BANGKOK — Thailand’s wealthiest business dynasties are launching a wave of premium international schools, targeting affluent families with fewer children who seek world-class education. With investments exceeding billions of baht per project, these ventures represent a strategic shift in Thailand’s private education landscape.
According to Prachachat Business Report, the schools target prosperous Thai families and CLMV nationals (Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Vietnam), with campuses strategically positioned in Bangkok’s suburbs and major cities including Chonburi, Chiang Mai, and Phuket. This expansion comes as wealthy families increasingly prioritize quality education for smaller family units.
New Entrants Making Billion-Baht Bets
SPGS International School Bangkok
Opening: August 2026 | Location: Rama III area | Investment: Over 1 billion baht ($30 million)
Ben Taechaubol, CEO of Country Group Development (CGD), is partnering with SPGS International to bring the 120-year educational legacy of London’s St Paul’s Girls’ School to Thailand.
The school will serve 1,800 students aged 3-18, offering over 200 weekly extracurricular activities with an emphasis on creativity and innovation. Ben, son of real estate magnate Sadawut Taechaubol (owner of Four Seasons Hotel Chao Phraya River and Capella Bangkok), views the project as foundational to Thailand’s future: “Schools are the foundation of a good society.”
Highgate Thailand International School
Opening: Kindergarten and primary in August 2026, secondary in 2027 | Location: 70-rai site near Siam Country Club, Chonburi
Developed by Siam Motors Group and the Pornprapha family, this school partners with the prestigious Highgate School UK. The institution will follow the British National Curriculum with IGCSE and A Level examinations, with future boarding program plans.
Chairwoman Thanyaporn Pornprapha Tangkaravakoon emphasizes creating “an inspiring environment that balances potential and happiness.”
Established Players Expanding
King’s College International School Bangkok
Opened: September 2020 | Investment: Over 4 billion baht ($122.5 million) | Location: Rama III Road
The Chokwatana family (Saha Group) made one of the sector’s largest investments, partnering with King’s College School, Wimbledon to deliver holistic education and world-class facilities for secondary students.
Mill Hill International School Chiang Mai
Investment: Over 200 million baht | Expected ROI: 4-5 years
The Buranupakorn family’s Ornsirin Holding Group (ORN), major hotel and real estate developers in Northern Thailand, established Chiang Mai’s first British international school. The school targets local families, Chinese parents seeking Thai education, and expatriates in the region.
Wellington College International Bangkok
The Lattapipat family (owners of Dhurakij Pundit University) opened this British curriculum school on a 50-rai site on Krungthep Kreetha Road, featuring a distinctive red-brick, British-style campus beside a golf course.
Rugby School Thailand
Founded: 2017 | Investment: 1.5 billion baht ($46 million) | Location: 1,400-rai site in Khao Mai Kaew, Chonburi
The Teepasuwan family partnered with the 455-year-old Rugby School UK to create Thailand’s largest international school by land area. Taya Teepasuwan leverages her family’s experience from Srivikorn school to guide development under strict British standards.
The family has strategically developed luxury housing projects worth tens of billions of baht in the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC), serving the same affluent demographic.
SBS Bangkok International School
Dr. Arthit Ourairat, President of Rangsit University, draws on over 30 years managing institutions like British International School Phuket and SBS Chiang Mai. “It is time for schools to reform and prepare students to compete in a fast-changing world,” he said, championing holistic learning that integrates languages, innovation, arts, and sports.
Other Major Family Investments
Thailand’s business elite across diverse industries have entered the premium education market:
- Thammawattana family – Thai International School
- Sophonpanich family – Shrewsbury International School
- Chearavanont family (CP Group) – Concordian International School
- Kanchanapas family (Rabbit Holdings) – Verso International School (5-billion-baht joint venture with Hong Kong investors)
- Pandejpong family – Expanded from Denla Kindergarten to Denla British School
- Assakul family (Thai Ocean Life Insurance) – St. Stephen’s International School and Brighton College Bangkok
- Jiaravanon family – Raintree International School
- Thongsima family – Basis International School Bangkok on Rama II Road (1.5-billion-baht partnership with BISB USA)
- Raktapongpaisal and Ruiruangruang families – KIS International School in Lam Luk Ka, Pathum Thani, within the integrated Reignwood Park residential development. The Raktapongpaisal family previously opened KIS’s first campus in Mengjai, Bangkok, following the International Baccalaureate (IB) curriculum.
Market Outlook
Competition in Thailand’s international school sector is intensifying dramatically. With numerous institutions scheduled to open simultaneously between 2026 and 2027, the next two to three years will see unprecedented growth. This represents a fundamental transformation of Thailand’s private education market, as major conglomerates increasingly recognize the lucrative opportunity in serving wealthy Thai and foreign families seeking world-class education for their children.
____________
