Best International Schools in Koh Samui: 2026 Guide for Families

Quick answer: What are the best international schools in Koh Samui? Koh Samui has around half a dozen international schools, mostly following British or Cambridge curricula, with fees of roughly THB 250,000 to 600,000 a year. International School of Samui runs to age 18, PanyaDee covers preschool to secondary, and Lamai International School and Greenacre stop at lower secondary.

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

Choosing among the best international schools in Koh Samui is a different exercise from choosing a school in Bangkok or Phuket. The island is small, the number of schools is limited, and most of them are compact, family-scale places where the head knows every child by name. That intimacy is a real strength, but it also means that the "best" school for your family depends heavily on your child's age, how long you plan to stay, and which part of the island you will live in.

The single most important question for many island families is continuity. Several Samui schools finish at Year 9 or the end of lower secondary, so a family arriving with a seven year old needs to think now about where that child will sit IGCSEs or A Levels. This guide explains what separates the schools, who each one tends to suit, and what a realistic budget looks like in 2026.

Living and schooling on Koh Samui

Families come to Samui for a slower pace, outdoor childhoods and, increasingly, because one or both parents can work remotely. The island's population of foreign residents has grown steadily, with many households from the UK, Europe and Australia, alongside Thai families who want an English-medium education for their children. The result is a mixed, informal school community where newcomers usually find their feet quickly.

Geography matters more than you might expect. Almost everything is connected by the ring road, route 4169, which loops roughly 50 kilometres around the island. The north and north east (Bophut, Maenam and Chaweng) hold most of the services, the airport and a good share of the schools. Lamai and Maret on the south east coast are quieter but have two schools of their own, while Na Muang, inland near the waterfalls, feels almost rural. A drive from Maenam to Lamai can take 30 to 45 minutes at school run times, and the main rainy season from October to December can flood low stretches of road and slow everything down.

In practice, most families pick a school first and then rent within 15 to 20 minutes of it. Living on the far side of the island from your child's school is the most common regret we hear from parents who arrived in the dry season and made decisions in a hurry.

Curricula available on the island

British curriculum (English National Curriculum): the dominant model, with Foundation Stage, Key Stages and Year groups. International School of Samui follows a British curriculum through to age 18.
Cambridge International: PanyaDee is an approved Cambridge International Centre, and Lamai International School blends Cambridge with the UK National Curriculum.
IGCSE: available at schools with an upper secondary section, most notably International School of Samui.
Bilingual English and Thai: Oonrak in Maenam teaches in both English and Thai, which suits younger children and families planning a long stay in Thailand.

None of the schools covered here lists the IB or an American curriculum, so families committed to either should check the latest position directly and may end up looking at Bangkok, Phuket or boarding options.

The leading schools and who they suit

International School of Samui

Based at 141/21 Moo 6 in Bophut, International School of Samui describes itself as the island's longest-serving accredited international school. It follows a British curriculum for ages 2 to 18 and teaches in English. The school reports that its latest Year 11 cohort achieved 96% A* to C and 43% A*/A at IGCSE; those are the school's own figures, so ask how many pupils sat the exams and which subjects were offered.

Who it fits: families who want one school from nursery to the end of secondary without moving island or country. If you expect to stay beyond Year 9, this is usually the first school to visit.

PanyaDee, the British International School of Samui

PanyaDee sits in Chaweng Noi and offers preschool, primary and secondary sections. It is an approved Cambridge International Centre, teaches in English and is non-denominational, with a mix of international and Thai pupils.

Who it fits: families living around Chaweng or Bophut who like the structure of Cambridge assessments. Ask how far its secondary provision currently runs and which Cambridge qualifications are offered in the upper years, as this changes as schools grow.

Lamai International School (LIS)

Lamai International School opened in January 2016 in Maret, close to Lamai. It covers Foundation to Year 9 and uses a blend of the Cambridge curriculum and the UK National Curriculum.

Who it fits: families based in the south east of the island with children in primary or early secondary. Because it finishes at Year 9, plan your Year 10 move early, ideally a year ahead.

Greenacre International School

Greenacre is a co-educational school in Na Muang, near the waterfalls, teaching from Foundation stage to Lower Secondary. It promotes a Green Ethos and describes itself as a Health Promoting School, with outdoor learning a visible part of daily life.

Who it fits: families who prioritise nature, smaller settings and an environmental focus for younger children. The inland location is peaceful but adds driving time from the coast, so test the commute in the rain.

Oonrak Koh Samui Bilingual School

Oonrak is at 57 Moo 1 in Maenam and teaches in English and Thai. Its motto, "learning by doing with happiness", reflects a hands-on approach that tends to appeal to parents of young children.

Who it fits: Thai and mixed families, and long-stay expats who want genuine Thai language alongside English. Families planning a later move back to a UK-style system should ask how pupils transfer at secondary level.

What families pay on Koh Samui

Fees on Samui are lower than at the large Bangkok schools but not cheap. As a rough guide for 2026:

Nursery and early years: roughly THB 250,000 to 350,000 a year (about USD 7,000 to 10,000).
Primary: roughly THB 300,000 to 450,000 a year.
Lower and upper secondary: roughly THB 400,000 to 600,000 a year (about USD 11,000 to 17,000), with IGCSE years at the top of the range.

Extras to budget for:

Application or registration fee, usually non-refundable.
Refundable deposit or bond, often equal to a term's fees or a fixed sum.
Development or capital levy at some schools, charged once or annually.
Uniforms, swimwear and sports kit.
School transport, where offered, or the cost of a car or scooter for the school run.
Lunches and snacks.
Exam board entry fees in IGCSE years.
A laptop or tablet in upper primary and secondary.

Visas are part of the cost picture too. Thailand's Destination Thailand Visa (DTV), launched on 15 July 2024, is a five-year multiple-entry visa aimed at remote workers, and many island families use it. Check the current rules for dependants and whether your child needs an education visa of their own; schools can usually explain which documents they provide.

Practical advice for choosing well

Map your child's whole school journey. Write down the year your child will reach Year 10 and Year 12, then check which schools can take them that far. If the answer is only one school on the island, visit it even if your child is currently in primary, and ask about future capacity in those year groups.

Visit during term, and in the wet season if you can. A visit in November shows you how the campus, drainage and roads cope with heavy rain, and how the school manages days when access is difficult. Ask how many days were lost to weather last year and how learning continued.

Ask about staff turnover and class sizes. On a small island, a handful of teacher departures can change a school noticeably. Ask how many teachers left last summer, where teachers trained, and the largest class size in your child's year group. For secondary pupils, ask which subjects are taught by specialists rather than generalists.

See the full regional ranking

Koh Samui sits in Surat Thani province, and some families compare island schools with options on the mainland or consider boarding for the later years. To compare more schools across the province, see our ranking of the Best international schools in Surat Thani.

More guides to schools in Koh Samui

Frequently asked questions

Which international schools in Koh Samui go up to age 18?

International School of Samui in Bophut teaches a British curriculum for ages 2 to 18 and offers IGCSE. Several other island schools, including Lamai International School and Greenacre, finish at Year 9 or lower secondary, so families with younger children should plan early for the move into Year 10 and beyond.

How much does international school cost in Koh Samui?

Expect roughly THB 250,000 a year for early years at the lower end and up to about THB 600,000 for secondary, around USD 7,000 to 17,000. On top of tuition, budget for an application fee, a refundable deposit, uniforms, lunches, transport and exam entry fees in the IGCSE years.

Is there an IB school on Koh Samui?

None of the island schools we list currently offers the International Baccalaureate. Samui schools mostly follow the English National Curriculum or Cambridge International, with IGCSE at the schools that run upper secondary. Families set on the IB usually look at schools in Bangkok or Phuket, or at boarding schools for the final years.