The Education Abroad Network: Payap University - Chiang Mai, Thailand

  Thailand

• Chiang Mai: 
Chiang Mai

Term: Fall, Spring 

Description: 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.

Academics / Courses of Study

All students will undertake the Thai Culture course, which includes three field trips during the semester. One trip involves experiencing traditional life in a hill-tribe village living in a villager's dwelling, eating traditional food and experiencing village life. Students will also be required to undertake the Thai language course, with levels varying from Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced. Students will then select one to two additional electives during their time in Chiang Mai. Sample electives 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 contact us for full listings. All courses appear on an official Payap transcript.

Accommodation

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.

Highlights: Chiang Mai is 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 Suthrep," 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.

Degree Level: Bachelors Degree (Undergraduate)

Cost in US$: Semester program fees will range from USD 10,000 - USD 11,000

Experience Required: no

This Program is open to American, Australian, Canadian and Kiwi Participants.