AIHM BBA in Global Hospitality Management: Fees Guide
AIHM's BBA in Global Hospitality Management is THB 1,403,000 total tuition over 3.5 years. Fees, living costs and ED visa steps for Nepali students.
The short answer
The BBA in Global Hospitality Management at the Asian Institute of Hospitality Management (AIHM) in Bangkok is THB 1,403,000 in total tuition for the full programme, which runs 3.5 years across 7 semesters, two of them internship semesters. AIHM's fee note puts additional compulsory expenses — uniform, insurance, visa, application — at roughly THB 113,200 on top across the whole programme (aihm.ac.th).
Two things Nepali families get wrong with this number. First, THB 1,403,000 is a total, not a yearly fee — do not compare it against another college's annual tuition. Second, AIHM does not publish the instalment schedule in the same place as the headline figure, so how much you must pay before your first semester starts is a question for admissions, not a number you should assume.
The degree is awarded by AIHM, in academic association with Les Roches (Switzerland). The institute is owned by Minor Hotels and classes run inside a working hotel on the Bangkok riverside, which is why internships are built into the structure rather than bolted on.
AIHM fee table — all published programmes
Useful if you are deciding between the BBA and a shorter route, or if your English is not yet at entry level.
| Programme | Level | Duration | Total tuition |
|---|---|---|---|
| BBA in Global Hospitality Management | Bachelor | 3.5 yr (7 semesters, incl. 2 internship semesters) | THB 1,403,000 |
| Certificate in International Hotel Administration (CIHA) | Certificate | 3 semesters (incl. 6-month internship/work project) | THB 320,000 |
| Postgraduate Diploma in Intl Hospitality Mgmt (full-time) | PG Diploma | 2 semesters (incl. internship/work project) | THB 380,000 |
| Postgraduate Diploma (part-time/online) | PG Diploma | 4 intakes | THB 380,000 |
| BTEC International Level 3 | Certificate | 1 semester | THB 155,000 |
| English for Business & Academic Studies (EBAS) | English | 18 weeks or 8 weeks | THB 84,000 (18-wk) / THB 42,000 (8-wk) |
Source: AIHM official programme pages, aihm.ac.th.
Intake dates are listed as verify in our data for every one of these. Ask admissions for the specific intake month before you book anything, including flights.
What sits on top of tuition
AIHM bundles Health & Accident Insurance at THB 5,000 per semester and Visa Expenses at THB 10,000 per semester into its own fee schedule, shown on its Courses & Fees tab. Ask one direct question when you email admissions: are those two items inside the roughly THB 113,200 of additional compulsory expenses, or separate from it? Families budget the same cost twice, or miss it entirely, because nobody asked.
The Postgraduate Diploma carries a transfer route into the final semester of the Les Roches Master's in Switzerland or Spain. That route belongs to the PGD, not to the BBA — do not let anyone tell you the BBA automatically continues in Switzerland.
Living costs in Bangkok
Tuition is only part of the picture. These are the Bangkok figures our cost model uses for all three institutions covered on the Thailand hub.
| Item | Bangkok range |
|---|---|
| University-linked hostel/dorm (shared) | THB 2,500–7,000/mo |
| Off-campus studio or shared apartment | THB 6,000–18,000/mo |
| Serviced apartment/condo | THB 20,000+/mo (or half that shared with a flatmate) |
| Transport (BTS Skytrain/MRT + local) | THB 1,000–3,000/mo |
| Total monthly living budget | THB 15,000–30,000/mo (~US$400–800) |
| First-month setup (deposit, basics) | THB 30,000–50,000 one-off |
| Annual living cost used in our first-year estimate | THB 240,000 per year |
| ED visa and renewal costs used in our estimate | THB 7,000 |
Bangkok is genuinely one of the cheaper big-city study destinations in this tool's lineup — a full month of living costs less than a single week of the NZ, Canada or UK equivalent. But the first-month setup figure catches people: deposit and basics land in the same week as your first tuition instalment and your flight. Plan that week separately.
To see your own first-year total, put the tuition figure and the living figure into the free Master Reckoner rather than doing the sum on a phone at 11pm.
How AIHM compares with the other two Bangkok options
| Institution | Programme type | Indicative total tuition | Programme length | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AIHM | BBA Global Hospitality Management | THB 1,403,000 | 3.5 yr | Total tuition; extras of roughly THB 113,200 across the programme |
| GA Siam | Bachelor's | THB 885,800 | 4 yr | Total 4-year bachelor's fee; confirm instalment schedule with admissions |
| RIC Bangkok | Bachelor's (Business) | THB 927,000 | 4 yr | Higher indicative total; Design track is THB 695,000 over ~3 years. Fee sheet dated 6 Jan 2025 — reconfirm the current rate |
Read that table carefully. Every figure is a total over a different number of years. AIHM is the most expensive of the three on total tuition, and it is also the specialist: a hospitality-only institute with a hotel campus and two internship semesters written into the degree. If your child wants hotel management specifically, that is what the gap buys. If they want a general business degree, AIHM is not the cheapest way to get one.
We hold no published scholarship figures for the AIHM BBA. Do not assume a discount exists — ask admissions in writing and get the answer in writing.
Entry and English for the BBA
| Requirement | AIHM BBA |
|---|---|
| Academic | Grade 12 / +2 pass is the direct entry point for South Asian applicants |
| English | IELTS 5.5, or TOEFL 525 (PBT) / 70 (iBT), or Cambridge B2 First |
| If you are short on English | EBAS: 18-week course (from IELTS 4.5 to 5.5) or 8-week course (from IELTS 5.0) |
| Blanket English waiver | Not published |
This is the most useful line on the page for a borderline student: none of the Bangkok institutions demands the IELTS 6.0+ band that NZ, Canadian and Malaysian branch campuses typically ask for. AIHM's published BBA minimum is IELTS 5.5, and if you sit at 4.5 the 18-week EBAS course is the in-house route up. But the EBAS fee is separate tuition, and the extra 18 weeks are extra months of Bangkok rent. Factor both before treating EBAS as a cheap fix.
Documents you will need for the Non-Immigrant ED visa application: offer letter from AIHM, attested transcripts and certificates with certified English translation where needed, English test score or placement result, passport copy (plus a parent's passport copy if you are under 20 at some institutions), a white-background passport photo, and bank statements. Thailand has no fixed government show-funds figure the way New Zealand or Canada do; consulates typically ask for the equivalent of THB 50,000–100,000 in bank statements for the ED visa itself. The ED visa application is THB 2,000 single-entry or THB 5,000 multiple-entry, applied for at a Thai embassy or consulate before you travel. The 90-day extension paperwork at Thai Immigration is THB 1,900 per renewal, and it continues throughout the programme, not just at entry.
Common questions
How much do I need in total for the AIHM BBA, including living costs?
Line the figures up rather than trusting a single headline number: tuition is THB 1,403,000 total, additional compulsory expenses are roughly THB 113,200 across the programme, and a year of Bangkok living is estimated at THB 240,000. Add your own flights, first-month setup of THB 30,000–50,000 and visa costs on top. Do the addition yourself with the actual instalment schedule from admissions, because the fee is not evenly spread and your family needs to know what is due before the first semester, not just across 3.5 years.
Can I work part-time in Bangkok while studying at AIHM?
No. The standard ED visa does not permit employment, and working without a permit risks fines, detention and deportation. The internships built into the AIHM curriculum are part of the programme and are not the same thing as independent paid work. Budget as if there will be zero student income, because there will be.
What IELTS score does the AIHM BBA need?
IELTS 5.5 is the published requirement, with TOEFL 525 (PBT), TOEFL 70 (iBT) or Cambridge B2 First accepted as alternatives. If you are at IELTS 4.5, AIHM's 18-week EBAS course is the in-house route to 5.5; from IELTS 5.0 there is an 8-week version. No blanket waiver is published, so do not apply hoping the requirement will be dropped.
Is there a post-study year after the AIHM BBA?
There is a one-year post-study stay in Thailand, introduced on 15 July 2024, but it is not something a graduate applies for at the end of the course. It is an extension of the Non-Immigrant ED Plus student visa, which the student must already hold, and ED Plus has to be requested at a Thai embassy before entering Thailand. AIHM's own visa guide is the one among the three Bangkok institutions that confirms it offers ED Plus. Note clearly: that year carries no work rights — working requires a job offer, a change to a Non-Immigrant B visa and a separate Ministry of Labour work permit. Confirm the current process with AIHM and the Thai embassy before you rely on it.
Official sources
- Asian Institute of Hospitality Management (AIHM) — programme, fee and visa pages: https://www.aihm.ac.th
Fees change. Confirm the current figure and the instalment schedule with AIHM admissions before you transfer money. More Thailand guides are on the blog, and the Thailand hub covers the other Bangkok options side by side.