Abstract

This paper aims to understand the attitudes, expectations, and appraisals of Chinese parents sending their children to study in Thailand by investigating Juan (Neijuan) culture and interdisciplinary and music education in Thailand. From a series of interviews with 20 Chinese parents, the research focuses on investigating the reasons for the parents select other systems which are quite different from China’s highly competitive examination-oriented educational model. As shown by the study, parents are attracted to the comprehensive learning model that is adopted by Thailand's education system, which addresses the areas of child creativity, emotional intelligence, and individual development. In the case of children, an easy transition was experienced since the Thailand education system offered the necessary support and flexibility with the change. The parents also reported high satisfaction with the interdisciplinary curriculum, especially arts and music and they reported boosted learners’ cognitive and social development. Thus, the study concludes that Thailand's education system is quite appropriate and contributes a lot to the overall personality development of students to enable them to face future academic and professional challenges in a global society. The findings of this study may be useful for educators and policymakers, as well as can be useful for students who want to study in Thailand as an alternative non-competitive environment in contrast to Chinese conditions.