Thailand tightens regulations on short courses for foreign students
Crackdown targets loopholes exploited by visa runners posing as students
The Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation (MHESI) has implemented new regulations to curb the misuse of short courses by foreign students as a means to engage in illegal work in Thailand. Effective immediately, all educational institutions are required to submit their short course curricula for evaluation.
Minister Supamas Isarabhakdi announced yesterday, May 15, that the guidelines are designed to ensure that foreign students adhere to legal standards and comply with agreements between MHESI and the Immigration Bureau.
The regulations impose stringent requirements on institutions, focusing on curriculum quality, foreign student management, and continuous reporting to the ministry.
Institutions offering short courses must demonstrate expertise and preparedness in terms of content, teaching staff, and clear learning outcomes to meet the standards of Thai education. Detailed course information must be submitted to MHESI, including the course name, responsible department, instructors, objectives, structure, and content.
Additionally, teaching methods must include at least 60% onsite learning, with a maximum of 40% online learning. The course duration should not exceed 180 days. Institutions are also required to provide daily and weekly schedules, attendance records, student qualifications, application periods, number of foreign students, language of instruction, location, and assessment methods.
Institutions must issue certificates and request temporary residence permits for foreign students, based on the course’s necessity, not exceeding 180 days per instance. They must also verify academic records if the student has previously studied at any higher education institution.
Upon approval from the Immigration Bureau for residence to study the course, institutions must report foreign student information to MHESI within 30 days. They are also required to establish procedures for monitoring student attendance and submit monthly progress reports via MHESI’s foreign student tracking database, detailing current students, departures, and graduates, Bangkok Post reported.
Failure to comply with these guidelines will prompt MHESI to notify the institution’s council to consider cancelling the course.
Supamas stated that these new guidelines aim to ensure that foreign students’ residence and study in Thailand are legally compliant. The measures are intended to enhance confidence in Thailand’s short course system, gain international recognition, and encourage more foreign students to study in the country under a transparent and efficient system.
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