When I quit my job and decided to live as a student for a while, the first place I looked for to learn Thai was at a university.
There were several reasons, but the word “student life” matched the image of campus life. The main reason was that I wanted to be in a place where Thai people gather.
In the end, I did not go to a Thai language course at the university, but I would like to describe the information I found out about it and how I did not choose the university.
Universities where you can study Thai in Bangkok
Chulalongkorn University
First and foremost, Chulalongkorn University is famous.
http://www.arts.chula.ac.th/CTFL/intensivethai/
When I said I was going to study Thai for a while, the name that always came up was Chula.
However, Chula is also famous for its hard classes (hard homework) and high prices.
I wanted to have some free time for a while to do the hobbies and other things I wanted to do, and I also considered the financial aspect, so Chula was not a candidate.
One course (3 hours in the morning or afternoon) for 6 weeks costs 28,000 baht. The usual price for a 4-week course at a Thai language school is 7,000 to 9,000 baht, which is 2.5 to 3 times the price of a 4-week course.
Thammasat University
This was the place to be before I looked into it.
The reason is that the location is far from Sukhumvit and other foreigner areas, and we felt it was a good balance for a local feel.
However, the only information I could gather online is that it is a summer only or a one year course. I was told that if I went directly to the university, I could sign up for Thai language classes for foreigners, but I knew I didn’t want to take courses at the university, so I didn’t go to the school.
http://www.pbic.tu.ac.th/thai-studies-certificate-program/
Srinakharinwirot University
Located in Sukhumvit Soi 23, the university is famous for its Thursday market.
The level of the university was high, and since I had visited the university several times before, I thought it would be a good place to visit.
However, the website only mentioned “Customized Thai Language and Culture”, so I inquired about it.
So here is the PDF that was sent.
9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. 300 hours for 23 weeks at 30,000 baht.
The number of students per class is double that of Thai language schools, and the documents to be submitted are a bit cumbersome, but the price is low.
At one time I thought about going to this school, but I thought about it calmly and decided not to. I will explain the reason later.
As far as I could find, the above were the only universities in Bangkok where Thai language could be studied.
But I’ve heard about spot teaching a few times, so I’m sure there are others.
Universities in Chiang Mai where you can study Thai
I was quitting my job to study, so I was thinking of studying in Chiang Mai, where the cost of living is lower.
In Chiang Mai, the following two universities offer classes, which are reasonably priced and the course content seemed to be better than Thammasat and Srinakharinwirot University.
However, I decided to give priority to being in Bangkok and eliminated it from my list of candidates.
Chiang Mai University
Payap University
https://inter.payap.ac.th/certificate-programs/intensive-thai/
Why I did not choose to study Thai in college
I have concerns about the class content.
I had no concerns about the two universities in Chulalongkorn and Chiang Mai, but for Thammasat and Srinakharinwirot University, I was informed that the professors were apparently teaching Thai as well, rather than a full-time Thai teacher, which may not be good considering the motivation and skills of the teachers.
Concerns about the quality of students.
I was concerned that someone might choose the school for the visa or for the low tuition fee.
I’d rather stay in Bangkok.
I still like Bangkok, so I gave up on Chiang Mai.
Hard classes and homework, high prices
Chulalongkorn University was the bottleneck here.
Too old for campus life.
I was excited to imagine student life, but when I thought about it calmly, I realized that attending college at my age for frivolous reasons was not the right thing to do.
Reasons for choosing a private Thai language school
Of course, when it comes to the quality of students, the same can be said for Thai language schools. I thought that the probability of strange people coming to a Thai language school with a high evaluation is low.
I figured that people for visa purposes would go to schools and universities that were lax and low-priced.
Also, since private schools are primarily in the business of teaching the Thai language, I thought that the quality of teaching would be guaranteed, especially in the more popular schools.
Chosen School
I chose the “AAA Language School” in Payatai.
The following three reasons were given for our choice.
- They teach Thai in Thai language.
- well-reputed
- The location of the school is not in a foreign area.
I would like to review the school after I have been there for a while to see if I actually liked it.
