More signs international schools in Bangkok preparing for extended closure, with opening in August in doubt
Some international schools in Bangkok are quietly preparing for an extended period of online learning even after the start of the next school year in August. As Thailand opens up later this year, the COVID-19 virus could start spreading again, putting non-vaccinated, including children, at risk of falling ill. This could set off new […]
The BIG interview part 2: NIST-supremo on fees, regulation and why some schools have profit margins reaching 50%
Mr James Dalziel is Head of School at NIST, one of Thailand’s most well known international schools. In an hour long interview over Zoom with TIS Monitor, he talks frankly about why the number of international schools in Thailand is growing so quickly, regulating the industry and why enrollment fees are used. Also taking […]
Cap on international school profits quietly removed in 2011 – enabling bonanza for owners
Thailand’s 2007 Private School Act imposed a cap on profits at international schools. This was quietly removed in 2011, opening the way for schools to start reaping huge profits. The past decade has seen rapid growth in both the number and size of international schools in Thailand. While this can partly be explained by […]
The BIG interview part 1: NIST-supremo on Covid-closure, refunds and which students tend to perform better
Mr James Dalziel is Head of School at NIST, one of Thailand’s most well known international schools. In an hour-long interview over Zoom with TIS Monitor, he talks frankly about the challenges facing the school during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the pressure from the board to cut costs and why educating a student at […]
Strong reaction to article on fees during Covid-closure ● Topic discussed worldwide
An article published on TIS Monitor about school fees during the Covid-closure has become one of the most widely read and most shared articles on the website. It has reached readers all around the world, and has led to strong reactions from many people. On May 26, TIS Monitor published an article discussing the […]
New school on Ko Samui promises attractive fees and cross cultural experience of English and French
Competition is gearing up on Ko Samui as a new international school promises to ”push fees down as low as possible.” The soon-to-open Windfield International School will work closely with an existing French school in the Lamai area. The number of International schools in Thailand continues to increase, and at the end of August […]
Covid-closures: Frustration grows among parents as school officials avoid tough questions over fees
International schools in Thailand have returned to online teaching, but most of them continue to charge full fees for a service some parents regard as inferior. Meanwhile, head of schools and other senior school officials of some of Thailand’s largest international schools have been avoiding answering questions from TIS Monitor. As Thailand keeps battling […]
Phuket-school among first to offer tuition fee discounts during Covid-closure
HeadStart International School in Phuket will start offering discounts on tuition fees during the ongoing session of online learning. For the youngest children, the discount will be 40%. When Covid-19 first struck early last year and international schools in Thailand turned to online learning, many schools quickly offered discounts on tuition fees as the children […]
Many international schools reaping huge profits, investigation shows
International schools in Bangkok are generating a healthy profit, with some generating profits equal to more than 50% of their revenue. This information comes from the first data-driven and independent analysis of the industry, based on information from several authorities. For almost a year, staff at TIS Monitor have been collecting data from various Thai […]
Dual pricing at international schools legal, experts say
According to several legal experts interviewed by TIS Monitor, international schools in Thailand are allowed to give fee discounts based on nationality and to charge foreign nationals less than Thais. Many international schools in Thailand face a challenge creating an international environment on campus, with the desired mix of students from different countries being hard […]