Payap University — Chiang Mai, Thailand

Program to Begin Fall 2009

Location / “The Scene”

Quick Profile
Location: Chiang Mai, Thailand
Population: 150,000
Student Enrollment: 6500
International Students: 300
Semester Load: 3-5 courses
Required GPA: 2.75/4.0
Academic Dates: Jan. - May : August - Dec. Program Calendar

Payap University is located in Chiang Mai, a 700-year-old city caught between two worlds. Thai tradition and customs are still very much alive in this city and they happily co-exist with the newly modern Thailand. In 1800, a moat and huge brick walls were built around the city to protect it from invasion, but they now protect the “old city” from any high-rise development. The city is most famous for having more than 300 Buddhist temples, and one of the most holy, “Wat Doi Suthep,” sits atop the mountain that overlooks the city. Chiang Mai is rife with festivals and is definitely the handicraft capital of Thailand with beautiful woodwork, jewelry and ceramics. The city also has a vibrant nightlife with many excellent restaurants and a lively music scene.

Payap University's pleasant main campus features a leafy green environment with a mixture of modern and older buildings. A chapel forms the campus's centerpiece and blends Christian and Buddhist heritage with a spire and a roof in the shape of a giant lotus. Students enjoy the green space and convenient walkways that sprawl across campus.

The campus is located fifteen minutes from city center and Chiang Mai's famous Night Bazaar. Many affordable restaurants and bars surround campus and one of Chiang Mai's largest superstores is within walking distance.

Integrated Housing

All students will live on campus in a twin share room. Each western student will share a room with an English-speaking local Thai student. The air-conditioned rooms are large and contain 2 king single beds, 2 desks, 2 wardrobes and a private western-style bathroom. The dorm has wireless internet and contains many nice indoor/outdoor areas built in modern Thai style.

Academics

Students attending Payap University are required enroll in a minimum of 12 credit hours. Each student must enroll in the following:

Thai Culture Course - Course includes three field trips during the semester. One trip involves experiencing traditional life in a hill-tribe village.
Language Course - Beginner, Intermediate or Advanced Available

Students typically enroll in 1-2 electives during their time in Chiang Mai. Sample electives at Payap University include, but are not limited to, the following:

Economics: Developmental Economics in Southeast Asia; Thai Economy
Fine Arts: Ethnomusicology; Thai Drum and Dance
Religion: Buddhism; Islam in Southeast Asia; Survey of Asian Religions
History: Cultural History of Southeast Asia; Northern Thai History; Contemporary Thai History; Contemporary Myanmar (Burma); Contemporary Cambodia
Sociology/Anthropology: Democratization in Thailand; Global Environmentalism; Human Trafficking in the Sub-Mekong Region; Security and Foreign Policy in Thailand; Women in Thai Society; Culture of Ethnic Groups in Northern Thailand

More subjects will be continually added; please refer to our web site for full listings. All courses appear on an official Payap University transcript.

Program Highlights

Study at one of the top universities in Thailand
Language instruction available for all skill levels
Includes three field trips through Payap University and one excursion to Krabi with Study Asia
Includes comprehensive 3-day orientation program in Bangkok

Unique Opportunities

Teaching English to Monks - Students can choose to teach English to novice monks at a nearby schooling temple. Novice monks are aged between 10 to 15 years old. Students assist in a class of approximately 10-20 monks with English-learning games, singing and other classroom activities. Students spend two hours in the classroom per week with the monks.
Playgroup at a local orphanage - Students spend one afternoon a week at a local orphanage assisting with the carers of orphan children. The children are aged between newborns and 4-years-old. Activities include assisting with meal times and general playground supervision.

Internships

The Thai student visa does not allow students to work while studying. In order to be able to undertake an internship or unpaid work, students must obtain a work visa. If a student enters Thailand on a student visa, he/she is not eligible to obtain a work visa. For students interested in undertaking an internship, please contact Study Asia as opportunities may exist in certain industries and arrangements may be made.

Orientation

All students in our semester programs participate in our extensive three-day in-country orientation program, which combines academic sessions with a series of cultural events designed to introduce students to life in the host country. Each orientation features information on the academic system of the host country, integration issues, medical and other types of support. After the orientation program, students are well-equipped to immerse themselves into their semester abroad.

Orientation highlights include:

Held in Bangkok with visits to significant cultural must-sees, including floating river market, Bangkok's Grand Palace and Jade Buddha
Integration sessions: Academic Differences, Banking, Communication and Transportation
Overnight sleeper train ride to Chiang Mai

Pre-Semester Trips & Excursions

Included with the semester is a weekend excursion to the Krabi peninsula in southern Thailand.

For more information visit Trips & Excursions.