The Thailand-United States Educational Foundation, known as Fulbright Thailand, runs this grant with support from the Thai and U.S. governments. It places American graduates as English teaching assistants in Thai public schools and vocational colleges.
Placements sit in cities, towns and rural areas outside Bangkok, across elementary, middle, secondary and vocational or technical schools. Grantees teach conversational English for up to 18 hours a week alongside Thai teachers and act as cultural ambassadors for the United States.
The grant runs about 12 months from late September or early October and opens with a three-week in-country orientation. Twenty grants are offered for the 2027–2028 year, and the program also includes a required internship of at least six weeks.
Benefits & funding
- Monthly stipend of 22,500 Thai Baht; the award page quotes this as roughly US$700.
- Housing provided by the host school, with utilities covered up to 2,000 Baht a month.
- In-transit allowance of 4,500 Baht in each direction and a settling-in allowance of 10,000 Baht.
- International travel to and from Thailand.
- Accident and sickness health benefits, plus a 24/7 mental health support line for urgent and non-urgent situations.
- Three-week in-country orientation covering the Thai education system, safety and well-being, teaching technique and practice, basic Thai and Thai culture.
- English language teaching preparatory course.
- Twelve months of non-competitive eligibility hiring status within the U.S. federal government.
- Renewal for a second year is possible, based on performance and cultural adjustment.
Eligibility
- Open to citizens or nationals of the United States at the application deadline; permanent residents are not eligible.
- Dual Thai-U.S. citizens may apply and must travel on a U.S. passport.
- A conferred bachelor’s degree is required before the grant starts; the award is set at bachelor’s and master’s degree level.
- Anyone who holds or will hold a Ph.D. by the national deadline is not eligible.
- Open to recent graduates in any field; education or English majors with prior teaching experience are preferred.
- Applicants who have spent more than 180 days in Thailand in the year before the deadline are not eligible — for 2027–2028 that year runs from 8 October 2025 to 7 October 2026.
- Applicants who have resided abroad for five or more of the six years before the national deadline are not eligible.
- Thai language proficiency is not required, but self-study of Thai before arrival is mandatory.
- Grantees cannot be accompanied by dependents.
Can you apply?
Here's who can apply
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Eligible nationalities
USA
Education required
Bachelor · Master
Appears to have an age limit “up to 18”
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Application process
- 1Read the Thailand English Teaching Assistant award description on the Fulbright U.S. Student Program site and check the 180-day and residence-abroad rules against your own record.
- 2Create an account in the Fulbright online application and select the Thailand English Teaching Assistant award.
- 3Write the ETA materials: an abstract of up to 1,750 characters, a Statement of Grant Purpose of up to 3,000 characters, and three short answers on flexibility and adaptability (2,000 characters), community engagement (2,000 characters) and the impact of the award (1,000 characters).
- 4Arrange three recommendations on Fulbright’s recommendation form, complete the language self-evaluation, and upload transcripts from every institution where you earned a degree.
- 5Enrolled students apply through their campus Fulbright Program Adviser, whose deadline is typically four to six weeks earlier. Applicants who are not enrolled submit directly as at-large candidates.
- 6Submit the application by 6 October 2026 at 5 p.m. Eastern Time for the 2027–2028 grant.
Program timeline
Early April 2026
2027–2028 competition opens
National application deadline
6 October 2026, 5 p.m. Eastern Time
Grant begins with a three-week in-country orientation
Late September / early October 2027
Second semester of the Thai school year
October 2027 – March 2028
Thai school summer break
Early March – early May 2028
First semester of the Thai school year
May – September 2028
Grant ends
Late September 2028