How many British schools in Bangkok
Bangkok hosts roughly 28 schools that teach the English National Curriculum to IGCSE and A Level, the densest concentration of UK-brand education anywhere in Asia. Around 12 carry the formal brand of a leading UK independent school, including Harrow International School Bangkok, Shrewsbury International School at Riverside and the new City Campus, Brighton College Bangkok, King's College International School Bangkok, Wellington College International Bangkok and Regent's International School. The remainder are independent British curriculum schools that have grown up over the past three decades to serve both the Thai elite and the wider expatriate community.
The scale is unusual because Bangkok is not historically a British colonial city. The cluster reflects the post-1990s rise of Thai upper middle class demand for UK university preparation, combined with deliberate expansion by the UK independent sector overseas. Together the cluster educates around 18,000 children at any given time, with Bangkok Patana School at over 2,200 students the single largest British international school in the world by enrolment.
IGCSE, A Level and the boarding option
Every British curriculum school in Bangkok takes children through IGCSE in Year 11 and A Level in Years 12 and 13. Bangkok Patana also offers the IB Diploma in parallel at sixth form, the only Bangkok school to run both qualifications side by side. The other UK-brand schools concentrate purely on the A Level route, with most cohorts taking three or four subjects to the standard UK university entry point.
Boarding is one of Bangkok's distinctive features. Harrow Bangkok, Shrewsbury, Brighton College and Wellington all operate full or weekly boarding houses, drawing pupils from across Thailand and the wider region. The boarding houses run a UK independent school model with prep evenings, weekend programmes and a house master or mistress structure. Few other Asian cities offer this depth of boarding, which makes Bangkok an unusual hub for families who want British boarding without sending children to the UK. For background see our Bangkok international schools editorial.
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Fees and the Bangkok tiers
British curriculum fees in Bangkok divide into three tiers. The value tier sits at $12,500 to $17,800 a year and covers the smaller British curriculum schools serving working-family and mid-market expatriate budgets. The mid tier at $17,800 to $24,200 covers Bangkok Patana primary, Regent's, Bromsgrove International and the lower year groups at Shrewsbury and Wellington. The premium tier at $24,200 to $32,400 covers Bangkok Patana sixth form, Harrow Bangkok, Shrewsbury Riverside senior and Brighton College.
Boarding fees add a further $14,000 to $24,000 a year on top of day tuition. Registration fees of THB 12,000 to THB 60,000 are non-refundable. Most UK-brand schools charge a one-time capital levy of two to three terms of fees, refundable on departure. For a wider Bangkok cost picture see our Bangkok fees deep dive and the value tier comparison.
Illustrative example schools
The schools below are illustrative, not a ranking. Each has at least a decade of recorded UK A Level outcomes or is a fully accredited overseas campus of a UK independent.
Bangkok Patana School in Bangna is the founding British international school in Thailand, opened 1957. At around 2,200 students it is the largest British international school in the world by enrolment, with A Level results consistently in the top quartile of UK independent sector benchmarks.
Harrow International School Bangkok in Don Mueang is the original Harrow overseas campus, founded 1998. Co-educational at this campus, unlike the UK school, with full boarding for Years 7 to 13 and a strong record of placing pupils into UK Russell Group universities.
Shrewsbury International School Riverside on Charoen Krung Road is the founding Shrewsbury overseas campus, opened 2003. The riverside site is one of the city's most architecturally distinctive school campuses, and the school added a second City Campus for early years and primary in 2018.
Brighton College Bangkok in Krungthep Kreetha, eastern Bangkok, opened in 2016 as the second overseas Brighton College after Abu Dhabi. Strong sixth form A Level outcomes and a heavy investment in sport and creative arts.
King's College International School Bangkok on Rama III opened 2020 as the first overseas King's College, modelled on King's College School Wimbledon, with a particular focus on STEM and academic selectivity from age 11.
Where British families live
British families in Bangkok cluster around the schools they choose, because traffic makes long commutes unmanageable. Bangna, in the eastern outskirts, supports Bangkok Patana families living along Bangna-Trad Road and inside the gated compounds at Lakeside and Nichada Bangna. Sukhumvit Sois 31 to 71 support families using Regent's, Wellington and the city campuses of Shrewsbury, with most families living in townhouses or condominiums close to the BTS skytrain. Don Mueang and the northern Pak Kret belt support Harrow Bangkok families, who live in Nichada Thani and the surrounding compounds for the school bus catchment. Riverside and the Charoen Krung corridor support Shrewsbury Riverside families, who often live in riverside condominium towers with school boat access. Rama III and inner Sathorn support King's College families, who live in central condominium developments along the Chao Phraya.
British nationals form the largest single foreign passport cohort across the UK-brand schools, joined by significant Thai-Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Singaporean and Indian populations. The Thai-Chinese cohort has grown sharply since 2018 and now accounts for around 40 percent of intake at Harrow, Brighton and King's.
Admissions calendar
Bangkok British schools operate the UK academic year, August through June, but place children rolling across the year subject to space. Reception entry at Bangkok Patana, Harrow, Shrewsbury, Brighton, Wellington and King's is the most over-subscribed point, with waiting lists of 12 to 24 months at the most over-subscribed sites. Sixth form A Level entry at Year 12 opens in October for the following August, with most subject combinations confirmed by March.
Mid-year entry is common at lower year groups due to expatriate movement, particularly at January when European families relocate over the Christmas window. The UK-brand schools coordinate informally with their UK parent schools on transfer paperwork, which makes returning to the UK system straightforward. For a wider picture see the Bangkok city hub.
Frequently asked questions
How many British schools are there in Bangkok?
Bangkok hosts roughly 28 schools that teach the English National Curriculum to IGCSE and A Level. Around 12 carry the formal brand of a leading UK independent, including Harrow, Shrewsbury, Brighton College, King's College and Wellington.
Which is the largest British school in Bangkok?
Bangkok Patana School in Bangna is the largest British international school in the world by enrolment, with around 2,200 students from nursery through Year 13.
How much do British schools in Bangkok cost?
Annual tuition runs from about $12,500 at the smaller British curriculum schools to $32,400 at the premium UK-brand schools. Boarding adds a further $14,000 to $24,000 a year. Median secondary fees sit near $22,000.
Which Bangkok schools offer UK-style boarding?
Harrow Bangkok, Shrewsbury International, Brighton College and Wellington College all operate full or weekly boarding houses on the UK independent school model. Few other Asian cities offer this depth of boarding.
When should I apply for a British school in Bangkok?
Apply 12 to 24 months ahead for reception at Bangkok Patana, Harrow, Shrewsbury, Brighton, Wellington or King's, the most over-subscribed entry points. Mid-year entry at lower year groups is common, sixth form Year 12 entry opens in October of Year 11.
