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Thailand: Chiang Mai - Culture, Politics, Business

Name: Thailand: Chiang Mai - Culture, Politics, Business
Brand: USAC
SKU: 19253
Rating: 4.83 (40 reviews)

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USAC

4.83 (40 reviews)

Good for

Students

Adventure travelers

Foodies

Thailand: Chiang Mai - Culture, Politics, Business

USAC

4.83 · 40 reviews

Community Choice Award Winner

Location

Thailand
- Chiang Mai

Term

Academic Year, Fall, Spring, Summer

Subject Areas

Anthropology Economics Finance Food Science and Nutrition International Business International Relations Philosophy Sociology Sustainable Development

Need-based funding, Merit-based funding, General grants/scholarships

Health & Safety

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Program Details

Program Type

Provider

Housing

Apartment

Language

English

Last Updated: Sep 24, 2024

Last Reviewed: Mar 17, 2026

Wish List

13 travelers are looking at this program

About Program

USAC has teamed up with Chiang Mai University to offer students the chance to study abroad in Thailand! Students interested in Asian-Pacific Rim Economics, Politics, and Culture Studies will have the chance to pursue studies in those topics along with much more, including Thai language courses.

Studying in Chiang Mai places students right in the center of Thai trade and tourism. The opportunity to explore the "Land of Smiles" is right around the corner as well, with multiple planned excursions throughout the trip. Sign up today with USAC to start planning for an unforgettable experience in Chiang Mai, Thailand!

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COMMUNITY REVIEWS SUMMARY

This program offers a supportive community, engaging cultural immersion, and affordable living in Chiang Mai. Students appreciate the field trips and friendly locals, though some find classes less challenging.

AI-generated summary from verified community reviews Read reviews →

Video and Photos

Study abroad with USAC in Chiang Mai, Thailand

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Diversity & Inclusion 💙

LGBTQIA+ Support

There are LGBTQIA+ friends, colleagues, and allies throughout the world. However, cultural understanding of gender identity and sexuality does vary from country to country. USAC has compiled a lot of resources to help you through that learning process.

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Accessibility Support

USAC is dedicated to working closely with students with disabilities to ensure the best study abroad experience possible. You may request reasonable accommodations after your initial application is complete. We routinely receive requests for scheduling, material, and environmental accommodations for the classroom setting, which may include assistive technology, scribes and readers, printed material, and interpretation.

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Impact 🌎

Sustainability

Environmentally-conscious students choose USAC because many of our programs are held in some of the most sustainable countries in the world. There are options to take coursework in sustainability and the environment, as well as field trips and studies where students can leave a lasting impact on their host country.

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Program Highlights

Experience the charm of exotic and ancient culture while you live and study in a center of Thai trade, tourism, and academic activity
Enjoy a wide range of field trips, including a field study with the Karen Hill Tribe people, as well as elephant riding and bamboo rafting
Explore the "land of smiles" and real Buddhism in a country that is 95% Buddhist
Visit lovely mountain regions featuring rivers, rain forests, national parks, nature preserves, and tea and coffee plantations

Program Reviews

4.83 Rating

based on 40 reviews

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Rating Spread Study

5 rating 85%
4 rating 12.5%
3 rating 2.5%
2 rating 0%
1 rating 0%

Academics 3.85
Support 4.65
Fun 4.85
Housing 4.45
Safety 4.9

Good for Students, Adventure travelers, Foodies

Showing 17 - 24 of 40 reviews

The USAC program in Chiang Mai is one of the best run academic programs I've ever been a part of. I've learned so much while still being able to travel, have fun, meet new people and explore the culture. The staff and Thai buddies are all amazing and caring, and they all love getting to know the new USACers! I highly recommend this program! It will change your life for the better!
Some cool things I did while studying abroad:
1. Fed monkeys on a private beach
2. Trekked through the mountains
3. Explored caves that led onto pristine beaches
4. Chilled in hot springs
5. Went to a full moon party

Pros

Beauty
Food
People

Cons

Heat

Chiang Mai with USAC is like no other. The beauty of Thailand's nature and culture form such a unique experience. The staff at USAC Thailand is beyond expectations with both event planning and their want for cultural exchange. Everyone is kind and approachable. Both US and Thai students in the program look forward to meeting new people. Classes are enjoyable. The workload allows time for socializing. You can conveniently travel to other places in Thailand. Chiang Mai is friendly to people who enjoy outdoorsy adventures and to those who prefer city life.

Pros

Convenient for in-Thailand travel
Generally inexpensive
Athlete friendly

Cons

Most nightlife is 20+
Weather and smog

Attending USAC's Chiang Mai study abroad program was one of the best decisions I could've made during my undergrad years. There is nothing about my experience that I wish was a little bit different. From the classes to the excursions to the incredible staff at USAC Chiang Mai, every aspect of this program was top-notch. I developed friendships (from the US and Thailand) that I know will last a lifetime, and the memories I made continue to bring me joy and inspire me to embark on more adventures far, far away from home.

Pros

Facilitated Excursions
Tight-Knit Program
Amazing Food

Getting to travel to Thailand was a dream come true for me as someone who had always wanted to travel abroad. I had such a wonderful experience with all of the USAC staff who made sure I was taken care of and ready to succeed at every step of the way. The USAC staff also organized so many informative, cultural, and fun activities for us such as traditional rickshaw rides through the historic part of the city, hikes through beautiful cloud forests and to mountain villages. We also had opportunities to volunteer such as with the National Park rangers to make firebreak to protect the forests from fire. Not to mention the countless beautiful temples we were able to visit. The diverse range of foods to be found also meant that we could try a delicious new meal every day, and it was so affordable! I highly recommend participating in a USAC study abroad program for anyone looking for an accessible and well-supported way to visit and experience life in another country. And please go visit Chiang Mai, Thailand if you have the chance!

Pros

A lot of support from staff
Several well-organized optional tours provided
Excellent food!

Cons

Challenges with broken air conditioner, water shut offs at residence, also the beds were VERY hard.
Classes felt rather unorganized (I was doing the impromptu Chinese studies program during the pandemic)
We were often in quarantine due to any chance of Covid exposure. Local students were also doing all remote classes.

All of us Chiang Mai 2022 students and the lovely Jum and Siri from USAC during our farewell dinner.

We got to hike through cloud forests to the highest point in Thailand!

It was so fun to visit a couple of the beautiful elephant sanctuaries in Chiang Mai!

Our kayak tour guide in Krabi was such a funny guy!

The U.S. Consulate General of Chiang Mai hosted us for a informative talk and Q&A about careers in diplomacy!

I studied abroad in Chiang Mai, Thailand for the Chinese Studies program. I was originally planning on participating in USAC's program in China, but since that program ended up being canceled this year, USAC suggested this program to me instead. This program was the perfect alternative. Not only was I able to continue studying Mandarin, I also learned a lot about Thai culture, which I previously knew little about, and made several lasting friendships. I had an incredible time there and am so thankful for this experience. I would return in a heartbeat.

Some things I think you should know about the USAC Chiang Mai program:
- Thailand is a beautiful country
- Chiang Mai is a very safe city (even for solo women)
- the food here is AMAZING and there is a wide variety so even picky eaters can find something
- English is way more common than you would think
- Its a very affordable place. Food is typically $1-$10 a meal and nice hostels can be as low as $3 a night
- There’s very little homework and lots of free time to explore
- Great dorm location

Pros

Food
Natural beauty
Affordable

Cons

Heat
Cockroaches
Food poisoning/Covid

View from the Big Buddha Temple in Chiang Rai

Temple within walking distance from dorms

There were different kids of foods from different Asian countries and it ranged from Indian food to Korean food! If you get bored of Chiang Mai you can book a flight for less than $80 and fly to other known areas like Phuket or Krabi! The humidity is no joke but you will get used to it. There are also a lot of Chinese and Japanese study abroad students and it’s awesome! CMU is a big campus but students can point you to the right place you need to go to. ATM machines are everywhere in Chiang Mai so you can withdraw money whenever.

Pros

Food is so cheap
Nature parks/ parks
Transportation

Cons

Humid
Some Thai people still don’t speak English so you will need to know the basic words in Thai to communicate
You can’t ride the motorbikes

Studying in Chiang Mai for the first summer session was my first study abroad eperience ever. I absolutely adored the scenery and the community near the dorms we stayed. My favotire part of our little neighborhood was Mommy Thailand's smoothie shop. Her smoothies were the size of my head, and only cost 60 baht(less than a dollar)!! She also gave me a really good haircut and helped me practice my Thai speaking. At school, it was amazing to just be stdents and go aorund campus in our uniforms just like the thai students. I do wish we had more interaction with the local students though, because we lived and did activites mostly with the American students. All of the field trips were exciting and eye opening. I took the maximum amount of credits I could, with Buddhism, Thai Language, Thai Cooking, and the hill Tribe Field Study course. In the field study one, we got to lvie in villages with the local tribes and get immersed into their culture. I absolutley lovd being out in nature and hiking as wekk, even though I did not go on the hiking excursion "class". I got super lucky with my roommate, and she and I are best friends now. All the people I studied with were exceptionally nice and we all were open to new things and it was great to be thrown into new circumstances with them all. I learned so much about myself as an independant person, and about how I want to be globally involved. In my school at home, we focus on global community, but it was a whole different world when I got to interact with a culture so different form mine. For anyone worried about going somewhere so different from western society, I would sayembrace it! It's not very often you get a chance to completely change your perspective and become more aware. Plus, thai people still like the same things we do and there is lenty of modern culture that everyone can relate to. The main difference is that standards for sanitationt here are not as high as in the US, but i never got sick or had any issues because of that! I definitely have started saving up money to go back to Thailand as soon as possible. I hope you have fun there too!!

If you did this all over again, what's one thing you would change?

I probably would change how open I was at the beginning. I started off very scared, and that is why I only signed up for one summer session. I totally wish I could have been there longer, but that is why I know I will be back someday!

Questions & Answers

Is there options for married housing?

Uh oh, we couldn't find the exact answer either! We did find some general housing information that can be found here: https://usac.edu/study-abroad-programs/thailand/chiang-mai/…

By Go Overseas on March 27, 2018

Alumni Interviews

These are in-depth Q&A sessions with verified alumni.

Alumni Spotlight: Eugene

Why did you choose this program?

I chose this program for a lot of reasons! Thailand is a very queer-friendly country and my safety was an important consideration for me while studying abroad, and I had a really great experience in Thailand in this regard. I also wanted to go somewhere with delicious food and Thai food is incredible. While I wasn't taking any geology related courses while abroad, Thailand offers a lot of incredible geology, scenery, and travel opportunities. I enjoy bird watching and insect hunting as hobbies, and the biodiversity in Thailand is absolutely incredible and there's lots of opportunities to engage with it around Chiang Mai and beyond. USAC offers a very well planned and transparent study abroad program, and I appreciated the variety of information available before even applying.

What did your program provider (or university) assist you with, and what did you have to organize on your own?

Prior to leaving for Thailand, USAC had an easy to follow website that walked you through every step needed to get ready to study abroad. This included visa application, transcripts, housing, flights, budgeting, financial aid, and more. On site, the Chiang Mai USAC staff were phenomenal and helped organize everything we needed. They helped us with visa renewals, understanding what documents were needed for international and domestic travel, and anything else we had questions on. The only things that I had to organize myself were personal travel related.

What is one piece of advice you'd give to someone going on your program?

Keep an open mind and try everything! There is a wide variety of foods available in Thailand that you cannot get in other places, so take advantage of trying them while you're there. In particular, I really enjoyed trying all of the different tropical fruits. Some of the dishes may seem intimidating and different, but get a group of people together and try some of them! Boat noodles, a spicy noodle dish in pork blood soup, ended up being one of my favorite Thai dishes. I also found that I really like durian, don't let the powerful smell stop you from giving it a chance! I also took a variety of classes that I wouldn't normally take as part of my major, but I ended up enjoying them!

What does an average day/week look like as a participant of this program?

Most of the courses were scheduled once a week for three hours with the exception of language courses which were an hour and a half twice a week, so most week days I only had a few classes. Each morning I would grab breakfast at a local restaurant or bakery, walk to class (about 30 minutes away), and attend my courses. I would usually eat lunch on campus at one of the university canteens, there are tons of different food options for really affordable prices. After class, I would walk back to Green Nimman and grab a snack of fresh fruit from a fruit stall along the way. In the afternoons I would typically go to a cafe and work on homework or personal projects for a few hours. For dinner, usually a group of USAC students would get together and go out to eat at one of the local restaurants. There are tons of places to eat nearby and they are all so good! There is a park next to Green Nimman that I enjoyed visiting in the evening to bird watch and walk. I spent my weekends traveling around Thailand or exploring Chiang Mai.

Going into your experience abroad, what was your biggest fear, and how did you overcome it? How did your views on the issue change?

I was really nervous about meeting new people and making friends while abroad. USAC does a phenomenal job of planning activities and incorporating support right away to make it easier to get to know others and get settled in. The Thai buddies program was especially helpful. USAC has a bunch of Thai students who come along on the trips and experiences that were planned and allowed us to get more familiar with Thai culture and meet local students. Throughout the semester, they were an invaluable resource for getting to know Thailand, Chiang Mai, and the culture. Because all of the USAC students live in the same building and share the same classes, it was really easy to see other students daily and meet up for dinner, exploring, or planning travel. By the end of the semester our group had become really close.

What was the biggest challenge while living abroad?

For me, the biggest challenge of living in Chiang Mai in the spring was the air pollution. For much of the semester the PM2.5 was so high that it was difficult to spend time exercising or hiking outside. Most of the time, we had to wear masks while walking around. At the same time, it was around 100°F/38°C every day, so it was challenging to do outdoor activities for much of the time. Despite this, I was still able to visit a lot of really cool locations, do some gorgeous hikes, and get to know the area while taking proper precautions.

What are some of your favorite things to do near Chiang Mai?

Chiang Mai is an amazing city, and that's coming from somebody who doesn't particularly like cities. There are lots of markets in town that are a lot of fun to visit. Chiang Mai has a long history, and there are many historic sites to visit around the city as well. Outside of Chiang Mai city, I really enjoyed visiting Doi Inthanon National Park, Ob Khan National Park, and the waterfalls in Doi Suthep-Pui National Park. The wildlife is incredible and I got to see some incredible birds, butterflies, and beetles both in town and in in the nearby parks.

Kasondra Grillo

2017 Alum

Dan Goswick

2012 Alum

Staff Interviews

These are in-depth Q&A sessions with program leaders.

What is your favorite travel memory?

In Chiang Mai, I volunteered at a local orphanage twice a week before class. From my housing, the orphanage was 20-minutes away by rod daeng (small red truck). All I had to do was flag one down and showed a sticky note with the name of the orphanage on it.

That was not the case one day. I talked to three different drivers and my sticky note trick didn’t work. I realized that they didn’t read the alphabet. I tried to pronounce the name in Thai. I knew I butchered it bad because they still didn’t know where I wanted to go.

I eventually pulled out a map of Chiang Mai and pointed at my destination. Luckily, the orphanage was on it! The drivers burst out laughing when they figured out where I wanted to go. It was rewarding to overcome the language barrier.

How have you changed/grown since working for your current company?

After seeing both sides of the process, I gained a deeper level of appreciation for study abroad. There is a great team of people behind each student’s successful study abroad preparation.

View Entire Interview

My study abroad experiences would have not been the same if I didn’t have a great team from USAC to support me.

What is the best story you’ve heard from a return student?

For our Scotland programs, we offer an overnight trip to Loch Ness and the Scottish Highlands every semester. One of the destinations is the Glenfinnan Viaduct, where the Hogwarts Express runs along in the Harry Potter movies.

A return student told me that she was so ecstatic to have seen the viaduct in real life. It was the highlight of the field trip for her. Being a Harry Potter fan myself, I completely understand her excitement.

If you could go on any program that your company offers, which one would you choose and why?

I would choose to go to the Santiago, Chile program. Santiago seems like a great city to live in. It’s surrounded by mountains which means I don’t have to travel far to enjoy nature. In the city center, there are a lot of museums and neoclassical architectures to check out.

The program offers interesting courses such as Chile’s Native Cultures and Latin American Technology & Globalization. Also, I would love to learn more about Pablo Neruda.

What do you believe to be the biggest factor in being a successful company?

Teamwork. Whether it is between departments or within a department, everyone at USAC is always collaborating to improve the way we assist our students.

About USAC

USAC is a non-profit consortium of U.S. universities that collaborates to offer affordable, academic and authentic study abroad programs. There are abundant opportunities to immerse in the culture, history, and academics of other countries providing an unforgettable experience. Each program is designed to help you grow into an engaged citizen of...