Thailand – Govt to allow foreign institutions to open universities
The government is planning to allow foreigners to open universities in the Special Economic Zones in an effort to address skill shortages. Pattaya Mail
KIM’S NOTE: Thailand is Southeast Asia’s fourth largest international recruitment market with 28,000 students studying abroad (compared to Vietnam, the largest market, which is more than five times that). Despite a moderate 8% yearly market growth, for many institutions, Bangkok and Chiang Mai remain stops on the way to (or from) Vietnam, Indonesia or Malaysia, and it is doubtful that Thailand would ever rival Malaysia in the area of trans-national education (Malaysia has better infrastructure, comparative stability, connection with the Islamic world, double GDP per capita, and proximity to Singapore going for it). That said, the Malaysian TNE space is also very saturated and, assuming Thailand remains politically stable, a Thai campus may be an interesting option for the right institution (and you would be joining my alma mater, Beijing Language and Culture University, which has established a campus in Bangkok).
