Thailand is home to a growing number of international courses delivered in English and courses are currently offered at 26 different universities around Thailand.

Universities in Thailand set their own admissions criteria and commonly ask for IGCSEs at pass grades plus 3 A Levels at pass grades. You can check the Cambridge International Recognition Search in order to see what universities in Thailand accept A Levels in addition to consulting the university website.

Some universities also have their own entrance exam and the application process can also involve an interview, a physical exam and/or an aptitude test. Universities may also require an SAT test with scores needing to be achieved above a certain threshold.

Students can apply directly to the university and may also need to register on the Thai University Central Admission System (TCAS) as this is often where students will find out their outcome of their applications. Universities often have multiple rounds of applications so please check the university websites for applications deadlines and requirements.

The Thai university academic year runs from June to May.

A list of the current English taught university courses available in Thailand can be found here.

Student experience of applying to universities in Thailand

Get, applying to study Medicine, Class of 2021

What courses did you apply for and where?

I applied to universities in two places: UK and Thailand. In the UK I got conditional offers by all of my choices for Physics and Theoretical Physics, and in Thailand I was given an unconditional offer for Medicine at Thammasat University, which is where I will be continuing my studies.

What did you have to do and what information/documents were you asked for?

Applying to university in Thailand requires an account for the central admission system called TCAS, a Thai equivalent of UCAS. TCAS is used for confirming your place at a university where you have been accepted so that your name gets saved to the official system. Almost all international courses in Thailand require you to apply directly to the university by submitting any requirements specific to each university. In the case of mine, I had to sit the BMAT exam, SAT subject tests, as well as producing a portfolio compiled of academic records and extracurricular activities.

What was challenging about the application process and what advice would you give to other students going through this process?

The most challenging part about applying to medical school was the rather intense application process. I was required to sit a Cambridge medical entrance exam: BMAT, and had to go through the Multiple Mini Interview (MMI), a format of interview designed specifically for medical schools. This examines your ability to think logically at a fast pace, to critically analyse data, and to give answer in a concise, well explained manner (which were all very challenging), though those skills that I listed have more or less been improved by doing the MMI.

Listed below are generally the most important things medical schools look for on top of A Levels and/ or SATs.

1. BMAT

2. Multiple Mini Interview

3. Portfolio

So my advice would be to prepare well for the BMAT, and complete meaningful activities, preferably medical-related job experiences, community service, and research projects.