Government Policies and Institutional Diversity of Private Higher Education: Thailand in Regional Perspective

Abstract

This article examines government policies on private higher education (PHE) in Thailand. Focusing on three aspects of public policy – the PHE Act and ministerial regulations, quality assurance and student loans, the article analyzes how such policies play out for different types of PHE (religious-/ cultural-oriented, semi-elite, demand-absorbing). The article seeks to illuminate the role of different PHE types and government policies influencing them based upon data collected by the author in Praphamontripong (2010). Where possible, the Thai case is placed in regional (East Asia) and global perspective.