International Schools in Chiang Mai

Ages 2-18 · British · Hang Dong · ~978 students

Lanna is the best-value British pathway in Chiang Mai for families who want IGCSE and A-Levels without paying IB prices. At around 1,000 students it is large enough to feel like a proper school, and the 2018 Hang Dong campus upgrade resolved the main historic complaint about split sites.

Ages 3-18 · IB · Mae Rim · ~500 students

If your budget stretches to it and you want IB from age three through to Diploma or the unique Career-related Programme, Prem is the obvious first call in Chiang Mai. The boarding option - weekly or full - makes it the only credible choice for families relocating regionally rather than just to the city.

Ages 3-18 · American · Old City & Nimman · ~500 students

For families coming from a North American system, CMIS is the most natural fit in Chiang Mai - seven decades of history, AP courses in the senior years, and fees that sit well below the IB schools. It is not the flashiest option, but it has a track record and a genuine community feel.

Ages 2-18 · British, IB · Hang Dong · ~350 students

For families who want a bilingual British-curriculum school with a genuine values framework - not just as a branding exercise - Panyaden is worth a serious look. The eco-campus and Buddhist-principles approach suit families who want their children to grow up bicultural in Thailand; if you need an exit straight to UK sixth form or US university, check the IBDP results first.

Ages 2-18 · Singapore, British · Old City & Nimman · ~450 students

SISB is the only Singapore-curriculum school in Chiang Mai and the right choice if you are coming from a Singapore schooling background or want trilingual English-Chinese-Thai immersion from early years. The city-centre location on Hussadhisawee Road is a genuine advantage for families based in the Nimman or Old City area.

Ages 2-18 · British · Other Chiang Mai · ~600 students

VCIS is the most affordable route to a British-accredited A-Level in Chiang Mai, and for self-funding families who want Cambridge IGCSE and A-Levels without Lanna's price tag, it is worth a serious look. The school's limited visibility in international parent circles means you will need to do more of your own due diligence at a campus visit.

Ages 3-18 · American · Other Chiang Mai · ~300 students

NIS is Chiang Mai's most established secular American-curriculum school, and for families coming from a US background who want AP courses and a non-faith environment, it's the natural comparison against CMIS. The 2024 fee increases and building concerns raised by some families are worth asking about directly at a campus visit.

Ages 1-18 · IB · Other Chiang Mai · ~400 students

APIS suits families who want a full IB continuum with the option to board - the only school in Chiang Mai that combines a residential programme with IB from Nursery through Diploma. If your child is a day student and you live in the city, you need to decide early which campus makes sense; the Primary Campus is convenient, the Main Campus is not.

Ages 3-18 · American, Christian · Other Chiang Mai · ~600 students

UCIS opened in 2017. American curriculum, Common Core, with PYP and MYP elements. Pre-K through Grade 12, around 760 students.

Ages 5-18 · American · Hang Dong · ~515 students

GIS is Chiang Mai's most affordable accredited international school and that is its main draw - ACSI-accredited, K-12, small community, and fees roughly a third of what you pay at Lanna or Prem. The Christian ethos is genuine and central, not background decoration; families who are comfortable with that get good value and a close school community.

Ages 1-18 · British, Singapore · Hang Dong · ~450 students

SBS is worth considering if you want a Cambridge-pathway school in Hang Dong at a price point below Lanna, but go in with open eyes: teacher turnover is high and the cohort skews heavily Chinese, which affects the English-immersion environment. Visit a morning session before committing.

Ages 2-16 · British · Hang Dong · ~200 students

Meritton is Hang Dong's most affordable British-curriculum option for primary and lower secondary, and a good fit for self-funding families who want a values-led small school without paying Lanna's fees. IGCSE is available at Year 11; A-Levels are still coming, so check the current senior pathway before committing for an older child.

Ages 3-11 · British · Other Chiang Mai · ~150 students

If you have a child under 11 and you live or work on the western side of Chiang Mai near the Ornsirin developments, Mill Hill is worth a visit - UK name, British prep school ethos, small founding cohort. For families who need secondary continuity past age 11, the school is not there yet.

Ages 3-18 · German · Other Chiang Mai · ~150 students

Small, German-curriculum school out in Saraphi, surrounded by rice fields. About 230 to 270 students from kindergarten through to the German International Abitur. Most families are German, Austrian or Swiss, with a smaller group of non-German speakers using the DaF/DaZ language entry programmes.