UK Scholarships for Thai Students: Chevening, GREAT and University Awards, and the IELTS Score Each One Needs

UK scholarships for Thai students in short

The UK has a wide range of scholarships open to Thai students, from the UK Government's Chevening to awards that only Thai students can win. Almost none of them set an IELTS score of their own. Instead, you need an offer from a UK university, and the university makes its IELTS score a condition of that offer. So the score you really need is your course's score, and you need it in time for the scholarship.

• Most UK taught master's courses ask for IELTS 6.5 overall, often with no skill below 6.0. Oxford, Cambridge and LSE usually ask for 7.0 or more.
• Chevening pays your tuition, living costs and flights for a one year master's. It has no IELTS requirement of its own, but you must hold an unconditional offer by a fixed date: 8 July 2027 for the 2027/28 round. Aim to have your IELTS score by May or June 2027.
• For a degree, your university checks your English level for the student visa, so you usually do not need the more expensive IELTS for UKVI. Check your offer letter before you book.

UK scholarships Thai students can apply for

Every scholarship below is checked against its official page. "IELTS needed" is the scholarship's own score, or the score your university usually asks for when the scholarship sets none.

The deadline is the closing date of the latest round we have checked. Rounds open and close every year, so check whether a scholarship is open now in the scholarship finder, linked at the end of this guide.

Chevening: the UK Government scholarship

Chevening is the UK Government's scholarship for future leaders, and Thai citizens can apply. It pays for a one year taught master's at a UK university.

• What it pays: tuition fees, a monthly living stipend, a return economy flight, arrival and departure allowances and the visa fee.
• Who can apply: Thai citizens with a bachelor's degree and at least two years (2,800 hours) of work experience gained after that degree, who will return to Thailand for at least two years afterwards. There is no upper age limit.
• IELTS: Chevening removed its own English requirement in 2020, so you do not need a score to apply. But you apply to three UK courses and must hold an unconditional offer from one of them. For the 2027/28 round, the deadline for that offer is 17:00 UK time on 8 July 2027.
• Timing: the 2027/28 round closed in October 2026. The 2028/29 round is expected to open around August 2027 and close around October 2027.

GREAT Scholarships Thailand

GREAT Scholarships are funded by the British Council, the GREAT Britain Campaign and UK universities. You apply to the university, not to the British Council.

• What it pays: £10,000 towards tuition for a one year taught master's. Some universities add more. Living costs, flights and visa fees are not covered.
• For 2026/27, ten universities took part, including Edinburgh, Bristol, Newcastle, Kent and Stirling.
• IELTS: no score of its own. You need your university's score, commonly 6.5 for a taught master's, and most universities want you to hold an offer before you apply.
• Timing: the 2027/28 list of universities has not been published yet. If the scheme runs again, expect deadlines in the first half of 2027.

Scholarships only for Thai students

Some UK scholarships are reserved for Thai students or funded by Thai organisations. Fewer people can apply, so these are worth a close look.

• HRH Princess Sirindhorn Scholarship, University of Liverpool: one award a year. It pays full tuition for a one year taught master's in any subject, plus a £9,000 stipend.
• KBank Scholarship: a fully funded master's at a top university, including in the UK. It is one of the few that sets its own score: IELTS 6.5 or higher.
• Dr. Puey Ungphakorn Centenary Scholarship at LSE: from the Bank of Thailand, for study at LSE. Your LSE offer must have no language conditions by the closing date, and LSE usually asks for 7.0 with 6.5 in each skill.
• Bangkok Bank Master's Scholarship: pays your tuition, and you work for the bank. Your test result goes in with your documents, so you need the score before you apply.

University scholarships

Many UK universities run their own scholarships for international students. These follow the university's own deadlines, and most only consider you once you have applied for a course.

• Oxford and Cambridge: Clarendon, Gates Cambridge, the Cambridge Trust and the Jardine Foundation. Most are fully funded, and most courses ask for IELTS 7.0 or higher.
• Taught master's awards that pay part of the fees, such as Bristol Think Big, Glasgow Global Leadership, Sheffield International Postgraduate and Manchester Global Futures.
• PhD scholarships, such as Imperial President's PhD, Warwick and Edinburgh, which usually pay fees and a living stipend.

What IELTS score do UK universities ask for?

Common levels from the scholarships in this guide, each checked against its official page (listed in the sources). Your course page has the exact score.

Some courses, often in law, health and the humanities, ask for more. If you are not sure where to start, aim for 6.5 with no skill below 6.0, which covers most taught master's courses.

Do you need IELTS for UKVI?

Usually not, if you are studying for a degree. For a Student visa, the UK Government asks for English at CEFR level B2 for degree level study. If you study at degree level or above, your university can assess your English itself, so the IELTS Academic score your offer asks for is normally enough.

• IELTS for UKVI is a Secure English Language Test (SELT). You need a SELT when you have no other proof of your English, for example for some courses below degree level, such as a foundation year.
• IELTS for UKVI costs more in Thailand: 9,750 baht, against 8,860 baht for IELTS Academic. The IELTS cost guide compares the fees.
• Your offer letter says which tests the university accepts. Warwick, for example, accepts IELTS Academic, IELTS for UKVI and IELTS Online. Check before you book.

UK scholarships: frequently asked questions