On 29 January 2026, Dr. Orathai Phubunlap Gunaseelan, Chargé d'affaires, a.i., of the Royal Thai Embassy in Astana, held a meeting with Mr. Abay Rakhmet, Deputy Chairman of the Management Board, and Mr. Kaisar Erkinbayev, Deputy Chairman of the Management Board of the Center for International Programs “Bolashak”, to exchange views and discuss ways to promote academic and educational cooperation between Thailand and Kazakhstan, particularly through the exchange of scholarship programmes between the two countries.

On this occasion, Dr. Orathai was briefed on the Government of Kazakhstan’s Scholarship Program for International Students, which is offered annually to international students, with approximately 550 scholarships available for undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral levels. The Government of Kazakhstan covers tuition fees, accommodation, and basic living expenses throughout the period of study. The programme is open to students from all countries who meet the required qualifications and selection criteria.

In addition, both sides discussed the possibility of organizing direct online meetings between universities and educational institutions of Thailand and Kazakhstan, providing a platform for exploring cooperation in student and faculty mobility, joint research, as well as institutional-level scholarship exchanges. Such initiatives would serve as an important mechanism to further strengthen academic and educational cooperation between the two countries in a concrete and sustainable manner.

In this regard, the Royal Thai Embassy in Astana has continuously promoted academic and educational cooperation between Thailand and Kazakhstan through various projects and activities. Most recently, the Embassy is scheduled to implement the Project on “Strengthening Academic and Educational Cooperation between Thailand and Central Asia, Contributing to the Establishment of a Central Asia Studies Center in Thailand”, during 7-13 February 2026. Under this project, a delegation of academics and educators from Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, and Tajikistan will visit Thailand to deliver academic lectures at Thai higher education institutions and exchange views with Thai scholars on issues of mutual interest to Thailand and Central Asian countries.