- Thailand's Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research, and Innovation has introduced new regulations for international students in short-term non-degree programs, effective May 14, 2025, to prevent illegal work by foreign students.
- The new guidelines require tertiary institutions to ensure courses meet legal and educational standards, with comprehensive reporting on course details, attendance, and student qualifications.
- The government aims to improve transparency and quality in Thailand’s short-term education programs, ensuring they are used for legitimate educational purposes and bolstering international confidence in Thai higher education.
Deputy Government Spokesperson Kharom Polpornklang made the announcement that the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research, and Innovation is cracking down on the problem of foreign nationals coming into Thailand as students but working illegally.
In turn, the ministry has come up with new regulations known as 'Criteria and Operational Guidelines for Non-Degree Short-Term Programs for International Students at Higher Education Institutions, 2025', which took effect on May 14, 2025.
The objective is to ensure that all foreign students studying in Thailand meet the requirements of the law, in accordance with memoranda of understanding between the Immigration Bureau and the ministry.
Major Provisions of the New Regulations:
Tertiary institutions providing short-term courses are required to prove subject matter expertise, instructional preparedness, and well-defined learning outcomes.
Institutions have to send comprehensive course information to the Permanent Secretary's Office, as follows: course title, relevant departments and instructors, aims, structure and content, and instructional approach. Courses are required to have a minimum of 60 percent on-campus instruction, with online learning at a maximum of 40 percent. Each course must not exceed 180 days in total. Daily and weekly timetables, student attendance records, participant qualifications, enrollment periods, total number of international students, language of instruction, learning venues, and evaluation methods must also be disclosed.
Institutions are required to issue official letters certifying international students' enrollment in proper academic activities, which will permit them to stay in Thailand on a temporary basis for the purpose of studies. Any such stay should not be for more than 180 days per course. Institutions are also recommended to check academic histories in cases where students have earlier enrolled themselves in short-term programs in other institutions.
After immigration authorities approve a foreign student's stay in Thailand to pursue studies, the host organization is supposed to notify the Office of the Permanent Secretary of the student's details within 30 days.
Institutions must have strict attendance monitoring procedures in place and present monthly progress reports for all international students taking these courses. Reports should be made through the Ministry's student monitoring central system and should present a full listing of students currently enrolled, those who have withdrawn, and those who have graduated.
If an institution is discovered to be functioning outside the set regulations, the Permanent Secretary's Office will inform the governing council of the institution and will suggest discontinuation of the program.
Kharom underscored the government's intention to enhance the quality and transparency of Thailand's short-term education programs. Its aim is to have such programs run effectively, under a transparent legal framework, so as not to be abused by non-educational purposes by those holding student visas.
He pointed out that the new rule necessitates institutions to adhere strictly to procedures and keep frequent reporting to the Ministry, upholding Thailand's image for a verifiable and credible education system. "This will promote international confidence in Thai higher education", he stated, "and increase more genuine foreign students coming to study in Thailand".
