During the past few decades, the tide of globalization has overwhelmingly flown
around the world. The world population is linked to each other in real time by the
internet. This planet has become a huge melting pot of various civilizations.
Globalization has influenced every state politically, economically, socially, and
culturally. Thailand is not an exception, either.
The influx of globalization has pushed Thailand into a new phase in its
development, especially in the business sector. Foreign direct investment,
multinational corporations, and international trade have become the main factors
contributing to the dynamism of economic growth. As a developing country, Thailand
seems to be one of the extremely desirable investment destinations among developed
countries for many good reasons.
As a result, a large number of foreigners have incessantly entered Thailand; Thai
people have more foreign trade partners, employers, and colleagues, which brings
more chances for Thai people to communicate with foreigners. To interact with
foreigners effectively and efficiently, not only are the skills of foreign languages
required but also the knowledge about other countries’ culture and life styles is, too.
The most effective way to obtain all of these knowledge and skills is to learn
them from real-life experience. Overseas education seems to be one of the best means
to give young citizens with more opportunities to intertwine themselves into the cross-
cultural environment. Moreover, international education will provide them better
career opportunities in the competitive labor market, better living, and higher social
and financial status.
Nowadays, many Thai people are increasingly aware of the importance of
studying abroad and are willing to invest their time and money in overseas education.
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The number of Thai student studying abroad has been steadily increasing every year,
reflected in the rising number of new education consultant agencies. In her study,
Chidchanok Udomsat (2006) identified that at present there are more than 200
professional international education consultants in Thailand.