Japanese language education in Thailand

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Japanese language education in Thailand began in the 1960s when Thai universities started offering Japanese courses. A 2006 survey by the Japan Foundation found 1,153 teachers teaching Japanese to 71,083 students at 385 institutions, about 29.5% more students than in 2003. By 2024, about 194,366 people in Thailand were learning Japanese.

The Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) is held in Bangkok, Chiang Mai, and Songkhla (added in 2003). The Level 4 test is for beginners and usually requires about 150 hours of study; it is the most popular level, while higher levels have fewer test-takers. The number of JLPT examinees in Thailand nearly quintupled between 1998 and 2006.

Bangkok is the only Southeast Asian city where JETRO offers the Business Japanese Proficiency Test. In 2006, 232 candidates took it, and their results were similar to the global average outside Japan. Thai students made up 13% of all candidates outside Japan.