Thailand's Education System: A Comprehensive Overview

Thailand's education system has a rich history and has undergone substantial development in recent decades. With a strong emphasis on education as a means of social and economic progress, Thailand has made significant efforts to improve access to education and raise the quality of its educational institutions. This article provides a comprehensive overview of the education system in Thailand, covering its structure, curriculum, challenges, and ongoing reforms.

Historical Context and Development

Prior to the mid-1800s, education in Thailand was primarily provided by Buddhist monks in monasteries to young men, mainly for the clergy and the elite. In 1868, King Chulalongkorn (Rama V) began to introduce aspects of modern education, clearly influenced by Western models. At that time, education was seen as a tool towards progress and preservation of a democratic society and the development of a modern nation.

The formal education system can be traced back to the late 13th century when the Thai alphabet was developed under King Ramkhamhaeng the Great. In the period of the Ayutthaya kingdom (1350-1767), King Narai the Great (1656-1688) commissioned the Chindamani, generally accepted as the first textbook of the Thai language.

King Rama V continued to influence the development of education, establishing a Department of Education in 1887. By that time, 34 schools were in operation with over 80 teachers and almost 2,000 students. In 1892, the department became the Ministry of Education. In 1897, on the initiative of Queen Sribajarindra, girls were admitted into the educational system. In 1898, a two-part education plan for Bangkok and for the provinces was launched with programmes for pre-school, elementary, secondary, technical, and higher education.

Structure of the Education System

Today, education in Thailand follows the 1997 Constitution, the National Education Act of B.E. 2542 (1999), and the Amended National Education Act of 2002. The national government of Thailand includes 19 ministries, with the Ministry of Education being responsible for the oversight of education.

Formal education comprises two levels: basic education and higher education. The structure of education in all fields must follow a specific outline. The various departments and ministries responsible for specialized education design their own curriculums, adhering to MOE guidelines. Since 1977, the educational pattern has been 6 + 3 + 3.

Basic Education

Basic education consists of pre-primary, primary, and secondary education. Since 2002, 12 years of free education has been offered to all. Today, compulsory education covers nine years of school. This includes six years of primary/elementary education and three years of lower secondary education. Schooling generally begins at age six or seven. The National Education Act B.E.2542 (1999), revised B.E.2545, and B.E.2553, mandates nine years of compulsory education consisting of six years of primary schooling and three years of lower secondary schooling. Students typically are enrolled in primary school at age 6.

Pre-Primary Education

Two to three years of kindergarten begins this process. Pre-primary education was introduced in 2004 and made free in 2009. Participation in pre-primary education is "nearly universal".

Primary Education

Children aged 6-12 will go to elementary school (prathom). This level lasts for six years (Prathom 1 to Prathom 6.) Admission is usually open to all children, but some prestigious schools may have entrance examinations, particularly in urban areas. Elementary school classes must not exceed five hours per day, with a maximum learning time of 1,000 hours per year. Pupils undergo two national examinations during their elementary school years. The first, which is administered by the Office of the Basic Education Commission’s Bureau of Educational testing at the end of Prathom 3, tests reading, writing and reasoning. At the end of Prathom 6, elementary education concludes with the first of three Ordinary National Education Tests, set by the National Institute of Educational Testing Service.

Secondary Education

From the age of 12, they attend secondary school (matthayom). While secondary school also lasts six years, only the first three years are mandatory. Three years of middle school follow, where students continue with core subjects including Thai language, arts and music, maths, physical and social science, technology and foreign languages. At high school, students who wish to continue academic education move on to elective courses. Of these, the science and maths / english programs are most popular - other choices include foreign languages and social science. Ninety-nine per cent of students complete primary education.

During the final three years of upper secondary education, students are streamed into general/academic or vocational education. According to the MOE, approximately 60% of the student body at this level enters the general/academic stream. Those students who follow the technical and vocational education (TVE) path attend schools administered by the Vocational Education Commission / Office of Vocational Education Commission, which is a branch of the Ministry of Education. Admission to an upper secondary school is through an entrance exam. On the completion of each level, students need to pass the NET (National Educational Test) to graduate.

Higher Education

Both private and public colleges of higher education and universities are regulated by the ministry of education. They offer excellent study programs in arts, medicine, humanities and information technology. The oldest and most prestigious university in Thailand is Chulalongkorn, founded in 1917.

Higher education is provided by universities, institutes, colleges, and other specialized institutions (i.e. police cadet, military, Buddhist universities). Entrance to post-secondary level study (public and private) has traditionally been based on an entrance examination. Recent reforms (since 1999) have implemented a new schema. The grade point average in years 10 - 12 are now taken into consideration for admission to universities, colleges and institutes, as well as the student’s percentile rank. The ranking is based on school criteria. However, the entrance examination continues to count for 90% of the admissions decision making process. The examinations cover 15 main subjects: chemistry, biology, physics, mathematics, general science, Thai, English, social study, French, German, Pali language, Arabic, Chinese, and Japanese.

The four-year bachelor’s degree is offered by colleges, universities and institutes. The four-year program requires 120 - 150 credits for completion, of which 30 are in general education (physical science, mathematics, English, social science and humanities and free electives). A five-year degree is offered in the fields of fine arts, pharmacy and architecture. Medicine, dentistry and veterinary science are all first university degrees that require six years of study. Master degrees are from one to two-years in length (36 credits minimum), followed by the doctorate (Ph.D.) degree.

Technical and Vocational Education

Thai vocational education system is grounded in high school where students may choose to adopt this more practical form of education. Here they may aspire to two levels of qualification too. These are a certificate in vocational education, and a higher diploma that opens to the door to a university degree. After reaching school-leaving age, a Thai may also enrol for a technical diploma.

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Technical and vocational education (TVE) begins at the senior high school level where students begin to follow either general or vocational education tracks. Three levels of TVE are offered: the Certificate in Vocational Education (Por Wor Chor) which is taken during the upper secondary period; the Technical Diploma (Por Wor Sor), taken after school-leaving age; and the Higher Diploma on which admission to university for a bachelor's degree programme may be granted. Essential to DVT is the active participation of the private sector.

Curriculum and Instruction

In 2008, the Basic Education Core Curriculum B.E. 2551 (A.D. 2008), developed by the Office of the Basic Education Commission (OBEC), was adopted as a framework to provide direction for curriculum development and teaching in educational institutions. The curriculum identifies eight learning areas: Thai Language, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies, Religion and Culture, Health and Physical Education, Art, Occupations and Technology, and Foreign Languages. The Institute for the Promotion of Teaching Science and Technology (IPST) has been commissioned by the Ministry of Education to develop mathematics and science curricula at the basic educational level and to support teaching and learning in these two subject areas. In each subject area, the IPST has prescribed learning standards and corresponding student objectives. These standards establish what students should know and should be able to perform upon completing education at the basic level. In addition, these learning standards serve as an essential mechanism in the education system, as they offer content and teaching methods as well as evaluation tools.

At elementary levels, students study eight core subjects each semester: Thai language, mathematics, science, social science, health and physical education, arts and music, technology, and foreign languages. At age 16 (Matthayom 4), students are allowed to choose one or two elective courses. The science program (Wit-Kanit) and the mathematics-English language program (Sil-Kamnuan) are among the most popular. Both elementary and secondary levels have special programs, the English Program and the Gifted Program. In the English Program students learn every subject in English except for Thai and social studies.

Language of Instruction

Thai is the official language of Thailand, and it is the language of instruction in regular classes and schools throughout the country. English is taught as a foreign language, along with other languages including French, Chinese, and German. In some schools, English is the language of instruction. In international schools, the languages of instruction vary.

International Schools

International schools are open to both local and international students. There are 175 international schools in Thailand (of which 118 are in Bangkok, including 38 British, 21 American and 23 IB schools), mostly offering a very high standard of education. Over the past 15 years, there has been a significant rise in the number of international schools in Thailand, with more and more big British brand names such as Harrow, Shrewsbury, Rugby, Wellington and King’s College Wimbledon arriving. These are capturing both the local and Chinese markets. The majority of international schools are all-through, catering for students from 3-18 years of age. Around 46 per cent of all students attending international schools in Thailand are Thai nationals. International schools cater to many nationalities, including Australian, American, French and Swiss. There are no restrictions on Thai nationals attending international schools.

International schools in Thailand must adhere to certain guidelines set out by the Ministry of Education, but ultimately they can choose which curriculum they offer. It is compulsory for all Thai students to learn Thai language - and all foreign students must spend at least an hour a week learning about Thai culture (a Ministry of Education directive).

Challenges and Reforms

Thailand's education system and economy are currently affected by political instability and a rapidly aging populace. The road to education reforms in Thailand has been rocky, as demonstrated by the fact that the country had no fewer than 20 different education ministers over the past 17 years. While the current government has put forward a number of reform initiatives, critics have contended that many of the initiatives have been somewhat superficial and primarily focused on promoting political stability. The OECD and UNESCO found in 2016 that Thailand’s “recent investments in education … are not resulting in the expected outcomes. The country’s results on international tests, such as the OECD [PISA study] … are below those of many peer countries; within Thailand there are significant disparities in student performance between socio-economically disadvantaged and advantaged schools and across rural and urban areas.

Political Instability

The growing influx of international visitors into Thailand comes despite the fact that the country continues to be marred by political instability, intermittent military dictatorship, human rights abuses and civil war. The frequent military coups in recent years are a reflection of the deep social conflicts between the country’s traditional political establishment - urban upper classes, royal and military elites - on one hand, and the rural population majority in the Thailand’s north and lower urban classes on the other hand. The climate of political repression curtails academic freedom and causes Thai academics to work under the constant threat of surveillance, political reprisal and arrest.

Demographic Decline

Another problem with a more immediate impact on the education system is Thailand’s brisk demographic decline. Thailand’s population is aging rapidly - a trend that causes the student population to shrink and threatens the existence of large numbers of Thai higher education institutions, particularly in the private sector. According to the United Nations, Thailand is one of the world’s most quickly aging societies. The share of Thai people above the age of 65 has increased from 5 percent in 1995 to 11 percent in 2016, and is projected to reach more than a quarter of the population, or about 17 million people, by 2040. In light of this trend, it is important that Thailand stimulates immigration and upskills its labor force.

Quality and Relevance

Shiro Sadoshima, the Japanese ambassador to Thailand, believes that the Thai government must invest more in education to produce a labour force that can meet the demands of Japanese industry. He noted that while Thailand has a policy to improve vocational skills and cultivate skilled labour, the skills exhibited by Thai workers are not up to Japanese standards. In 2015, a World Bank study concluded that "…one-third of 15-year-old Thais are 'functionally illiterate'", including almost half of those studying in rural schools. The Economist notes that, "Thailand's dismal performance is not dramatically out of step with countries of similar incomes. But it is strange given its unusually generous spending on education, which in some years has hoovered up more than a quarter of the budget. Rote learning is common. There is a shortage of maths and science teachers, but a surfeit of physical-education instructors.

Ongoing Reforms

Thailand continues to implement reforms to enhance the quality and relevance of its education system. The National Education Act (1999) provided for the implementation of new organizational structures, the decentralization of educational provision policy, and the stimulation of new learner-centered approaches to teaching. In accordance with the act, the Ministry of Education restructured the administration of educational services on three levels: the national level, the level of educational service areas, and the level of educational institutions. At the national level, the Ministry of Education is responsible for curriculum development and implementation. Thailand’s educational service areas include two levels: primary educational service areas, of which there are 183, and secondary educational service areas, of which there are 42. At the level of educational institutions, each school is responsible for its own administration and management of budget, personnel, and general academic affairs. A 7 to 15 member board of parents, teachers, community groups, local administration organizations, alumni, and academics oversees the schools.

Since 2002, the country’s education plan has promoted the inclusion of ESD in five distinct ways. First, ESD topics and content are incorporated into the eight main subject areas of the curriculum, with ESD learning standards defined in a scaffolded manner for each subject area. Second, student character development is defined by eight characteristics including active learning, sufficiency lifestyle and public mindedness. Third, the plan aims to provide specific project-based learning activities, such as natural preservation and environmental clubs and camps. Fourth, ESD-specific learning modules are developed and incorporated, such as renewable energy or the philosophy of sufficiency economy. Fifth, following structural reforms in 2008, Thailand now has a 30 per cent inclusion rate across the entire curriculum for decentralized, locally based subjects and teaching.

International Student Mobility

Compared to other Asian countries like China, India or Vietnam, Thailand is traditionally not a big sending country of international students. The country’s outbound student mobility rate among degree seeking students has remained largely flat over the past 17 years and ranged from 1.2 percent in 1999 to 1.1 percent in 2006 and 1.3 percent in 2015 (UNESCO Institute of Statistics - UIS), whereas Vietnam’s outbound rate increased from 1.0 percent in 1999 to 2.6 percent in 2015.

Thailand is the third most popular study destination in Southeast Asia after Malaysia and Singapore and attracts a far larger number of international degree students than Indonesia or Vietnam, for example. According to the data provided by the UIS, the number of international degree students in Thailand increased by fully 979 percent between 1999 and 2012, from 1,882 to 20,309 students. The vast majority of international students come from Asian neighbor countries, with China being the largest sending country by far.

Financial Investment in Education

The Thai national budget allocates considerable resources to education. In FY2017, educational expenditures represented almost 20 per cent of the national budget, or four per cent of GDP. Although education is mainly financed by the national budget, local funds, particularly in urban areas, are spent on education. In the area governed by the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA), up to 28.1 per cent of the educational budget has been provided by local financing.

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