International Schools in Phuket: fees, curricula & boarding

Why Phuket for international education

Phuket has grown from a holiday island into a year-round home for expat and relocating families, and its schools have grown with it. For a family moving to the south of Thailand — or choosing to base themselves on the island while a parent works remotely or runs a business — Phuket now offers a genuine cluster of established international schools rather than a single option.

Two things make Phuket stand out. First, it has real boarding capacity, which is uncommon in Thailand outside Bangkok and Chiang Mai — useful for overseas families who want a trusted school in Thailand without relocating the whole household. Second, the island setting supports strong sports and outdoor programmes, from swimming and water sports to football and tennis. This guide maps the main schools, their curricula, the day-versus-boarding choice and the fee tiers, then shows how to shortlist.

The main international schools

A handful of schools account for most international enrolment on the island. The profiles below are a starting map — always confirm current curricula, year levels and fees directly with each school, as they change.

• British International School Phuket (BISP) — established in 1996 and the largest, most established international school in Phuket. Co-educational and English-medium, on a campus at Koh Kaew in Mueang Phuket, it runs a British curriculum through IGCSE and then the IB Diploma in the sixth form, is known for its elite sports academy, and offers both day places and full boarding.
• UWC Thailand (Phuket) — a full International Baccalaureate school running the whole IB continuum (Primary Years, Middle Years and Diploma Programmes), with a strong values, service and scholarship culture. It offers day places and boarding from Grade 8.
• HeadStart International School — a Cambridge-curriculum school (IGCSE and A-level) in the Phuket Town area, with modern facilities. A popular mid-tier choice for families who want the Cambridge route.
• Kajonkiet International School (KIS) — a British-curriculum school with multiple campuses that welcomes both Thai and international students, and is the most affordable of the main options.
• BCIS and QSI — two further established schools worth adding to a shortlist. QSI sits in the mid-tier fee band; confirm each school's current curriculum, year levels and fees before you compare.

Curricula: British, IB and Cambridge

Phuket covers the three curriculum routes international families usually weigh up, and all of them are taught in English and recognised by universities worldwide. The route shapes the qualification your child leaves with and the exams they sit in the final years.

British / IGCSE: BISP and Kajonkiet follow a British curriculum, with IGCSE as the Year 11 examination. Cambridge (IGCSE then A-level): HeadStart runs the Cambridge route through to A-level. International Baccalaureate: UWC Thailand is a full IB school from the early years to the Diploma, while BISP offers the IB Diploma in its sixth form — so a family set on the IB has more than one option on the island. Match the route to your child's strengths and target universities, then check which schools run it at the year level you need.

Day vs boarding on the island

Phuket is one of the few places in Thailand where boarding is a real, mainstream option, which is why it appeals to overseas families and to those who want their child settled on the island without a daily cross-island commute. BISP offers full boarding, and UWC Thailand offers boarding from Grade 8; both also take day students.

Boarding suits a specific set of families: those relocating from abroad, those living elsewhere in the region who want a school in Thailand, or those whose home is far from campus. It adds a significant cost on top of tuition and works best from the middle-school years up, so weigh the pastoral care, weekend programme, minimum age and house structure — not just the price. Day places remain the norm for families already living on the island; consider the commute from your area, as Phuket traffic and distance to Koh Kaew or Phuket Town can shape the school run.

Fees by tier (2025–2026)

Broadly, the main schools fall into two tiers. Every figure below is approximate as of 2025–2026, rises with each year level (the IGCSE, A-level and IB Diploma years are the most expensive) and changes annually — treat them as a planning guide and confirm with each school.

• Tier 1 — premium (BISP, UWC Thailand). BISP day tuition is roughly ฿540,000–฿1,150,000 a year, with full boarding adding about ฿450,000–฿600,000. UWC Thailand day fees are roughly ฿460,000–฿920,000 a year, with boarding (from Grade 8) adding about ฿350,000–฿500,000.
• Tier 2 — mid-tier (HeadStart, QSI, Kajonkiet). HeadStart and QSI sit broadly in the ฿280,000–฿580,000 a year range, while Kajonkiet is the most affordable of the main schools at roughly ฿180,000–฿280,000 a year.
• Beyond tuition, budget for one-off registration and deposits, EAL (English) support if your child needs it, external exam fees in the IGCSE/A-level/IB years, plus uniforms, buses, lunches and trips — these are real recurring costs at every school.

Sports, the arts and academic strengths

The schools have different characters, and the best fit depends on your child rather than a league table. BISP is well known for its elite sports academy, and the island setting supports swimming, water sports, football and tennis at a level that is hard to match inland. UWC Thailand leans into the IB's academic rigour alongside a strong ethos of service, values and community.

HeadStart and Kajonkiet offer solid, well-rounded programmes at a more accessible fee, with Kajonkiet in particular bringing together Thai and international students. None of these is simply better than the others — a sporty child, an IB-minded child and a family watching the budget will each rank them differently, which is exactly why a visit matters.

The English requirement behind the upper years

Every international school on the island teaches entirely in English, so English is the gate, not an afterthought. Entry into the upper years usually requires a proven level of English, and schools run EAL support — a real recurring cost — for children who need to catch up.

The same gate returns at the end of school: admission to international universities generally requires a recognised English test such as IELTS or TOEFL, and IELTS Academic is the most widely accepted. Building strong academic English early lowers EAL costs, protects upper-year entry and removes a common last-minute obstacle to university offers. Bilingual, exam-focused prep — for example engforedu.com, which offers IELTS and English practice in both Thai and English with AI-powered band scoring — is an affordable way to keep your child ahead of that requirement rather than scrambling for it in the final year.

How to shortlist

With a manageable number of schools, a Phuket shortlist comes together quickly once you know your priorities. Weigh these factors before you book visits:

• Curriculum fit — British, Cambridge or IB — matched to your child and target universities.
• Day or boarding, and, if day, the realistic commute from your area of the island.
• The all-in budget: tuition at the year levels your child will actually attend, plus extras and any boarding fees.
• Sports, arts and academic character, judged against your child's strengths and interests.
• Track record and university destinations, and the English entry requirement for the year you are joining.