Thailand as an International Study Destination? Yes, you can study in English!
Stephen E. Smith
International Student Recruitment | Alumni Engagement | English & Communications Strategies Lecturer at the Faculty of ICT, Mahidol University; Avid Alpha Kappa Psi Volunteer
Over the last three years, I have been involved with international student recruitment at the Faculty of Information and Communication Technology (ICT), Mahidol University , first focusing on building relationships with international schools within Thailand and later expanding outside of the country. These three years have been full of growth and learning. In 2022, I reached out to a wide network of business professionals within the ASEAN region, mostly through my connections with alumni from my business fraternity Alpha Kappa Psi . They provided me with a great deal of insight on recruiting students from their respective countries.
One of the biggest, and probably one of the most important, revelations is that outside of Thailand, most people (students, parents, and career and university counselors alike) have never realized that there were English language bachelor degree programs in Thailand. They always assumed that the Thai language was the main language of instruction at universities. Today, I hope to dispel that myth.
In the mid 1980s, Mahidol University established the first international bachelor's degree program at a public Thai University. A decade later, that program was officially designated Mahidol University International College (MUIC). Today, MUIC is arguably the most famous and the best international colleges in Thailand and it offers 17 different undergraduate majors, mostly in business, communication arts, and the sciences.
The success of MUIC has led to a variety of international programs spread throughout the many different faculties at Mahidol University. For instance, in 2003, the Bachelor of Science in Information and Communication Technology (international program) was born within the Faculty of Science. In 2009, the Faculty of Information and Communication Technology was established to house the program, and currently offers six different programs, five of which are taught in English.
Recommended by LinkedIn
In total, Mahidol University offers 33 different English language undergraduate programs. In addition to the Faculty of Information and Communication Technology and the Mahidol University International College, English language undergraduate programs can be found in the Faculty of Engineering, Faculty of Dentistry, Faculty of Pharmacy Mahidol University , Faculty of Science, Faculty of Environment and Resource Studies, and Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University . For a complete list of programs check them out here.
You can also find English language programs in many of the other top universities in Thailand.
Most English language programs at Mahidol University accept a variety of different English proficiency exams, such as IELTS or TOEFL. Some may also accept SAT, A-levels, IB, and AP scores. Each program also requires a different minimum score, some can be as low as IELTS 5.0 (Faculty of ICT) and others as high as IELTS 6.5 (Faculty of Pharmacy). This makes it a nice alternative for those who may not get the higher scores required for the USA and UK. (I personally recommend at least a 5.5 if you are going to study at my faculty.)
Considering the escalating costs at many universities across North America, for example, many English language programs in Thailand cost less than US$10,000 a year (The Faculty of ICT is about US$5200 per year). Living costs are also reasonable, but do depend on your lifestyle. I usually give a range of US$6200 to $US12,500.
Bottomline, if you are considering an international university experience, are functional in the English language, but under a tight budget, consider the numerous opportunities that Thailand, and in particular, Mahidol University, have to offer.