The Rajabhat Universities (, ) mean normal universities in

Thailand Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is bo ...

. They were formerly called ''Rajabhat Institutes'' and originally formed the

teachers college A normal school or normal college is an institution created to train teachers by educating them in the norms of pedagogy and curriculum. In the 19th century in the United States, instruction in normal schools was at the high school level, turni ...

system. In 2005, King

Bhumibol Adulyadej Bhumibol Adulyadej ( th, ภูมิพลอดุลยเดช; ; ; (Sanskrit: ''bhūmi·bala atulya·teja'' - "might of the land, unparalleled brilliance"); 5 December 192713 October 2016), conferred with the title King Bhumibol the Great ...

collectively elevated them to be universities. Many provinces have one—there are 38 total—and they are generally easier to gain admission to than the public universities (formerly the government universities). Most Rajabhat Universities offer graduate degrees, some even to the doctoral level. Enrollments have been shrinking. , students numbered 540,000, down from 600,000. These institutions are equivalent to British polytechnics that have become universities. They face a similar challenge of matching the prestige of older institutions. They were conferred the royal word ''Rajabhat'' to possibly shield them from criticism and help raise their status.

Name

The word "Rajabhat" is derived from the same origin as the Hindi, "

Rajput Rajput (from Sanskrit ''raja-putra'' 'son of a king') is a large multi-component cluster of castes, kin bodies, and local groups, sharing social status and ideology of genealogical descent originating from the Indian subcontinent. The term Ra ...

" (from Sanskrit raja-putra, "son of a king"). In this sense, a "Rajabhat University" might be regarded as being analogous to the English "King's College", or "Royal Institute", or more literally as a "Prince's University" ("Rajabhat" could be considered to mean "prince"). For simplicity they may be considered a "Royal University".

List of Rajabhat Universities

Bangkok group

* Bansomdejchaopraya Rajabhat University *

Chandrakasem Rajabhat University Chandrakasem Rajabhat University (CRU) is a tertiary educational institution in the north of Bangkok, Thailand. It offers post-diploma certificates and degree level education from the bachelor's degree to master's degree, with Ph.D offered in sever ...

Dhonburi Rajabhat University HTMS ''Thonburi'' ( th, เรือหลวงธนบุรี, ) was a coastal defence ship of the Royal Thai Navy. Design ''Thonburi'' and her sister ship, , were designed following the incorporation of the earlier s into the Siamese Na ...

* Phranakhon Rajabhat University *

Suan Dusit Rajabhat University Suan can refer to: * Suan, Atlántico, Colombia * Sivan, East Azerbaijan, a village in Iran * Suan County Suan County is a county in North Hwanghae province, North Korea North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea ( ...

(since 2015 change to

Suan Dusit University Suan can refer to: * Suan, Atlántico, Colombia * Sivan, East Azerbaijan, a village in Iran * Suan County Suan County is a county in North Hwanghae province, North Korea North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea ( ...

) *

Suan Sunandha Rajabhat University Suan can refer to: * Suan, Atlántico, Colombia * Sivan, East Azerbaijan, a village in Iran * Suan County, a county of North Hwanghae Province, North Korea * Suan Station, a station of the Busan Metro, South Korea * a minor Kazakh Zhuz ("h ...

Northern group

Chiang Mai Rajabhat University Chiang Mai Rajabhat University (CMRU; th, มหาวิทยาลัยราชภัฏเชียงใหม่) is a university in the north of Thailand under the Royal Thai Ministry of Education. The university was founded in 1924 as an ...

Chiang Rai Rajabhat University Chiang may mean: * a Chinese surname (蔣), alternatively spelt Jiang ** Chiang Kai-shek, former leader of the Republic of China * Chi'ang, variant spelling of the ancient Qiang (historical people) (羌) * Chi'ang, variant spelling of the modern ...

* Kamphaeng Phet Rajabhat University *

Lampang Rajabhat University Lampang, also called Nakhon Lampang ( th, นครลำปาง, ) to differentiate from Lampang province, is the third largest city in northern Thailand and capital of Lampang province and the Mueang Lampang district. Traditional names for La ...

* Nakhon Sawan Rajabhat University *

Phetchabun Rajabhat University Phetchabun is a town (''thesaban mueang'') in Thailand, capital of Phetchabun Province. It covers the ''tambon'' Nai Mueang of the Phetchabun District, along the Pa Sak River. As of 2005, it had a population of 23,823. Phetchabun lies north o ...

Pibulsongkram Rajabhat University Pibulsongkram Rajabhat University (PSRU.) is a university in Phitsanulok Province, Thailand. The institute was upgraded to a university on 14 June 2004. History The university was first established in 1926 as a teacher training school under the ...

(Phitsanulok) *

Uttaradit Rajabhat University Uttaradit Rajabhat University (URU.) ( th, มหาวิทยาลัยราชภัฏอุตรดิตถ์) (URU) is a Thai public university under the Rajabhat system. The campus is in Uttaradit, a small city north of Bangkok ...

Northeastern group

Buriram Rajabhat University Buriram (, , , 'city of happiness') is a town (''thesaban mueang'') in Thailand, capital of Buriram Province, about northeast of Bangkok. The town occupies ''tambon'' Nai Mueang of Mueang Buriram District. In 2012 it had a population of 27,862 ...

Chaiyaphum Rajabhat University Chaiyaphum ( th, ชัยภูมิ, ) is a town (''thesaban mueang'') in northeastern Thailand, capital of Chaiyaphum Province. it had a population of 58,350, and covers the full ''tambon'' Nai Mueang of Mueang Chaiyaphum District. Chaiyaph ...

Kalasin Rajabhat University Kalasin ( th, กาฬสินธุ์) is a town (''thesaban mueang'') in northeast Thailand, the capital of Kalasin Province. As of 2015, it has a population of 34,429 It covers the whole ''tambon ''Tambon'' ( th, ตำบล, ) is a loca ...

(since 2016 combined to

Kalasin University Kalasin University (KSU) is a government university located in Kalasin Province. It was established in 2015 from the merger of the Kalasin Rajabhat University The Rajabhat Universities (, ) mean normal universities in Thailand. They were formerl ...

) *

Loei Rajabhat University Loei (; ) is a town (''thesaban mueang'') in northeast Thailand. Loei covers the whole ''tambon'' of Mueang Loei district and is the capital of Loei province. In 2017, Loei had a population of 21,013. Loei lies 545 km north-northeast of Ba ...

* Rajabhat Maha Sarakham University * Nakhon Ratchasima Rajabhat University *

Roi Et Rajabhat University Roi or ROI may refer to: People * Adenes Le Roi (c. 1240–c. 1300), French minstrel * Roi Cohen Kadosh (born 1976), Israeli-British cognitive neuroscientist * Roi Huber (born 1997), Israeli basketball player * Roi Kahat (born 1992), Israe ...

Sakon Nakhon Rajabhat University Sakon may refer to: * ''Karakurizōshi Ayatsuri Sakon'' (Puppet Master Sakon), a 1999 manga and anime series * Sakon (Naruto), a ninja from the Land of Sound in the manga and anime series ''Naruto'' * Sakon, a character in the early 2000's video ga ...

* Sisaket Rajabhat University * Surindra Rajabhat University *

Ubon Ratchathani Rajabhat University Ubon Ratchathani ( th, อุบลราชธานี, ) is one of the four major cities of Isan (with Khorat/Nakhon Ratchasima, Udon Thani, and Khon Kaen), also known as the "big four of Isan." The city is on the Mun River in the south ...

Udon Thani Rajabhat University Udon Thani Rajabhat University (UDRU) is a university in Udon Thani, northeast Thailand. It confers associate, bachelors, masters, and doctoral degrees. Timeline * 1923: School founded as the "Teacher Training School in Agriculture Udon Thani". ...

* Nakhon Phanom Rajabhat University (since 2005 combined to

Nakhon Phanom University Nakhon Phanom University (NPU) ( th, มหาวิทยาลัยนครพนม) was established in 2005 by combining the existing tertiary schools of Nakhon Phanom Province, Thailand Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam ...

)

Central group

* Phranakhon Si Ayutthaya Rajabhat University (Ayutthaya) * Muban Chom Bung Rajabhat University (Chom Bung, Ratchaburi) *

Kanchanaburi Rajabhat University Kanchanaburi Rajabhat University (KRU) ( th, มหาวิทยาลัยราชภัฏกาญจนบุรี) is a Thai public university under the Rajabhat University system. The campus is just outside Kanchanaburi. History On 2 ...

* Nakhon Pathom Rajabhat University *

Phetchaburi Rajabhat University Phetchaburi ( th, เพชรบุรี, ) or Phet Buri () is a town ('' thesaban mueang'') in southern Thailand, capital of Phetchaburi Province. In Thai, Phetchaburi means "city of diamonds" (''buri'' meaning "city" in Sanskrit). It is appr ...

* Rajabhat Rajanagarindra University (Chachoengsao) * Rambhai Barni Rajabhat University (Chanthaburi) * Thepsatri Rajabhat University (Lopburi) * Valaya Alongkorn Rajabhat University (Khlong Luang, Pathum Thani)

Southern group

* Nakhon Si Thammarat Rajabhat University *

Phuket Rajabhat University Phuket Rajabhat University (PKRU; th, มหาวิทยาลัยราชภัฏภูเก็ต, pronounced: raj-cha-pat-pu-get) is a university in Thailand. External links * (in English) * (in Thai) Educational institutions es ...

Songkhla Rajabhat University Songkhla Rajabhat University (Thai: มหาวิทยาลัยราชภัฏสงขลา) or SKRU is a Thai public university under the Rajabhat University system. The campus is in Songkhla Province, south Thailand Southern Thaila ...

* Suratthani Rajabhat University *

Yala Rajabhat University Yala may refer to: Places * Yala, Ivory Coast, a village * Yala, Kenya, a town in Siaya County, Kenya * Lalitpur, Nepal, also known as Yala * Yala, Nigeria, a Local Government Area in Cross River State * Yala National Park, Sri Lanka * Yala P ...

References

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