Mature student Bachelors degree in Thailand

[bolardo]

Hi

I'm a westerner, in my late 30's. I have a career back home, travel to Thailand often. Speak, Read, write Thai to reasonably proficient level. When I was younger I never went to college to get a degree and is always something I wanted to do. Given how expensive it is back home to do so I have started thinking about doing a bachelors degree here.

I have looked on the studyinthailand website and seen many courses for international students but the question I would like to ask is whether anyone here of a similar age has ever done a bachelors degree in Thailand and be able to offer advice or relate their experiences doing so - Thanks

[scorecard]

Many Thai universities have mature age students, both bachelor and masters degree, and including Thai and foreign students (either living in Thailand or in exchange programs, mostly from Europe and other countries).

But less likely to find mature age at the main 'hi-so' unis such as Chula and Thammasat.

Here's a suggestion:

- Bachelor degree at Ram. Institute of International Studies, in English, several programs (subjects) available, or Bangkok University. Both have mature age foreigners and Thais in their programs. But at bachelor level the behavior of the Thai students is very immature. For many mature students it needs quite some patience, but workable for the desires end result.

- Then Masters degree at ICO NIDA, in English, their MBA is excellent and well accepted by Thai employers. Usually 75% Thai, including up to say 40 yrs old, and foreigners perhaps same age span.

At all of the above unis foreign students and bigger age span well accepted.

Edited October 14, 2015 by scorecard

[bolardo]

The main problem you face is that Thai university degrees are held in low esteem internationally, for reasons which have been extensively detailed here and elsewhere.

I have read this too but I don't mind too much, as long the standard is good and will challenge me. I am not doing this for the purposes of improving my job prospects as have a reasonably good career already, so the reputation or recognition isn't that important. It is more a personal project.

[theusedversion]

I was in the same boat as you. I was 30 when I came to Thailand five years ago and started at Bangkok University. It was absolutely the best decision I have ever made. You will find plenty of students your age and above there. And pay no mind to the person saying that degrees from Thai university are not respected. Most places in the world don't care where you graduated as long as you have that piece of paper that says you graduated. That only applies to very specific occupations. So I say I go for it. It's nice to graduate with no debt burden to drag you down.

Edit: I just saw your latest comment. If you want a challenge, then you probably don't want to go to BU. Choose a different university. I found BU to be a bit too easy. But I wouldn't change going there for me personally because I have made so many wonderful friendships there. What you get out of it depends on what you put into it.

Edited October 15, 2015 by theusedversion

[bolardo]

I was in the same boat as you. I was 30 when I came to Thailand five years ago and started at Bangkok University. It was absolutely the best decision I have ever made. You will find plenty of students your age and above there. And pay no mind to the person saying that degrees from Thai university are not respected. Most places in the world don't care where you graduated as long as you have that piece of paper that says you graduated. That only applies to very specific occupations. So I say I go for it. It's nice to graduate with no debt burden to drag you down.

Edit: I just saw your latest comment. If you want a challenge, then you probably don't want to go to BU. Choose a different university. I found BU to be a bit too easy. But I wouldn't change going there for me personally because I have made so many wonderful friendships there. What you get out of it depends on what you put into it.

Hi theusedversion

Could I ask what degree you studied?

[gandalf12]

The main problem you face is that Thai university degrees are not held in the highest esteem internationally, for reasons which have been extensively detailed here and elsewhere.

They are not regarded at all outside of Thailand

[theusedversion]

Hi theusedversion

Could I ask what degree you studied?

International Tourism. Masters in Business is next.

[theusedversion]

The main problem you face is that Thai university degrees are not held in the highest esteem internationally, for reasons which have been extensively detailed here and elsewhere.

They are not regarded at all outside of Thailand

What a load of BS. You certainly don't have a single clue as to what you are talking about and therefore your opinion is worthless. Love of how this forum loves to sh#t on everything about Thailand. /s

[PoeDogg]

Check this out; It's online, but very interesting.

Edited October 15, 2015 by PoeDogg

[Estrada]

Judging by your standard of English grammar, I assume that you do not have the necessary qualifications to get accepted by a University to study for a Bachelor Degree. You need to first obtain the necessary standard of education in 5 subjects including English. Sasin is one of the few respected internationally accredited Universities. Good quality education is more expensive here than Europe. Some Universities offer degree courses in conjunction with overseas Universities so that the BA/MBAs etc are issued by an Internationally recognized university. Stamford University offer Bilingual Courses for the first year whilst your English and Thai language improves. They also offer on-line courses, which means you can be anywhere in the world to take part. There is a new Stamford University Campus at Asoke, as well as Hua-Mark, Bangkok and Hua HIn. Fees around B150,000/year.

Sasin will cost you around B1Million/year.

[bkk75]

The main problem you face is that Thai university degrees are not held in the highest esteem internationally, for reasons which have been extensively detailed here and elsewhere.

They are not regarded at all outside of Thailand

What a load of BS. You certainly don't have a single clue as to what you are talking about and therefore your opinion is worthless. Love of how this forum loves to sh#t on everything about Thailand. /s

I beg to differ.

http://www.webometrics.info/en/Asia/thailand

The courses, the professor, local teaching culture, etc all contribute to the experience. If I judge by the level of so called local graduates and master degree holders in Thailand then I'm sorry to say it doesn't rank high in my books. Not Thai bashing just the truth.

[Estrada]

The main problem you face is that Thai university degrees are not held in the highest esteem internationally, for reasons which have been extensively detailed here and elsewhere.

They are not regarded at all outside of Thailand

What a load of BS. You certainly don't have a single clue as to what you are talking about and therefore your opinion is worthless. Love of how this forum loves to sh#t on everything about Thailand. /s

As a long term frustrated employer, I can tell you that what he says is only slightly exaggerated. There are, however, a few good Thai Universities that have acceptable standards. The problem here has been that many universities sell degrees to students. As an employer having interviewed 100s of Thai Graduates in various disciplines, I found that only 1 in 128 was able to answer simple questions about their subject. These questions being easily answerable by 11 year olds in the UK. As I have discussed this problem with the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Education over the past 30 years, I do know what I am talking about. Education standards must be greatly improved in Thailand and there must be no more selling of degrees, nor issuing degrees merely for attendance. For these reasons, overseas employers certainly do not hold Thai University Degrees with esteem, with only a few exceptions.

[TheKnave]

OP: You seem well aware of the limitations, and secure in your reasoning as to why you want to do this. Pay no attention to the ruff-raff.

Do it. Good luck.

[bolardo]

Judging by your standard of English grammar, I assume that you do not have the necessary qualifications to get accepted by a University to study for a Bachelor Degree. You need to first obtain the necessary standard of education in 5 subjects including English. Sasin is one of the few respected internationally accredited Universities. Good quality education is more expensive here than Europe. Some Universities offer degree courses in conjunction with overseas Universities so that the BA/MBAs etc are issued by an Internationally recognized university. Stamford University offer Bilingual Courses for the first year whilst your English and Thai language improves. They also offer on-line courses, which means you can be anywhere in the world to take part. There is a new Stamford University Campus at Asoke, as well as Hua-Mark, Bangkok and Hua HIn. Fees around B150,000/year.

Sasin will cost you around B1Million/year.

In terms of qualifications I meet most entry requirements for courses in the west, so I don't think I'd have a problem in Thailand.

I have British A-Levels AABB in English Language, Maths, Physics, Art and a Diploma in Engineering. So although a quick route to a degree would be engineering I would prefer to do one in a completely different subject.

I would like to avoid online courses as parts of wanting to do this is also the experience of actually going and studying at a university

[scorecard]

The main problem you face is that Thai university degrees are not held in the highest esteem internationally, for reasons which have been extensively detailed here and elsewhere.

They are not regarded at all outside of Thailand

Perhaps both posters could give some details instead of just blanket negatives.

Yes there have been comments before about low quality Thai universities. However that's true of universities in many countries in the world, the USA has a number of excellent universities, it also has many crap universities. Same picture in many countries.

Yes there have been comments before refuting the blanket negative statements about Thai universities. Here's why; all universities do a solid check before they sign exchange agreements with other universities. Both of the Thai universities I mentioned have exchange agreements with many high quality offshore universities, especially with prestigious German universities.

[theusedversion]

The main problem you face is that Thai university degrees are not held in the highest esteem internationally, for reasons which have been extensively detailed here and elsewhere.

They are not regarded at all outside of Thailand

What a load of BS. You certainly don't have a single clue as to what you are talking about and therefore your opinion is worthless. Love of how this forum loves to sh#t on everything about Thailand. /s

I beg to differ.

http://www.webometrics.info/en/Asia/thailand

The courses, the professor, local teaching culture, etc all contribute to the experience. If I judge by the level of so called local graduates and master degree holders in Thailand then I'm sorry to say it doesn't rank high in my books. Not Thai bashing just the truth.

Nice facts you have there. You do realize that you posted a link about ranking universities web presence in regards to openness and publication of research, right? All they do is judge based on what the universities show online on their websites hence the "Ranking Web..." part. It's not even a survey. Its just link analysis and whatnot.

[praglen]

I am happy to share my experience, with a 32-year old filipina who had a high school education with a B+ average. We applied at Burapha University in Bang Sen, which has an International College, taught entirely in English, and offers six business majors. Tuition is 60,000 baht a semester. She had to submit her high school grade transcripts and appear for a personal interview before she was accepted. In addition, all incoming students are required to take(at no charge) a two-month intensive English course to determine their level of competence. No selling involved. She is now in her sophomore year and since I've been helping her with some of her homework, I can categorically state that the level of competence required is a challenge for any college student. Maybe the PhD I got(not on-line) at an accredited American university disqualifies me to comment on at least THIS university, but I'm more than satisfied.By the way,lk they do have year-long exchange programs with universities in Switzerland, the U.S., Austria and Korea. I know you mentioned engineering, so if you're competent in Thai, check out their main university. I do know it has a medical and law school, so I assume it has an engineering program.

I, too, heard terrible things about Thai universities, but if you do the research, you'll come to the right decision for you.

[crickets]

I was going to study one here as i live and work here. But i decided to do one from a australian uni by correspondence. I visited two unis and they had the typical thai bullshit that i wasnt interested in dealing with. But people say they are easy to do. Good luck.

[onthemoon]

The main problem you face is that Thai university degrees are not held in the highest esteem internationally, for reasons which have been extensively detailed here and elsewhere.

They are not regarded at all outside of Thailand

Fortunately, this is totally untrue. But then, thanks for your contribution.

[onthemoon]

I was going to study one here as i live and work here. But i decided to do one from a australian uni by correspondence. I visited two unis and they had the typical thai bullshit that i wasnt interested in dealing with. But people say they are easy to do. Good luck.

I went to a lot more than two universities before getting my second master's here in my late 40s.

One tip for a foreigner in Thailand: Don't give up so easily if you want to achieve something. Consider research about universities your first academic challenge.

[radiojedi]

I don't know if you have a specific location in mind, but Payap University in Chiang Mai has an international college with several bachelor's degrees. The international college has students from many countries and ages.

[reteid]

I am 48 years old and I currently study Business English. Most of my lessons are in English but unfortunately some are not. The lesson in Thai are Self Skill development and Thai Culture but I am lucky because the teachers are very friendly and understandable and one Thai Student explains it to me after the lesson.

I am in my first year and really enjoy it. I am not a native English speaker but for me the course is, so far, not difficult for me.

I really can recommended this course and also encourage you to study here in Thailand.

I pay approx. 26.000 baht a year which the Thai student also have to pay. No difference between Farang and Thai..

Also the visa is done by the University. The Immigration Officer even comes to the University to give me the one year visa.

To study, was a good decision for me. I am not sure if all Universities are like this but my current University supports me in any issue or problems I have. I get on very well with the student and they respect me and some are good friends.

Here some negative points because not everythings is perfect

- some lessons in Thai

- taking part in activities not related to learning business English like cleaning a temple once which I refused to do, sing a song which I will do soon.

- thinking and behavior of some students

- future subjects are learning basic Korean and Chinese

I do apologize for my English but my grammar and vocabulary is not very good.

[Xeralf]

I was in the same boat as you. I was 30 when I came to Thailand five years ago and started at Bangkok University. It was absolutely the best decision I have ever made. You will find plenty of students your age and above there. And pay no mind to the person saying that degrees from Thai university are not respected. Most places in the world don't care where you graduated as long as you have that piece of paper that says you graduated. That only applies to very specific occupations. So I say I go for it. It's nice to graduate with no debt burden to drag you down.

Edit: I just saw your latest comment. If you want a challenge, then you probably don't want to go to BU. Choose a different university. I found BU to be a bit too easy. But I wouldn't change going there for me personally because I have made so many wonderful friendships there. What you get out of it depends on what you put into it.

I am not sure I understand your intentions. On one hand “is the best decision” but, on the other hand, you recommend another univ.. Was it that bad? You are saying it is bad but you are also saying to ignore those saying they are bad.

I understand you though. I went through a similar process. You probably have mixed feelings. After all It is a delicate matter to sincerely discuss over an institution you have graduated from and have developed your connections.

In any case, I think the idea of doing a degree by the OP is 1) academic study/academic challenge/experience/learning. Of course this challenge affords meeting people but I am not sure that is the knowledge and epistemological development university is supposed to bring about.

[Xeralf]

Some students are curious and are likely to get A no matter where they study in Thailand. Those are good no matter where they go in the world.

Some universities in Thailand try to give A no matter who studies. Those are bad credentials no matter where you go in the world.

Moreover, it can be very discouraging if they just give you good marks for no reason and no so good marks,(B+?) for even worst reasons.

Of course, if you first degree is absurd but you develop a striking career, then it becomes irrelevant. The same goes for a PhD. If your research is irrelevant but you publish 10 good papers, then who cares about your thesis?

If you do not care about degrees and just want the experience, give a try. You can always drop out and even try elsewhere. Right?

Edited October 15, 2015 by Xeralf

[bolardo]

I am 48 years old and I currently study Business English. Most of my lessons are in English but unfortunately some are not. The lesson in Thai are Self Skill development and Thai Culture but I am lucky because the teachers are very friendly and understandable and one Thai Student explains it to me after the lesson.

I am in my first year and really enjoy it. I am not a native English speaker but for me the course is, so far, not difficult for me.

I really can recommended this course and also encourage you to study here in Thailand.

I pay approx. 26.000 baht a year which the Thai student also have to pay. No difference between Farang and Thai..

Also the visa is done by the University. The Immigration Officer even comes to the University to give me the one year visa.

To study, was a good decision for me. I am not sure if all Universities are like this but my current University supports me in any issue or problems I have. I get on very well with the student and they respect me and some are good friends.

Here some negative points because not everythings is perfect

- some lessons in Thai

- taking part in activities not related to learning business English like cleaning a temple once which I refused to do, sing a song which I will do soon.

- thinking and behavior of some students

- future subjects are learning basic Korean and Chinese

I do apologize for my English but my grammar and vocabulary is not very good.

Do Thai universities allow foreign students to take courses that are entirely in Thai, or is special permission required?

My ideal degree would be one in Thai Language

[dcpo]

The main problem you face is that Thai university degrees are not held in the highest esteem internationally, for reasons which have been extensively detailed here and elsewhere.

They are not regarded at all outside of Thailand

This is not true. Thai degrees with good GPA can be used to get onto master's courses at well regarded Western universities. Good performance in the first year of a Thai degree can be used to gain admittance to many good undergrad courses in British universities. As for getting a job it depends on the employer. Thai degrees are less well regarded than degrees from most Western universities sure, but to say they're not regarded at all is just ignorant.

Edit: Obviously some Thai universities are better than others.

Edited October 15, 2015 by dcpo

[onthemoon]

I am 48 years old and I currently study Business English. Most of my lessons are in English but unfortunately some are not. The lesson in Thai are Self Skill development and Thai Culture but I am lucky because the teachers are very friendly and understandable and one Thai Student explains it to me after the lesson.

I am in my first year and really enjoy it. I am not a native English speaker but for me the course is, so far, not difficult for me.

I really can recommended this course and also encourage you to study here in Thailand.

I pay approx. 26.000 baht a year which the Thai student also have to pay. No difference between Farang and Thai..

Also the visa is done by the University. The Immigration Officer even comes to the University to give me the one year visa.

To study, was a good decision for me. I am not sure if all Universities are like this but my current University supports me in any issue or problems I have. I get on very well with the student and they respect me and some are good friends.

Here some negative points because not everythings is perfect

- some lessons in Thai

- taking part in activities not related to learning business English like cleaning a temple once which I refused to do, sing a song which I will do soon.

- thinking and behavior of some students

- future subjects are learning basic Korean and Chinese

I do apologize for my English but my grammar and vocabulary is not very good.

Do Thai universities allow foreign students to take courses that are entirely in Thai, or is special permission required?

My ideal degree would be one in Thai Language

It depends on the university, but I don't see a reason why they wouldn't accept foreign students in the Thai program - I would expect them to request a Thai language test certificate.

I studied in a bilingual program (most but not all of the lectures were in Thai, and most but not all of the written material was in English - and one written exam was in Thai), but I do have a degree in Thai language. They didn't ask for it but I submitted a copy with my application.

[onthemoon]

The main problem you face is that Thai university degrees are not held in the highest esteem internationally, for reasons which have been extensively detailed here and elsewhere.

They are not regarded at all outside of Thailand

This is not true. Thai degrees with good GPA can be used to get onto master's courses at well regarded Western universities. Good performance in the first year of a Thai degree can be used to gain admittance to many good undergrad courses in British universities. As for getting a job it depends on the employer. Thai degrees are less well regarded than degrees from most Western universities sure, but to say they're not regarded at all is just ignorant.

Edit: Obviously some Thai universities are better than others.

A degree earned from a university accredited by the Thai Ministry of Education is accepted worldwide by universities accredited by their respective Ministries of Education.

But of course, some universities or employers may have requirements as to minimum GPA. Some employers - this being a free market - may accept only graduates from certain universities. And as in every country in the world, some universities are better than others.

[Rhys]

I did my MA here... all went fine..

[Scott]

Posts critical of spelling and grammar have been removed. Such comments are off-topic and can earn you a suspension.

There is nothing particularly bad about Thai Universities. My partner attended a Thai university and was accepted into a Masters Program in a well respected school in the US.