Best schools in Bangkok

The big mango as it’s lovingly referred too isn’t just a place for mouth-watering food, pristine beaches and centuries-old temples, it has a booming tech business making it an attractive option for digital nomads as well as international execs with families in tow. Increasingly, people look towards Thailand as a major travel hub for Asia, the affordable cost of living and the emergence of more world-quality international schools.

Bangkok, Thailand at the Temple of the Emerald Buddha and Grand Palace

Education in Bangkok

The first option is the public system which follows the national curriculum set by the government. This runs up to the end of the first three years of secondary education and then divides into two non-mandatory streams – academic and vocational/technical. This can be an option for multicultural families if your child is bilingual as for public schools Thai language is a must.

However, international families are far more likely to choose the alternative route of Thai private schools which are cheaper than their global counterparts and expose students to local language and culture. These schools offer a bilingual programme in English and Thai, but check them out carefully as the quality of the programme can vary significantly and again a basic knowledge of Thai is necessary as outside of academic bilingual classes, the language of communication will be Thai.

When it comes to international schools, there are over a hundred to choose from, although some will inevitably tick more boxes than others. The selection falls into three main categories:

The ‘old timers’ schools that have been around for 75-plus years with established success rates.
The more recent new arrivals, especially offshoots of several famous British schools as Bangkok starts to attract some of the big names in English education.
The privately-owned Thai international schools where the medium of instruction is English and with various curricula on offer.

Choosing a school in Bangkok

Bangkok is a big, bustling city with infamous traffic jams, so finding a school close to where you intend to live is highly recommended unless you want to spend hours running your kiddos back and forth from school - a journey may take 25 mins one day and two hours the next!

The bonus about Bangkok is the excellent public transport network from the MTR subway, the BTS SkyTrain and the infamous Bangkok taxi and motorbike (if you’re brave enough) services. If you take the decision to live in an area not connected by public transport then a good idea is to ask the schools about what bus services they offer and how frequently they run.

The decision for a city campus vs a campus further to the edge of the city is not just about space (there’s no coincidence that the schools the furthest out have the most impressive sprawling sports grounds) but also fresh air and exposure to the not so finer things Bangkok lifestyle has to offer!

Bangkok is notorious for air pollution during certain months of the year and there are times when students are not allowed out into the playground due to poor air quality. While most schools compensate by creating fabulous indoor play areas as well as outdoor, the school’s further out of town benefit from lower levels of pollution purely due to wide open spaces and less traffic (which contributes heavily to the pollution in city schools).

The bigger well-established schools draw a larger proportion of Thai families keen to have a recognised school brand with high academic standards. All international schools have a quota system for how many students of each nationality they allow to attend but you will often find schools manipulate this system with many Thai families who hold dual nationality, which leaves the quota system slightly askew. We’ve even heard whispers of some schools introducing a (favourable) Caucasian entry fee to try and keep numbers balanced. However, don't get put off by how many Thai students are in a school as it helps keep the work ethic strong and is a fabulous way for kids to integrate into local culture and community.

The international schools offer a variety of curriculum from British I/GCSEs, A levels, BTEC, US high school diplomas and APs and the vast majority of the schools will offer the IB diploma as one of the graduating pathways. If it’s mother tongue programmes you are after, then several schools offer support for a whole multitude of languages but very few offer a fully bilingual programme.

Campuses range from good to superb with some pretty impressive playgrounds and facilities, and several schools have recently moved into new purpose-built grounds while others have ongoing programmes of refurbishments and upgrades. A good tip is to check the school for their refurbishment schedule as you don’t want to find your kids learning around a building site, especially if you have a short-term posting!

Special education needs in Bangkok

Finding the right school is a tough enough challenge without the extra difficulty of trying to find a school that offers excellent special needs education or learning support but fear not, Bangkok is a place that offers support! Some students require extra assistance to springboard them into a mainstream curriculum whereas others need to attend a school that can support and guide them to find their own unique mould.

Special educational needs in Bangkok have moved up a notch in the last decade with most schools now having a special needs department and some offering a fully supported programme with special classes and teaching assistants. St. Andrew's International School Bangkok (a Nord Anglia Education school) offers a fully inclusive campus and created a STARS ‘embracing differences educational programme’ to support SEN learners with learning designed around the individual. In addition, it offers the Orton-Gillingham Dyslexia programme.

ISB (International School Bangkok) offers certified support teams and experienced special educators, speech-language pathologists, and school psychologists. They also have an occupational therapist to provide support for a (carefully managed) number of students with mild, moderate and intensive learning needs.

Bangkok also has a variety of more specialised support schools such as Newday Learning & Little Sprouts which both families a lifeline and a supported educational journey.

Pre-schools, kindergartens and nurseries in Bangkok

What about your little ones? Not all parents want to or are ready to send their precious little bundles into a larger school environment - why start the international school debate so early? The decision to attend a large international school versus a smaller independent pre-school is strictly personal and depends on each individual family’s situation and if you want to be taxi mum (or dad), quite literally driving kids all over the city.

Thankfully Bangkok offers excellent options for pre-schools and kindergartens offering a wide variety of learning styles. In most areas across the city you will find two or three pre-school options and a top tip is to find one close to where you are living. No one wants to sit in Bangkok traffic for an hour in the pouring rain with a tired grumpy pre-schooler. The central Sukhumvit areas of the city offer a wider variety of pre-schools with less options as you move towards the suburbs. The green leafy streets of Thonglor, Ekkamai and Sathorn are popular areas and here you will also find a host of kids’ activity centres and specialist kids cafes.