Planning for development in Thailand: The Sixth Plan, Higher Education, 1987-199

This study proposed to analyze and compare the plan documents, The Fifth Higher Education Development Plan of Thailand which was implemented during the years 1982 to 1986 and The Sixth Higher Education Development Plan of Thailand which was implemented during the years 1987 to 1991. The study was proposed to be a documentary research which the data were gathered and drawn from the official records. Content analysis was a method used as a set of procedures to make valid inferences from text.;Higher Education Development Plan is considered as a part of the education section in the National Economic and Social Development Plan. Thailand has implemented the National Economic and Social Development Plans since 1961. But Higher Education Development Plan is included in the National Development Plan in 1962.;The important statements from The Fifth Higher Education Development Plan and The Sixth Higher Education Development Plan were analyzed and compared. The factors that contributed to the accomplishments of both plans were indicated and explained. The similarities and differences of both plans were also discussed.;The study indicated that The Fifth Higher Education Development Plan and The Sixth Higher Education Development Plan were very similar. For example, major themes about quality of higher education and faculty members in both plans was not changed much. However, the many new themes or policies were proposed in The Sixth Higher Education Development Plan (1987-1991) such as the policy of proposing equal opportunity in higher education and in the admission procedures. The curriculum development was geared to the job market situation.;Results from this study indicate that The Fifth Higher Education Development Plan and The Sixth Higher Education Development Plan were similar in terms of content and policy. The outcomes of both plans still exist with similar contributions.