International Schools in Thailand – How to Enroll Your Child

Thailand
Ryan Zander
January 5, 2017

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Moving to Thailand with children means you’re going to have to find a school for them to attend. The first decision you need to make is what type of school to put them in. You could choose between private schools with a bilingual or English program (let’s call these “bilingual schools”), or else you could go with a true international school.

Bilingual schools vs international schools

Bilingual schools follow the Thai national curriculum, with the majority of the classes taught in English. International schools, on the other hand, follow the curriculum of another national program such as the US or British curriculums. They also tend to use the modern teaching methods that go with these foreign curriculums, while bilingual schools will stick to much of the route memorization methods largely used in regular Thai schools. For this reason, many upper-class Thai families will send their children to international schools.

Another important difference is the price—international schools are going to be more expensive than bilingual schools. With the higher price, an international school should be providing better facilities, more well-paid and higher-qualified foreign teaching staff, and better preparation for your child to enter university in your home country.

International school curricula in Thailand

There are a number of different curricula taught at international schools in Thailand. They include:

International Baccalaureate
American
British
Australian
Japanese
French
German
Swiss
Singaporean

In addition, a good number of international schools in Thailand are Christian schools and incorporate the teaching of Christian values into the curriculum. Many of these schools were founded by missionaries, and so the Christian flavor of the curriculum is strongly emphasized. Whether you are Christian, belong to another faith, or are non-religious, the amount of religious education your child will receive at school is going to be something you want to consider.

Obviously if you want your child to continue their education back in your home country at some point, then it will be advantageous to choose a school with a corresponding curriculum structure. Another option is the International Baccalaureate (IB) program, which was first developed in Geneva, Switzerland in 1968. It’s an internationally recognized educational curriculum designed to prepare world citizens for continued study at the university level.

Some international schools in Thailand are strictly primary schools for students up to about age 12. Others include secondary schooling for children up to age 18.

International school fees

School fees will charged either on a per-year or per-term basis. In addition to the regularly recurring school fee, an international school might have a one-time “application fee” or “registration fee”. Check carefully to see if there are any other hidden costs in the form of additional fees for textbooks, food, computers, etc.

You can find a list of international schools below. If you find one that looks like it might be a good match for your child the next step would be to contact the school directly for more information. If you’re in Thailand already, I would recommend that you arrange to visit the school so you can see the facilities firsthand and meet some of the teachers in person. Below is a list of international schools in Thailand for you to start with.

International schools in Chiang Mai

Here are the international schools in Chiang Mai, listed with their curriculum type.

American Pacific International School – American
Chiang Mai International School – American, Christian
Christliche Deutsche Schule Chiang Mai – German, Christian
Grace International School – American, Christian
Hana Christian International Kindergarten – Christian
Lanna International School – British
Nakornpayap International School – American
Prem Tinsulanonda International School – IB

List of International schools in Bangkok

As Thailand’s largest city, Bangkok has the widest variety of international schools to choose from. Here they are in alphabetical order, listed with the type of curriculum the school follows.

American School of Bangkok – American
Anglo Singapore International School – Singaporean
Ascot International School – IB
Australian International School Bangkok – Australian
Bangkok Adventist International School – Christian
Bangkok Christian International School – Christian
Bangkok Grace International School – American, Christian
Bangkok Patana School – British
Bangkok Prepatory International School – British
Berkeley International School – American
BERNIE British International Prep – British
Blooming Buds International Kindergarten – British
British Columbia International School Bangkok – Canadian (British Columbia)
Bright Skies International School Bangkok – British
Bromsgrove International School – British
Charter International School – British
Concordian International School – IB
Crescent International School – British, Islamic
Ekamai International School – American, Christian, Montessori
The First Steps International Pre-School – British
Garden International School Bangkok – British
Glory Singapore International School – Singaporean, Christian
Harrow International School Bangkok – British
Heathfield International School – British
International Community School – American, Christian
International Montessori Center – Montessori
International Pioneers School – British
IPC International Kindergarten – British
Ivy Bound International School – American
Josuikan Bangkok International School – Japanese
Keerapat International School – American (California)
Kensington International Kindergarten – British
Kevalee International School – British
Kids’ Academy International Pre-School – British
Kids Kingdom International Kindergarten – IPC (International Preschool Curriculum)
Kincaid International School – British
Kinder Bear Academy International Preschool – Montessori
Kirakira Kids International Kindergarten – Japanese
KIS International School – IB
Korean International School of Bangkok – Korean
Learning Home International Kindergarten – British
Lycée Français International de Bangkok – French
Melodies International Kindergarten – Japanese
Modern International School Bangkok – British, Sikh
Modern Montessori International Pre-School – Montessori
Montessori Academy Bangkok International School – Montessori
Mothers Pride International School – British
Mulberry House International Pre-School – British
New Bambino International Kindergarten – Japanese
New Sathorn International School – American, Christian
NIST International School – IB
Pan-Asia International School – American (Massachusetts)
Parkplace International Pre-School – British
Prep International Kindergarten – Montessori
Ramkhamhaeng Advent International School – Christian
Rasami British International School – British
RC International School – British
The Regent’s School Bangkok – British, IB
Royce Royal International School – British
Ruamrudee International School – American, Christian
St. Andrews International School Bangkok – British, IB
Saint John’s International School – British
St. Mark’s International School Bangkok – Australian, Christian
St. Stephen’s International School – British
Seeh Phinong International Kindergarten – American
Shrewbury International School – British
Siam Singapore International School – Singaporean, British
Singapore International School of Bangkok – Singaporean, British
Talents International Pre-School – American, Christian
Thai-Japanese Association School – Japanese
The Tiny Seeds International Pre-School – British
Traill International School – British
Trinity International School – American (California), Christian
Wells International School – American, IB

International schools in Phuket

Phuket also has a half-dozen international schools. They include a primary school with a Montessori curriculum. The other schools follow either British, American, or International Baccalaureate curricula.