Mode of Education

Education policies and laws had always been revised and modified to be responsive to the ever-changing socio-economies conditions. Education is mainly provided by the Thai Government through the Ministry of Education (MOE) in Thailand. There is a free basic education of 12 years guaranteed by the constitution with a minimum of 9 years’ school attendance. Non-formal education is also supported by the state. Also, independent schools are increasingly contributing significantly to the general education infrastructure.

The school year in Thailand is divided into two semesters. Primary and secondary runs from Mid May to March while June to March for higher education.

Pre-primary Education is commonly known as Kindergarten in many countries which learning experience is organized for the physical, emotional, social and intellectual development of children through everyday activities. It is organized by various agencies and classified into 3 types: child development centre, kindergarten and pre-school class.

Primary school education comprises of a duration of 6 years (Grade 1-6) and is for children aged 6 and above. Public primary schools are organized by the MOE through the Office of the National Primary Education Commission (ONPEC) for 80% of children with eligible age. Other MOE departments provide special forms of educational service such as setting up welfare schools for children with special needs. Bureau of Local Education Administration organize primary schools in the remote rural areas.

The primary school curriculum does not just single out subjects into fragmented courses, but also grouped into 5 learning experiences.


1) Basic Skills: Thai language and Mathematics
2) Life Experiences: Dealing with the process of solving social and daily life problems with an emphasis on scientific process skills for better living
3) Character Development: Deal with activities that devlop desirable habits, values, attitudes and behaviour that result in a desirable character
4) Work-Orientated Experience: Handle general practical work experiences and basic knowledge for career preparation
5) Special Experience: Participate in activities based on learner’s interests

For the last point, it is only offered to students in grade 5-6 only. It is organised based on one’s needs and interests, and might include knowledge and skills selected from other four groups such as English for everyday life as well.

Secondary School education also lasts duration of 6 years, with 3 years for Lower Secondary and Upper Secondary respectively. For the Lower Secondary Education, you must graduate from the Grade 6 in Primary school to be promoted to this level. Primary schools under the ONPEC have also provided lower secondary classes in accordance with the government policy concerning the expansion of educational opportunities at lower secondary education levels. In addition, there are also some other welfare schools that offer lower secondary education for the handicapped and disadvantaged. To be promoted to Upper Secondary, you must first pass the Lower Secondary. Welfare, science and sports schools are all organized to cater to different groups of students. The first science high school in Thailand emphasizes on Science and Maths at upper secondary level while sports school provides specialized training in certain sports.

The structure of lower and upper secondary school curricular includes 4 main components.


1) Core Subject: Basic subjects that correspond to life and society and is compulsory
2) Prescribed Elective Subject: Basic subject that depends on the local conditions and needs. Local authorities can prepare the subjects to be offered.
3) Free Elective Subject: Open for learners to choose according to their interests, needs and aptitude.

Students are required to attend 6 years of primary school and first 3 years of high school. Those who graduate from the 6^th year of high school are candidates for two decisive tests: O-NET (Ordinary National Educational Test) and A-NET (Advanced National Educational Test).

Higher education under MOE is provided at diploma and undergraduate levels by Rajabhat Institutes and private vocational colleges, as well as colleges of physical education and dramatic arts.