Vachiralai School

[Dustoff]

Sorry about one more CM schools thread but..

This school is SE of CM city and East of Hang Dong. The location is great and the school is quite majestic, reminiscent of many King's Schools I have seen around Thailand. Their testing requirements seem a bit more relaxed than the higher-end schools like Varee and they provide summer classes to bring slow students up to speed before the school year begins which is a real plus in our case.

However good this school looks/sounds, I would like to have some input from other expats who actually have or had their children in this school.

Thanks in advance,

Ken/Dustoff

[Gravelrash]

Sorry about one more CM schools thread but..

This school is SE of CM city and East of Hang Dong. The location is great and the school is quite majestic, reminiscent of many King's Schools I have seen around Thailand. Their testing requirements seem a bit more relaxed than the higher-end schools like Varee and they provide summer classes to bring slow students up to speed before the school year begins which is a real plus in our case.

However good this school looks/sounds, I would like to have some input from other expats who actually have or had their children in this school.

Thanks in advance,

Ken/Dustoff

Not sure about that one but I gave taken my kids out of Varee, it has a nice new campus but in my opinion the teaching is not up to par, just passing bodies (and baht) through the meat grinder. So looks can be deceiving even in what you regard as a "high end school".

[SoloFlyer]

prices at the big V?

[PeaceBlondie]

Ken, is that the big matayom school behind Carrefour on the superhighway, with a big blue rocket tower? If so, feel free to PM me.

[Dustoff]

Ken, is that the big matayom school behind Carrefour on the superhighway, with a big blue rocket tower? If so, feel free to PM me.

No, it is in Sarapi Province, somewhere between Sarapi and Hang Dong. My guess is not far from Ban Tawai but I got turned around and will have to check it out again.

Check out: vachiralai.ac.th/index2.html

Unfortunately I haven't found an English version of the website.

They call themselves the Thinking Factory and claim they challenge students to think for themselves and earn their education rather than sitting there like zombies. Only English is spoken in the English classes, all classes are limited to a max of 35 students. Looks and sounds good but I wish I could find someone with first-hand experience..

prices at the big V?

Roughly 13k for the first semester (1/2 school year) due to all the initial expenses then cheaper thereafter (maybe 24k/yr?)

[hml367]

Ken, is that the big matayom school behind Carrefour on the superhighway, with a big blue rocket tower? If so, feel free to PM me.

No, it is in Sarapi Province, somewhere between Sarapi and Hang Dong. My guess is not far from Ban Tawai but I got turned around and will have to check it out again.

Check out: vachiralai.ac.th/index2.html

Unfortunately I haven't found an English version of the website.

They call themselves the Thinking Factory and claim they challenge students to think for themselves and earn their education rather than sitting there like zombies. Only English is spoken in the English classes, all classes are limited to a max of 35 students. Looks and sounds good but I wish I could find someone with first-hand experience..

prices at the big V?

Roughly 13k for the first semester (1/2 school year) due to all the initial expenses then cheaper thereafter (maybe 24k/yr?)

To the attic slinking Mia Noi keeper:

I believe it is on the road between Ban Tawai and Saraphi, as you mention. I have driven by, but never stopped by.

And I, also, could not find an English version of their web site.

Have you seen Kindergarten Kop?

MSPain

[Sathip2008]

Ken, is that the big matayom school behind Carrefour on the superhighway, with a big blue rocket tower? If so, feel free to PM me.

@ PeaceBlondie : You used to work here ? Me too... Same feeling ???

[Dustoff]

To the attic slinking Mia Noi keeper:

I believe it is on the road between Ban Tawai and Saraphi, as you mention. I have driven by, but never stopped by.

MSPain

Nope, not on the same road Ban Tawai is on. I had it wrong and it is in fact about 1.5km SW of Sarapi township. From home, we went East on the Sameong Rd (1269), turned right on the old Lamphum road (106) at Sarapi then took a right at the first traffic lights just South of Sarapi.

The more I investigate this place, the better I like it. They provide five hours of English classes a week, three dedicated to reading/writing and two to conversational. I also got the price wrong. It is about 12k Baht going in and 7k Baht/term thereafter. The extra 5k initially covers admin fees, materials and the 'new kid' class that runs the entire month of April to make sure they are up to speed before beginning the 1st year of high school.

We toured the place today and it is very impressive. Not very old, well kept up, bright and cheery, clean to the point of spotless, kids whose composure exudes class and dignity.

There are two schools in one; the second named Varaneegut serves the lower grades. There is also a military prep program (like America's ROTC perhaps?) and the youngsters in that program are very sharp and mature indeed.

Fifteen minutes from our home in Ban Wang Tan, probably no more than ten minutes from the Hang Dong area.

Cool school...

[Sathip2008]

It sounds good. If I was you I'd definitely give it a try

[SoloFlyer]

can you re-do those directions from the super-hi-way

[Dustoff]

can you re-do those directions from the super-hi-way

I think so.

Coming South on the hi-way, pass by the airport exit and take the next exit for the ring road. It is a tricky one as you have to get over to the left pretty quickly and keep staying left until you come to the lane that goes over the overpass;

I think the very first exit off that ring road is for 106, known as the old Lamphun road and you should see signs for Sarapi. Take that exit and turn left onto 106;

You will pass thru a lighted intersection and there should be a sign for Samoeng - stay straight on;

After passing thru Sarapi township for a while, you will come to a wide but short white bridge with a traffic signal immediately after. Turn right. After perhaps 1km you will pass by a rather large school on the right which is a bit old and ratty looking and maybe half a Km later, Vachiralai School will be very obvious on your right.

Let us know what you think...

[hml367]

can you re-do those directions from the super-hi-way

I think so.

Coming South on the hi-way, pass by the airport exit and take the next exit for the ring road. It is a tricky one as you have to get over to the left pretty quickly and keep staying left until you come to the lane that goes over the overpass;

I think the very first exit off that ring road is for 106, known as the old Lamphun road and you should see signs for Sarapi. Take that exit and turn left onto 106;

You will pass thru a lighted intersection and there should be a sign for Samoeng - stay straight on;

After passing thru Sarapi township for a while, you will come to a wide but short white bridge with a traffic signal immediately after. Turn right. After perhaps 1km you will pass by a rather large school on the right which is a bit old and ratty looking and maybe half a Km later, Vachiralai School will be very obvious on your right.

Let us know what you think...

When you are sightseeing in that area, take the road in the opposite direction of Saraphi and see where it comes out. It may give you another way of access to the school if you happen to be in the other direction for some reason. I have been by that school coming from the Hang Dong/Hod Road side. And you know how my memory is!

MSPain

EDIT: This is the url of the map... http://www.vachiralai.ac.th/vachi_map/vachi_map.htm . You can ask your wife what the map shows in the center just below the PTT picture.... My ragged Thai comes out with a possibility of Ban Tawai next to the arrow. As I said, wherever it goes, it may give you another access direction.

Edited November 15, 2008 by hml367