Compare IB Curriculum International Schools in Chiang mai, Thailand

The APIS Main Campus is located at 158/1 Moo 3, Hangdong–Samoeng Road, Banpong, Hangdong District, Chiang Mai 50230, Thailand. It sits approximately 25 km southwest of Chiang Mai city centre, in a rural, mountainous area. The campus is reachable by car and school transport, and is within a reasonable distance of Chiang Mai International Airport for boarding families. The surrounding area includes farms, resorts, and quiet residential communities.

The Main Campus offers education from Grade 5 through Grade 12. The structure includes Middle School (Grades 7–10) and High School (Grades 11–12), with Grade 5 and 6 transitioning students into the IB curriculum and boarding environment. Students follow IB programmes with U.S. curriculum integration at each level.

APIS is a co-educational school offering both day and boarding options. Boarding is available from Grade 5 onwards, with weekly and full boarding arrangements and separate facilities for boys and girls.

The school offers English Language Learning (ELL) support for students in Grades 5–12 whose native language is not English. Placement is based on classroom performance and assessments, and fees apply. Additional academic support and referrals are coordinated by a learning specialist, but there is no formal SEN department.

APIS does not have a formal affiliation with any particular country.

APIS does not have a religious affiliation and operates as a secular, international school.

While specific daily schedules are not published, the school follows a typical IB day schedule with lessons in the morning and afternoon separated by breaks and a lunch period. Boarding students follow a separate supervised daily routine.

APIS provides a coach service for day and boarding students. Seats must be requested after acceptance and are subject to route availability.

The Main Campus operates a residential program with a Residential Director who oversees boarding life.

Lunch is provided; a Main Campus lunch menu is published (Food Menu).

The Main Campus is governed by the School Leadership Team, which includes a License Holder and a Head of School.

American Pacific International School (APIS) offers a combination of the International Baccalaureate (IB) programmes and an American-style curriculum. Students in Grades 5 and 6 begin the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme (PYP), laying the foundation for inquiry-driven learning and conceptual development. The IB Middle Years Programme (MYP) is introduced in Grade 7 through Grade 10, which emphasises interdisciplinary learning and inquiry. In Grades 11 and 12, students pursue the IB Diploma Programme (DP), with additional access to Advanced Placement (AP) courses for those choosing to follow a U.S. high school diploma pathway. The school integrates Common Core State Standards from the United States, particularly in English and Mathematics. Instruction is in English, and students also study additional languages such as Thai, Chinese, or Japanese.

The Main Campus provides structured SEL support via its counseling and advisory programmes. Counselors deliver individual and group sessions and collaborate with teachers and parents to build tailored support plans that develop students’ emotional and social skills alongside academic growth. Advisory lessons engage MYP students in team-building and career‑related decision-making exercises.

Information on SEN support in the Main Campus is the same as at the Primary Campus. Learning Support is offered through individualized learning profiles and tailored strategies by a Learning Support Specialist, in collaboration with counselors, teachers, and families. APIS does not specify categories of SEN supported and is not a specialist SEN institution.

EAL support is consistent across both campuses. The Main Campus maintains a comprehensive ELL programme spanning MYP and DP levels. Specialist ELL teachers provide English Language Acquisition instruction, collaborate with subject teachers for curriculum access, and manage placement into English Language B or Literature based on WIDA testing and performance. An English Academy immersion programme is offered for students requiring intensive support before mainstream enrollment.

The mental wellbeing provision at the Main Campus mirrors the broader school model: counselors offer individual and group sessions and work through the advisory programme. They coordinate with teachers and families to craft student support plans addressing emotional, social, academic, and life-planning needs across divisions.

Safeguarding at the Main Campus is aligned with wider school policy: all staff and applicants must provide detailed employment histories and police/background checks. Counselors conduct classroom lessons on child safeguarding, and responsibilities are shared across leadership, teaching, counseling, and support staff, though no full policy document is posted online.

1. Submit a completed application form along with prior school records and documentation.

2. Attend interview and placement testing
APIS schedules assessments and/or screening based on the applicant’s age and academic history.

3. Application review
After all documentation and testing, the school reviews the file. Decisions may be accepted, deferred, or waitlisted. Parents are notified by email or letter.

4. Receive acceptance and contract
If admitted, students receive an offer letter and school contract to sign and return.

5. Finalize enrollment
Once signed documents are returned, families receive an invoice and secure the place upon payment.

The school does not have publicly available information on their scholarships.

The APIS Primary Campus is located at 88 Moo 2, Tawangtan, Saraphi, Chiang Mai 50140, Thailand. It is situated southeast of Chiang Mai city center in a suburban residential area, offering easy access by car or school transport. The campus is approximately a 20–30 minute drive from the airport and central Chiang Mai, depending on traffic. Its location supports daily commuting for families living in and around the city.

The Primary Campus provides education from Pre-Nursery (age 18 months) through Grade 6 (age 11). Early Years includes Pre-Nursery, Nursery, and Kindergarten levels (K1–K3), while the Primary Years cover Grades 1 to 6.

The school is co-educational and operates as a day school.

Students from K3 to Grade 6 who require English language support may be placed in the English Language Learning (ELL) programme. Placement is based on teacher observation and formal assessments and the support is tailored to individual student needs.

APIS is an independent international school with no formal affiliation to any single country.

The school is non-denominational and does not follow or promote any religious affiliation.

While specific daily schedules are not published, the school follows a typical IB day schedule with lessons in the morning and afternoon separated by breaks and a lunch period.

APIS offers a home-to-campus bus service for Primary Campus students. Transport costs vary by distance.

Weekly residential option exists between the Primary Campus and the Main Campus, with weekly boarding running Monday morning to Friday evening and including three meals a day and snacks. Day-student transport between the campuses is available.

Lunch is provided and a lunch menu is published for APIS, reflecting meal options for students.

The school is privately owned; license holder is Bua Palarit. The Head of School is Stacey Gailey and the Primary Campus Director is Ladda A. Mahidi.

APIS Primary Campus delivers the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme (PYP), designed for students aged 3–12 and structured around six transdisciplinary themes that guide inquiry-based learning. These themes, such as Who We Are, Sharing the Planet, and How the World Works, shape each unit of inquiry and help students build conceptual understanding and skill development. As an IB Continuum school, APIS aligns this programme with the broader IB framework, offering continuity as students progress through Middle Years and Diploma levels. The PYP fully guides instructional practice, integrating U.S. Common Core Standards into its curriculum design. Learned content is assessed continuously, culminating in the PYP Exhibition in Grade 6, where students showcase their development and learning journey

At the Primary Campus, students participate in a counselling and guidance programme that supports their social, emotional, personal, and developmental needs. Services include classroom guidance lessons, as well as individual and small-group counselling. The counselling team collaborates with teachers, support staff, and parents to create support plans tailored to each student’s needs.

The Primary Campus website does not specify which kinds of SEN are supported, nor does it indicate that it is a specialist SEN institution. However, the school’s Access & Inclusion Policy outlines differentiation, accommodation, interventions, and modifications to support individual learning needs.

APIS offers an English Language Learning (ELL) programme for students whose first language is not English. At the Primary Years level (Grades 1–6), support includes co‑teaching in core subjects, advising homeroom teachers, and small-group lessons to build language and literacy skills. An ELL teacher is assigned specifically to the Primary Campus. However, the site does not provide details about programme structure or entry criteria.

The counselling and guidance programme also supports students' mental wellbeing through personalised guidance, small-group or individual sessions, and collaboration with parents and school staff. This approach is intended to help children be happy and confident learners.

While the website highlights background and police checks as part of staff recruitment, it does not offer detailed safeguarding policies specific to the Primary Campus.

1. Submit a completed application form along with prior school records and documentation.

2. Attend interview and placement testing
APIS schedules assessments and/or screening based on the applicant’s age and academic history.

3. Application review
After all documentation and testing, the school reviews the file. Decisions may be accepted, deferred, or waitlisted. Parents are notified by email or letter.

5. Receive acceptance and contract
If admitted, students receive an offer letter and school contract to sign and return.

6. Finalize enrollment
Once signed documents are returned, families receive an invoice and secure the place upon payment.

The school does not have publicly available information on their scholarships.

There is no publicly published waitlist, however, admissions are competitive and places are limited, making early application advisable.

Panyaden International School is located in the Hang Dong district, about 15 minutes south of Chiang Mai city centre, in a semi-rural setting surrounded by rice fields and greenery. It is accessible by local road networks, with parents commonly using a car, bicycle, or a parent‑organised bus.

The school offers education from Nursery (about age 2) through Early Years (Kindergarten), Primary, Middle School (Years 7–9), and Secondary through to Year 13 (IB Diploma).

Panyaden is a fully co‑educational day school.

Panyaden provides language support for students needing extra help in English (ESL) or Thai (TSL). These services are assessed via WIDA tools and delivered through co‑teaching models.

The school has no formal country affiliation.

The school is not affiliated with any particular religion; however, Buddhist values are integrated into daily life and learning, reflecting Thai cultural traditions.

School hours in Early Years run approximately 08:20–15:15, with optional after‑school clubs until 16:00–17:00.

Panyaden does not operate its own bus; however, there is a parent‑organised school bus coordinated via the Friends of Panyaden group.

The school has an official uniform that is compulsory. Uniforms must fit properly, be clean and presentable, and shoulders, upper chest, upper back and upper legs must be covered. Modest dress is required. Alterations or copies of the uniform are not acceptable. Hoodies or non-uniform pullovers are not permitted unless issued by the school. On monk-visit days, students wear either a sarong over their shorts or the uniform long trousers.

The school operates two on-site canteens. The Bamboo Canteen has a modern kitchen and serves healthy meals to over 700 students and staff daily.

The Panyaden Advisory Board (PAB) provides strategic guidance to the owner and executive management team for the development and improvement of the school. It comprises five members with backgrounds in marketing, governance, education, finance and operations, including Oliver Gritz (Chair), Prof. Erich Erber, Greg Smith, Piyapa Erber, Lamorna Cheesman and Romsai Tandakoseya; In Memoriam Thomas Tieber is noted as former Chair as of February 2025.

Panyaden International School offers a bilingual curriculum combining international academic standards with Thai cultural values. In Early Years, the school follows the British Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) framework with equal instruction in Thai and English. The Primary Years (Years 1–6) use the International Primary Curriculum (IPC) alongside the British national curriculum. For Middle School (Years 7–9), students follow the International Middle Years Curriculum (IMYC), designed to support inquiry-based learning across subjects. From Year 10 to Year 11, students enter the Pre‑IB programme, preparing for the IB Diploma Programme (IBDP) offered in Years 12–13. The curriculum includes Thai language and culture, English and Thai literacy, mathematics, science, humanities, art, physical education, and music across school stages.

Panyaden supports Social and Emotional Learning through the work of its qualified school counsellor, Kru Sridevi, who offers individual counselling, classroom guidance lessons, and support for teachers and parents. The school integrates SEL into daily life using practices like meditation, life-skills education, and the “12 Wise Habits”, which encourage students to build emotional awareness and compassionate behaviour. These elements are delivered both explicitly in the curriculum and embedded throughout classroom routines. SEL is considered a shared responsibility across staff and is aligned with the school’s holistic educational approach.

The school accepts students with documented learning differences, and admission decisions involve the Admissions team, the Learning Support teacher, and the Principal on a case-by-case basis. Support is provided through collaboration between classroom teachers, learning support teachers, teaching assistants, and specialist teachers to tailor learning to individual needs. However, Panyaden is not a specialist SEN institution and reserves the right to refuse admission if the student’s needs cannot be met by their existing programme.

Panyaden provides EAL support from Kindergarten through Year 11 via English for Academic Purposes classes in Secondary School and co‑teaching with language specialists in the sheltered immersion model. Language specialists work alongside homeroom and content teachers to adapt materials and support access to the curriculum across subjects. Incoming students are screened using WIDA assessments and progress is monitored with MAP testing aligned to English language development standards.

The school counsellor offers individual consultation and maintains an open‑door policy, allowing drop‑in access and support during difficult times. Kru Sridevi extends psychosocial support to students, staff, and parents, drawing on her professional training in counselling psychology to address emotional challenges. SEL elements such as meditation, the 12 Wise Habits, and classroom guidance contribute to a culture that supports mental wellbeing across the student community

The school does not publicly disclose safeguarding or child protection policy documents on its website. However, it states that all prospective teachers and staff are required to submit detailed employment histories and undergo criminal background checks as part of the recruitment process. These measures are intended to ensure a safe and caring learning environment. Staff are also expected to model the school’s values and follow the 12 Wise Habits. Further information on the implementation or structure of safeguarding procedures is not available through the school’s public-facing resources.

1. Register your interest
Families are encouraged to arrange a personal visit (in-person or virtual) via the enquiry form to get a real sense of the school during term time.

2. Submit online application form
Include supporting documents as requested. Application fee of THB 3,000 is payable on the assessment date.

3. Receive decision and offer
Panyaden reviews the application and will notify families once a place is available.

4. Complete enrollment
Accept the offer, pay required enrolment fee, and complete paperwork to confirm the place.

The Panyaden Secondary Scholarship Programme offers scholarships of up to 100% tuition for high-achieving students entering Years 7 to 11 or the IB Diploma. It also includes additional waivers (e.g., 30%) for early applicants supported by the Erber Family Foundation. These opportunities are selective and typically announced once a year.

The school does not have a waitlist.

Prem International School is located in Mae Rim, about 25 km north of Chiang Mai, Thailand, on a spacious 100-acre campus nestled in a rural setting. The campus is accessible by car and bus and provides a tranquil, nature-filled environment with forests, ponds, and meadows that serve as part of the educational experience.

The school serves students aged 3 to 19, covering Early Years (EY1–3), Primary (Grades 1–5), Middle Years (Grades 6–10), and Senior School programs, including the IB Diploma and Career-related Programmes in Grades 11–12.

Prem is a co-educational international school offering both day and boarding options. Boarding is available for Grades 3–12, with full (7-day) and weekly (5-day) arrangements in modern dormitories, apartments, and short-stay residences.

Students in Grades 3–8 who require extra English support attend the Intensive English Programme (IEP), which focuses on building language skills in literacy, math, science, and humanities, alongside creative and outdoor learning activities.

Prem has no affiliation with any country.

The school has no religious affiliation.

Specific start/end times or break schedules aren’t listed publicly on the school's website.

A school transport service is available for day students, with fees ranging from THB 16,125–19,500 per term based on home-to-school distance.

Boarding at Prem offers flexible options: Full Boarding (a 7‑day on‑campus experience with a weekend program), Weekly Boarding, and Flexi Boarding. The boarding community is supported by 24/7 security from a dedicated team of thirteen guards and on‑site medical care with resident nurses. On‑site boarding clinics and an on‑campus ambulance provide medical support, and dedicated boarding clusters plus the Prem Boarding Lounge foster a home‑like community.

The Prem Canteen serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner to boarding students, and lunch and snacks to day students. The menu features organic produce with Western, Thai/Asian, and Vegetarian sections; breakfast includes an Egg Station and diverse options; weekly menus are published.

The Prem House System has Fire, Earth, Water, and Air houses. It promotes community, competition, and leadership through events such as Premathlon, Sports Days, House Arts Challenge, and Prem's Got Talent, with student leaders playing key roles in the system.

Prem International School was established in 2001 as part of the Traidhos Three-Generation Community for Learning, founded by Mom Luang Tridhosyuth Devakul (Mom‑Tri) and named after General Prem Tinsulanonda. The school remains part of the Traidhos community.

Prem International School follows the full IB continuum from Early Years to Grade 12. The Early Years programme (ages 3–5) is play-based and influenced by the Reggio Emilia approach, with a strong emphasis on outdoor and experiential learning. Grades 1–5 follow the IB Primary Years Programme (PYP), focusing on transdisciplinary inquiry and foundational literacy and numeracy. Grades 6–10 follow the IB Middle Years Programme (MYP), which includes interdisciplinary learning, service, and personal projects. In Grades 11–12, students can choose between the IB Diploma Programme (DP), the IB Career-related Programme (CP), or individual IB courses combined with a Prem High School Diploma. The Intensive English Programme (IEP) supports Grades 3–8 students developing academic English, alongside core subjects and creative learning.

Prem delivers a weekly pastoral curriculum called Connections, spanning Grades 6–12, covering social, emotional, health, and economic topics. These sessions are facilitated by school counsellors, homeroom teachers, and external experts. They are designed to build awareness, emotional skills, and personal growth beyond academics.

The school does not publicly disclose information regarding SEN provisions on their website.

Prem operates an Intensive English Programme (IEP) for students aged 8–14 (Grades 3–8), designed to strengthen English language skills prior to entry into mainstream IB classes. The programme emphasises literacy development integrated within Science, Mathematics, and Humanities subjects.

Counsellors at Prem offer dedicated support services to the entire school community, including boarding students, with access beyond regular school hours. This ensures that help is available whenever needed. The school also provides on-campus medical care via nurses and a medical centre that operates 24/7.

While details of a child protection policy are not explicitly available, the school emphasises 24/7 security, controlled access, and trained staff overseeing boarding and campus safety. On‑campus clinics and trained security personnel help maintain a secure environment for all students.

1. Book a campus tour or open house (optional but encouraged).
Once your match is received, the Admissions team may offer to schedule a visit to the campus. You can tour the learning spaces, ask questions in person, and get a feel for the school day—either in-person or virtually.

2. Submit the online application and required documents.
You'll need to complete the Online Application Form and upload relevant documents such as school transcripts and reports. A one-time, non-refundable application fee must also be paid at this stage to proceed.

3. Participate in an interview and academic assessment.
Once the application is complete, the school will schedule an interview for both the parent(s) and the student. The student will also complete academic assessments, which may include a tailored English language evaluation to ensure the right level of support from the beginning.

4. Receive the admissions decision.
After interviews and assessments are completed, the school typically communicates a decision within 3–5 business days. The offer may be conditional based on year group or required support services.

5. Confirm your place and pay the required fees.
If a place is offered, you’ll need to accept it and make the payments listed in your invoice by the specified deadline.

6. Receive visa support (if applicable).
Once initial fees are received, the school will issue any required documents to support a student visa application (if needed). The admissions team will guide families through this step and help with preparations for starting at Prem.

General Guidelines
Scholarships are open to new and returning students.
Applications must be submitted by April 15 each year.
Award results are announced by April 30.
All applicants must first complete the general school admissions process.
A separate scholarship application, including supporting documentation, is required.

Academic Scholarship
Awarded to students who demonstrate strong academic achievement, consistent effort, and a record of engagement in school life and service.

Athletic Scholarship
Given to students with notable accomplishments and commitment in competitive sports. Applicants are expected to be active contributors to the school’s sports teams.

Creative Arts Scholarship
Designed for students with significant talent in music, visual arts, performing arts, or digital media. A portfolio or audition may be required depending on the discipline.

International Diversity Scholarship
Supports students from diverse national backgrounds who show academic strength and leadership. Intended to encourage broad representation across the school’s community.

IBCP Sustainability Scholarship
Available to students entering the IB Career-Related Programme with a focus on Business and Sustainability. Applicants must submit a digital portfolio and show interest in global sustainability issues.

Prem Ambassadors Award (For existing students only)
Offered to students already enrolled in Grades 8–11 with at least one year at Prem. Awardees are expected to represent the school at events and maintain strong academic and extracurricular involvement. The award is valid for one academic year and must be reapplied for annually.

There is no mention of a waitlist on the school's website.