Best International Schools in Bangkok

Reviewed 2026-10-31. General independent information; check current official immigration, financial and medical guidance before acting.

Expert take — Cost of Asia editorial team At Bangkok's top-tier schools, a non-refundable joining fee of THB 225,000 to 265,000 per child comes on top of tuition, so your first year can cost roughly a third more than tuition alone. At NIST, for example, a new Year 3 pupil's first year adds up to THB 1,223,200 once the application, assessment, registration and annual campus fees are counted, against tuition of THB 889,200. Ask every school for a full first-year invoice, and check whether your employer's education allowance covers one-off fees or tuition only.

Bangkok has dozens of international schools: Schoozy's fee directory lists more than 50, from small bilingual programs to campuses charging over a million baht a year. The hard part is finding one with the right curriculum, a place in your child's year group, and a school run you can live with.

This guide covers seven established schools across the main curricula, using each school's published fee schedule. Location matters as much as reputation, so many families choose the school first and the neighborhood second. Our guide to the best areas in Bangkok for families picks up from there.

At a glance

How we chose

We looked at schools that:

• Publish a full 2026/27 (or latest) fee schedule on their own website, so you can check every figure.
• Hold recognized accreditation or curriculum authorization: CIS, NEASC, WASC, IB World School status, BSO inspection, or French Ministry homologation through the AEFE network.
• Represent each major curriculum (British, American, IB, French).

We did not rank on exam results, which depend on admissions policy and are not published comparably. Fees are annual tuition in baht, from each school's fee page. Checked on 31 October 2026. Fees change yearly.

1. Bangkok Patana School — best for a British curriculum into the IB Diploma

Bangkok Patana, at 643 Lasalle Road near Sukhumvit 105 in Bangna, describes itself as non-selective and not-for-profit. Pupils follow a British curriculum, take Cambridge and Edexcel (I)GCSEs in Years 10 and 11, then choose the IB Diploma, Career-related or Courses programs. The school is an IB World School accredited by CIS.

Who it suits

Families who want a British structure early on and the IB at the end, living in Bangna or along eastern Sukhumvit. For 2026/27, tuition runs from THB 577,000 in Foundation Stage 1 to THB 1,014,000 in Year 12. Primary tuition includes lunch.

Trade-offs

The one-off costs add up: a THB 250,000 entrance fee for the first child (THB 200,000 for siblings), a THB 30,000 annual capital assessment fee, and a THB 50,000 refundable deposit. Year 11 and Year 13 are billed for two terms only, with exam fees invoiced separately.

Check before you commit

Patana lets Foundation Stage and Year 1 entrants pay THB 40,000 of the entrance fee up front and the rest later. But a Year 1 place is not guaranteed until the full fee is paid. Ask which bus zone your home falls into: the 2026/27 schedule prices transport by zone, for example THB 120,800 a year for a Zone 2 round trip.

2. NIST International School — best for full IB in central Bangkok

NIST sits at 36 Sukhumvit Soi 15 in Watthana and teaches the full IB continuum, from the Primary Years Programme through the Diploma. Its website lists CIS and NEASC accreditation and IB authorization.

Who it suits

Families who want to live centrally, and those likely to move country again, since the IB transfers easily. Tuition for 2026/27 runs from THB 650,200 in Early Years to THB 1,132,800 in Years 12 and 13.

Trade-offs

NIST has the highest joining costs in this guide. New students pay a THB 6,000 application fee, a THB 2,500 assessment fee and a THB 265,000 registration fee, all non-refundable. Families must also choose between a THB 575,000 refundable campus development deposit and a THB 60,500 non-refundable annual fee.

Check before you commit

Compare the deposit and the annual fee against how long you expect to stay and what the deposit money would earn elsewhere.

3. International School Bangkok (ISB) — best for an American curriculum

ISB teaches an American curriculum, with the IB Diploma as an option in high school. It is in Pakkret, Nonthaburi, north of central Bangkok. A 2026 relocation guide puts it about 40 minutes' drive from Silom or Sukhumvit outside rush hour, with a 7:20 a.m. start. The ISB website shows WASC, CIS and IB logos; confirm current accreditation status with admissions.

Who it suits

Families wanting a US-style high school, ideally living near the campus. ISB's 2026/27 tuition is THB 659,000 for Pre-Kindergarten, THB 1,015,000 for Kindergarten to Grade 5, THB 1,137,000 for Grades 6 to 8, and THB 1,197,000 for Grades 9 to 12. That is the highest tuition in this guide.

Trade-offs

Add a THB 4,700 application fee, a THB 260,000 one-time registration fee for new students from Kindergarten up, and a THB 22,000 annual fee. ISB does not charge a separate capital fee. The school bus costs THB 111,300 to THB 178,000 a year, depending on distance.

Check before you commit

Decide where you will live before accepting a place. The registration fee can be refunded only if your child withdraws within the first 20 days. Ask about the Life Centered Education program if your child has significant learning needs: it costs an extra THB 980,000 a year.

4. Shrewsbury International School — best for British A levels by the river

Shrewsbury runs two campuses. Riverside, at 1922 Charoen Krung Road in Bang Kholaem, takes students through to Year 13 and A levels. City Campus, on Rim Klong Samsen Road (Rama 9) in Huai Khwang, covers the early years and primary. The school's fee page shows a CIS logo.

Who it suits

Families committed to A levels rather than the IB. Tuition for 2026/27 runs from THB 696,300 for Nursery to THB 1,256,700 for Year 12.

Trade-offs

New families pay a THB 5,000 application fee, a non-refundable THB 225,000 guaranteed place fee, and a THB 225,000 refundable deposit. City Campus children move to Riverside for secondary, which can mean a much longer commute at age 11.

Check before you commit

Ask how year groups are split between campuses, and plan housing for the secondary years too.

5. Harrow International School Bangkok — best for boarding

Harrow Bangkok is at Soi Kosumruamchai 14 in Don Mueang, in the north of the city. It follows a British curriculum to IGCSE and A level and offers weekly or full boarding. Its fee page links to a British Schools Overseas (BSO) report and an ONESQA certificate.

Who it suits

Families who want boarding, or who live in the northern suburbs. For 2026/27, Reception costs THB 757,600 and Years 12 and 13 cost THB 1,063,000. Weekly boarding (up to five nights) adds THB 456,700 a year, and full boarding adds THB 571,100, plus a THB 20,000 incidentals charge.

Trade-offs

A 2026 relocation guide puts the campus about 30 minutes from Sukhumvit or Silom without traffic. One-off costs include a THB 225,000 non-refundable admission fee and a THB 200,000 refundable deposit for day pupils (THB 275,000 for boarders).

Check before you commit

If you join the waiting pool, the THB 225,000 fee is refundable on request only until a place is offered. Ask from what age boarding is available and how weekend supervision works.

6. KIS International School — best for full IB at a lower fee

KIS Bangkok, at Pracha-Uthit Road in Huay Kwang, is an IB World School that offers only IB programs, up to the Diploma and Career-related Programme. Its website shows a CIS "accredited school" logo. A 2026 relocation guide notes that it runs door-to-door buses and a free shuttle from the MRT.

Who it suits

Families who want the IB for less than NIST or Patana charge. Tuition for 2026/27 runs from THB 459,800 in Early Years Prep to THB 984,700 in Grade 11. Grades 6 to 10 cost THB 896,700.

Trade-offs

The registration fee is THB 260,000 for Early Years Prep to Grade 10 (THB 185,000 for Grades 11 and 12). On top, you choose between a THB 45,000 annual development fee and a THB 250,000 refundable development fund.

Check before you commit

Confirm that you are on the Bangkok campus page: KIS also runs a separate Reignwood Park campus with its own fees.

7. Lycée Français International de Bangkok — best for French-speaking families

The LFIB, at 498 Soi Ramkhamhaeng 39 in Wangthonglang, is a "conventionné" school in the AEFE network. The French agency lists all 15 levels as homologated, from petite section to terminale, and gives a roll of 1,057 students. Students can take the international French baccalauréat (BFI).

Who it suits

French families, or anyone wanting a French education that transfers across the AEFE network. Fees are far lower than at the British and American schools. They also depend on nationality: for 2025/26, annual tuition for French, Thai or EU nationals ran from THB 286,300 (kindergarten and elementary) to THB 418,000 (terminale). Other nationalities paid THB 361,000 to THB 507,400.

Trade-offs

Add a THB 150,000 first registration fee and a THB 5,000 processing fee. The British International Section or BFI adds THB 20,000. Fees for 2026/27 were not yet published on the school's site when we checked.

Check before you commit

Request the 2026/27 fee grid and ask about French government bursaries (bourses scolaires).

What to check before you decide

• Request a full first-year invoice showing which fees are refundable.
• Do the school run at peak hour from your planned neighborhood.
• Check the withdrawal notice period. Patana, for example, requires a full term's notice in Terms 2 and 3 and charges THB 50,000 if notice is late.
• Confirm accreditation directly with the accrediting body (CIS, NEASC, WASC, the IB or the AEFE), not only from a logo.
• Ask about waiting lists for your child's year group.
• Budget for extras: bus, lunch, uniform, laptops, trips and EAL support. Patana charges THB 105,000 a year for EAL in Years 1 to 9.

FAQ

How much do international schools in Bangkok cost per year?

Among the schools in this guide, 2026/27 tuition ranges from about THB 460,000 (KIS Early Years Prep) to THB 1,256,700 (Shrewsbury Year 12). The French lycée costs less, from THB 286,300 for 2025/26. Add one-off joining fees, usually THB 150,000 to 265,000.

Which international school in Bangkok is best for the IB?

NIST and KIS offer the full IB continuum from early years to Diploma. Bangkok Patana and ISB offer the IB Diploma in the final two years, after a British or American program.

Are international school fees in Bangkok refundable?

Application, assessment and registration fees are usually non-refundable. Deposits (for example Patana's THB 50,000 or Harrow's THB 200,000 day deposit) are generally refunded when your child leaves, minus anything you owe. Read each school's terms.

Where should I live for an international school in Bangkok?

Live near the school. Sukhumvit suits NIST, Bangna and eastern Sukhumvit suit Patana, Rama 9 and Huai Khwang suit KIS and Shrewsbury City Campus, Nonthaburi suits ISB, and the northern suburbs suit Harrow. See our Bangkok neighborhood guide.

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