Prices by city
Annual fee per child. The low end covers small bilingual or international schools; the high end, the big British and American ones:
| City | Per child, per year | References |
|---|---|---|
| Bangkok | €5,000–23,000 | Patana, NIST, ISB, Shrewsbury, Harrow (top end) |
| Phuket | €6,500–23,000 | BISP and UWC at the top; HeadStart, QSI, Kajonkiet in the middle |
| Hua Hin | €5,200–15,600 | Hua Hin International and schools in the area |
| Chiang Mai | €4,200–14,500 | CMIS, Lanna, Panyaden, Meritton |
| Koh Samui | €2,400–14,500 | ISS, PBISS, Lamai International |
The important takeaway: the differences between cities are enormous. For a family with two children, choosing Samui or Chiang Mai over Bangkok can save more than the price of an entire school — which is why many families choose their city based on the school, not the other way around.
The mid-tier option nobody shows you
The newcomer's most expensive mistake: only looking at the three famous schools. In Bangkok there are families paying €20,000 per child at a big British school when twenty minutes away there was an excellent small international school for €7,000. That middle tier — solid bilingual schools, neighborhood international schools, centers with a British or American curriculum but without the expensive brand — exists in every city and almost nobody shows it to you because it doesn't advertise the same way. Asking for the full list, not just the usual one, is one of the most cost-effective things we do with a family.
What the school's website doesn't tell you
Annual tuition isn't the bill. You need to add:
- Enrollment and placement fees (sometimes refundable, sometimes not).
- Uniforms, lunch, school transport and activities.
- The jump by stage: secondary costs noticeably more than early years at the same school.
All told, 15–25% above the published tuition. Ask each school for its full fee schedule before deciding.
Curricula, in short
You'll mostly find British (IGCSE/A-Levels), American and International Baccalaureate (IB), plus a few schools with their own curriculum or a Thai-English bilingual program. The choice affects where your child will fit if you move back to Spain or on to another country: the IB is the most internationally "portable". It's a family decision, not a price one.
Where Bexpat fits in
Schooling shapes the whole family move, so we put it on the table from the first call: we help you fix the school before the apartment and build the setup around that decision. Your family's numbers, school included, come out of the calculator (choose "couple + kids"), and the full picture is in moving with kids.
Frequently asked questions
How much does an international school cost?
In Bangkok, €5,000 to €23,000 per child and year; outside the capital, €2,400 to €15,600. The low end covers bilingual and small international schools; the high end, the big British and American ones.
Is tuition the final cost?
No: add 15–25% for enrollment, uniforms, lunch, transport and activities, and expect secondary to cost more than early years. The website figure is never the real bill.
Which city is cheapest for schooling?
Koh Samui and Chiang Mai tend to be the most affordable, then Hua Hin; Bangkok and Phuket, the most expensive. With two children, the difference between cities can exceed the price of an entire school.