Thammasat

Thammasat University, known in Thai as Mahawitthayalai Thammasat, is a public research university in Thailand. It is one of the country’s oldest and most prestigious higher education institutions, established in the 1930s in the wake of Thailand’s constitutional reforms. The name Thammasat reflects the Thai concept of moral and social order, underscoring its historical emphasis on law, governance, and the social sciences. The university operates on two primary campuses: Tha Phrachan Campus in Bangkok and the Rangsit Campus in Pathum Thani, hosting faculties in law, political science and economics, arts and sciences, engineering, health sciences, and professional schools, along with extensive graduate programs.

Historically, Thammasat has been closely linked to public service, legal education, and political discourse. It emerged from efforts to modernize higher education in Thailand and broaden access to advanced study in law and public administration. The institution has played a prominent role in student activism and civic engagement within the country’s democratic movements.

Governance at Thammasat is structured around a rector and an academic council, with faculties operating under centralized administration and autonomous colleges and schools. The university emphasizes research, teaching excellence, and international collaboration, maintaining partnerships, exchange programs, and joint research projects with institutions around the world.

Thammasat is regularly ranked among Thailand’s top universities and is recognized for contributions to law, social sciences, and public policy. It seeks to balance scholarly inquiry with public service, aiming to cultivate graduates who contribute to governance, law, education, and society at large.