Studying in New Zealand for Thai Students

“The times I spent in New Zealand are the best years of my life,” said John Chaokasam who attended secondary school in Auckland. His thoughts seem to be shared by about 3,000 Thai students who flock to NZ ever year. Thailand is the sixth largest source of international students bound to New Zealand and at 98,000-strong, is the third largest follower of Study in New Zealand page in social media. John relates that his biggest regret was not studying hard enough. He didn’t qualify for tertiary education in NZ and is now studying in Bangkok. Despite this, he strongly recommends New Zealand for any Thai planning to study overseas. Want to join the party? Here are a few important things to know.

Entry Requirements

Your journey to New Zealand begins right at home. New Zealand pre-entry requirements abound so it is important that you know the right ones based on your circumstance. Anyone who is planning to study in NZ for more than three months is required to have a student visa. That’d cost you roughly, 800 Baht. Additional services may apply if you opt for courier services. More information about fees can be found here <https://www.ttsnzvisa.com/th-en/Fee-Detail/Service-Fee >.

New Zealand Immigration will ask you for documentary requirements when you apply for a student visa. Basically, they would want to know that (i) a NZ school has accepted your application, (ii) you are financially capable to support yourself while you study in New Zealand, and (iii) you are fit enough for the demands of academic work. That’s the reason why an Offer of Place, Evidence of Funds, and a General Medical Certificate are being required. Read this for an in-depth list of requirements specific for Thai students <https://www.immigration.govt.nz/documents/checklists/thailand/checklist-for-bangkok-student-visa-general.pdf >.

Getting There

A non-stop flight from Bangkok to Auckland is about 12 hours which is reasonable considering that you are flying across 6,100 miles. Getting a flight from Bangkok to major regions of NZ such as Auckland, Wellington, and Christchurch shouldn’t be a problem as national carriers, Air New Zealand and Thai Airways fly to these major destinations.

Getting around when you land in New Zealand is safe and easy as towns and cities are connected by a vast network of trains, buses, as well as domestic airports.

Costs

Studying overseas is a major investment and you should expect to shell out a considerable amount of money for the purpose. School fees vary. Would you be studying in a state or private institutions? How long are you going to study? At what level? Answers to these would reveal a more realistic cost for your studies. In general, PhD students and English language students have to pay the least while individuals pursuing Bachelors degree and post-graduate studies tend to pay the most. A detailed list of New Zealand university fees can be found here< https://www.universitiesnz.ac.nz/sites/default/files/uni-nz/Fees%20for%20International%20Students%202018.pdf>.

Have the dream but not the dough? Don’t despair! There are scholarships and grants granted by the government and NZ learning institutions specifically for Thai nationals. Access them here <https://www.studyinnewzealand.govt.nz/how-to-apply/scholarship/search-results?nationalityid=196>.

There isn’t a hard and fast formula in determining living costs. Your day to day expenses would depend on your lifestyle and the region in NZ that you are in. Generally, the cost of living in New Zealand is 54% higher than in Thailand. For instance, when you would just spend about 106 Baht for a basic lunch plus drinks back home would cost you 404 Baht in NZ. Rent follows the same trend. The rent for a 45m2 furnished studio in Bangkok costs 23,100 Baht. That more than doubles if you rent the same thing in Auckland (46,500 Baht). Practice discipline and learn how to budget to prevent overspending and going into debt.

Work Opportunities

Having a NZ student visa allows you to work a maximum of 20 hours per week during the term and full-time during the holidays. This is a great way to gain industry experience and offset living costs. NZ offers casual work and internships across industries so students of diverse backgrounds wouldn’t have trouble looking for work. In addition, academic institutions offer part-time work through teaching, tutoring and carrying out administrative tasks.

Thai students are heading to New Zealand for good reason. Like John, experience the best years of your life in NZ and stay for the wonderful opportunities.

Studying in Australia for Thai Students

With the necessity of a good education to remain competitive in the global stage, many Thai students are gravitating towards an Australian education. This is mainly because a world-class education in Australia is relatively more affordable that in the United States and United Kingdom. Another reason is because of the diversity of culture that breeds a feeling of warmth and acceptance. Here are all you need to now if you’re angling to get an education in Australia.

Requisites

Prior to anything else, you need to fulfill several requirements to acquire a student visa:

1. Complete your application in an Australian educational institute. One major requirement is that you’re already accepted. Don’t worry as this often doesn’t entail any payments as yet.
2. Get a quality, comprehensive health insurance. This can vary in cost but is ultimately to your benefit anyway.
3. Fill out the application form and pay the requisite THB 13,600 necessary to process it.

Once that’s done, you have all you need to get to Australia. The only thing left is to actually get there.

Getting to Oz

It is a manageable 5,600 km from Bangkok to Australia so travel time is a comfortable 9 hours and 45 minutes on average via Qantas, Emirates, Thai Airways, and Bangkok Airways. You can also opt to stop over at Singapore and Shanghai if you wanted to, this will increase the flying time to 12-13 hours. Naturally, the overall travel time can be longer if you take a longer stopover.

The Cost of Living

Naturally, a big concern among Thai students is the cost of living during their stay. The truth is that the cost of living in Australia is higher than it is back home in Thailand. It’s between 50 to 100% higher when you’re talking about basics like rent costs and groceries. It’s significantly higher when you’re talking about restaurant prices. A THB 60 meal in Thailand will cost a whopping THB 440 when in Australia. One of your best bets to saving money is to prepare your own meals.

The Rewards of Trying

One of the most popular career options in Thailand lies in Engineering, and the numbers say it all. Engineers of various disciplines will earn as much as THB 32,600 monthly back home in Thailand. In Australia, those same disciplines in engineering will expect to earn up to THB 147,000 monthly. This is just one job option, of course, other key career groups like IT and even management see a vast increase along the same lines.

A Greater Thai Family

There are over 45,000 Thais living in Australia today. Of this number, most are in New South Wales—though there are also significant number of Thais living in Victoria, Queensland, and Western Australia. Many of these migrated to Australia within the last decade. Apart from that, there are also over 250,000 Thai students enrolled in different school and universities across the nation. This makes for a robust support system evidenced by the many online groups offering meet ups and shared activities.

Important Celebrations

There are several holidays that Thailand has in common with Australia. These include the New Year, Labor Day, and to a certain extent, Chirstmas. More important holidays are those relating to Thai Royalty and their Buddhist heritage. These are mostly celebrated within Thai communities themselves with a deep sense of reverence. While only normally including local Thais, these celebrations are nonetheless made special and are open to other Thais coming over to study.

If you’re a Thai looking to gain an advantage of world-class education without breaking the bank, Australia is a great option for you. The large presence of fellow Thais make the transition much easier. Bolstered by a higher income potential, it’s easy to understand why many of your fellow Thai opt to make the move. It’s easy enough to follow them too!