Searching for low cost journal publication in Thailand? Getting a paper published should not eat up a month’s income. This guide covers what journals in Thailand and elsewhere usually charge, where free and low-cost options exist, how to recognise predatory offers that use cheap fees as bait, and five checks to run before paying anything. It is aimed at students, scholars and faculty in Bangkok, Thailand; Nakhon Pathom (Salaya), Thailand; Pathum Thani, Thailand; Chiang Mai, Thailand. Bookmark the fee and policy pages you rely on so you can recheck them later.
What Publishing in a Journal Costs in Thailand
Thai journals decide their own fees: some charge nothing, many levy a processing fee in baht, and some ask more of international authors.
| Model | What authors pay | Typical publisher |
|---|---|---|
| Diamond open access | Nothing is charged — reading and publishing are free | Titles financed by a university, a society or a funder |
| Publication charge of a national or university journal | A modest fee, often in baht | Society journals and university journals |
| International APC | Several hundred to many thousand US dollars | Large non-profit and commercial publishers of open access journals |
| Subscription or hybrid | Usually no charge; choosing open access may add an optional fee | Journals earning revenue from library subscriptions |
Readers rarely see what a publication fee generally covers: editorial handling, similarity checks, management of peer review, copy editing and typesetting, permanent hosting, and metadata deposit that makes the article discoverable. A low fee can be viable when a university, society or funder shares the cost or the journal is efficiently run; a low fee alone is not a warning sign.
Free and Low-Cost Choices for Thai Researchers
A lot of Thai journals sit on the shared ThaiJO platform, and the TCI tier system lets you gauge quality before comparing fees.
- Diamond open access journals — apply the “without fees” and subject filters in DOAJ.
- National and university journals — frequently inexpensive and widely read at home; look at Thai-Journal Citation Index (TCI), ThaiJO (Thai Journals Online), ASEAN Citation Index.
- APC waivers and discounts — numerous publishers give them to authors from lower- and middle-income countries, so read each policy.
- Institutional agreements — a deal signed by your library or university might pay APCs or lower the amount you owe.
- Preprints — share early findings openly, but bear in mind that they do not count as peer-reviewed publication.
What a Sound Low-Fee Journal Should Still Offer
A lower fee should never come with a weaker review process. When choosing an affordable journal, make sure it still provides the basics that every author in Thailand has a right to expect:
- Genuine peer review — a review model that is named openly, reviewers who are independent, and comments you can answer.
- Similarity screening — a defined threshold and a check before reviewers receive the paper, which protects you as well as the journal.
- A clear licence — usually Creative Commons for open access, showing readers how they may reuse your work.
- Permanent hosting — a dependable article page and archive, and a DOI where the journal supplies one.
- Correct metadata — accurate titles, authors and references help search engines and databases find and cite the article.
- Transparent policies — ethics, corrections, retractions and refunds ought to be written down before you submit.
Affordable Does Not Mean Predatory
Cheap fees and speedy decisions are the bait predatory publishers dangle before authors under pressure. Usually the trouble is not the price but the absence of process. A legitimate low-cost journal still has a named editor, a peer review policy it follows, a fee declared beforehand and collected solely after acceptance, and indexing claims you can check on your own.
- A payment request that comes before any review or decision.
- Promises of “guaranteed” acceptance, or acceptance by a set date.
- Scopus, Web of Science or impact factor statements that the databases do not bear out.
- Watch for a site copying the journal title or ISSN of an already established journal.
- Sums that change after acceptance, or payment to a private account.
Five Things to Check Before Paying a Publication Fee
- Trustworthy acceptanceThe journal itself sends the decision and reviewer comments
- Fee declaredWhat you pay equals the amount given before submission
- Official paymentMade on the journal’s own page, not to a private account
- Learn what is coveredAuthors counted, certificates, DOI and extras
- Hold on to recordsReceipt, invoice and acceptance letter
Funding and Help Available in Thailand
Check with your university’s research office about publication rewards and APC support, and confirm which databases your programme recognises.
Include publication costs in your planning of the study instead of waiting for acceptance. Write the expected fee into grant applications, ask co-authors’ institutions about sharing it, and have a cheaper alternative journal in mind in case the first choice is unaffordable.
Compare the Full Cost, Not Only the Headline Fee
| Item | What to check |
|---|---|
| Base fee | The APC or publication charge on record, and its currency |
| Authors covered | Authors the fee covers and the cost of extra authors |
| Extras | Payment for pages, colour, DOI, certificate or hard copy |
| Payment costs | Currency conversion and bank charges on an international payment |
| Waivers | Whether a waiver or reduced fee is possible, and how to apply |
| Value | Review standards, the journal’s readership, and indexing that satisfies your requirement |
Safe Ways to Pay a Publication Fee From Thailand
Paying across borders brings hidden costs: bank charges, currency conversion and occasionally intermediary fees. Ahead of payment, ask the journal which payment methods it takes, whether the fee is quoted in baht or US dollars, and whether the invoice can carry the name your institution requires for reimbursement.
- Pay only after genuine acceptance, never before, and solely through the journal’s official bank account or payment page.
- Do not pay into anyone's personal account or through an agent.
- Put the acceptance letter, invoice and receipt into one file for audits and reimbursement later.
- Hold off paying any amount that differs from the published fee until you have a written explanation.
Affordable Publishing From Anywhere in Thailand
Everything from submission to review and payment happens online, so authors in Bangkok, Thailand; Nakhon Pathom (Salaya), Thailand; Pathum Thani, Thailand; Chiang Mai, Thailand; Khon Kaen, Thailand; Hat Yai, Thailand; Phitsanulok, Thailand; Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand and every other city publish under identical terms. Choose a journal for its suitability and its process; your location has no effect on the fee.
How JMVRA suits authors in Thailand
Based in India, JMVRA (ISSN 2984-8911) is an international open access journal covering many disciplines. It is not a Thai journal, but it accepts papers from authors in Thailand. Its fee is modest because it operates on a no-profit, no-loss basis, not because peer review is skipped.
- Fee: $41 USD is paid by foreign authors, only after acceptance, and up to 5 authors are included.
- Review: subject experts conduct open, double-blind peer review, and similarity is held under 15%.
- Access: open access under a CC BY 4.0 licence; on request you can obtain a Crossref DOI.
- Indexing, stated plainly: Google Scholar lists us; Scopus, Web of Science and DOAJ do not cover us.
Planning Publication Costs in Thai baht (THB)
| Item | What to check |
|---|---|
| Publication fee | The applicable currency and when you are charged; JMVRA bills foreign authors $41 USD only once the paper is accepted |
| Payment charges | Bank or card charges on an international payment from Thailand |
| Authors covered | If the fee includes every co-author (JMVRA: up to five) |
| Optional services | Language editing, a DOI or print copies are optional extras — take them only if needed |
Making an International Fee Payment From Thailand
- Wait until the acceptance email arrives — genuine journals do not ask for payment before review
- Trust no payment details except the official ones — those on the journal’s website or in the acceptance email
- Confirm the amount in Thai baht (THB) — your bank applies its own exchange rate
- Retain your receipts — for reimbursement claims and your own records
Practical Tips for Thai Researchers Publishing on a Budget
Thai researchers who write in English as an additional language can improve their chances through careful preparation rather than extra spending. These tips focus on getting the most from the money you do invest.
- Polish language before submission. Ask a bilingual colleague to read the abstract and introduction for clarity. Clear writing reduces reviewer confusion and revision rounds, which often saves more effort than any fee discount.
- Use local terms carefully. When your study refers to Thai institutions, laws or customs, add short explanations for international readers. Context that seems obvious at home may be unclear to reviewers elsewhere.
- Check unit and name conventions. Make sure author names, transliterations and affiliations are spelled the same way in every document. Inconsistent spelling can split your publication record across several profiles.
- Budget for revision time. Allow room in your schedule for reviewers' comments and resubmission. Treating revision as normal rather than as failure keeps your project on course and your stress manageable.
Invest effort in clear writing and consistent author details first; careful preparation usually reduces the true cost of publishing.
Questions Researchers Often Ask
Summary and What to Do Next
Affordable publishing in Thailand is achievable once you know where to search and what to verify. Choose journals with a transparent process and a published fee, take advantage of waivers and institutional support, and never pay ahead of a genuine acceptance.
- Find out exactly what your institution requires.
- Pick out several diamond, national and reasonably priced international journals in your own discipline.
- Complete the five checks before you pay any fee.
- Also see the list of research journals in Thailand and high impact factor journals in Thailand.
Ready to send in your paper?
Submission to JMVRA is online and free. Review always comes first; the $41 USD publication fee applies only after your paper is accepted.
Related searches
Researchers in Thailand who read this guide are often also searching for low cost journal publication, publication charges, APC waivers, free open access journals and safe ways to pay. The guides below address those questions:
References and Sources
Checked on 4 October 2026. Fees and policies can change, so confirm them before submitting.
Publishing in Thailand Through JMVRA
- Submit onlineAuthors from any country can submit; no payment at submission
- ScreeningChecks on scope and similarity (below 15%)
- Double-blind reviewSubject experts review it; you get the decision by email
- Accepted — $41 USDA single fee, covering up to 5 authors
- PublishedOpen access under CC BY 4.0
Details: Publication charges · Peer review · Advice for authors outside India.
Ready to Publish? Submit to JMVRA
JMVRA is aligned with UGC's Suggested Parameters for Choosing Peer-Reviewed Journals.
JMVRA is a Transparent, Peer-Reviewed, Open Access Journal (Refereed Journal). Following the discontinuation of the UGC and UGC-CARE journal listing, and in alignment with the latest UGC-CARE recommendations and guidelines, JMVRA is aligned with UGC’s Suggested Parameters for Choosing Peer-Reviewed Journals.
Helpful pages on jmvra.org
Key Terms
Subjects and search phrases this article addresses.
Related Reading
Further guides for researchers in Thailand.
Keep Reading on the JMVRA Blog
This guide belongs to the JMVRA journal blog, which offers practical advice on publishing, indexing, metrics and research integrity, written to be checkable instead of promotional.