DECISION-MAKING BEHAVIOR OF STUDENTS IN THE GREATER MEKONG SUB-REGION IN PURSUING AN INTERNATIONAL HIGHER EDUCATION IN THAILAND

Abstract

The objective of this research is to study perception, information acquisition and decision making behavior on pursuing higher education in Thailand of students in Greater Mekong Sub-region (GMS), including China, Vietnam, Myanmar, Laos PDR and Cambodia. The study is conducted with students who have selected to pursue a higher education in Thailand. This study employs both qualitative and quantitative approaches consisting in-depth interview and questionnaire survey to understand what are their reasons and motivations, how they acquire information, what their educational goal are, and who influences them to make their choice of overseas higher education. The researcher later uses questionnaires to find the students’ perceptions, information acquisition methods, and decision making behavior on pursuing higher education in Thailand, in compliance with the information got from the interview.

The interview and survey with students from GMS who study in Thailand revealed the coherent information that the target group of Thailand international higher education composes of more undergraduate degree seekers than graduate degree pursuers. They have financial power and their parents are businesses owners or employees of international organizations and their parents have been to Thailand before. Most of the students have average to high academic performance, are fondest of using internet and peer chatting. They obey their parents, read newspapers and magazines sometimes. They favor independent lifestyle and freedom, are serious students who aim at successful future career, determined to gain knowledge and skills in languages to develop themselves and their countries.

Most of the students have made decision by themselves to study in Thailand before getting approval from the parents. The factors to choose Thailand are learning environments in institutions with efficient teachers, affordability of education fees and conveniences of location. The drawbacks are that Thailand does not use English as official language, most Thai people do not speak English and Thai politics is not stable making them feel unsecured.

For future education, the students want to pursue advanced degrees in Thailand, USA, England, Australia and Japan. They demand that Thailand subsidize their further education as such, or provide any aids. An exception is on Laotian students; they do not choose Thailand to be destination for further education.