Quick answer: how do international school admissions work on Koh Samui? Applications are rolling year-round, but apply by March for an August start at International School of Samui and Panyadee, where early years and Year 7 fill first. You need two years of reports, a reference, passports, an assessment and a valid long-stay visa. Application fees are roughly 3,000 to 10,000 baht; tuition is roughly 250,000 to 550,000 baht a year.
Last reviewed: September 2026 by David from ISA. Fee ranges are indicative; always confirm with the school.
Koh Samui is no longer just a holiday island. Remote-working families, retirees with school-age children, hospitality managers and a large European and Russian-speaking community have turned it into one of Thailand's more unusual school markets, with seven or more international and bilingual schools on an island of 70,000 residents. International school admissions in Koh Samui are friendlier and more flexible than in Bangkok, but the schools are small, the visa question is unavoidable, and the differences between a British school in Chaweng and a bilingual school in Maenam are large. This guide walks through the process step by step.
The island context: small schools, flexible families
Samui's schools are strung along the ring road: International School of Samui and Panyadee in the Chaweng and Chaweng Noi area on the east coast, Oonrak in the north near Maenam and Bophut, Windfield and Lamai International School in the south-east around Lamai, the French school in the north. Nowhere is more than 40 minutes from anywhere else, but the ring road is slow in the rainy season from October to December and school buses are worth budgeting for.
The other defining feature is the student body. Because many families are here on flexible arrangements rather than corporate postings, there is a constant flow of arrivals and departures, and the schools have become very good at integrating children mid-year, including those with little English. That flexibility is why admissions are rolling, and also why you should ask how many children joined and left a year group in the past twelve months.
Curricula available on Koh Samui
- British curriculum (Cambridge IGCSE and A Level): International School of Samui and Panyadee, the two longest-established international schools on the island.
- International Baccalaureate: Windfield International School follows the IB Primary and Middle Years programmes.
- Thai bilingual: Oonrak Koh Samui Bilingual School combines the Thai national curriculum with English-medium teaching at lower fees.
- French curriculum: the Ecole Francaise Internationale de Koh Samui for francophone families.
- Smaller international schools: Greenacre International School and Lamai International School offer English-medium programmes with small classes.
International schools on Koh Samui and how they admit
International School of Samui (ISS)
The largest and best-known school on the island, in Chaweng, following the English National Curriculum from early years to A Level with a broad mix of nationalities. Admission involves an application, previous reports, an assessment and an interview; early years and the start of secondary are the tightest year groups. Fees are roughly 350,000 to 550,000 baht a year plus a registration fee and a refundable deposit.
Panyadee, The British International School of Samui
A British curriculum school in Chaweng Noi with a warm, smaller-scale feel and Cambridge examinations. Admissions are rolling with an assessment day; the school is well used to children arriving with English as an additional language. Fees are roughly 300,000 to 480,000 baht a year.
Windfield International School
An IB school in the Lamai area offering the Primary and Middle Years programmes, with a strong emphasis on inquiry learning and the outdoors. Admission follows IB-style procedures with a family interview and a classroom visit. Fees are broadly in line with the British schools.
Oonrak Koh Samui Bilingual School
A Thai bilingual school near Maenam that teaches the national curriculum with substantial English-medium instruction. It is the choice for families settling long term who want Thai language and culture, and for budgets well below international school levels. Admission follows the Thai school calendar with the main intake in May; ask about mid-year places.
Greenacre International School
A small international school with an English-medium programme and very small classes, attractive to families who want close attention or a gentler transition into English. Admissions are informal and quick, usually a visit and a trial day.
The admissions timeline, step by step
Step 1, three to six months ahead: email two schools with your child's date of birth, current curriculum and planned arrival date. Ask directly whether the year group has space. Samui schools reply quickly and honestly.
Step 2, application and fee: complete the form, pay the application fee (roughly 3,000 to 10,000 baht), and submit passports, two years of reports, a school reference and immunisation records. Reports in languages other than English usually need a translation.
Step 3, assessment: an observation session for the youngest, English and maths screening for primary, subject assessments and an interview for secondary. Video assessments from abroad are routine.
Step 4, offer, deposit and visa: accept with a deposit and a registration fee. The school then issues the documents needed for the child's Non-Immigrant ED visa. Parents must hold their own long-stay visa; since July 2024 many Samui families have used the Destination Thailand Visa (DTV), a five-year visa allowing stays of 180 days per entry for remote workers and participants in Thai cultural or educational activities.
Step 5, before day one: uniform, bus route, lunch plan and, for IGCSE or A Level entrants, subject choices in writing.
Fees and extras to budget for
Tuition at the international schools is roughly 250,000 to 550,000 baht a year depending on school and age, with Oonrak considerably lower. Extras include the application fee, a registration or capital fee on entry, a refundable deposit, school bus fees, uniforms, lunches, external exam fees for IGCSE and A Level, and school trips. Thailand exempts licensed private schools from VAT on tuition, so there should be no 7 percent VAT on the tuition line.
Practical advice specific to Koh Samui
Sort the visa before the school, or at least in parallel. A school can only sponsor the child's ED visa if the parents' own status is in order. Families who arrive on tourist entries and then apply have found the timing stressful.
Ask about the size and stability of the senior years. Both British schools run A Levels, but cohorts are small and subject choice depends on who is enrolled. If your child is 15 or older, ask which subjects actually ran last year.
Think about what happens in the rainy season. Flooding on the ring road in November can close schools for a day or two. Ask how the school communicates closures and whether it offers remote lessons on those days.
Compare Koh Samui schools before you apply
Use the ranking of the best schools in Thailand to compare the Samui schools in this guide on curriculum, fees and parent reviews before you pay an application fee.
More guides to schools in Koh Samui
Frequently asked questions
When should I apply to an international school on Koh Samui?
Ideally three to six months before you arrive, and by March for an August start at the two British schools, International School of Samui and Panyadee, where early years and Year 7 fill first. Admissions are rolling and mid-year entry is normal on the island because so many families arrive on flexible schedules, but the small class sizes mean a specific year group can be full.
What documents do Koh Samui international schools ask for?
A completed application, passport copies for child and parents, the last two years of school reports, a reference from the current school, immunisation records, passport photographs and, for older students, transcripts. Schools will also ask about your visa status, because they sponsor Non-Immigrant ED visas for students and need parents to hold a valid long-stay visa such as a guardian, work, retirement or DTV visa.
Do Koh Samui schools require an entrance exam?
Most run an assessment rather than a competitive exam: an informal observation for early years, English and maths screening for primary, and subject assessments plus an interview for secondary. Because many families arrive from non-English systems, schools are used to assessing English language needs and offering support. Windfield and the French school follow their own IB and French procedures.