For those with limited finances, there's still a way to travel abroad for study.

These days, a lot of importance is being placed on overseas study. For many Thai families, this is too expensive. But there's another option. The Office of the Civil Service Commission (OCSC) provides fantastic scholarships that cover both living expenses and study fees.

Suchida Ajanakitti (Pla) and Nongmai Songsermrat were lucky enough to earn scholarships from OCSC. Pla, 34, studied a master’s in General Public Law at Pantheon-Sorbonne University in Paris, France. Nongmai, 28, finished her degree in Economics and Public Policy at the University of York, England.

S Weekly met up with the two former students to find out more about their scholarships and overseas experiences.

Can you tell us a bit about your scholarships?

Pla: I got offered a scholarship to study in Germany or France. After graduating, you have to return to work with OCSC for twice the amount of time you study abroad. I studied in France for three years, so I had to work with OCSC for six years. Now, I’m a legal officer at the Bureau of Disciplinary Standards.

Nongmai: I got an Undergraduate Intelligence Scholarship (UIS). It’s open to third year students and covers tuition and expenses for the fourth year. After finishing their bachelor’s, the scholars must work with OCSC for a while before going on to do a master’s. I now work as a human resources officer at OCSC.

In order to qualify, you had to do an exam. How did you prepare for it?

Pla: I focused on catching up on the news and improving my general knowledge. I looked at some law issues that I could discuss. I also practised writing English essays.

Nongmai: The exam was similar to government officer exams, so I practised those. To improve my English, I studied TOEFL and IELTS.

Is participating in university activities important?

Nongmai: Yes. I was on the student committee in my faculty and was a writer for the journalism club. I included these activities in my application and mentioned them in the interview.

Pla: I was in the Law in Action Club. We arranged lectures for freshmen and did community work.

How did you improve your language skills?

Nongmai: Most Thai students have problems with listening. At first, I didn’t understand British accents. So I recorded lectures and listened to them until I got used to the accents. I also listened to English podcasts and programmes on YouTube.

Pla: I had to learn French from scratch. I went to a language school for nine months. Then at university, I recorded lectures and spent most of my time in the library reading. My classmates also helped me out.

What did your learn from the experience?

Pla: I learned how to adjust to a new environment and to challenge myself. In France, I failed a class for the first time. But I forgave myself and tried to work harder. In French universities, you find answers based on reason and discussion. People can be very opinionated and discussions can get heated. But afterwards, there are no hard feelings.

Nongmai: I became more disciplined. Some days, I had six hours of classes. I also learned how to live better with others. I socialised with my friends. This also helped to improve the language.

What’s your advice to young people who want to get scholarships from OCSC?

Pla: Find one that you’re really interested in. Remember that you’ll have to return to work as a government officer. If you don’t want to do that, then you’ll need to look elsewhere.

Nongmai: The English test is difficult. It takes a lot of study and practice.