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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 1 - 8 of 40 reviews

My semester in Chiang Mai Thailand was one of the best chapters of my life. I met so many incredible friends in the program, many of whom I still keep in touch with now. The city was perfect for living in, exploring, and travelling around. The staff from the Thai buddies to Jum, the program coordinator made it their job to make us feel at home and comfortable while also encouraging us to branch out and try new things. Between the food, friendly people, and amazing memories, this is a program I'd recommend to everyone wanting to go abroad!

What is your advice to future travelers on this program?

Take a travel backpack if you have any inclination to travel on weekends! You won't want to bring your school bag with you everywhere and certainly don't need a suitcase for weekend trips. A simple collapsible backpack for travelling will make your life much easier!

Pros

Adventure
Support
Opportunity

Cons

Language barrier
Scam attempts

My friends and I on the Ha Giang Loop in Vietnam!

Whole group who went on the Ha Giang Loop in Vietnam!

I absolutely loved my time studying abroad with USAC in Chiang Mai, Thailand! The city is wonderful (as somebody who is not a city person), very walk-able, and near to a lot of other great places to visit. The CMU USAC staff are phenomenal and planned a ton of great events to help us get to know the area and were great resources for everything. The Thai buddies program that USAC sets up is a really great way to meet Thai students and get to know the area better. The courses were not very difficult (compared to my usual STEM courses) but they were very engaging. Chiang Mai is very affordable and I always felt safe. The food is phenomenal, I miss it every day! I got my degree in geology and didn't take any major related courses while abroad, but I still had a lot of opportunities to engage with my field outside of classes. I truly cannot recommend this program enough!

What is your advice to future travelers on this program?

Take advantage of all of the opportunities in Chiang Mai, nearby, and beyond! Chiang Mai is a great location to live in and travel in/around, but it's also a great jumping off point for many locations across SE Asia. If you only choose one international destination, I highly recommend Angkor Wat in Cambodia. Within Thailand there is a ton of incredible biodiversity, geology, and other natural wonders so I really recommend taking advantage of the opportunity to see some really unique environments and species.

Pros

Great food
Beautiful city
Very welcoming for people of all identities

Cons

Bad air pollution during the Spring semester

Me at Wat Chedi Luang Varavihara, Old Town Chiang Mai

Read my full story

Deciding to study abroad in Chiang Mai through USAC was one of the best decisions I have ever made. The staff was ridiculously helpful and the city itself was amazing. Wonderful field trips and all of the students became very close. Highly recommend a specialized program as the community you gain from being in the same cohort as other students is hard to beat. I would highly recommend this program to anyone, but especially those who love nature and learning about Buddhism and psychology. The professors are amazing as well.

What was the most surprising thing you saw or did?

Fed and bathed with elephants!

Pros

Fun night life
Very supportive staff
Extremely affordable

Cons

Very hot in Spring
30 min walk to school, though ride share is cheap
Housing is good for the area but nothing fancy

Studying abroad was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made! It was my first time traveling solo internationally, and I have no regrets. I made countless new friends and experienced so many exciting things. Plus, I earned academic credit for my courses abroad. These are memories I’ll hold dear forever. I still keep in touch with everyone I met during my journey. This experience truly expanded my perspective and deepened my understanding of the world. Whatever program you choose, go for it! I promise, you won’t regret it!

This study abroad experience in Thailand was one of the best experiences of my life! I strongly encourage anyone in college looking to travel to Asia to choose this program! The staff were so helpful and friendly, I still keep in touch with them two years later! If you're looking to experience Thailand authentically, Chiang Mai is the place. It has so much history while not being too urban and touristy. Plus it is very cheap compared to other cities in Europe and the US! The accommodation was clean, comfortable, convenient, and safe. This program gives you so many opportunities to experience Thailand safely and in the best way. I would 100% recommend!!

What is your advice to future travelers on this program?

We made the most with our summer session and traveled all around Thailand! I would highly recommend exploring all that Thailand has to offer while you're there, and making sure you get the most out of your experience!

Pros

Affordable
Fun
Safe

I participated in their Summer program and I stayed for both sessions. The classes I took were very fun and interesting while also being informative about the topic. Both sessions, they provide the same field trips, so I only did them for one session and then explored Chiang Mai the next session. Everyone was very friendly and open, and they also had Thai students from Chiang Mai University to help us get around and go on the field trips with us. And the food was extremely good! I loved the program and definitely would do it again! I really recommend!!

What is your advice to future travelers on this program?

If you do decide to go on this program during the summer, pack modest but light clothing and an electric portable fan!! Thailand is extremely hot and humid during the summer, and a majority of the people practice Buddhism, so they value modesty. The portable, electric fan was definitely a life saver for me!

I can honestly say studying abroad in Chiang Mai, Thailand, changed my life. The Thai people were incredibly accepting and made me feel so comfortable and at home in their country. I loved the food for several reasons. Meals were accessible and affordable; not to mention absolutely delicious. The program staff were really helpful, and I loved getting to know the Thai buddies, who helped answer silly questions, guide us through daily life, and help us feel emersed in the culture. 10/10 would recommend

What is your advice to future travelers on this program?

Do things, if you don't sign up for an excursion, explore the city, there is so much it has to offer.

Studying abroad with USAC was a last minute decision and I'm so glad that I made it. The program itself was affordable and booked my flights for me and everything --- staying in constant communication. Once in Thailand, I was blown away by the culture and people (from the program itself and Thai community members). I remain close with several of the people that I met throughout my semester. It reignited my passion for international travel and allowed me to find myself in a way that I couldn't do at home!

What was the most surprising thing you saw or did?

Taking solo trips around the country! Always felt safe and was a transformative experience overall!

Pros

Affordable Cost of Living!
Perfect blend between nature and the city; lots of people to explore
Affordable Travel

Cons

Food Poison!
Can get EXTREMELY hot

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...