Scholarship Guide for Thai Students

Major international scholarships and funding opportunities

Critical Strategic Note

Scholarships requiring work experience often include mandatory return-to-home-country clauses. This conflicts with post-study work visa opportunities.

For Long-Term International Career:

  • Target fully-funded PhD programs (no return requirement)
  • Or scholarships without return clauses (Fulbright TGS, MEXT, Gates Cambridge, ETH ESOP)

For Fresh Graduates

No work experience required

Fulbright Thai Graduate Scholarship (TGS)

USAMaster's or Doctoral

Coverage

  • Full tuition
  • Monthly stipend
  • Health insurance
  • Travel costs

Key Conditions

  • Thai citizen
  • GPA >3.0 (MS) or >3.5 (PhD)
  • J-1 visa (2-year home residency rule, waivers possible)

Typical Deadline: Typically May-June for following year

MEXT Scholarship

JapanMaster's or PhD (Research Student)

Coverage

  • Full tuition waiver
  • Monthly stipend
  • Travel costs
  • No tuition fees

Key Conditions

  • Thai citizen
  • GPA >3.0
  • English or Japanese proficiency
  • Must be recommended by Japanese embassy

Typical Deadline: Typically April-May for following year

Gates Cambridge Scholarship

UK (Cambridge)Master's or PhD at Cambridge

Coverage

  • Full tuition
  • Maintenance allowance
  • Airfare
  • Additional discretionary funding

Key Conditions

  • Must be admitted to Cambridge
  • Exceptional academic merit
  • Leadership potential
  • Commitment to improving others' lives

Typical Deadline: December 2 (same as Cambridge funding deadline)

ETH Excellence Scholarship (ESOP)

Switzerland (ETH Zurich)Master's at ETH Zurich

Coverage

  • Full tuition coverage
  • CHF 12,000 per semester living stipend

Key Conditions

  • Must be admitted to ETH MSc program
  • Top 10% of class
  • Outstanding academic performance

Typical Deadline: November 30 (same as application deadline)

Royal Thai Government Scholarship (OCSC)

Return Required
GlobalBachelor's, Master's, or PhD

Coverage

    Key Conditions

    • Varies by track; requires passing OCSC exam first

    Typical Deadline: Varies, requires passing OCSC exam first

    Anandamahidol Foundation Scholarship

    GlobalBachelor's, Master's, or PhD

    Coverage

    • Full funding

    Key Conditions

      Typical Deadline: Varies, check foundation directly

      Bangkok Bank Scholarship

      Return Required
      USA/UKMaster's

      Coverage

        Key Conditions

          Typical Deadline: Typically December-April

          His Majesty the King's Scholarships (AIT)

          Thailand (AIT)Master's or PhD

          Coverage

          • Full tuition fees
          • Accommodation
          • Living expenses bursary

          Key Conditions

            Typical Deadline: Typically February for August intake

            Eiffel Excellence Scholarship

            FranceMaster's or PhD

            Coverage

              Key Conditions

              • Nomination by French university required

              Typical Deadline: Varies, nomination by university required (e.g., Nov)

              Franco-Thai Scholarship Program

              FranceMaster's or PhD

              Coverage

                Key Conditions

                  Typical Deadline: Typically February

                  Manaaki New Zealand Scholarships

                  Return Required
                  New ZealandBachelor's, Master's, or PhD

                  Coverage

                    Key Conditions

                      Typical Deadline: Typically opens in February

                      Global Korea Scholarship (GKS)

                      South KoreaBachelor's, Master's, or PhD

                      Coverage

                      • Full tuition
                      • Monthly stipend
                      • Airfare
                      • 1-year Korean language training

                      Key Conditions

                        Typical Deadline: Varies by track (Embassy/University)

                        Chinese Government Scholarship (CGS)

                        ChinaBachelor's, Master's, or PhD

                        Coverage

                        • Full tuition waiver
                        • Free on-campus accommodation
                        • Monthly living stipend

                        Key Conditions

                          Typical Deadline: Typically December-April

                          NL Scholarship

                          NetherlandsBachelor's or Master's

                          Coverage

                          • One-time grant of €5,000

                          Key Conditions

                            Typical Deadline: Varies by institution (e.g., Feb or May)

                            Knight-Hennessy Scholars Program

                            USA (Stanford)Any graduate degree (MA, MS, MBA, JD, MD, PhD)

                            Coverage

                              Key Conditions

                                Typical Deadline: Typically October

                                Clarendon Scholarship

                                UK (Oxford)Master's or PhD (DPhil)

                                Coverage

                                • Full course fees
                                • Annual grant for living expenses

                                Key Conditions

                                • All nationalities
                                • No separate application
                                • Automatic consideration by course deadline
                                • Purely academic merit

                                Typical Deadline: Same as course deadline (December/January)

                                Cambridge Thai Foundation Scholarship

                                UK (Cambridge)Bachelor's, Master's, or PhD

                                Coverage

                                  Key Conditions

                                    Typical Deadline: Same as university application deadline

                                    Global Futures Scholarship (South East Asia)

                                    UK (Manchester)Bachelor's or Master's

                                    Coverage

                                      Key Conditions

                                        Typical Deadline: Typically April

                                        Thailand High Fliers Undergraduate Scholarship

                                        UK (Birmingham)Bachelor's

                                        Coverage

                                        • £5,000 tuition fee reduction (first year only)

                                        Key Conditions

                                          Typical Deadline: Typically July

                                          GREAT Scholarships (Thailand)

                                          UK1-Year Master's only

                                          Coverage

                                          • £10,000 towards tuition fees

                                          Key Conditions

                                            Typical Deadline: Varies by university

                                            Lester B. Pearson International Scholarship

                                            Canada (Toronto)Bachelor's

                                            Coverage

                                              Key Conditions

                                              • International student
                                              • Must be *nominated* by high school
                                              • Only one nominee per high school
                                              • Exceptional academic and leadership qualities

                                              Typical Deadline: Nomination deadline typically November

                                              ASEAN Undergraduate Scholarship

                                              Return Required
                                              SingaporeBachelor's

                                              Coverage

                                                Key Conditions

                                                  Typical Deadline: Same as university admission deadline

                                                  Belt and Road Scholarship (Thailand)

                                                  Hong KongBachelor's

                                                  Coverage

                                                  • Full tuition fees

                                                  Key Conditions

                                                    Typical Deadline: Varies by university

                                                    DAAD Study Scholarships (STEM)

                                                    GermanyMaster's

                                                    Coverage

                                                      Key Conditions

                                                        Typical Deadline: Varies by program

                                                        MPOWER Women in STEM Scholarship

                                                        USA/CanadaAny (STEM field)

                                                        Coverage

                                                        • Varies (cash prize up to $10,000)

                                                        Key Conditions

                                                          Typical Deadline: Typically 2-3 deadlines per year

                                                          For Experienced Professionals

                                                          Requires 2+ years work experience

                                                          Chevening Scholarship

                                                          Return Required
                                                          UK1-Year Master's only

                                                          Coverage

                                                          • Full tuition
                                                          • Monthly stipend
                                                          • Travel costs
                                                          • Arrival allowance

                                                          Key Conditions

                                                          • Thai citizen
                                                          • Minimum 2 years work experience (2,800 hours)
                                                          • Mandatory 2-year return to Thailand

                                                          Typical Deadline: Usually early November

                                                          DAAD Scholarship (EPOS)

                                                          Return Required
                                                          GermanyMaster's or PhD (Development-related)

                                                          Coverage

                                                          • Monthly stipend (amount varies)
                                                          • Health insurance
                                                          • Travel costs
                                                          • Study allowance

                                                          Key Conditions

                                                          • Thai citizen
                                                          • Minimum 2 years professional experience
                                                          • Development-related field

                                                          Typical Deadline: Varies by program, typically August-November

                                                          Australia Awards

                                                          Return Required
                                                          AustraliaMaster's (Coursework or Research)

                                                          Coverage

                                                          • Full tuition
                                                          • Monthly stipend
                                                          • Travel costs
                                                          • Health coverage
                                                          • Introductory academic program

                                                          Key Conditions

                                                          • Thai citizen
                                                          • Minimum 24 months work experience
                                                          • Alignment with priority development fields

                                                          Typical Deadline: Opens March, closes April (for following year)

                                                          Swiss Government Excellence Scholarships

                                                          SwitzerlandPhD or Postdoctoral only

                                                          Coverage

                                                          • Monthly stipend
                                                          • Tuition waiver
                                                          • Health insurance
                                                          • Housing allowance

                                                          Key Conditions

                                                          • Must be nominated by a Swiss host professor
                                                          • Not available for Master's students

                                                          Typical Deadline: Varies, typically September-November

                                                          Oxford-Oxford Thai Foundation Graduate Scholarship

                                                          UK (Oxford)Master's

                                                          Coverage

                                                          • Full or partial funding

                                                          Key Conditions

                                                            Typical Deadline: Same as course deadline (December/January)

                                                            Asian Development Bank-Japan Scholarship (ADB-JSP)

                                                            Return Required
                                                            Asia-Pacific (Designated Institutions)Master's

                                                            Coverage

                                                              Key Conditions

                                                                Typical Deadline: Varies by institution

                                                                Quick Comparison Matrix

                                                                ScholarshipCountryWork Exp?Return Req?Best For
                                                                Fulbright Thai Graduate Scholarship (TGS)USA✗ No✗ NoInternational career flexibility
                                                                Chevening ScholarshipUK✓ Yes✓ YesCareer development in Thailand
                                                                DAAD Scholarship (EPOS)Germany✓ Yes✓ YesCareer development in Thailand
                                                                Australia AwardsAustralia✓ Yes✓ YesCareer development in Thailand
                                                                MEXT ScholarshipJapan✗ No✗ NoInternational career flexibility
                                                                Gates Cambridge ScholarshipUK (Cambridge)✗ No✗ NoInternational career flexibility
                                                                ETH Excellence Scholarship (ESOP)Switzerland (ETH Zurich)✗ No✗ NoInternational career flexibility
                                                                Swiss Government Excellence ScholarshipsSwitzerland✗ No✗ NoInternational career flexibility
                                                                Royal Thai Government Scholarship (OCSC)Global✗ No✓ YesCareer development in Thailand
                                                                Anandamahidol Foundation ScholarshipGlobal✗ No✗ NoInternational career flexibility
                                                                Bangkok Bank ScholarshipUSA/UK✗ No✓ YesCareer development in Thailand
                                                                His Majesty the King's Scholarships (AIT)Thailand (AIT)✗ No✗ NoInternational career flexibility
                                                                Eiffel Excellence ScholarshipFrance✗ No✗ NoInternational career flexibility
                                                                Franco-Thai Scholarship ProgramFrance✗ No✗ NoInternational career flexibility
                                                                Manaaki New Zealand ScholarshipsNew Zealand✗ No✓ YesCareer development in Thailand
                                                                Global Korea Scholarship (GKS)South Korea✗ No✗ NoInternational career flexibility
                                                                Chinese Government Scholarship (CGS)China✗ No✗ NoInternational career flexibility
                                                                NL ScholarshipNetherlands✗ No✗ NoInternational career flexibility
                                                                Knight-Hennessy Scholars ProgramUSA (Stanford)✗ No✗ NoInternational career flexibility
                                                                Clarendon ScholarshipUK (Oxford)✗ No✗ NoInternational career flexibility
                                                                Cambridge Thai Foundation ScholarshipUK (Cambridge)✗ No✗ NoInternational career flexibility
                                                                Global Futures Scholarship (South East Asia)UK (Manchester)✗ No✗ NoInternational career flexibility
                                                                Thailand High Fliers Undergraduate ScholarshipUK (Birmingham)✗ No✗ NoInternational career flexibility
                                                                Oxford-Oxford Thai Foundation Graduate ScholarshipUK (Oxford)✗ No✗ NoInternational career flexibility
                                                                GREAT Scholarships (Thailand)UK✗ No✗ NoInternational career flexibility
                                                                Lester B. Pearson International ScholarshipCanada (Toronto)✗ No✗ NoInternational career flexibility
                                                                ASEAN Undergraduate ScholarshipSingapore✗ No✓ YesCareer development in Thailand
                                                                Belt and Road Scholarship (Thailand)Hong Kong✗ No✗ NoInternational career flexibility
                                                                DAAD Study Scholarships (STEM)Germany✗ No✗ NoInternational career flexibility
                                                                MPOWER Women in STEM ScholarshipUSA/Canada✗ No✗ NoInternational career flexibility
                                                                Asian Development Bank-Japan Scholarship (ADB-JSP)Asia-Pacific (Designated Institutions)✓ Yes✓ YesCareer development in Thailand