Vietnamese students in Thailand: School life goes on as usual

Du học sinh Việt ở Thái Lan được trường trấn an trong bối cảnh căng thẳng - Ảnh 1. — Students jogging on the campus of Chulalongkorn University, Thailand's number 1 university, on the morning of July 26.

School is calm; Studying and living are normal.

In recent days, public attention has been focused on tensions that have led to a number of casualties in the border areas of neighboring Cambodia and Thailand. On July 25, the Consular Department under the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs also advised Vietnamese citizens living in the two countries to monitor and strictly comply with regulations and instructions of local authorities and maintain contact with Vietnamese representative agencies in the host countries.

Notably, in Thailand alone, in addition to being a tourist destination, the country also attracts a significant number of Vietnamese students studying at universities, mainly in the capital Bangkok. However, according to Thanh Nien 's research, Thailand does not have any universities located in the border area and the conflict zone is more than 400km from Bangkok, so in general, some online communities of Vietnamese students in Thailand do not express concern about the current developments.

Nguyen Dang Vinh Trung, a master's student in strategic communication management at Chulalongkorn University, shared with Thanh Nien that immediately after news of the escalation of tensions, Professor Wilert Puriwat, the school's principal, sent a notice to the entire school to affirm that the school always puts the safety and well-being of everyone first and does not discriminate on nationality, race or religion.

"The school is committed to creating a safe, friendly and respectful learning environment for diversity. If students feel anxious, insecure or have difficulties, they can immediately contact the faculty's student management department or the school's Student Management Office for timely support," Mr. Trung shared.

Regarding personal experience, the male student observed that in the school area, people still live and study normally. Sports tournaments are still taking place bustlingly. In the dormitory area for international students where Trung lives, people also update news on official newspapers and regularly contact family and friends back home to reassure everyone. "In general, students and everyone living in this area feel safe," he said.

Chung commented, Nguyen Vu Thuy Duong, a student of the Faculty of Communication Arts at Chulalongkorn University, said life in Bangkok "is still normal, happy and without any problems". Ms. Duong added that in this area, shops are still open, the school still organizes activities and festivals as usual to welcome new students. "The Vietnamese international student community here has almost no worries", the female student shared her personal perspective.

Du học sinh Việt ở Thái Lan được trường trấn an trong bối cảnh căng thẳng - Ảnh 2. — Chulalongkorn University International Student Dormitory

Thai schools announce support

In addition to Chulalongkorn, many other Thai universities have also continuously sent out notices to reassure students amid tensions with Cambodia. For example, at Thammasat University (Bangkok), the school posted 3 notices to all parties in 2 days. In the latest notice, the school affirmed that all academic and administrative activities are taking place normally, without interruption, and the school is implementing appropriate measures to support domestic and international students.

“These measures include financial support, mental health services and a dedicated emergency hotline. At the same time, we have issued an official notice to the entire university community, reaffirming our commitment to fairness and non-discrimination,” Thammasat University said. “Please be assured that we are committed to maintaining a safe, inclusive and supportive environment for all members of the university community.”

Kasetsart University (Bangkok) also sent an open letter expressing concern about the unrest in the border area, emphasizing that Thai students with families living in the border area and Cambodian students studying at the university's training facilities are directly affected. "We would like to affirm to all students that diversity and strong friendship are the foundation for peaceful and harmonious learning - regardless of region, race or nationality," the letter said.

"Any student who has been affected, whether academically or emotionally, is encouraged to seek advice and support. The university is committed to providing guidance and support to ensure the safety and well-being of students," Kasetsart University shared, attaching relevant contact numbers.

According to data from the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation of Thailand, in the first semester of the 2022-2023 academic year, there were 34,202 international students studying at Thai universities. Of these, Vietnam had 546 people, ranking 5th after China (21,419), Myanmar (3,708), Cambodia (1,443), Nepal (651). According to the QS World University Rankings 2026, the top universities in Thailand are Chulalongkorn (221st), Mahidol (358), Chiang Mai (526)...

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/du-hoc-sinh-viet-o-thai-lan-cuoc-song-hoc-duong-dien-ra-binh-thuong-185250726104552899.htm