Chiangrai Schools

[Joel Barlow]

Can anyone help me with more complete data for an updating of chiangraiprovince.com/guide ? This information really should be more readily available...

Chiang Rai has nursery schools, elementary schools, high schools and colleges, both public and private. There's a teacher's college, a business school, an industrial college, an agricultural tech college and a university.

Amphoe Muang has lots of schools, too many to report on. My young son’s pre-school and “annuban”

(kindergarten) have been great: just local places with very nice teachers. I taught briefly at Samakkhi Wittayakhom (on Banpaprakan, west of the new clock-tower and Old Airport Road) in 1999, and helped to start its English Language Academic Program. It’s reputed to be the best school in Thailand’s north, and found many good things there, but am not much impressed that that’s the best we have. Since then two International schools have opened. ChiangRai International, CRIS (over B200,000 a year, cost rising with grade), is on Kasalongm just east of Thanon Klang Wiang (the road with the new bridge which goes to Ban Mai). The second, ChiangRai Christian International School (B120,000 a year ) is further north from Ban Mai, down a soi opposite Makro. Piti Suksa, one of our two Montessori schools (we once had three rival ones), is near the Rimkok Resort, on Nam Lat (or MaeFahLuang) Soi 1, and, name not-with-standing, teaches in English (about B70,000 a year for kindergarten and 80,000 after that); the other one goes half and half. It is also north of the river. The private schools also have entry charges (25-50,000 baht).

Chiangrai Wittayakhom is our oldest school (before it opened, teaching was done mostly in temples), and enjoys a good reputation too. Tetsabaan 6 school is supposed to be pretty good (I was recently told that Tetsabaan 7 had half Thai Half English instruction, but think Tetsabaan 6 was meant). It’s at the intersection of the FangMin Road which goes out to the Labor Ministry and Motor Vehicles
department, and Rt. 5023 which runs in front of the airport, by the “Discovery Center”). There’s a pretty fancy looking school by the Provincial sports arena (Ban SanKhong School, ChiangraiJalernRat), and a couple Catholic schools (Santi on the Superhighway and St. Mary’s across from Ban Mai market). Sahasat Suksa in Nam Lat, mostly for Hill-tribe kids, is Christian. My family is not, but from our direct experience, I can definitely say it is a fine school.

KTech way out past Den Ha, Chiangrai Beach and Rai Mae Fah Luang (ChiangRai Kachanaphisek
Technical School, past another Samakkhi Wittayakhom on Rt1211 old hwy to CM) is our best vocational school, although VBAC (almost to Wat Rong Khun “White Temple” just west of Hwy 1), which instructs students of the last couple years of “high school” along with students in the first couple years of upper
education, may be seen to successfully rival it in some ways (I’ve heard they have an interesting bio-diesel program). Mae Fa Luang University (km. 846 on Hwy 1) is reputed to be our best. Chiangrai Rajapat University (just north of Ban Du) seems to be the party campus, with entertainment venues all around (often with suggestive ads for Regency and VO); when I assisted them some 15 years ago, students mostly lived 7 to a room but now there is a plethora of small free-standing houses for them. Another Rajapat is soon to open in ChiangKhong.

Under the current Thai constitution, children have a right to 12 years of schooling; the school-year starts in May and ends in early March, with a vacation in October.

Thai language lessons are available at the YMCA on Goi Loi near the library (by the month, tel 053-713-009) or from Wanpen Nanta out in Ban Huay Sak (towards Thoeng, B150/hr, tel. 01-366-6987).

[villagefarang]

I know I should probably mind my own business but I am going to offer this up anyway, since you mention updating.

You are always very informative and provide a plethora of facts and data but I find the format distracts from getting your message across. Long paragraphs make digesting the large amount of information you dispense, much harder than it needs to be.

I am sure an online specialist, or even a search, could recommend ways to shorten paragraphs and perhaps incorporate lists and charts that would make it easier for slow-witted readers, like myself, to understand.

[sunholidaysun1]

I wondered why so many farangs live near schools They've got kids

[siamiamtom]

I found your post interesting.Ive been doing research on the schools in chiangrai.forums,talking with a few folks who live in chiangrai.We will be relocating to Chiangrai in a few months.Weve got an 9 year old daughter.Choosing a good school for her is at the top of the list.She speaks english and thai.Relocating to a new area is at the least,stressful.As I mentioned earlier.My top concern is my choice of schools for my daughter.Can anybody give me some more info on schools in chiangrai? Thank You siamiamtom

[toybits]

Joel, It might be good to insert a Google earth map or maps here.