Tourism & Education in Thailand

Distance makes the heart grow fonder, and familiarity breeds contempt. According to this my soul mate should be in Thailand.
-Jason Zebehazy (Software Engineer, Author)

Tourism is an act of travel for predominantly recreational or leisure purposes. It also refers to the provision of services in support of this act. Tourism, however long its incident duration, has become an extremely popular, a global activity.

More people are making Thailand a part of their educational objective and becoming 'Educational Tourists'. We often find ourselves drowned in the daily activities of a humdrum busy life and for the one, who feels adventurous, is fun-loving and a traveler at heart, Thailand is the answer to his relief. Exploring himself as a student for a short-while or being on an educational tour in a picturesque country like Thailand on an abrupt span of few months can be a splendid reward and a great rejuvenation of mind as well.

Over the last few years, with the growing popularity of education abroad along with tourist-students proliferating at an alarming rate. The places offering multifarious educational courses have become extremely important and in fact, the very reason of student attraction and one the hot spots of tourist allurement. One of the fascinating tourist spots of today has been rightly claimed by Thailand’s magnetic charm. It casts an overwhelming spell over astounding number of tourists who have been thronging in the country. It makes a student indulge in short-term luxury to enjoy in the exquisite beauty of the place as well as to utilize the lucrative career prospect oriented educational courses to the optimum.

Set within a lush tropical landscape, Thailand, aptly described as “The land of a thousand smiles”, is a theatre of cultural and sensual contrasts for the visitor. The long, rich heritage and abundant natural resources of this proud Buddhist nation jostle for space within the dynamism of a country undergoing rapid industrialization. Zestful, tranquil, resplendent and subtle are what makes about Thailand so compelling. Sylvan beaches, azure waters of the Indian Ocean, the elephants, delicious seafood and the most hospitable people are reasons enough to draw anyone to Thailand.

The burgeoning international school system continues to expand, offering a bewildering range of choices. Some say that the Thai educational market is now the most competitive in the world. For a country that is often termed an academic backwater, there is a remarkable amount happening on Thailand's educational scene. In the national system, the Ministry of Education is implementing a radical reform curriculum that takes direct aim at the rote learning system that has long been a mainstay of public education

Initially, when the “Abroad - Studies ” phenomenon struck the various countries, Thailand was not much in demand and attracted few students but with the help of profound market, strategies and common intelligentsia, foreign universities and institutions started campuses in Thai Universities and entered into agreements and contracts with the latter to run “Dual” degree programs i.e. foreign degree courses run in Thai universities and thus started enlarging the bulk number of students over the years till date, catering greatly to Thailand’s claim to fame in the field of “Educational Tourism”.

English language or the English-Medium universities have always been the focal point of the students’ learning attraction. Therefore, English has always been emphasized upon for been an important eligibility criterion amongst a student’s key strength areas.
One main reason why Thailand is so much in vogue and sought after, these days is the wide range of opportunities in the field of English learning ever wider contribution in the arena of enriching job prospects. The great ascendancy of “English as a Second Language” or ESL teaching has been predominantly wide-spread in Thailand thereby making the place globally wanted as an Educational Tourist Spot. For many years there, the domestic market for English language courses in Thailand has been booming. Thai students help drive the market by appreciating the benefits of studying with a native English speaking teacher. As a result, there are countless teaching jobs available to foreign teachers in Thailand, both at commercial language centers and within the state system. Such is the demand for teachers that visitors often include teaching English as part of their itinerary for a trip to Thailand. There has been a rapid growth in the English Teachers’ Training Courses gradually which entitle a student to teach in any part of the world with the help of the Teachers’ Training Certificate that can be achieved at completion of the course. Whether a full time course with a detailed teacher’s training program or a short-term course offering the basics of teaching – all that is expected is a course which gives a student an opportunity to give a head-start and to act as a stepping stone into the field of English teaching profession.

However, Thailand not only offers opportunities in the English language field only but a great deal of other languages have also been stressed upon. Courses dealing with business, healthcare, culinary skills, spas and wellness, and many others are assuming good heights in terms of demand. Finally, Thailand’s short-term yet well-paying teachers’ training courses help you to qualify and be globally certified teacher, guaranteeing an international standard of teaching skills.