Understanding the cultural contexts of training nurses in different countries is an important element for all nurse educators. In understanding other cultures we may be better prepared to understand our own. This paper identifies some similarities and differences between nurse education in Thailand and the UK. A notable difference is that 'Thai culture' is taught in Thai educational programmes whereas equivalent programmes are perhaps missing from UK colleges of nursing. The paper closes by identifying an on-going research project into 'academic levels in nursing' that has been developed between the Royal Thai Army Nursing College, Bangkok and the School of Nursing and Midwifery Studies, University of Wales College of Medicine, Cardiff.