There are two main streams of higher education: diploma and degree. The diploma
level is attained primarily by students who have pursued a vocational path in high school. It
takes between one and four years to complete. Diploma courses are aimed at developing
basic skills required to satisfy immediate semi-skilled labor market demands. Diploma holders
have an option of pursuing two additional years of courses to attain a Bachelor’s degree,
enabling students to cross over from diploma to degree streams.
The degree level consists of undergraduate and graduate coursework. Most
undergraduate degrees focus on developing general skills and providing broader knowledge.
Students who attain a degree are expected to apply theories to practice in their own as well
as across disciplines. The majority of these degrees are offered in four years, but those who
pursue degrees in medicine and architecture normally take longer. Graduate level coursework
provides students with in-depth knowledge in their specific field of study. Thailand currently
suffers from a severe imbalance between undergraduate and graduate education. A small
number of students enroll in Master’s degree programs and even fewer in doctoral degree
programs. Today, the number of doctoral graduates is inadequate to replace retiring professors
since only a fraction of these graduates choose teaching as a profession. It is expected that
the situation is likely to deteriorate over the next five years as the number of faculty members
expected to retire will increase to around 800 per year.
In an effort to raise the qualification of university lecturers, the Commission on Higher
Education (CHE) is targeting a ratio of 50:50 between Master’s and Doctoral degrees by the end
of the 10th National Economic and Social Development Plan (2007 – 2011). Currently, only 24
percent of the faculty members hold Doctoral degrees in public higher education institutions.
At private higher education institutions and Rajabhat universities, the corresponding figure for
faculty members that hold doctoral degrees is only 13 percent and 7 percent, respectively.
FIGURE 2-1: STRUCTURE OF THE THAI EDUCATION SYSTEM
Source: Office of Education Council, 2004
Thailand’s higher education system is comprised of 166 postsecondary institutions
and two autonomous Buddhist Universities (Table 2-1). Public institutions can be classified
into: (a) limited admissions universities, (b) open admissions universities, (c) autonomous universities
and (d) community colleges. Private institutions are grouped into two categories:
(a) universities and (b) colleges. During the past decade, we observe significant growth in
the higher education sector. Between 2003 and 2008, 46 new higher education institutions
were inaugurated, including 19 community colleges. Although roughly equivalent in terms ofnumbers (78 public versus 69 private institutions), public universities enroll about 80 percent
of students (Figure 2-2).
TABLE 2-1: NUMBER OF UNIVERSITIES/INSTITUTIONS CLASSIFIED BY TYPES OF INSTITUTION
*Excludes two autonomous Buddhist Universities
Source: Commission on Higher Education, 2009
FIGURE 2-2: SHARE OF TOTAL STUDENTS IN HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS, 1971 - 2006
Source: Ministry of Education, 2007
Student enrollment in higher education institutions, including those attending Open
Admissions Universities, increased from 1,872,000 in 2001 to 2,430,600 in 2006. This growth
pattern in higher education is likely to continue as it is estimated that high school graduates
will increase from 0.7 million in 2000 to 1.8 million in 2016, an increase of 150 percent in 15
years (Ministry of Education, 2007).
Almost 50 percent of Thailand higher education institutions are located in Bangkok
where 10 percent of the population resides. While there has been a recent expansion of higher
education access at provincial level, the east region has only a small number of institutions
(Figure 2-3). Many provincial institutions also face academic staff shortages and, as a result,
many qualified students, migrate to Bangkok and other big cities looking for quality higher
education.
FIGURE 2-3: NUMBER OF HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS BY REGION
Source: Commission on Higher Education, 2008
Please note that we cannot take any responsibility for the correctness of the data shown on this Web site. We try our very best, but we depend on universities, their Web sites, and fellow students and lecturers, to get updates when ever programs, conditions, or tuition fees change.
