Dear parents,

 

I am looking for an affordable G10/Y11 Thai private/international school next year for my 15 year-old (English-speaking) daughter at below 250K baht/annual. We are open to 80% English/20% Thai program, and also Christian affiliated schools which can provide quality Y11-Y13 education prior to prep for college/university entrance in Thailand. Though we may prefer north Thailand, we noted that the international schools in Chiang Mai are above our budget, so we will also consider schools in other parts of Thailand which are within our budget and can provide quality education.

 

Based on the recommended schools below, I can only find a handful of schools with fees below 250K baht/annual.

 

Thailand School Fees by Grade (2023 Tuition) (edarabia.com)

Trinity International School, Traill International School, Saint John Mary International School, California Prep International School,
Chiang Rai International Christian School, Chiang Rai International School, International Pioneers School, Krabi International School, Modern International School, Unity Concord International School, Wells International School

 

Any comments or feedback on the above schools or any quality school in Thailand within 250K annual budget will be most welcome. Thank you for your time.

 

Regards,

Nokia

Try Harrow school. It's a while since I paid fees there but it wasn't extortionate.

15 minutes ago, retarius said:

Try Harrow school. It's a while since I paid fees there but it wasn't extortionate.

My kids went there and graduated 8 years ago. At that time it was about 700,000 per year so its well up on that. Being a British school she would be entering at the IGCSE years and moving to A levels. Just checked over 900,000 baht per year for your daughters grade level. 

1 hour ago, nokia said:

Wells International School

That is your budget per semester

1 hour ago, nokia said:

Unity Concord International School

This from their website, "Many of our families make UCIS their home because there is a multitude of locations to live within close proximity to our school.", if they can't get their grammar right, would you trust them with your child's education?

1 hour ago, nokia said:

Thailand School Fees by Grade (2023 Tuition) (edarabia.com)

I think you will find that those figures are per semester, not per year.

 

Thanks, since the figures are per semester, it seems only one international school which fits the 250K annual budget i.e. California Prep International School.

 

Aside, are there any good Thai bilingual school which is within the 250K annual budget? Will it be tough for a non-Thai speaking student and will it prep well for college/university entrance in Thailand?

 

Cheers,

Nokia

1 hour ago, nokia said:

Thanks, since the figures are per semester, it seems only one international school which fits the 250K annual budget i.e. California Prep International School.

 

Aside, are there any good Thai bilingual school which is within the 250K annual budget? Will it be tough for a non-Thai speaking student and will it prep well for college/university entrance in Thailand?

 

Cheers,

Nokia

I assume you mean prepping for International Programs in Thai universities? 

Does your daughter have any Thai language skills? I have a few students of mixed race but they grew up in Thailand and so fluent in English. Most bilingual / English programs will run less than 20-250K a year and they Thai subjects may include Thai language, Thai social/history and buddhism. This may vary from school to school. Try looking at these schools in Chiang Mai. She may need extra classes in Thai, but that isn't a bad thing, especially if she plans to stay in Thailand. 

If all you are interested in is getting your child into a Thai University (rather than a fully rounded education and all that it offers), check out the GED program (This is a US/Canadian high school equivalent qualification). There are a number of tutorial classes/private tutors here in Chiangmai that could provide tuition, (research carefully - charges around 500-600 baht/hr - Assume 180 hrs per subject) it should be possible to pass within a year no matter what her current grade level, if she works hard.. The GED has just 4 subjects (Math, Science, Social Studies & Language arts) and is accepted by Thai universities.

Check out www.ged.com

Email me if you need more help. Good luck.

(If younger than 16, need parental permission to take the exam)

Edited October 11, 20232 yr by Alan TinWin
Add more info wrt age limit for ged

https://www.niva.ac.th/
Fees are Bt397,000

 

Depending on what your daughter is looking to do in university although it may cost more, Mahidol may be an option.  I say that because some of the university demo schools have a direct line to the university without all the TCAS stuff.

 

There is also an engineering school that does the same but the name escapes me.

Check BYS https://www.bys.ac.th

Has International school in Bangkok. Bilingual schools in Bangkok and Hua Hin.

We pay 80K/semester in Hua Hin. 

If all you are interested in is getting your child into a Thai University (rather than a fully rounded education and all that it offers), check out the GED program (This is a US/Canadian high school equivalent qualification). There are a number of tutorial classes/private tutors that could provide tuition, it should be possible to pass within a year no matter what her current grade level, if she works hard.. The GED has just 4 subjects (Math, Science, Social Studies & Language arts) and is accepted by Thai universities.

   If you are at least 18 years old, you can apply to take the GED. If you are 17 or 16, you may be able to apply to take the test if you meet additional requirements.

9 hours ago, F Groenen said:

Check BYS https://www.bys.ac.th

Has International school in Bangkok. Bilingual schools in Bangkok and Hua Hin.

We pay 80K/semester in Hua Hin. 

Sounds reasonable, and Hua Hin is only a few hours' drive from BKK.

 

On 10/10/2023 at 2:16 PM, DavisH said:

I assume you mean prepping for International Programs in Thai universities? 

Does your daughter have any Thai language skills? I have a few students of mixed race but they grew up in Thailand and so fluent in English. Most bilingual / English programs will run less than 20-250K a year and they Thai subjects may include Thai language, Thai social/history and buddhism. This may vary from school to school. Try looking at these schools in Chiang Mai. She may need extra classes in Thai, but that isn't a bad thing, especially if she plans to stay in Thailand. 

Yes, prepping for Int'l Programs in Thai universities, assuming if we decide to move over to Thailand with our daughter, because she does not have any Thai language background. May consider Chiang Mai bilingual schools like Wichai Wittaya School or Sarasas Witaed Lanna School because their tution fees are affordable.

 

13 hours ago, Alan TinWin said:

If all you are interested in is getting your child into a Thai University (rather than a fully rounded education and all that it offers), check out the GED program (This is a US/Canadian high school equivalent qualification). There are a number of tutorial classes/private tutors here in Chiangmai that could provide tuition, (research carefully - charges around 500-600 baht/hr - Assume 180 hrs per subject) it should be possible to pass within a year no matter what her current grade level, if she works hard.. The GED has just 4 subjects (Math, Science, Social Studies & Language arts) and is accepted by Thai universities.

Check out www.ged.com

Email me if you need more help. Good luck.

(If younger than 16, need parental permission to take the exam)

Although GED is for those who had dropped out of high school, it sounds like a brilliant alternative route for my daughter who is already struggling at junior high with mediocre grades and if she does not perform well at high school, regardless of international or bilingual school. 

 

Who Can Apply - Assumption University of Thailand (au.edu)

1.3) GED Transcript and Diploma then at least 4 subjects with scores no less than 145, total scores no less than 580.

Admission Requirements – Payap University

International GED: 4 passed + diploma received

 

Thanks for sharing!

22 hours ago, nokia said:

Although GED is for those who had dropped out of high school, it sounds like a brilliant alternative route for my daughter who is already struggling at junior high with mediocre grades and if she does not perform well at high school, regardless of international or bilingual school. 

My son did GED due to the major disruption caused by the pandemic during his grade 11 (EP program). Many of his friends also took this route. He studied GED by himself using books. He also studied for IELTS and took the US SAT exam. For the GED, the pass score is 145 points / subject, but that is the minimum. Universities such as Mahidol accept a minimum total score of 600 for the 4 tests. My son is currently in Mahidol University International College, in 2nd year. Other universities may differ for their GED requirements. 

Pay Filipino teachers that have graduated in their respective subjects to homeschool her in English.

On 10/10/2023 at 10:52 AM, bigt3116 said:

I think you will find that those figures are per semester, not per year.

 

What is a semester?

9 minutes ago, Lite Beer said:

What is a semester?

I think it is Latin. Which the OP's daughter might learn if he pays enough????

On 10/12/2023 at 10:38 PM, DavisH said:

My son did GED due to the major disruption caused by the pandemic during his grade 11 (EP program). Many of his friends also took this route. He studied GED by himself using books. He also studied for IELTS and took the US SAT exam. For the GED, the pass score is 145 points / subject, but that is the minimum. Universities such as Mahidol accept a minimum total score of 600 for the 4 tests. My son is currently in Mahidol University International College, in 2nd year. Other universities may differ for their GED requirements. 

While GED Test is open for non-US citizens, noted that 40% of candidates will fail it, so kudos to your son for passing GED just by self-studying. Seems lots of practice is necessary for passing GED.

 

GED® Test Performance - Race and Ethnicity in Higher Education (equityinhighered.org)

 

The pass rate for all test takers, including those who did not complete all four modules, was 59.9 percent.

How difficult is it to pass the GED test in 2022? - Quora

The GED is designed so that you need to perform at the level of a 40th percentile high school graduate to pass it.

In other words, 60% of recent high school graduates will pass the test, and 40% of recent high school graduates will fail it.

---

First, on the math test, there’s much more algebra, and more advanced algebra, and geometry questions that requires you to have memorized some basic formulas (to find circumference, for example).

Second, on the writing test, there’s an essay that requires you to respond to two readings on the same topic, demonstrating with evidence as to which makes the best argument (and not just which one you agree with).

And, third, many folks find taking the test more challenging because it’s on a computer, rather than a paper and pencil test. Readings are presented in small sections, about the size of a cell phone screen, which means that one must tab through to read the whole of a piece (this makes skimming much harder). Essays and the responses on the science test are also written in a small space, which I imagine makes it harder to proofread your responses. Taking official practice tests can help you understand some specific features of the test, like drag-and-drop questions, the flag for review function, and the on-screen calculator.

 

On 10/12/2023 at 11:30 PM, JeffersLos said:

Pay Filipino teachers that have graduated in their respective subjects to homeschool her in English.

Perhaps maths or language arts if necessary as this may be the two more challenging subjects for some candidates.

7 hours ago, Lite Beer said:

What is a semester?

What we call a term in England

On 10/16/2023 at 9:41 PM, nokia said:

While GED Test is open for non-US citizens, noted that 40% of candidates will fail it, so kudos to your son for passing GED just by self-studying. Seems lots of practice is necessary for passing GED.

 

GED® Test Performance - Race and Ethnicity in Higher Education (equityinhighered.org)

 

The pass rate for all test takers, including those who did not complete all four modules, was 59.9 percent.

How difficult is it to pass the GED test in 2022? - Quora

The GED is designed so that you need to perform at the level of a 40th percentile high school graduate to pass it.

In other words, 60% of recent high school graduates will pass the test, and 40% of recent high school graduates will fail it.

---

First, on the math test, there’s much more algebra, and more advanced algebra, and geometry questions that requires you to have memorized some basic formulas (to find circumference, for example).

Second, on the writing test, there’s an essay that requires you to respond to two readings on the same topic, demonstrating with evidence as to which makes the best argument (and not just which one you agree with).

And, third, many folks find taking the test more challenging because it’s on a computer, rather than a paper and pencil test. Readings are presented in small sections, about the size of a cell phone screen, which means that one must tab through to read the whole of a piece (this makes skimming much harder). Essays and the responses on the science test are also written in a small space, which I imagine makes it harder to proofread your responses. Taking official practice tests can help you understand some specific features of the test, like drag-and-drop questions, the flag for review function, and the on-screen calculator.

 

Perhaps maths or language arts if necessary as this may be the two more challenging subjects for some candidates.

My son's scores ranged from 165-174. Lowest on the US History/Social test, highest on maths. I don't think it's that difficult, and your child will need to pass the "pre-tests" (not sure what they are called), before doing the actual test. To get into the purple region, It starts to take an exponential amount of effort. , as a few wrong answers drops the score quickly. A few of my son's friends got the GED passing score and study at Bangkok University now. I think it's a reasonable path for someone not intending to pursue high level maths/science/engineering classes at university. They do require more rigor than is tested in the GED. 

On 10/19/2023 at 12:58 AM, DavisH said:

My son's scores ranged from 165-174. Lowest on the US History/Social test, highest on maths. I don't think it's that difficult, and your child will need to pass the "pre-tests" (not sure what they are called), before doing the actual test. To get into the purple region, It starts to take an exponential amount of effort. , as a few wrong answers drops the score quickly. A few of my son's friends got the GED passing score and study at Bangkok University now. I think it's a reasonable path for someone not intending to pursue high level maths/science/engineering classes at university. They do require more rigor than is tested in the GED. 

Does high level maths/science/engineering include university major in life science like biology?

I assume candidates with GED passing score will be able to enroll for non-science related majors like Business Administration in Thai universities?

---

Test-takers who score in the GED College Ready range of 165 to 174 are expected to successfully attend credit-bearing academic college programs.

Students who attain scores in the GED College Ready plus College Credit range of 175 to 200 are very likely to be successful in college-level programs.

Students scoring in the last two categories may have the requirement to take additional college placement tests like SAT or ACT or other remedial classes waived at a great number of schools.

  

You might look into one of the Catholic schools in the area. My boy went to one and go a good education. And cost was way under your budget. 

On 10/23/2023 at 11:43 PM, Yellowtail said:

You might look into one of the Catholic schools in the area. My boy went to one and go a good education. And cost was way under your budget. 

 

I have browsed the Catholic schools e.g. Assumption College (BKK) and Sarasas Ektra School (BKK) but their fees are not available on their websites.

 

I dont suppose their fees are similar to the Christian international schools which are above 250k baht/annual?

 

Tuition Fee | epac (ep-ac.com)

 

Sarasas Ektra School - โรงเรียนสารสาสน์เอกตรา

 

5 hours ago, nokia said:

 

I have browsed the Catholic schools e.g. Assumption College (BKK) and Sarasas Ektra School (BKK) but their fees are not available on their websites.

 

I dont suppose their fees are similar to the Christian international schools which are above 250k baht/annual?

 

Tuition Fee | epac (ep-ac.com)

 

Sarasas Ektra School - โรงเรียนสารสาสน์เอกตรา

 

My boy went to: Mariwittaya Kabin Buri (marykabin.ac.th)

 

Great course work, facilities and activities. Almost no western teachers but a lot of Filipinas, which I prefer under the circumstances.  I'm thinking it was 17K a term for the English program (800 to 17:00, with last two hours in English) but that was probably 6-7 years ago. I would not get caught up in the "International School" thing. If your kid can do well on the SAT, I think the focus is going to be on them leaning Thai. 

 

Good Luck! 

On 10/23/2023 at 8:13 PM, nokia said:

Does high level maths/science/engineering include university major in life science like biology?

I assume candidates with GED passing score will be able to enroll for non-science related majors like Business Administration in Thai universities?

---

Test-takers who score in the GED College Ready range of 165 to 174 are expected to successfully attend credit-bearing academic college programs.

Students who attain scores in the GED College Ready plus College Credit range of 175 to 200 are very likely to be successful in college-level programs.

Students scoring in the last two categories may have the requirement to take additional college placement tests like SAT or ACT or other remedial classes waived at a great number of schools.

  

Hi my son is doing business. He did do a business math subject and said it was "hard". Many of the topics he covered (like basic calculus, logarithms), are not covered in GED or SAT. He managed to get through it though. He has fared a lot better with the language based subjects, rather than the quantitative ones. So even though a student may qualify via SAT and GED, it may not give a solid grounding in technical subjects. Quite a few of my students say 1st year bio/chem/phys/maths covers the content from high school. 

 

Here is the course description for biological science - There is some maths but not too much - 

https://muic.mahidol.ac.th/eng/wp-content/downloads/course_list/Biological_Sciences_63.pdf

 

 

On 10/27/2023 at 8:58 PM, Yellowtail said:

My boy went to: Mariwittaya Kabin Buri (marykabin.ac.th)

 

Great course work, facilities and activities. Almost no western teachers but a lot of Filipinas, which I prefer under the circumstances.  I'm thinking it was 17K a term for the English program (800 to 17:00, with last two hours in English) but that was probably 6-7 years ago. I would not get caught up in the "International School" thing. If your kid can do well on the SAT, I think the focus is going to be on them leaning Thai. 

 

Good Luck! 

Based on Assumption College's EP, the majority of subjects are taught in English, aside from Thai culture & history are taught in Thai. This will be more palatable for non-Thai speaking students. For MKB school which is located in Prachinburi, it seems fine to have Filipinos teachers if the fees are more affordable. However, are the majority of subjects taught in English, like in Assumption College, because only the last two hours are in English? 

 

https://www.ep-ac.com/senior-high-school-curriculum
 

 

On 10/28/2023 at 8:08 PM, DavisH said:

Hi my son is doing business. He did do a business math subject and said it was "hard". Many of the topics he covered (like basic calculus, logarithms), are not covered in GED or SAT. He managed to get through it though. He has fared a lot better with the language based subjects, rather than the quantitative ones. So even though a student may qualify via SAT and GED, it may not give a solid grounding in technical subjects. Quite a few of my students say 1st year bio/chem/phys/maths covers the content from high school. 

 

Here is the course description for biological science - There is some maths but not too much - 

https://muic.mahidol.ac.th/eng/wp-content/downloads/course_list/Biological_Sciences_63.pdf

 

 

 

I assume the maths subjects covered in Thai universities may be challenging even for students with a score of 600 for SAT (Maths) because such topics (like basic calculus, logarithms) are not covered in SAT or GED.

 

Hence, Mahidol requires students to go for Maths foundation course if below ICMB 200/ICMA 106 respectively.

 

The alternative is to get a good grounding in bio/chem/phys/maths from high school and brings one back to the original question of finding affordable and quality Y11-Y13 education in Thailand.

 

Cheers!

----

Original official of ACT (Math Score) or SAT (Math Score) with at least 2 years’ validity. The following minimum scores are required.
 

https://muic.mahidol.ac.th/eng/admissions/undergraduate-admission/overseas-students/

---

Foundation Courses Non-credit Note I: For B.B.A. students, students whose Mathematics placement is below ICMB 200 Business Mathematics are required to take ICMA 100 Foundation Mathematics and pass the course with the grade of "S" before moving to ICMB 200 Business Mathematics. For B.Sc. and B.Eng. students, students whose Mathematics placement is below ICMA 106 Calculus I and/or ICMA 151 Statistics for Science I are required to take ICMA 100 Foundation Mathematics and pass the course with the grade of "S" before moving to ICMA 106 Calculus I and/or ICMA 151 Statistics for Science I.

On this list best mentioned in this price range (guessing) for inter schools is muic. It's very Thai for an inter which is good thing for foreign, mixed imo. Their professional standards are high. They go off to US and stay in Thailand for university. 50/50.

 

Perhaps the intl program at Srinakarinwirot? Maybe Chula Demonstration inter. No idea costs but some good, new schools to mull. Kasetsart also has elitish inter program I think.

 

If you can get her into Pathumwan Demonstration EP or mid-inter program that would be epic.

 

If she's M4 she should sit for the big 3 THAI public school exams. Triam Udom Suksa, Pathumwan Demonstration and Samsen Wittayalai. Brutal.

 

Of the above PD teachers are quite good for EFL.

5 hours ago, Sluglord said:

On this list best mentioned in this price range (guessing) for inter schools is muic. It's very Thai for an inter which is good thing for foreign, mixed imo. Their professional standards are high. They go off to US and stay in Thailand for university. 50/50.

Many of my son's friends at muic are from overseas. He had to take the lead in one of his online interviews with a CP staff member, as all his other group member didn't speak Thai (or didn't know it well). Absolutely all lessons are done in English for this reason. The main issue I have with the university is that students need to jockey for classes 3 times a year (and you may not always get the classes/lesson times that you want). This is mainly an issue with new students. Those further into their courses can register earlier as they need t complete their core courses on time. 

8 hours ago, DavisH said:

Many of my son's friends at muic are from overseas. He had to take the lead in one of his online interviews with a CP staff member, as all his other group member didn't speak Thai (or didn't know it well). Absolutely all lessons are done in English for this reason. The main issue I have with the university is that students need to jockey for classes 3 times a year (and you may not always get the classes/lesson times that you want). This is mainly an issue with new students. Those further into their courses can register earlier as they need t complete their core courses on time. 

 

My mistake. You are discussing the remedial university or the Arts side of Mahidol. I've only had one Ss go there and it was to prep for BBA.

 

I was thinking, discussing MUIDS - a high school in Nakon Pathom.

 

Another solid and under the radar HS is Mahidol Wittayasorn. Math Sci. Very competitive. Very Thai.