Bilingual Schools in Koh Samui: A 2026 Guide for Expat Families

Quick answer: are there bilingual schools in Koh Samui? Only a couple. Oonrak Koh Samui Bilingual School teaches in English and Thai, and L'Ecole Française Internationale de Koh Samui teaches in French with intensive English. The island's other international schools, including PanyaDee and International School of Samui, are English-medium. Expect roughly THB 150,000 to 600,000 a year.

Last reviewed: October 2026 by David from ISA. Fee ranges are indicative; always confirm with the school.

Koh Samui has a surprisingly large choice of schools for an island of its size, and parents searching for bilingual schools in Koh Samui will find plenty of websites using words like international, global and multilingual. Look a little closer, though, and most of these schools teach almost entirely in English, with Thai offered as a subject. Genuine two-language schools, where a large share of the timetable is taught in a second language, are rare.

This guide sets out the three types of school you will meet on the island, explains how Thai language rules shape the timetable, profiles five schools from our directory with honest notes on their language offer, and gives indicative fees in Thai baht. It is aimed at expat families, remote workers and Thai and foreign couples who want their children to grow up comfortable in more than one language.

Living on Koh Samui with children: areas, distances and the school run

Families come to Samui for the outdoor life, the slower pace and, increasingly, for remote work and small business ventures linked to tourism. The island is roughly 25 kilometres across, and a single ring road circles it. That sounds simple, but school runs can still take 30 to 45 minutes in high season, when traffic builds around Chaweng and the airport area.

Schools are spread around the ring road rather than grouped in one district. Bophut and Maenam on the north coast are popular with families who want quieter beaches and easy access to the pier and airport; International School of Samui is in Bophut and Oonrak is in Maenam. Chaweng Noi on the east coast is home to PanyaDee. Lamai, in the south-east, has a cluster that includes Windfield International School and the French school, which share the same address in Maret. Inland, the Na Muang area near the waterfalls is home to Greenacre International School, a good option for families renting villas in the hills or on the south and west coasts.

Most parents drive or use a scooter, and several schools run limited bus routes. Living within 15 minutes of school makes a real difference in the rainy season, from roughly October to December, when heavy downpours can slow the ring road considerably.

What bilingual really means on Samui

When a Samui school calls itself bilingual, it can mean one of three quite different things:

English-medium international schools with a Thai strand: lessons are taught in English, following a British or Cambridge curriculum, with Thai language and culture lessons on the timetable. This is the most common model on the island.
English and Thai bilingual schools: a meaningful part of the day is taught in Thai as well as English. Oonrak Koh Samui Bilingual School is the clearest example on our directory, with both English and Thai listed as languages of instruction.
French and English schools: L'Ecole Française Internationale de Koh Samui teaches the French national programme in French, with an intensive English programme for every pupil, plus Thai, Spanish and Chinese.

The legal background explains why a Thai strand appears almost everywhere. Thailand's 2002 Compulsory Education Act makes nine years of schooling compulsory, and Thai-national pupils at international schools are expected to take Thai language and culture lessons; that is why many Samui international schools run a Thai language strand alongside English. For foreign children, those Thai lessons are usually lighter, but they are a useful start for families staying several years.

Curricula on offer

English National Curriculum: International School of Samui describes itself as a British school teaching an international British curriculum to pupils aged 2 to 18.
Cambridge International: PanyaDee is an approved Cambridge International Centre, and pupils sit Cambridge exams at primary, lower secondary and IGCSE levels. Lamai International School uses a blended Cambridge and UK National Curriculum from Foundation to Year 9.
French national programme: L'Ecole Française Internationale de Koh Samui follows French programmes from maternelle to terminale and works in partnership with the AEFE.
English and Thai bilingual: Oonrak teaches in both languages, with a stated focus on "learning by doing with happiness" and on vocational preparation as well as academics.

Five schools to compare for language learning

Oonrak Koh Samui Bilingual School

Oonrak is in Maenam on the north coast and lists both English and Thai as languages of instruction, which makes it one of the very few true bilingual options on the island. Its stated aims combine academic study with vocational opportunities and preparation for the world of work, and it puts weight on personal, moral, cultural and social education. It is a natural choice for Thai and mixed families who want children to be fully literate in Thai. Tip: ask how the two languages are split by subject and year group, and how a child with little Thai is supported in the first term.

L'Ecole Française Internationale de Koh Samui

This French school belongs to the same school group as Windfield International School and shares its Lamai address. It is one of three schools in Thailand homologated by the French Ministry of Education and is a partner of the AEFE, so pupils can return to the French system without disruption. Every pupil follows an intensive English programme, and Thai, Spanish and Chinese are also taught. It is open to non-French-speaking children too, but the core teaching is in French, so it suits francophone families or those with a long-term French plan best.

PanyaDee, the British International School of Samui

PanyaDee in Chaweng Noi offers preschool, primary and secondary education to children from the international community and Thai residents. It is an approved Cambridge International Centre, non-denominational, and teaches in English, with externally marked Cambridge exams at primary, lower secondary and IGCSE levels. The mix of Thai and international families makes it a good place for children to hear Thai in the playground even though English is the language of the classroom. Ask about Thai lessons for non-Thai pupils and how many years of secondary are offered after IGCSE.

International School of Samui

International School of Samui is in Bophut and describes itself as the island's longest-serving accredited international school, teaching a British curriculum in English to pupils aged 2 to 18. It is one of the few schools on Samui that runs right through to 18, which matters for families who want to stay on the island through the final exam years. This is an English-medium school, so language development in Thai will depend on the Thai lessons offered and on life outside school.

Greenacre International School

Greenacre is a co-educational school in the quiet Na Muang area, near the waterfalls, for pupils from Foundation stage to Lower Secondary. It teaches in English and has a strong green ethos, using its gardens as outdoor classrooms, and it is a Health Promoting School. It suits younger children and families who value outdoor learning, but because it stops at lower secondary, plan ahead for the IGCSE years.

Fees for international and bilingual schools on Koh Samui

None of the schools above publishes fees on its profile, so the ranges below are indicative annual tuition for 2026 to 2027, quoted in Thai baht with a rough US dollar equivalent.

Nursery and early years: roughly THB 150,000 to 300,000 a year, around USD 4,500 to 9,000.
Primary: roughly THB 250,000 to 450,000 a year, around USD 7,500 to 13,500.
Secondary and IGCSE years: roughly THB 350,000 to 600,000 a year, around USD 10,500 to 18,000.
French programme: fees at AEFE partner schools are set locally; French nationals may be eligible for French government bursaries, so ask the school about the application calendar.

Extras to budget for:

application fee and, at many schools, a one-off registration or entrance fee
refundable security deposit
school bus, if your area is served
lunches and snacks
uniforms, swimming kit and sports equipment
Cambridge exam entry fees at checkpoint and IGCSE levels
school trips, including residential trips to the mainland
a laptop or tablet in upper grades

Many schools offer a small discount for paying the year in advance or for siblings. If your income is in euros, pounds or dollars, remember that the baht can move several per cent in a year.

Practical advice for families looking for a bilingual education

Decide which second language really matters. For a Thai or Thai-foreign family, true Thai fluency including reading and writing is the goal, and a bilingual school like Oonrak or strong Thai tutoring is the realistic route. For a French family, the French school solves the question. For most other expat families, an English-medium school plus good Thai lessons is enough for a stay of two or three years.

Visit during a normal school day. Ask to sit in on a Thai lesson and an English lesson. Watch which language children use with each other in the playground. On Samui, class sizes are often small, and in a class of 12 the mix of nationalities can change completely from one year to the next.

Plan for the teenage years. Several Samui schools stop at Year 9 or lower secondary. If your children are older, check where they will sit IGCSE and A Level or an equivalent, and whether boarding in Bangkok or a move to the mainland might be needed later.

See how Samui's schools compare across the province

To compare these schools with options in the rest of the province, including fees and reviews from other parents, see our ranking of the best international schools in Surat Thani.

More guides to schools in Koh Samui

Frequently asked questions

Is there an English and Thai bilingual school on Koh Samui?

Yes, but options are limited. Oonrak Koh Samui Bilingual School in Maenam lists both English and Thai as languages of instruction. Most other schools on the island teach in English and offer Thai language and culture as a subject, often with separate groups for Thai nationals and foreign pupils. Ask each school how many hours a week are taught in Thai.

Is there a French school on Koh Samui?

Yes. L'Ecole Française Internationale de Koh Samui in Lamai, part of the Windfield school group, follows the French national programme from maternelle to terminale and is an AEFE partner. All pupils take an intensive English programme, and Thai, Spanish and Chinese are also taught. Children who do not speak French can apply, but the main teaching language is French.

Do foreign children have to learn Thai at Samui international schools?

Thai lessons are compulsory for Thai-national pupils, and most schools also offer Thai to foreign children, usually as a few lessons a week. It is rarely enough to become fully fluent, but it gives children a working base. Families staying several years often add a private Thai tutor, which costs roughly THB 300 to 600 an hour.