Cambridge Thai Foundation Scholarship | How to Apply

The Cambridge Thai Foundation Scholarship stems from Cambridge’s connection to Thai students didn’t begin with a modern scholarship scheme — it stretches back roughly a century, to when H.R.H. Prince Chudadhuj Dharadilok and Khromkhun Bajaraboon-intarachai became the first students from Siam to study at the university, later returning home to serve the country in their chosen careers.

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The Cambridge Thai Foundation was established in 1990, under the Patronage of Her Majesty the Queen, specifically to formalize and expand on that historical relationship, and between 1990 and 2022 it supported 164 scholars, contributing a total exceeding 48 million Baht (and by some more recent counts, over 70 million Baht) toward Thai students’ education at Cambridge. Here’s a detailed look at how this scholarship works, including several operational details that don’t appear on the Cambridge Trust’s own summary page.

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A Royally Patronized Foundation Working Directly With Cambridge Trust

The Cambridge Thai Foundation operates through a specific, layered funding structure worth understanding clearly. From its founding, the CTF was associated with the Cambridge Overseas Trust — now simply known as Cambridge Trust, the university’s central body supporting international students from outside the EU and Commonwealth.

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For Thai students selected under this partnership, Cambridge Trust pays part of the scholarship and bursary costs, with the Cambridge Thai Foundation making up the remaining balance. This cost-sharing arrangement is why the scholarship doesn’t appear as a single, fixed-value award — its total value depends on how the funding is split between the two organizations for each individual recipient, and on how much funding the CTF has available in a given cycle relative to the number of applicants.

Because Cambridge is consistently ranked among the world’s top universities, and because this particular scholarship carries the weight of a genuinely century-old bilateral educational relationship between Thailand and Cambridge, being selected as a CTF scholar connects you to a specific lineage of Thai alumni who have gone on to serve in various professional and public capacities back home — the Foundation’s stated purpose was never simply to fund a degree, but to strengthen this long-running channel of Thai educational and professional development.

Cambridge Thai Foundation Scholarship Summary

Scholarship Name ⇒	Cambridge Thai Foundation
Host Country ⇒	United Kingdom
Study Level ⇒	Undergraduate, Master’s, or PhD
Benefits ⇒	Variable — typically a bursary or grant partially covering academic costs, funded jointly by Cambridge Trust and the Cambridge Thai Foundation
Funded By ⇒	Cambridge Trust, in partnership with the Cambridge Thai Foundation (established 1990, under Royal Patronage)
Eligible Countries ⇒	Thailand
Application Deadline ⇒	No separate scholarship deadline — determined entirely by your Cambridge course’s own funding deadline, which varies by subject and degree level

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What the Cambridge Thai Foundation Scholarship Covers

Because CTF awards are cost-shared between Cambridge Trust and the Foundation itself, and vary based on both applicant need and available funding in a given cycle, the value is genuinely variable rather than fixed:

• A bursary or grant, typically partial rather than full, covering a portion of academic costs — the CTF has been explicit that the majority of its awards are bursaries and grants supporting the cost of studies rather than covering every expense
• Funds paid directly to the University of Cambridge, rather than to the student personally, which is worth knowing if you’re budgeting around when and how the funding actually reaches your account
• Coverage limited to academic costs specifically — the scholarship does not cover accommodation, so Thai applicants need to plan and budget for housing separately, regardless of whether they’re awarded CTF funding
• No restriction to a specific subject or degree type, aside from the MBA exclusion — by the nature of who applies, most recipients have historically pursued Master’s degrees, though undergraduate and PhD awards are also genuinely given each cycle

Because the number of scholarships awarded each year depends on both the number of applicants and the funding available that cycle, the CTF doesn’t publish a fixed annual quota — some years will see more awards made than others, purely based on that balance.

Eligibility Requirements

To be considered for the Cambridge Thai Foundation Scholarship, applicants generally need to meet the following:

• You must be an applicant from Thailand — this is a nationality-specific scholarship tied directly to the Foundation’s mission of supporting Thai students at Cambridge
• You must be applying to, or already matriculated at, the University of Cambridge — the scholarship is not limited to a specific College, and it’s tenable at any College across the university
• You may apply at any degree level — undergraduate, Master’s, or PhD — and in any subject, with one notable exception: the CTF does not cover MBA study
• You must indicate your request for financial support from the very beginning of your University of Cambridge application process — this is not something you can add on later once your course application is already underway
• Because most CTF recipients have historically been Master’s students, PhD and undergraduate applicants remain eligible and are funded, but should understand they’re applying within an applicant pool that skews heavily toward postgraduate taught study

Kindly Note: holding another scholarship at the same time doesn’t disqualify you. The Cambridge Thai Foundation explicitly permits recipients to hold a CTF award alongside other funding, provided you declare any other scholarship you’re holding or applying for during your application process.

Required Documents

Because there’s no standalone CTF application form, the documents that matter are simply the ones your Cambridge course application already requires, plus one specific extra step:

• Your completed University of Cambridge application (undergraduate via UCAS, or postgraduate via the Cambridge graduate application system), for your chosen course at any College
• Standard supporting documents required for your specific course — academic transcripts, references, a personal statement or research proposal, and English language evidence where applicable, depending on whether you’re applying at undergraduate, Master’s, or PhD level
• Your indication of a request for financial support, entered directly within that same university application — this is the specific step that triggers Cambridge Trust’s screening and, where relevant, your referral to the Cambridge Thai Foundation
• Proof of Thai nationality, since eligibility is restricted to applicants from Thailand
• Declaration of any other scholarship you currently hold or are applying for, since the CTF requires this to be disclosed as part of your funding request

There’s nothing scholarship-specific to prepare beyond this — a complete, strong course application with your financial support request included is, in effect, your entire CTF application.

Step by Step on How to Apply for the Cambridge Thai Foundation Scholarship

There is no separate CTF application form to complete on its own. Instead:

1. Apply for admission to the University of Cambridge through the standard undergraduate (UCAS) or postgraduate application process, for your chosen course at any College.
2. Indicate your request for financial support directly within that same university application, from the very start of the process — this single step is what triggers your consideration for Cambridge Trust and, subsequently, Cambridge Thai Foundation funding. There is no way to apply for CTF funding independently of your Cambridge course application.
3. Submit your complete application by the funding deadline specific to your course — these deadlines vary by subject and degree level, so check the Postgraduate Course Directory for your specific programme’s funding deadline if you’re a graduate applicant, or your UCAS course page if you’re applying at undergraduate level.
4. Your financial support details are then forwarded to Cambridge Trust for screening. Cambridge Trust conducts an initial review of your funding request as part of its broader scholarship process.
5. If shortlisted, your details are then passed on to the Cambridge Thai Foundation office, which conducts its own interview as part of final selection — this interview stage is a distinctive part of the CTF process specifically, beyond what Cambridge Trust’s general scholarship screening involves.
6. Await the outcome. Because the CTF’s process runs alongside, and after, Cambridge Trust’s own review, expect this to take time following your initial course application — there’s no single fixed notification date, since it depends on when your specific course’s admissions and funding decisions are finalized.

Application Deadline

There is no standalone deadline for the Cambridge Thai Foundation Scholarship itself. As the Foundation’s own FAQ states directly, the application cycle follows that of the University of Cambridge — meaning the deadline that actually governs your eligibility is your specific course’s own funding deadline, which is set individually by subject and degree level rather than as a single university-wide date.

For postgraduate applicants, these deadlines are published within the Postgraduate Course Directory and have historically clustered around early December and early-to-mid January, depending on the course. For undergraduate applicants, your relevant deadline follows Cambridge’s UCAS deadline, typically in mid-October.

Because there is no appeal process for a missed funding deadline, and applications cannot be submitted late, missing your specific course’s deadline means waiting for the following year’s cycle — so confirming your exact course deadline early, and indicating your financial support request from the very first step of your application, is essential.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to submit a separate application for the Cambridge Thai Foundation Scholarship?

No. There is no standalone CTF application. You apply for admission to your chosen Cambridge course and indicate a request for financial support within that same application — your details are then screened by Cambridge Trust and, if shortlisted, forwarded to the CTF for an interview.

Is there an annual deadline specific to this scholarship?

No fixed annual date exists specifically for CTF funding. The relevant deadline is whichever funding deadline applies to your specific Cambridge course, which varies by subject and degree level.

Does the scholarship cover accommodation as well as tuition?

No. The CTF scholarship typically covers academic costs only, with funds paid directly to the University of Cambridge. Accommodation is not included and needs to be budgeted for separately.

Can I apply for the MBA with CTF funding?

No. The Cambridge Thai Foundation does not cover MBA study, unlike most other subjects and degree levels at Cambridge.

Can I hold a CTF scholarship alongside another scholarship?

Yes. The Foundation explicitly allows this, provided you declare any other scholarship you hold or are applying for as part of your CTF application process.

How many scholarships does the CTF award each year?

There’s no fixed number — awards depend on both the number of applicants in a given cycle and the funding available to the Foundation that year.

Disclaimer: All programme details, deadlines, and eligibility criteria in this post were verified from official sources as of August 2026. Information is subject to change without notice. Always confirm your specific course’s exact funding deadline directly on the University of Cambridge’s Postgraduate Course Directory, and further details on the Cambridge Trust and Cambridge Thai Foundation’s official websites, before applying. ScholarWaka is not affiliated with the University of Cambridge, Cambridge Trust, or the Cambridge Thai Foundation.

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