Study in Thailand: Admission, Cost, Visa and Scholarships (2027)

Two of Thailand's major public universities, Mahidol and Chulalongkorn, both teach a range of international programmes in English. Mahidol University International College (MUIC), on Mahidol's Salaya campus outside Bangkok, runs English-taught bachelor's degrees on a trimester system, and Mahidol's Faculty of Graduate Studies offers international master's and doctoral programmes. Chulalongkorn, in central Bangkok and founded in 1917 and described by the university as Thailand's first institution of higher education, lists 22 international bachelor's programmes and 46 international master's programmes for 2025.

Fees are modest by Western standards but vary widely by field. MUIC charges international undergraduates a lump sum of THB 135,135 a trimester, with its four-year totals running from about THB 1.2 million for Physics to THB 1.6 million for Creative Technology. Mahidol's Faculty of Graduate Studies charges foreign master's students from THB 35,000 a semester for Applied Clinical Pathology to THB 150,000 for its international Master of Science in Medicine, with research fees on top. Chulalongkorn's published rates for international degree students are THB 76,000 to THB 106,000 a semester at bachelor's level and up to THB 133,900 at graduate level.

Intakes come more than once a year. MUIC takes overseas applicants for each trimester: for the second trimester of 2026-27 the window is 1 to 30 September 2026, and for the third, 1 December 2026 to 8 January 2027. Mahidol's graduate school ran online applications from October 2025 to May 2026 for the 2026 intake. Chulalongkorn's graduate admissions normally open from February to May for August entry and from September to October for January entry.

Degree students from bachelor's level upwards travel on a Non-Immigrant ED Plus visa, applied for online through the official Thai e-Visa system. The visa is single entry and allows a stay of 90 days, which the university extends on the student's behalf; ED Plus students can leave and re-enter Thailand without a re-entry permit, and graduates may extend their stay for a year after graduating to look for work, travel or change to another visa if employed. Applicants must show financial evidence covering tuition and living costs, and fees differ by embassy, for example USD 80 in Washington. Thailand's International Cooperation Agency funds Thailand International Postgraduate Programme scholarships for nominated candidates from developing countries, paying tuition, travel and THB 7,000 a month in living allowance.