If you are from Thailand and looking for scholarships in order to study in France, please take a look at this article.

We also invite you to check these websites out:

• CampusBourses, which is a scholarship search engine handled by Campus France,
• The ESSEC’s Registrar office website, especially if…
  1. If you are a student in a French lycée accredited by the Agence de l’enseignement français à l’étranger (AEFE), you might apply for the France Excellence-Major scholarship,
  2. If you have a valid residence permit, have been living in France for at least the past two years and have been part of a French tax household for at least the past two years, use the simulator of the CROUS bourse, as you might eligible to it.

• Scholarships granted by the French and Thai governments
  • Franco-Thai Scholarship programme

Scholarships granted by the French and Thai governments

Franco-Thai Scholarship programme

This scholarship programme has been launched by the Embassy of France in Thailand in partnership with the Thai Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation. Those scholarships are for Thai students under 35 who intend to study in France for their Master’s degree or PhD. Open to all fields of study, this program is based on a highly selective call for candidates in order to strengthen high level exchanges between France and Thailand.

Costs covered by the scholarship:

Two different types of scholarships are offered:

1. A "Full scholarship",
2. A "Co-funding scholarship", either:
   1. if you have fundings from a third party: the "Social protection scholarship" (Bourse de couverture sociale),
   2. if you do not have fundings from a third party: the "cost-sharing scholarship" with a monthly allowance.

The "Full scholarship" includes:

• A monthly allowance,
• A round trip ticket,
• Social protection,
• Access to the status of French government scholarship holder (Boursier du Government Français) and its advantages.

The "Social protection scholarship" offers:

• Access to the status of French government scholarship holders (Boursier du Gouvernement Français),
• Exemption from visa fees,
• Exemption from CVEC fees,
• Social protection,
• Special price offers for cultural activities provided by Campus France Paris.

Please note that the "Social protection scholarship" does not include any allowances. Therefore, this specific scholarship will be granted to students with a valid cost-sharing agreement only.

The "Cost sharing scholarship" will offer monthly allowances to candidates. However, the French Embassy in Thailand encourage both Master and PhD applicants to look for other sources of funding, especially from private sector. It is also said that specific attention will be given to applicants who have found other sources of funding for their study. 

Then, the benefits of these scholarships are different for Master's students and PhD.

• Master's students:
  • A monthly allowance up to 860 euros maximum supported by the Embassy of France, but the co-funding scheme for monthly allowance is welcome (the exact amount of allowance granted to each student will depend on the selection committee’s decision),
  • A round trip ticket,
  • Social protection,
  • Access to the status of French government scholarship holders (Boursier du Gouvernement Français) and its benefits (priority for accessing to French student housing, visa fees exemption, assistance offered by Campus France Paris, French intensive course at Alliance Française Bangkok, etc.)
• PhD:
  • A monthly allowance up to 1 770 euros maximum supported by the Embassy of France. The exact amount of allowance granted to each student will depend on the selection committee’s decision,
  • A round trip ticket,
  • Social protection,
  • Access to the status of French government scholarship holders (Boursier du Gouvernement Français) and its benefits (priority for accessing to French student housing, visa fees exemption, assistance offered by Campus France Paris, French intensive course at Alliance Française Bangkok, etc.).

For PhD, the co-funding scheme for monthly allowance is highly recommended by the French Embassy because some doctoral schools ask for a higher monthly income than the monthly allowance granted by the scholarship program. Students applying to ESSEC have to check and coordinate with the chosen laboratory to secure additional funding. However, the co-funding scheme cannot combine with the work contract.  

The Franco-Thai scholarship is granted for the period necessary to obtain the degree: one or two years for a Master’s Degree and three years for a PhD. 

However, if the curriculum requires a mobility or a semester outside France, the scholarship will be suspended during that period.

The Franco-Thai Scholarship Program also does not cover tuition fees.

Application requirements:

To be eligible, applicant must:

• be a Thai national,
• be under 35 on September, 1st of the upcoming academic year,
• intend to pursue a Master's degree or PhD in France full-time,
• have excellent academic records and professional background,
• have a consistent and determined study plan: any contacts with the Master’s degree or thesis supervisors and progress of the project submitted will be taken into account during your application,
• be proficient in French or English, as language adequacy with the intended curriculum will be evaluated,
• have other sources of funding to support the study/project.
• PhD applicants: the selection committee will favor PhD under joint supervision and co-funding scheme. The commitment of Thai and French supervisors will be decisive.

Awardees commit themselves to:

• attend the intensive full-time French course scheduled at the Alliance Française de Bangkok,
• respect the study plan they have been selected for,
• be in possession of the official attestation of scholarship, the original copy of their diploma and all necessary documents before departure to France,
• be in France for the whole period of their studies.

Application submission and timetable:

You must submit an online application on this platform with the following documents:

• A copy of your passport,
• An up-to-date Curriculum Vitae with the entire academic curriculum,
• A cover letter explaining motivations and interest in the planned project,
• Copies of academic diploma (Bachelor, Masters or PhD only),
• University transcripts,
• Cost-sharing commitment letter from the corresponding organisation, if any,
• A French language certificate, if any (DELF/DALF),
• Academic or professional recommendations (optional).
• For Master's degree students:
  • A copy of admission/acceptance letter from ESSEC. If the application process has not started for the considered program, you must include copies of email exchanges with ESSEC in your application.
    
• For PhD:
  • An attestation signed by the tutor indicating their commitment to supervise your thesis; or in case of co-supervision an attestation signed by the two supervisors (Thai and French) indicating their commitment to supervise in France and in Thailand (if need be),
  • A detailed description of the research project (2-3 pages) including a detailed work plan,
  • In case of co-supervision, a detailed plan of the various periods to spend in France during the research work.
    

Applications are generally from November to mid-February.

Shortlisted candidates might be interviewed starting from mid-March.

Final results are published by early August.

Useful links for further information:

Link to the Franco-Thai scholarship programme