Five Thai students on scholarships to study at two universities in Bandung were left stranded and homeless in the city Saturday after a communications breakdown between them and university officials.

Two of students are scheduled to register at Pasundan University (Unpas) this week, and the other three at the Indonesia Education University (UPI). The students received their scholarships from the National Education Ministry.

Unpas Deputy Rector I for Academic Affairs Eddy Jusuf said he had been confused as to the whereabouts of the university's two new Thai students, Piyawan and Janjira Sumptom.

"We assigned a university employee, Husni, to be a guide for both students," Eddy said Tuesday.

"Husni picked up the students from Jakarta on Saturday evening and took them to a hotel on Jl. Banda on Sunday morning. But we then found out that the students had checked out Monday morning."

Eddy said the students had accused the university of not being willing to pay for the hotel bill.

The female students were taken in by a man called Niko, who claimed to be a nephew of one of the students' previous teachers in Thailand called Reinhard Sirait, who now works as a guest lecturer in Wailak University in Thailand.

He said his uncle had ordered him to take in the five Thai students.

"The two students who were dropped of by Unpas at a hotel on Jl. Banda said they had just been dropped off by Husni without being told who would pay the bill," Niko said over the phone.

"They panicked as they had only brought a small amount of money. That's why they contacted my uncle."

The situation was made more complicated because the students were unable to reach Husni on his cell phone Tuesday afternoon.

Niko said he then decided to take the two students, along with the other three, to his house on Jl. Denpasar in Antapani, Bandung, so they could fill out their application forms.

The UPI students were not offered any boarding by the university.

"I was told to organize their accommodations and accompany them while in Bandung," Niko said.

"I think the problem was caused by language difficulties. I myself find it difficult to understand what they say in English."

However, Eddy said he regretted that Niko had picked up his students without notifying Unpas on who would pay the hotel bill.

"Who says Unpas will not cover the bill? We have already four batches of scholarship recipients and we always give the students good service," he said.

Unpas spokeswoman Nitta Sasmita said the university had received dozens of foreign scholarship students, including from Malaysia, Poland, Singapore, Somalia, South Africa and Thailand.

"This is the first time this kind of bad thing has happened to our foreign students. We give them better service than other students," she said.

"The university picks up its students from Jakarta and provides them with temporary accommodation. We also help them find boarding houses for their stay."

Nitta said Unpas would never neglect its foreign students as it would compromise its reputation as "one of Indonesia's 50 promising universities".

The list of the top 50 promising Indonesian universities is compiled by the directorate general of higher learning at the national education ministry. The universities are chosen based on their national credibility and their willingness to forge international ties.

Popular

Policymakers to rethink single-day general election format

Authorities raises Halmahera volcano alert level to highest

Indosat showcasing Indonesia's Digital Literacy Initiative at the Global DTC Workshop