Thailand’s Ministry of Education has confirmed that, from the 2025 academic year onward, all schools under its authority are required to admit children and students regardless of nationality, civil registration status, or the absence of household registration.
The directive, formally published in the Royal Gazette on January 30 and endorsed by Education Minister Narumon Pinyosinwat, repeals a regulation issued on October 31, 2019.
The revised framework is intended to better reflect present-day realities as well as existing cabinet decisions that have guided education policy for many years.
According to the ministry, the updated approach is consistent with a cabinet resolution dated 5 July 2005, which called for broader access to education for individuals lacking civil registration or Thai citizenship.
Under the new rules, previous limitations tied to specific groups, levels of education, or geographic areas have been removed. As a result, anyone residing in Thailand is now entitled to enrol in any type of school, at any level, across the country.
The announcement also references Thailand’s commitments under the Convention on the Rights of the Child, emphasising that inclusive access to education supports students in developing understanding and constructive attitudes toward Thai society, while also contributing to long-term national stability.
Schools are instructed to accept students irrespective of their legal or nationality status. Where applicants possess valid civil registration documents or a 13-digit national identification number, standard enrolment procedures should be applied.
For students without such documentation, schools must instead register them using the G Code system, which assigns a special 13-digit student identification number beginning with the letter “G” to individuals without civil registration.
Educational institutions are further required to work closely with parents or guardians to collect any relevant paperwork and to coordinate with district or local registration offices in order to pursue official civil registration and a national ID number whenever feasible.
In cases where a student cannot legally obtain civil status or an identification number, the assigned G Code must remain in place for the duration of the student’s education. Should official registration later be granted, schools are obligated to update their records accordingly.
The regulation applies to all institutions overseen by the Ministry of Education and will be implemented nationwide starting with the 2025 academic year.
