International Schools With Moderate School Fees

[suerays]

We are looking for an international school for my 3 kids (11,8, and 5), and would like to know if anyone has any insights into the following schools.

Traill International School

Trinitiy International School

Pan Asia International School

New Sathorn International School

Singapore International School

Anglo International School

St. Mark School

I would like to know how much these schools charge since they (with the exception of Pan Asia and St. Mark) don't have their fees published on their websites. I tried emailing them, but have received no reply from some of these schools.

We can't afford more than 300,000 Baht per year per child, and most of the schools we have looked at have high registration fees. Is there any expat who sends their kids to local bilingual schools? Do these schools accept kids who have very limited Thai?

We are going to be in Bangkok only in August. Would appreciate any recommendation for schools with moderate fees.

Thanks.

Edited January 27, 2011 by suerays

[quiksilva]

You may want to try giving them a call, I have found I get better response when I call as opposed to email.

Also have you looked into St Stephens International School yet?

I cant vouch for it nor indeed any others, because like you I am going through the process of looking for schools myself at the moment.

However, if anyone has feedback on ST Stephens that they'd like to share either here or via PM it'd be much appreciated.

[kerr17]

having the same problem and budget here and also very interesting on the subject for my 2 years daughter, I was thinking to RCS International (moderate fees) but yet to make a decision.

[cat5]

Traill International School pays teachers about 60K baht up, depending on experience. Seemed like a decent place when I visited but I don't know about the quality of the lessons. I have tutored students from much more expensive schools and could not say I was impressed with the homework or learning tasks they were given. That's especially so for kids studying at American schools.

[cat5]

Regarding high registration fees, I suggest you phone the school (don't email them) and speak to the admissions department. I did this on behalf of a friend and got a considerable discount. The fees are there for people who those who can pay or for the students the school doesn't really want. If your kid is white and speaks English they will want him at their school.

[Farfetched]

Regarding high registration fees, I suggest you phone the school (don't email them) and speak to the admissions department. I did this on behalf of a friend and got a considerable discount. The fees are there for people who those who can pay or for the students the school doesn't really want. If your kid is white and speaks English they will want him at their school.

This sounds so very much like the primary qualifications for being a teacher here in Thailand also. White and can speak English.

I would also suggest you talk to some of the actual teachers your children will be seeing, to get a better insight into the school and its quality.

[fletchsmile]

You should get a discount on the 2nd and 3rd children, so factor that in too. Some schools are 2 terms and some 3, so be careful in checking prices.

[samran]

You may want to try giving them a call, I have found I get better response when I call as opposed to email.

Also have you looked into St Stephens International School yet?

I cant vouch for it nor indeed any others, because like you I am going through the process of looking for schools myself at the moment.

However, if anyone has feedback on ST Stephens that they'd like to share either here or via PM it'd be much appreciated.

My wife was a teacher there many moons ago. She doesn't rate the school terribly. She got hired from NZ and it was her first taste of a Thai school. But as I said, her last experience was 2005. Taught at Harrow since, and has offers to teach at ELC, NIST etc, but turned them down to have 2 kids!

To the OP. Another option which alot of friends of ours are going for is the Australian International School. I think the fees are in the range you mention, though I am not sure if they have the higher grades yet.

I've heard good things about the Singapore school too, especially if you want your kids to get a good grip of Mandrin + singlish...la (ok just kidding in the Singlish bit).

[lost_in_space]

My daughter goes to BCIS, http://www.bis.ac.th/

It's 126k per year for kindergarten, doubling by high school.

Classes are small and the kids get a lot of attention, 2 teachers per class in K1 to K3, not sure about higher levels.

But it's run by Korean missionaries, so there's a bit too much Bible study for my tastes.

I chose it because it's near my house. I say that because I think one thing you might consider is travel time to school. I see a school van full of kids go by my house at 6 am, when school starts at 8. I can't imagine how sleep deprived those kids are. And afternoon commutes must be as bad. Do you want your kids spending 2-3 hours a day commuting?

[LindaatKIS]

Hi, I work at KIS International School, which is a lovely school with a full IB curriculum. The fees are published on the website. They are higher than those of the schools you mentioned before, but there are sibling discounts available. Should the fees still be too much to handle, then there are financial scholarships available geared towards families with an international profile. Please feel free to contact me at [email protected] if you'd like more info!

[kurnell]

I have around 20 friends that are or have been teachers in Thailand over the last 20 years, in schools ranging from full international (with the cartel type rates) to local schools and none of them rate any of the schools at even close to Australian/British standards. I have 2 young kids, and several of the teachers advised me to leave them in a local Thai schools up to the start of high school (year 7) and then return to our home country, which is what I will do.

The simple fact is that the only expats that can afford international schools in Thailand are those working for huge corporates that pay for the school fees.

Yes, the other option of sending your kids to be brainwashed by a bible bashing international school is more abhorrant than forking out 500-700k a year for an 'education'.

[kannon99]

Yes, the other option of sending your kids to be brainwashed by a bible bashing international school is more abhorrant than forking out 500-700k a year for an 'education'.

Which ones are the Bible bashing schools?

[kurnell]

Yes, the other option of sending your kids to be brainwashed by a bible bashing international school is more abhorrant than forking out 500-700k a year for an 'education'.

Which ones are the Bible bashing schools?

Post #9 for a start

[nocturn]

Hi, I work at KIS International School, which is a lovely school with a full IB curriculum. The fees are published on the website. They are higher than those of the schools you mentioned before, but there are sibling discounts available. Should the fees still be too much to handle, then there are financial scholarships available geared towards families with an international profile. Please feel free to contact me at [email protected] if you'd like more info!

Hi Linda,

Please define "families with an international profile".

[ExpatJ]

The top International schools here operate an oligopoly (NIST, ELC, Pattana etc).. Just doing research now and discover it would cost 31,000US$ combined per year to send two young kids (age 2, 5) to one of these schools -crazy.

[nocturn]

You may want to try giving them a call, I have found I get better response when I call as opposed to email.

Also have you looked into St Stephens International School yet?

I cant vouch for it nor indeed any others, because like you I am going through the process of looking for schools myself at the moment.

However, if anyone has feedback on ST Stephens that they'd like to share either here or via PM it'd be much appreciated.

My wife was a teacher there many moons ago. She doesn't rate the school terribly. She got hired from NZ and it was her first taste of a Thai school. But as I said, her last experience was 2005. Taught at Harrow since, and has offers to teach at ELC, NIST etc, but turned them down to have 2 kids!

To the OP. Another option which alot of friends of ours are going for is the Australian International School. I think the fees are in the range you mention, though I am not sure if they have the higher grades yet.

I've heard good things about the Singapore school too, especially if you want your kids to get a good grip of Mandrin + singlish...la (ok just kidding in the Singlish bit).

thanks for that. your input is often very helpful.

[LindaatKIS]

Hi, I work at KIS International School, which is a lovely school with a full IB curriculum. The fees are published on the website. They are higher than those of the schools you mentioned before, but there are sibling discounts available. Should the fees still be too much to handle, then there are financial scholarships available geared towards families with an international profile. Please feel free to contact me at [email protected] if you'd like more info!

Hi Linda,

Please define "families with an international profile".

Hi,

Some things that would make a family have an international profile are: families who have lived in countries other than Thailand, where Thai is not the mother tongue, with a non-Thai passport, internationally-minded, intending to go to university outside of Thailand and so on. Anyone can apply for financial assistance but it is geared towards helping families who cannot access the Thai education system. Besides the financial assistance, the school offers academic scholarships for students of secondary school and anyone of the right age can apply for these, regardless of whether they can or cannot access Thai education. Hope this clarifies things!

[CTO]

For primary school Rasami is very good and within your budget. My kid very happy there was where we parents with the school. Small classes, good teachers, very good at spotting trouble which is important to me

Whoever mentioned traveling is very accurate. The ""Van" fees at International schools are so high you can buy a car for the same amount almost!

[kurnell]

International schools here are a cartel and there is no alternative and they all know it

[mrtoad]

International schools here are a cartel and there is no alternative and they all know it

To be honest, I think the prices here in Thailand for international schools are a total rip off, if you compare them to public (private) schools in the UK. As you say, they know they can charge what they want - it's probably cheaper to send kids to the UK to study.

[kurnell]

International schools here are a cartel and there is no alternative and they all know it

To be honest, I think the prices here in Thailand for international schools are a total rip off, if you compare them to public (private) schools in the UK. As you say, they know they can charge what they want - it's probably cheaper to send kids to the UK to study.

When the Aussie dollar was weaker it definately was cheaper to send kids to Australia to study.

Look in any expat magazine and you will see ads for all the international schools in Bangkok. What is the point of advertising when local expats can't afford the schools? Imagine having 3 kids in international schools paying THB 500-800k per child? Who has $80,000 per year to spend on education alone?? It's not like they are getting a world class education either. Some fat cats are sitting on a pile of money.

[IADR]

I work at St Andrews (sukhumvit 71) and know many people who are at KIS and St Stephens (SIS). They are both good schools. You should also look at St Andrews, Bangkok Prep and possibly, Regents. SIS, St Andrews and 'Prep are all English Curriculum schools, whereas, KIS is PYP, MYP and IB.

Fees do differ significantly between the schools.

As for some of the other schools you have mentioned above, I would steer well clear of them. If you want more info, PM me.

Choosing the right school will also depend on where you live, so you may be best to try and find out where you will be, and then find schools around that area. If you lived on Sukhumvit (or surrounding areas) getting to SIS would be a real chore every day!

Good luck!

[IADR]

I work at St Andrews (sukhumvit 71) and know many people who are at KIS and St Stephens (SIS).  They are both good schools.  You should also look at St Andrews, Bangkok Prep and possibly, Regents.  SIS, St Andrews and 'Prep are all English Curriculum schools, whereas, KIS is PYP, MYP and IB.<div><br></div><div>Fees do differ significantly between the schools.</div><div><br></div><div>As for some of the other schools you have mentioned above, I would steer well clear of them.  If you want more info, PM me.</div><div><br></div><div>Choosing the right school will also depend on where you live, so you may be best to try and find out where you will be, and then find schools around that area.  If you lived on Sukhumvit (or surrounding areas) getting to SIS would be a real chore every day!</div><div><br></div><div>Good luck!</div>

[Kuruzovich]

I also work at an international school (Wells, located right on Sukhumvit between soi 85 and 87), and we do fall in the price range the original poster specified. (See the chart I attached for a comparison of the lowest and highest rates at many international schools in Thailand—typically for nursery/kindergarten and high school levels: Tuition Comparison.pdf) We actively try to keep our fees as affordable as possible, avoiding the standard annual tuition raises that most schools implement, and we do offer family discounts and other incentives based on student performance—not race or nationality. Despite the low fees, however, I believe a strong case can be made that Wells often outperforms other larger, more expensive options:

• ·With only two graduating classes (2010 and 2011), our graduates have been accepted to top schools in Thailand, the United States and elsewhere (See list). (I highly encourage you to read some of the university profiles on Wikipedia if you are unfamiliar with them.) We expect several members of the Classes of 2012 and 2013 to receive Ivy League acceptances.
• Several other indicators demonstrate the exceptionally high quality of our academic and extra-curricular programs:

• • Several of our students participate in internships at Mahidol University's Department of Science each year, conducting research into areas such as alternative energy sources.
  • We offer multiple Advanced Placement (AP) courses on-site, taught by AP-certified instructors. AP test results for our sophomores and juniors in high school show that they are already capable of completing work at the American university level, and several are on track to receive the AP International Diploma upon completing high school. (Please note that the AP course syllabi and tests are regulated and approved by the U.S.-based College Board—not by our own school.)
  • We possess a strong debate program, winning a national championship in 2008 and regularly placing in the quarter and semi-finals. (We will be strengthening our debate program even more over the next year.)
  • Our students regularly participate in numerous competitions, and they typically place highly. In the past year they received two gold medals at the Asia Books Readers' Theatre competition (sweeping the international school divisions); multiple gold medals at the regional round of the World Scholar's Cup; and multiple first-place finishes in other events. As I write this, I am sitting in Kuala Lumpur, where fifteen Wells students are competing against 750 others from around the world at the 2011 global round of the World Scholar's Cup.
  • Many of our students receive acceptances into the Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth (CTY) program and other prestigious organizations. One of our current middle school students will be flying to California this summer for the CTY summer course "Introduction to Robotics."

• We are highly competitive in sports, even against the largest international schools in Thailand. Despite being members of TISAC for only three years, we have won multiple championships in basketball and other sports, and regularly win volleyball and basketball matches against BISAC schools such as NIST, Harrow and ISB.
• Our instructors and facilities are excellent for our size. Approximately 70% of our teachers either possess or are pursuing master degrees (typically in education or their subject areas), and we maintain a low class size average of fifteen students. We also invest in quality resources, with a 3:1 computer to student ratio, SmartBoard implementation, and supplementary software programs for mathematics and English.
• Finally, I personally feel that I've never worked with a more dedicated group of teachers, all of whom put in more effort than they need to, and try to ensure that each and every child has a chance to learn. One of our goals as a school is to maintain a community-based atmosphere in which everyone knows and genuinely cares for everyone else; this is something many larger schools are unable to achieve due to their large sizes.

[ExpatJ]

International schools here are a cartel and there is no alternative and they all know it

To be honest, I think the prices here in Thailand for international schools are a total rip off, if you compare them to public (private) schools in the UK. As you say, they know they can charge what they want - it's probably cheaper to send kids to the UK to study.

It's not like they are getting a world class education either. Some fat cats are sitting on a pile of money.

I disagree - although over priced- i believe that the top schools -NIST, ISB Pattana - give kids a better education & experience than anything available in the free public school system in US/UK/Australia and also equal and in many cases better than private schools in those countries too.

[kurnell]

International schools here are a cartel and there is no alternative and they all know it

To be honest, I think the prices here in Thailand for international schools are a total rip off, if you compare them to public (private) schools in the UK. As you say, they know they can charge what they want - it's probably cheaper to send kids to the UK to study.

It's not like they are getting a world class education either. Some fat cats are sitting on a pile of money.

I disagree - although over priced- i believe that the top schools -NIST, ISB Pattana - give kids a better education & experience than anything available in the free public school system in US/UK/Australia and also equal and in many cases better than private schools in those countries too.

Sure, that is your opinion. I have worked in Thailand for the last 12 years straight and have the opportunity to talk to expats whose kids study at NIST, Pattana etc on a weekly basis and very few of them share your opinion.

[ExpatJ]

Sure, that is your opinion. I have worked in Thailand for the last 12 years straight and have the opportunity to talk to expats whose kids study at NIST, Pattana etc on a weekly basis and very few of them share your opinion.

I have had the exact opposite feedback from parents whose kids are studying at these schools in that they are very well impressed (just not about the costs!)......

Edited June 20, 2011 by ExpatJ

[GazR]

I have around 20 friends that are or have been teachers in Thailand over the last 20 years, in schools ranging from full international (with the cartel type rates) to local schools and none of them rate any of the schools at even close to Australian/British standards. I have 2 young kids, and several of the teachers advised me to leave them in a local Thai schools up to the start of high school (year 7) and then return to our home country, which is what I will do.

The simple fact is that the only expats that can afford international schools in Thailand are those working for huge corporates that pay for the school fees.

Yes, the other option of sending your kids to be brainwashed by a bible bashing international school is more abhorrant than forking out 500-700k a year for an 'education'.

Thankyou!

Here in the Kingdom of Illusions it is rare to find the pertinent facts laid out so plainly as above:

Usually it's what they (e.g. vested interests) DON'T say that is most important.

As the Dean of my Faculty at NIDA, Bangkapi opined over Xmas Party drinks to us (myself the only farang): "We have to accept that the formal education system (here in Thailand) is hopeless."

Twelve years later little has changed - except that I would describe the informal education sector as being dominated by lying, cheating, money-grubbing ignoramuses who ruthlessly exploit their captive market and who usually manage to find unscrupulous foreigners to do their dirty work.

Bottom Line: Money first, daylight second.

[GooEng]

crikey it's depressing reading this with my first boy about a year away from entering primary school and another not far behind....

i've been researching this topic pretty diligently for months now by reading forums, looking at the school websites and brochures, trawling through the various other sites that feature reviews of the schools in thailand and canvassing the opinions of other parants i know with kids in school in thailand with the desire to make the considered choice my kids deserve.

we're free to live pretty much anywhere in thailand as i work offshore and would gladly move to the place with the best schools for the kids, so location wasn't a factor it really came down to which school was best.

i had hoped given the time and effort i have put in by now that i would be nearing some sort of conclusion about where to send the kids. but i keep experiencing the same thing - namely that all the schools are damned in one place or another - most of them indeed are widely damned - and even schools widely regarded as the "best" still come in for some pretty convincingly argued and severe criticism - by that i mean arguments and points made convincingly enough that if they were about a school private or otherwise in the uk i would run a mile!

given all this i think in all likelihood, we'll educate the kids until the end of primary school here, then move back to the uk.

shame, really .....

Edited June 21, 2011 by joe ekkamai

[ExpatJ]

crikey it's depressing reading this with my first boy about a year away from entering proper primary school...

i've been researching this topic pretty diligently for weeks now by reading forums, looking at the school websites and brochures, trawling through the various other sites that feature reviews of the schools in thailand and canvassing the opinions of other parants i know with kids in school in thailand with the desire to make the considered choice my kids deserve.

i had hoped given the time and effort i have put in by now that i would be nearing some sort of conclusion, but i keep experiencing the same thing - namely that all the schools are damned in one place or another and even schools widely regarded as the "best" still come in for some pretty convincingly argued and severe criticism - by that i mean arguments and points made convincingly enough that if they were about a school private or otherwise in the uk i would run a mile!

given all this i think the best advice all told is to educate the kids until the end of primary school here, then move back to the uk.

shame, really .....

Don't be too negative- if you can afford one of the top schools- NIST, ISB, Pattana- then your kid will get a world class education (certainly much better than a comprehensive back in the UK) , i also would also say that the 2nd tier schools (e.g. St Andrews type) are also better than a comp back in the UK..