When it comes to our children’s education, as parents, we try to offer them the best we can afford. If you live in Thailand, you have three choices. You can send your kids to Thai schools (or temple schools), bilingual schools, or international schools. For foreign families, Thai and Wat schools are most of the time out of the question, as a high school graduation diploma from such schools holds very little value in the Western world. On top of that, these kinds of schools conduct all their lessons in Thai, as they have no budget at all for foreign teachers and very few of Thai teachers can actually speak English (even the teachers of English).
Your second choice is then sending your child to a bilingual school, which follows a combination of the Thai and some Western or Asian curriculums. Generally, in bilingual schools, about 40% of classes are in English, while the rest are in Thai. The number of bilingual schools in Bangkok is as high as 150, so you have a large offer to choose from.
But, to be honest, if you want your child to receive a good education, with standards similar to the ones s/he could get back home, wherever home might be, then you’ll have to consider my third recommendation: international schools. There are almost one hundred international schools you can choose from throughout Thailand. In this article I will narrow down my recommendation to Bangkok and the immediate surrounding area.
I have been living and teaching in the Thai capital for eight years now, so I know that when it comes to choosing an international school, most parents are concerned with the following: location, reputation, educational system, accreditation, and school fees. The order of importance might vary a little bit but, generally, the location of the school is crucial when deciding where to send your kids to school. Thus, my recommendations are based on the schools’ vicinity to major public transportation systems, followed by their reputation. Because it is impossible to write about all international schools in Bangkok, my recommendations might as well be subjective. Nevertheless, they are schools I have heard of, been to, or even taught at.
In Sathorn area, downtown Bangkok, near the Chong Nonsi and Sala Daeng BTS Station, St. Andrew’s International School (Sathorn branch) is a school that was established in 2003 and follows the National Curriculum of England and Wales. The school caters for students with the ages between 2 and 13 years old and boasts a 25-meter swimming pool. Annual tuition fees are between 48,000 and 133,000 baht, depending on the student’s age. Website: www.standrews-schools.com .
Staying in the same neighbourhood, New Sathorn International School is another good choice if you live around the area. The school was established in 2004 and follows an American Curriculum. They accept students with ages between 2 and 18 years. Basically, your child could start going to Pre-Nursery here and graduate in Grade 12. The school offers Chinese and Korean language classes and is affiliated to the Federation of Christian Schools. Annual tuition fees are between 180,000 and 340,000 baht. Website: www.newsathorn.com .
Moving on to Sukhumvit Road, between Tong Lo and Phrom Pong BTS Stations, Wells International School (with three campuses on Sukhumvit!) offers education with an American Curriculum since 1999. It is accredited by WASC (Western Association of Schools and Colleges), one of the most sought-after American accreditation bodies in Asia. The Tong Lo campus is open for students from Grade 1 to Grade 5 and the tuition fees are between 200,000 to 300,000 baht per academic year. Website: www.wells-school.com .
Not too far from Nana BTS Station, New International School of Thailand (NIST) is a well-established school that opened its doors in 1992. It follows the International Baccalaureate (IB) Curriculum and offers classes of a total of 19 languages, among which are French, Spanish and German. It is a school that boasts hi-tech facilities and enrolls students with ages between 3 and 18 years old. Tuition fees are quite high, at 342,000 baht / year for a Year 1 student and 663,800 baht / year for a Year 12 student. Website: www.nist.ac.th .
Further out from the city center, Traill International School is a good option for those living in Bang Kapi area. The school is not that far from Ramkhamhaeng Station (or even Hua Mark Station) on the Airport Rail Link. Established in 1996, it offers the English National Curriculum and Cambridge University IGCSE, A and AS levels. Annual tuition fees are between 194,000 and 300,000 baht. Website: www.traillschool.ac.th .
Even further away from the city center, in Bangkhen area, on Ramintra Rd., Keera-Pat International School (KPIS) is one of the fastest growing international schools in Bangkok. Although it was established quite recently, in 2005, it has already received its WASC accreditation and is now preparing its second graduating generation. KPIS has an American Curriculum and can accommodate 1,200 students with ages between 2 and 18 years. The school is also an accredited SAT Testing Center and the tuition fees are between 181,500 and 280,500 baht per year. Website: www.keerapat.ac.th .
The last (but not least) school I would like you to consider is the well-respected Harrow International School from Nonthaburi, opposite Don Muang Airport. It was established in Bangkok in 1998 and is the local branch of Britain’s most prestigious school. Obviously, they offer the National Curriculum of England and Wales and can accommodate on their huge campus up to 1,300 students. They accept students as young as 3 months old (!) and educate them until their graduation in Grade 12. Annual school fees are between 341,820 and 641,500 baht. Website: www.harrowschool.ac.th .
Regarding the costs of sending your children to an international school in Bangkok, you also have to consider the fact that, on top of the school fees, most school also have a one-time enrollment fee which, in some cases, is in the hundreds of thousands of baht. You will also be billed for placement tests, uniform, and textbooks.
For a more comprehensive look at all the international schools in Thailand, I suggest you consult the 2010-2012 Official Directory of the International Schools Association of Thailand, available at major English-language bookstores in Bangkok.
Initially published in ‘Bangkok Trader’ (vol.5, no. 6, May 2011)
Thank you. This post was very helpful for me as I have an 18 month old son who I am considering send to school soon. His mother is Thai and I’m English, and so I want him to get the best of both worlds. These schools sound like the best option, though I’m afraid the price range may be out of the question for the time being.
It is true, the fees are quite high at most international schools in Bangkok.
my question is about NSIS which you recommend.
It doesn’t seem to be accredited by any recognisable bodies, and it doesn’t prepare for the IB. Is it really a school with a proper reputation ?
Their online brochure is written in very long-winded English, is full of redundant sentences, and they seem to be full of themselves (showing lack of self confidence ?). It’s all a bit odd.
Would it be possible to integrate a good university in the West (US or Europe) after going there ?
Or is the school just a money-making business, praying on the gullibility of local parents ?
There doesn’t seem to be any white faces in the school, although they claim to teach to “30 different nationalities” (which ones ??, which % ?).
Would you put the school in Tier 1, Tier 2 or Tier 3 ?
Somehow the place feels a bit dodgy, is it ok ?
Kind regards
@Aulia: I visited NSIS a few years ago, accompanying my students to a music festival they were hosting. As I mentioned in my article, the school “boasts hi-tech facilities,” and quite rightly, the campus is very nice. I would place it in Tier 2, though as you wrote, they’re not accredited by WASC – a must in the “business.”
I have no “inside” information about the school, so I don’t dare answer your question.