bald-headed geezer with big ears who's been there, done that. He's also Australian, but he gets by.

I'm not bald.

[car720]

Chooka.... university degree use it? What you mean use it?

To get a job obviously.

Or maybe he could apply to be Pauline Hanson's personal assistant.

[noitom]

It took Thais 10 years to discover him.

[klauskunkel]

Ask Thai students how difficult for them to graduate from this open university!

Yes, let's ask one with rich parents...

[Baerboxer]

But can he use it when he goes back to Australia, I doubt it will be recognised and only good for local use in Thailand.

Wrong.

[Lupatria]

First I thought- what a smart guy but that was before I read this:

He decided to switch to the Faculty of Political Science in Thailand. Isn’t that like studying Human Rights in North Korea?

Maybe he started by reading the wrong textbook before: "Coup d'état for beginners”

[englishoak]

Ask Thai students how difficult for them to graduate from this open university!

Yes, let's ask one with rich parents...

[ChrisY1]

"it is hard even for Thai students to get a Ramkhamhaeng degree, let alone a foreigner."

Mmmm.......says a lot about how some Thais think of us here.

[Time Traveller]

Amazing an Australian with a degree!. I once even heard that a Thai managed to obtain a degree at an English speaking university in a western country too.

[ldiablo]

And his worthless degree means nothing in any other country other than Thailand. But good on him anyway.

[bannork]

Well done Richard, there must be quite a few foreigners who have graduated from Ram by now. Andrew Biggs, the bald one referred to by an earlier poster, was in the year before me and I graduated in 2002 or 3. The first year is easy as you do general subjects and you can buy copies of previous exam papers ( multiple choice) and summaries of the courses across the road. You have to really as it's the traditional style of just learning a lot of information. I remember selecting World History, it was only 3 credits out of 144, but the book was massive covering history from the first human settlements to early 20th century.I remember being amazed in the exam, of the 100 questions, approx 15 to 20 were lifted in exactly the same order from an exam paper of approx 5 years before! Luckily I could remember the answers.

But by years 3 and 4 you're on your own, no more multiple choice, no previous exam papers or summaries, my major was Thai language which was enjoyable till exam time when you had to write a poem on a topic given by the professor- could be anything. I failed that one twice but before the third attempt Bin Laden had demolished the twin towers so I was sure that would be the topic. I wrote a poem before and learnt it by heart. Sure enough the topic was a world on fire and I passed.

Ramkhamhaeng is a nice place, pleasant grounds, thousands of pretty women and good cheap southern Thai food- their khao mok kai is excellent, plus it's really cheap to learn, less than 5,000 baht a year when I was there.You only have to attend for the exams so it's ideal for those working.

I'd recommend it to anyone who loves Thailand and learning Thai,go for it, it's instructional and fun.

[Pimay1]

Admirable achievement. Well done to Richard and all others who accomplish this.

[Myran]

"More impressively, Carney graduated from a normal Thai-language program, not super expensive English program for super rich kids."

I'm sorry, what? I happen to be a student at the "super expensive English program", which isn't super expensive even by Thai standards, and I have plenty of class mates who do NOT come from rich families. Many of them even pay for their own tuition by working their asses of every day after school at 7-Elevens, Tescos, noodle shops, etc.

I don't appreciate you, whoever the hell you are, acting condescending towards decent people and waving them off as snobby, rich kids when they are in fact some of the most hard-working and humble people you'd ever encounter. Learn some manners, and learn how to write in proper English while you're at it if you insist on writing "articles".

[NongKhaiKid]

Ask Thai students how difficult for them to graduate from this open university!

Yes, let's ask one with rich parents...

You mean someone like the young man with the family name of Shinawatra ?

It didn't matter that he may have tried to cheat at an exam as the response from the uni's deputy president was cheating wasn't a ' big deal '.

[falangjim]

Congratulations, Richard!

The writing in the article is appalling, though. My 9th grade Thai students could pen something more coherent than that drivel.

[Time Traveller]

For those who like to criticise him I wonder how many could even make it pass the first grade in a Thai school. I am sure not many are even fluent enough to do that. Congratulations on a job well done sir.

EVERYONE passes in Thai schools. Especially 1st grade.

I asked my daughter what did they did in English class at school. She told me the "teacher" just had them draw a picture. So yes I will critize the standards of thai educational institutions and laugh at anyone who boasts about a "Thai education" as if it is any kind of acheivement..

The only value for this guy getting an arts degree from a 3rd rate thai institution is in the novelty value. Even the Thai university engineering programs ain't much better either.

Edited February 27, 2015 by Time Traveller

[ourmanflint]

It s highly likely that almost any foreigner who has surmounted the challenge of the Thai language would find passing a degree at any Thai university, a trivial matter.

[harryfrompattaya]

Well done

I heard his school shall now pay him 130,000 Baht a month basic 12 months a year

[nithisa78]

maybe he should write his own press release, i dont enjoy baby talk

don't enjoy it, why write it?

[scorecard]

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But can he use it when he goes back to Australia, I doubt it will be recognised and only good for local use in Thailand.

'I doubt...'. Do you say that with any knowledge or associated experience?

I doubt that you are all that well acquainted with anything about Thailand.

[ldiablo]

Mango Bob. It's past not pass. Just saying.