Imagine studying in a country like Thailand… Imagine rewarding yourself with a weekend on the beach after a hard week’s study, or trekking through the jungle as soon as your exams are over! Whether for full blown degree programs or short vocational courses, more and more people are making Thailand part of their educational objectives and becoming 'Educational Tourists'.
With fewer Thai students studying abroad over the last decade, foreign universities opened campuses in Thailand or made agreements with Thai universities to run ‘Dual’ (or ‘Twinning’) degree programs - foreign degrees run at Thai universities. As a result, Thailand has a huge choice of international-level education options and is a major draw for students all over the world looking for world-class education.
Of course, to benefit from higher education at an ‘English-medium’ university, students must understand English well. For many years there has been a booming domestic market for English language courses in Thailand; a market driven by Thai students who appreciate the benefits of studying with a native English speaking teacher. As a result, there are countless teaching jobs available to foreign teachers in Thailand, both at commercial language centres and within the state system. Such is the demand for teachers that visitors often include teaching English as part of their itinerary for a trip to Thailand. Would-be-teachers do though need training and as a result of there has been a dramatic rise in the number of English teacher training courses available in the Kingdom. Whether it’s short courses that give you the basics, or detailed internationally recognized courses that offer a stepping stone into the English teaching profession, there is certainly a course in Thailand to meet your needs.
English though is not the only language you can study in Thailand. As the country takes its place on the international stage, its influence grows around the world. Increasingly, people take Thai language lessons for business and educational purposes, or simply build a short language course into their stay in the country for fun. As a result, a number of commercial Thai language centres catering for expatriates and visitors have emerged to give people an insight into the language.
Of course, with the rise of tourism to Thailand the world is now interested in all things Thai – particularly Thai food. There is an abundance of centres in Thailand teaching foreigners the intricacies of preparing Thai cuisine… and very popular they are, too! With the worldwide boom in Spas and ‘Wellness’, the demand for masseurs able to offer Thai massage is increasing and the number of visitors studying massage in Thailand growing. Likewise, more and more visitors take courses in traditional Thai medicine to become practitioners in their own countries. What follows is a sample of courses for ‘Educational Tourists’:
