Government of Thailand - Royal Thai Government Scholarship Program (offered by OCSC)

Benefit

The Royal Thai Government Scholarship, run by Thailand's Office of the Civil Service Commission (OCSC), supports Thai nationals to study abroad. It covers costs such as tuition fees, a monthly living allowance, health insurance, books, a computer and pre-departure expenses - exact amounts vary by destination and study level. If your host country does not primarily teach in English (for example France or Germany), you also receive funding for up to one year of language tuition. Funding lasts four years at bachelor's level, two years at master's level, and three years at doctoral level.

The programme has three variants. The King's Scholarship (around nine places per year) is open to all Thai nationals; you must return and work in Thailand but are not required to join the civil service. The other two types are for Thai civil servants and carry a work-back obligation: on return, you must work for a government agency for twice the length of your funded study period. If you do not meet that obligation, you repay three times the total funding received.

Eligibility

• Nationality: Thai nationals only.
• Employment: Most types require you to be a Thai civil servant. The King's Scholarship does not.
• Degree level: Bachelor's, master's or doctoral programmes.
• Field of study: All subjects are open in principle; the disciplines funded each year reflect Thai government staffing priorities.
• Age: No older than 20 for a bachelor's programme, 35 for a master's, and 40 for a doctorate.
• English: TOEFL at least 550 (paper-based) or 213 (computer-based), or IELTS at least 6.0.

How to apply

Apply through the OCSC online scholarship portal at scholarship.ocsc.go.th. Selection runs in two stages: first a written aptitude and English test (minimum score 70), then an assessment centre with personality and competency tests and an interview for candidates who pass the English threshold. Check the portal directly for current deadlines, as no fixed date is publicly confirmed.