Thammasat University (Thai: มหาวิทยาลัยธรรมศาสตร์, lit. 'The University of Jurisprudence', RTGS: Mahawitthayalai Thammasat; TU; Thai: มธ) is a public university in Thailand with campuses in the Tha Phra Chan area of Bangkok, Rangsit, Pattaya and Lampang.
Thammasat University is Thailand's second oldest university. Officially established to be the national university of Thailand on 27 June 1934, it was named by its founder, Pridi Banomyong, the University of Moral and Political Sciences (Thai: มหาวิทยาลัยวิชาธรรมศาสตร์และการเมือง; RTGS: Mahawitthayalai Wicha Thammasat Lae Kanmueang). It began as an open university, with 7,094 students studying law and politics in its first year.
In 1960, the university ended its free-entry policy and became the first in Thailand to require passing national entrance examinations for admission. Thammasat today offers more than 240 academic programmes in 33 different faculties and colleges on four campuses. Over the 80 years since its foundation, Thammasat University has evolved from an open university for law and politics to an international university offering all levels of academic degrees in many fields and disciplines. It has graduated more than 300,000 undergraduate and graduate students. The university's alumni have included some of Thailand's prime ministers, leading politicians, governmental figures, Bank of Thailand governors, and jurists. As of 2024, Thammasat University has about 39,000 students enrolled in 33 faculties, colleges, institutes and 2,000 academic staff.
Tha Phra Chan Campus, the original campus of the university, is in Phra Nakhon, Bangkok. The campus is in close proximity to many tourist destinations and was the site of the 14 October 1973 uprising and the 6 October 1976 massacre. Rangsit campus, where most undergraduate programmes are concentrated, is in Khlong Luang, Pathum Thani. Thammasat has smaller regional campuses in Lampang and Pattaya.
History
The name "Thammasat" derives from the Buddhist-term Dhammasattha, meaning "study of law".
University of Law and Political Sciences
Thammasat University began in 1934 as the University of Law and Political Sciences. This was two years after the so-called Siamese revolution of 1932 and eighteen years after the founding of Chulalongkorn University by transforming the law school of Prince Raphi Phatthanasak Krommaluang Ratcha Buri Direk Rit, which dated back to 1907. Thammasat University was the brainchild of Pridi Banomyong, the father of Thailand's democracy and the minister of interior, who drafted the "University of Law and Political Science Act 1934". The university was inaugurated on 27 June 1934, and Pridi served as the university's first chancellor.
The university is based on the sixth principle of the People's Party.
The first announcement of Khana Ratsadon stated the government "must provide the people with full education" because people "lack education, which is reserved for royals". The desire of students at the school of law to be upgraded to a university rather than simply a department at Chulalongkorn University also helped Thammasat University become the successor of the law school. The property and faculty of the law school were transferred to University of Law and Political Science, and the old law school building was the first Thammasat site. The university moved to Tha Phra Chan campus the following year.
When the university opened, 7,094 people applied for admission. At that time, Chulalongkorn University was graduating only 68 students a year. Thammasat initially offered a bachelor's degree with an emphasis on legal studies and previously banned economics and political science, plus a bachelor's degree equivalent diploma in accountancy. Master's degree courses soon followed in law, political science, and economics, and doctoral degree courses in law, political science, economics, and diplomacy.
During its early years, the university did not rely on government funding, but instead relied on its low tuition fees and interest paid by the Bank of Asia for Industry and Commerce, in which the university had an 80% stake.
Under Pridi's leadership, the university became the clandestine headquarters of the Free Thai anti-Japanese underground during the Second World War. Ironically, the university campus also functioned as an internment camp for Allied civilians, with Thai guards more or less protecting them from abuses by the occupying Japanese. The internment camp was where the Multipurpose Building now stands.
Reform
The coup d'état on 8 November 1947 marked the end of an era. Pridi Banomyong left the country and went into exile. The original Thammasat degree was replaced by specialised departments in 1949, when the Faculties of Law, Political Science, Commerce and Accountancy, and Economics were founded. The university was forced to sell its bank shares, thus becoming dependent on government funding. The words "and Political Sciences" were removed from its name, and Thammasat was no longer an open university. A new "Thammasat University Act" was passed in 1952. Thammasat added four more faculties during the 1950s and 1960s: social administration, journalism and mass communication, liberal arts, and sociology and anthropology.
Bloody October protests
In 1973, Thammasat became the centre of the pro-democracy protest movement that led to the bloody uprising on 14 October. A large crowd, led by university students, assembled at Thammasat University to protest the arrest of thirteen pro-democracy student activists. The protest continued for several days before a bloody confrontation took place at the Democracy Monument. When Thailand's military leaders fled into exile, Sanya Dharmasakti, then Thammasat rector, was appointed Prime Minister of Thailand.
Three years later, the 6 October 1976 massacre took place on the Tha Phra Chan campus. The event began with protests against the return of exiled dictator Thanom Kittikachorn. Violence first appeared on 25 September when two EGAT employees who handed out protest literature in Nakhon Pathom were branded "communists", beaten to death, and their bodies hung from a wall. This led to peaceful protests by labor groups, students, and other activists demanding the expulsion of Thanom.
On 4 October, students staged a play on the Thammasat campus to dramatize the hanging of the protesters in Nakhon Pathom. Several newspapers printed photographs of the mock hanging with one of the students retouched to resemble Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn, an act of lèse-majesté. Uniformed police and enraged right-wing paramilitary groups promptly surrounded Thammasat University. At dawn on 6 October the police and paramilitary groups attacked the protesters. The assault continued for several hours. Newspaper sources reported the number killed as between 43 and 46, but the actual figure may have been over a hundred, with several hundred more injured. Many student protesters escaped by jumping into Chao Phraya River, where they were shot at by the Royal Thai Navy.
One of the student leaders was Seksan Prasertkul, who wrote the protest song Su mai toi, which was adopted by the 2013-2014 anti-government protesters in Thailand. Seksan is now (2016) a lecturer at Thammasat University.
Expansion
During the 1980s, Thammasat University built a new campus at Rangsit to house the new Faculty of Science and Technology. It accepted its first students in 1985. The Faculty of Engineering opened at Rangsit in 1989, followed by the Faculty of Medicine in 1990. By the late-1990s, all first year students were studying at Rangsit. At present almost all undergraduate classes are taught at Rangsit, the exceptions being some international English language programmes and some special programmes. Graduate degree classes are still taught at Tha Phra Chan.
The Rangsit campus was chosen as one of the venues for the 1998 Asian Games.
Thammasat University is a member of "Links to Asia by Organizing Traineeship and Student Exchange" (LAOTSE), a network of universities in Europe and Asia. Regional cooperation is maintained by means of the Greater Mekong Sub-region Academic and Research Network.
Seal
The seal depicts the centerpiece of the Democracy Monument, Bangkok, which itself honours the Thai Constitution of 1932. It is superimposed on a Dhammacakka, or 'wheel of law', symbolising the Dharmaśāstra, the university's name in Sanskrit.
Campuses
Thammasat University has two campuses in the Bangkok Metropolitan Area, Tha Phra Chan and Rangsit. There are two regional campuses: Lampang and Pattaya.
Tha Phra Chan
Tha Phra Chan Centre (Thai: ศูนย์ท่าพระจันทร์) is in Phra Nakhon District, Bangkok, surrounded by many of Thailand's most famous cultural and historical landmarks, such as Sanam Luang, the Grand Palace, the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, the Bangkok National Museum, the National Theatre, Wat Mahathat Yuwaratrangsarit, and the Chao Phraya River. It was the first permanent campus of Thammasat, purchased from the military with public donations in 1935. The site had originally been part of the Front Palace of the deputy king (formerly the designated heir to the throne).
The signature building of the university is the Dome, the original Tha Phra Chan campus building. It was constructed from four existing military buildings. The Dome housed Pridi Banomyong's office as well as being the command centre of the Free Thai Movement during the Second World War. Late in the war, when an uprising against the occupying Japanese was planned, weapons were concealed in the attic.
The Tha Phra Chan campus played a role in the uprising against the military regime on 14 October 1973 and was the site of the 6 October 1976 Massacre.
Eight faculties are based at the Tha Phra Chan campus: law, political science, economics, commerce and accountancy, liberal arts, social administration, journalism and mass communication, and sociology and anthropology. As of 2019, only postgraduate programmes, integrated bachelor's and master's programmes, and the English-language international programmes are offered at Tha Phra Chan (except those in engineering, health sciences, and journalism which are at the Rangsit Center). Thammasat Tha Phra Chan offers a Thai Language courses for foreigners. Tha Phra Chan facilities include a football field, a track, a gymnasium, eight libraries, and several cafeterias.
Rangsit
Rangsit Centre (Thai: ศูนย์รังสิต) is the second and largest Thammasat campus. It is in Khlong Luang District, Pathum Thani Province, 42 km north of Bangkok, connected Tha Phra Chan by shuttle bus. Thammasat University instituted degree programmes in engineering, technologies, physical sciences, and medicine at its Rangsit Centre in the 1980s and 1990s. Although established only for the science and technology-related faculties, all bachelor's degrees have been taught here since 2006. All faculties (except the College of Innovation, the College of Interdisciplinary Studies, and the Pridi Banomyong International College) are at Rangsit. The campus houses the Sirindhorn International Institute of Technology, an international academic institute attached to Thammasat which emphasizes engineering and technological research and education. International programmes in engineering, health sciences, and journalism are also taught at Rangsit Centre. The Thailand Science Park (National Research Centre) and the Asian Institute of Technology are also located here.
The campus divided into three areas: the academic zone, the housing zone, and various sport facilities. The Thammasat University Sport Centre, on the Rangsit campus, was used in the 1998 Asian Games, 1999 FESPIC Games and in the 2007 Summer Universiade.
In December 2019, the Rangsit campus opened Asia's largest urban rooftop garden. The 7,000 m2 space, designed by Kotchakorn Voraakhom, is designed to help offset some of the impacts of climate change, such as flooding. "Urban rooftop farms are an easy and effective climate solution, and should be the norm.", she said. The rooftop farm is open to anyone who wishes to grow rice, vegetables, or herbs according to the university.
Branch campuses
Pattaya Centre (Thai: ศูนย์พัทยา), is in Pattaya, Bang Lamung District, Chonburi Province. This 566 rai site was donated to the Ministry of Finance for Thammasat University in 1987. Construction began in 1997. The Pattaya Centre houses the College of Innovative Education, which offers advanced degree courses and training in rural development and management.
Lampang Centre (Thai: ศูนย์ลำปาง), Hang Chat District, Lampang Province: the Thammasat University Council approved the establishment of Lampang Centre in 1996. The university initially held classes in the old city hall. In 2003, the Lampang Centre moved to its current location 15 km from the city. Thammasat Lampang offers opportunities to a small student population of fewer than 1,000 students to study specialized courses on local development and industry. Courses offered at Thammasat Lampang Center include social development, interdisciplinary sociology, law, and handcraft design.
Faculties, Colleges, and Institutes
Thammasat University has 19 faculties, 7 colleges, and 7 institutes.
Faculty of Law
The Faculty of Law was one of the founding faculties of the university. It has its roots in the law school of the Ministry of Justice, instituted under the reign of King Chulalongkorn by Gustave Rolin-Jaequemyns. Former deans of the faculty have included Phraya Nitisat Phaisan, Sanya Dharmasakti, and Preedee Kasemsup. The faculty has programmes up to the doctorate level, as well as several certificate programmes in business law and public law.
Faculty of Commerce and Accountancy
The Faculty of Commerce and Accountancy was established on 23 November 1938. It was the second oldest business school in Thailand after the Faculty of Commerce and Accountancy, Chulalongkorn University, which was established earlier on the same year. It offers a broad range of programs, including business administration, logistics, international business, human resource management, accounting, finance, marketing, real estate management, and management information system, from diploma to doctoral degree. In addition to its traditional 4-year bachelor's degree, the faculty offers the first innovative integrated bachelor's and master's degree program in business and accounting (IBMP), which requires five years of study to complete both degrees. The faculty also offers Thailand's first international programme in business in which English is the language of instruction (BBA Program). The faculty also offers Thailand's first Global Executive MBA program in which English is the language of instruction (GEMBA program).
The faculty is recognised internationally. In 2005, a team of students from the Master's of Sciences Degree Programme in Marketing (MIM) of Thammasat Business School won, for the second time, the Global Moot Corp, a venue for business plan competition, held at the McCombs School of Business, University of Texas at Austin.
The faculty is the second accounting and business education institution in South East Asia to Singapore which has received the Triple-Crown certification from three world-accredited institutions (EQUIS, AACSB, and AMBA). With less than 1% of commercial and business administration accounting institutions from educational institutions around the world having been certified for all 3 accredited institutions.
The faculty is also known as Thammasat Business School (TBS).
Faculty of Political Science
The Faculty of Political Science at Thammasat University was established in 1949. Former deans include Direk Chaiyanam a member of the Khana Ratsadon (People's Party) and a former foreign minister. It offers undergraduate and graduate studies in three majors, politics and government, public administration, and international affairs. Most Thai governors, mayors, leaders, and activists graduated from this faculty.
Graduate programmes are offered to regular students, and special programmes are open to executives. A doctoral programme was established in 2001. There are two versions of the masters and bachelors programmes in international relations. The first versions are taught in Thai. The second versions are taught in English and are called the "International Programme". The masters for the International Programme was established in 1998; the bachelors was established in 2009. The military correspondent for the Bangkok Post, Wassana Nanuam, is a prominent graduate of the masters programme, having written her thesis on the Thai military.
This faculty is also known as Singha Daeng ('red lion') along with Chulalongkorn University which is called Singha Dam ('black lion').
Faculty of Economics
The Faculty of Economics at Thammasat University was established in 1949 and the oldest Faculty of Economics in Thailand. The faculty offers a broad range of academic programmes and other training opportunities. Under the leadership of Dr. Puey Ungpakorn, a former Bank of Thailand governor who took charge concurrently as the dean of the faculty, there were many significant developments within the economics faculty. Dr. Puey secured funding from Rockefeller Foundation and brought faculty members from a number of US universities.
The first big step toward internationalization was the introduction, in 1969, a Master of Economics programme degree taught in English. Since then, a bachelor's programme and a PhD programme taught in English have been added to the curriculum.
The faculty boasts a teaching staff which totals 82, including 44 faculty members with doctoral degree and seven on leave to pursue doctoral degrees. It is considered one of the strongest programmes in Thailand. Its graduates are regularly accepted to the prestigious departments of economics such as Chicago, UC Berkeley, Cornell, Oxford, Cambridge, LSE, Harvard, MIT, Yale, Princeton, PSE.
Faculty of Social Administration
The Faculty of Social Administration Thammasat University was established to serve state policies, welfare and social security. This faculty has main duty to encourage teaching in Social Welfare, Justice Administration, and Social Development. This Faculty has a long reputation, this is the first school that initiated education in social science of welfare studies.
Faculty of Liberal Arts
The Faculty of Liberal Arts was established by the Royal Gazette in 1961 by Professor Adul Vicharncharoen, the founder and first dean of the Faculty of Liberal Arts. The purpose of the establishment of the Faculty of Arts at that time was to teach general subjects to all students of the university before they chose to study their majors. At present, the Faculty of Arts offers 19 undergraduate degree courses, 12 master's degree courses, and 3 doctoral degree courses.