Exploring the expansion of Chinese Students in Thailand: Situations and Motivations
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.14456/arv.2023.1Keywords:
Chinese student, new Chinese immigrant, China-Thailand relations, overseas Chinese, international studentAbstract
This research had the following objectives: 1) To explore the situation of Chinese students in Thailand; and 2) To study the motivations of Chinese students to study in Thailand. This research was a qualitative study. Data were collected through a literature review, focus group discussions, and interviews. The study found that, in 2020, there were 14,423 Chinese students studying higher education in Thailand. Most were from the southern China, but students from other parts of China are also appearing in greater numbers. There are many reasons why Chinese students choose to study abroad. For example, there is the lack of opportunities to continue study in their country, to avoid social pressure, to benefit from better economic conditions, parental support to study abroad, support of the Chinese government to study abroad, etc. The most important reasons why Chinese students chose to study in Thailand include lower costs, variety of courses that meet the needs of Chinese students, good atmosphere and suitable environment for studying. Most Chinese students also preferred to concentrate in the majors of management, business administration, international trade, and Thai language. Other majors are also becoming more popular, such as communication arts, fine arts, and music, among many others. Overall, the Covid-19 situation did not seem to affect the growth in the number of Chinese students coming to Thailand.
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