Institution

Payap University began in 1888 as the Thailand Theological Seminary and became Thailand’s first fully accredited private university nearly a century later. “Since then,” states the website, “the university has continued to progress, expanding facilities to accommodate the steady growth in the student body, investing in the continuing education and training of the faculty through university support of graduate education in the US and in other countries, and adding a wide range of international programs to attract students from across Southeast Asia and from other areas of the world.

Main features include:

• Library with over 140,000 volumes and 600 periodical subscriptions
• One of the world’s largest library collections on Northern Thailand
• Fields, courts, and equipment for nine different sports
• On-campus counseling available
• Student Council hosts cultural events, seminars, community service activities, clubs, sports events, etc.

City of Chiang Mai
Chiang Mai is Northern Thailand’s biggest city and the capital of the Chiang Mai Province. Here is what the University’s website has to say about Chiang Mai: “Set amidst the cool and beautiful mountains of northern Thailand, Chiang Mai has the advantages of a city but with the feel of a small town where the old style of Thai living is preserved. Chiang Mai, some 700 km (438 mi) north of Bangkok, is Thailand’s second largest city, though it does not even have 10% of Bangkok’s population… A common claim is that it has the advantages of Bangkok without suffering the capital’s disadvantages.” Students can easily find public buses and trains to travel both locally and to other parts of Thailand.

Program in Brief

Payap University strives to uphold its motto of “Truth and Service” by creating an environment where students can excel morally and academically. Its “attitude of service to all” is similar to PC’s motto “While we live, we serve.” Payap University’s student body consists of students from over 30 different countries, and the International Campus Life division provides an office “dedicated to the overall enhancement of on-campus international life for students, staff, and faculty.”

Academic Program and Areas of Study

Payap University offers four undergraduate programs taught in English: Computer Information Systems, International Business Management, International Hospitality Management, and English Communication.

Orientation

There is a mandatory set of pre-departure orientations at PC for all students planning to participate in the program.

Housing and Meals

Payap University’s international dormitory, Paradornparp International House (PIH), opened in 2006 on the east end of campus. PIH is geared toward giving international students a “safe, clean, and comfortable” place to live. International students share a room with a Thai student, and the rooms are fully-furnished double-occupancy rooms, each with a private bathroom, phone and internet access, and air conditioning. There is a 24-hour security service available.