International Education in Bangkok
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Thinking of relocating to Thailand with your family in tow? You’re not the first. Thailand, and its capital Bangkok in particular, has a thriving expat community with everything you need to set up a home away from home.
One of the most important aspects of your move will be finding the best school for your children, and thankfully Bangkok has plenty of top class international schools to choose from. Here’s what you need to know before you make that all important decision...
The quality of education provided by international schools in Bangkok far surpasses the local schooling system. Not surprisingly, this means demand for places in these schools is high. You won’t just be competing with other expats; Thai families who can afford to do so often prefer to send their children to international schools, thanks to the much higher standard of education.
International schools as you know them - i.e schools that teach an international or foreign curriculum and have a multicultural student body - are not the only option in Bangkok. Private bilingual schools are also common.
These schools teach the Thai curriculum but through English and Thai. They’re usually slightly less expensive than international schools and are effectively a middle ground between them and local schools. They have less facilities and perks as a result, and while the curriculum taught will be recognised at a national level, it most likely won’t be internationally accredited.
Western staff and native English speaking teachers are common in Bangkok’s international schools, although they don’t necessarily make up the majority of staff. In general, the higher a school’s fees are, the more native English speaking teachers you can expect.
This does not mean that the most expensive international school, or the one with the most native speaking teachers, will be the best. What makes a school ‘the best’ is subjective, no matter what the city or country is. It all depends on many variable factors, and most importantly, your child’s needs.
Many of Thailand’s international schools were founded as missionary schools, and plenty of them still maintain a religious ethos. Nowadays this is interpreted differently by each school - it could be anything from offering religion lessons to promoting a certain code of ethics.
Finally, one thing you will definitely need to factor into your international school search is Bangkok traffic. Much of the city’s streets are choked with vehicles night and day, so keep your child’s commute time and means of transport in mind when making your choice. Schools outside of the immediate city area and public transport zone will usually offer transport. Some even have boarding options!
Below, we have compiled the top 10 international schools in Bangkok according to our users. However, there are another 81 schools to choose from in the city. You can find the best international school for your child by personalising your results. Just fill in your search criteria, and we will calculate a personal score for every international school in Bangkok based on your requirements.
