Thailand Higher Education Research

The history of education in Thailand, about 800years, can be divided into 4 periods: the Traditional Period, the Formal Basic Period, the Development and Planning Period and the Innovation Period. It experienced from the traditional education supplied by the Buddhist monasteries, the Palace and families to the modernization education according to the national education projects and national educational development plans.At present, the higher education in Thailand has got through the "Popular Period". The legal framework of education in Thailand is based on the 1997 Constitution and the 1999 National Education Act. The currentsystem of educational institution and management in Thailand is summarized as follow: at central or national level and at local levels. Higher education in Thailand is provided in universities, institutions, colleges or other types of institutions. It is divided into two levels: lower-than-degree level and degree level. The record of schooling can be divided into: lower than Bechelor degree, Bechelor degree level and Graduate degree level. Financial resources of education in Thailand are derived from both public and private resources. Thailand has cooperated with various international and regional organizations. After the Economic Crisis of 1997, both the inside and outside factors drived the reform of the higher education in Thailand. In moving towards the success of the reform, Thailand government encourages the people to participate.There are 4 features in the development of the higher education in Thailand: public universities being dominant, private universities developing quickly, highly internationalization and the government paying great attention. In the light of the research of the development of Thailand higher education, we can conclude the experiences to the use of reference for our higher education's development. At first, the relationship of higher education's westernizing and higher education's being indigenous is handled very well. Secondly, the dominant function of market is increasing. Thirdly, the imbalance of the higher education, including the imbalance of quantity and quality; the imbalance of the regions and the disjoint of higher education and development of society and economic. Finally , the disjoint of the development of the higher education and the elementary education.