Thailand has experienced leapfrog growth in international schools over the past five years, driven by aligned interests from both the demand and supply sides.
Auramon Supthaweethum, director general of the Department of Business Development under the Commerce Ministry, highlighted the promising trend this week, noting that nearly 260 international schools are now operating in major Thai cities.
Auramon revealed that over 80% of these schools are located in Bangkok, as well as in Chiang Mai, Phuket, and Chon Buri provinces. Most are operated by British groups or institutions, which account for about 30% of the total.
She explained that the schools’ exclusive, high-end curricula—designed to meet international standards—along with their global reputation for producing professionally competent and socially elite graduates, have attracted both affluent Thai families and expatriates.
Additionally, features such as learning environments that support skill development and child-oriented policies—like close supervision and a favorable teacher-to-student ratio of 1:8—resonate with parents' expectations.
The senior official cautioned, however, that international schools must continue to evolve in line with regional and global educational trends and competition.
This includes integrating high-demand courses into their curricula, such as artificial intelligence (AI) and interdisciplinary STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) programs.
These developments align with the long-term preferences of high-net-worth individuals (HNWIs), even amid a nationwide decline in birth rates.
According to The Wealth Report by Knight Frank and data from the DBD DataWarehouse+, the number of HNWIs in Thailand increased by an average of 10% from 2016 to 2022 and is expected to reach 160,000 by 2026.
Meanwhile, international schools reported a combined net profit of 1.6 billion baht in 2023.
