BANGKOK — 26 August 2026, university students who can no longer access loans from Thailand’s Student Loan Fund have appealed to senators for help, warning that many could be forced to leave higher education.
Senator Parinya Wongcherdkhuan, deputy chair of the Senate committee on education, higher education, science, research and innovation, received a petition from affected students at Parliament on Tuesday.
Parinya said he had been informed that a House committee scrutinising the 2027 budget bill had rejected a proposed increase of about 5 billion baht for the Student Loan Fund, which had requested 9 billion baht. He said the fund was also struggling to recover repayments from graduates, with outstanding debt reaching about 220 billion baht.
However, he said restricting loans for current students was not a solution and could push more young people out of the education system, with wider consequences.
“The government and the fund must find a way to collect repayments. Do not hold current borrowers hostage,” Parinya said, urging the government to provide sufficient funding instead of relying solely on the central budget.
Palathip Phimsuwan, a student at Uttaradit Rajabhat University and one of those affected, said students had sought help from several agencies but had received no clear answer on whether they would be able to borrow for the current semester.
He said a nationwide survey of 1,600 students facing loan problems or a risk of leaving education found that 47% were at risk of dropping out. Some had taken loans from informal lenders to remain enrolled, pawned gold, or already stopped studying, he said.
“We are asking adults and the relevant agencies to help solve this problem because it is beyond our capacity,” Palathip said. “Without a Student Loan Fund loan, we simply cannot continue studying.”
A parent who joined the petition said, through tears, that one of her three children had borrowed from the fund since secondary school but could no longer access it during their first year at university. She said she did not know where else to turn to keep her child in education.