Examining Thai students’ intentions to enrol in Australian higher education institutions using country and university brand image

The international education industry is one of the major revenue sources for Australia. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (2022), it is the largest service export that adds $26.6 billion to the Australian economy. The recent global pandemic has resulted in declining international student enrolment trends and has presented many challenges for Australian universities. As part of the industry recovery process, the Australian government has introduced initiatives to attract a greater diversity of student cohorts through specifically designed course offerings, actively managing international students’ experiences, and promoting Australian higher education with targeted communication campaigns. One of the significant international student markets, Thailand, has been on decreasing enrolment trends over the past 15 years and reached the lowest enrolment numbers in 2022, where the largest drop in enrollments came from the Master’s degree program segment. This research examines prospective postgraduate Thai students' perceptions of international study and enrolment intention. The data, n=300 potential postgraduate students, were collected using an online panel from an established research company in Thailand. The preliminary findings indicate that potential students consider numerous factors in their decision-making to study abroad, including an image of the country, perceived risks, university brand image and the ways that a university interacts with and makes an impression on them via online and offline channels as well as modes of study.