International schools in Thailand are proliferating beyond Bangkok, a trend that is also evident in the tutoring sector

In 2025, the international school business in Thailand is expected to grow by 9.7%, a slight slowdown, when compared to the previous year. Only eight new international schools are expected to open, five fewer than those opened in 2024.

• International schools are likely to expand further beyond Bangkok due to limited space and high competition in the capital.
• The tutoring school sector is following a similar trend as international schools. In 2025, revenue from tutoring businesses is forecasted to increase by 9.2%. Between 2021 and 2025, regions outside Bangkok are expected to experience a revenue growth rate 19.7% higher than that in Bangkok.

In 2025, the total number of students in Thailand is expected to decrease by 1.1%, while the number of international students is projected to increase by 8.3% (Figure 2).
The number of Thai students is expected to continue declining, in line with birth rate statistics, attributable to an anticipated decrease in the number of both government and private Thai schools of 1.1% and 1.2%, respectively.
In 2025, the revenue from the international school business is expected to grow by 9.7%,  a decline of 13.1% from that reported in the previous year.  (Figure 3). This slowdown is attributed to the reduced pace of expansion in the number of international students, as only eight new schools are expected to open this year, which is five fewer than the previous year (Figure 4).
The popularity of modern international curricula continues to drive growth in the international school sector in Thailand. The number of parents with higher educational investment capabilities are expected to continue to increase, as reflected in the projected 24% increase in the number of Thais with assets exceeding USD1 million between 2023 and 2028.
Furthermore, the rise in the number of foreign students is another key factor. Particularly, the number of Chinese students is expected to increase steadily, as the number of  Chinese nationals working in Thailand grew at an average rate of 20.8% per year from 2021 to 2024. Chinese students who accompany their parents to Thailand often enroll in international schools. Additionally, the Chinese government’s policy, aimed at promoting the use of Mandarin has driven up tuition costs for international curricula in China. According to surveys, Beijing has the highest international school tuition fees in Asia (Figure 5), making international schools in Thailand an attractive option for Chinese parents.

International Schools Outside Bangkok Show Bright Prospects
Between 2021 and 2025, the number of international schools outside of Bangkok is expected to have grown at an average annual rate of 9.1%. In contrast, Bangkok is experiencing a decline at an average annual rate of 1.7%. Additionally, the growth rate of international students in other provinces is approximately 3.7% higher than that in Bangkok (Figure 6).    
Increased competition and limited space have led international schools to explore new markets in key provincial cities, such as Chiang Mai, Rayong, and Phuket. This trend is particularly evident in the central and eastern regions, where household incomes are the second-highest after Bangkok (Figure 7). However, due to the smaller target household base in these regions, compared to Bangkok, operators may need to adjust tuition fees to align with the income levels of parents in each area.
The tutoring school business is following a similar trend to international schools, with regions outside Bangkok showing higher income growth rates. By 2025, revenue from the tutoring school industry is expected to grow by 9.2%, reaching THB3.3 billion (Figure 8).
The tutoring school business is also expanding outside of Bangkok due to heightened competition. Between 2021 and 2025, the revenue growth rate for tutoring schools in Bangkok is projected to average 4.2% annually, while other regions are expected to see a much higher growth rate of 23.8% (Figure 9). The proportion of tutoring school revenue generated from Bangkok is declining, from around 83.2% of total national revenue in 2021 to 71.3% this year.
The central and eastern regions are also seen as the next potential markets after Bangkok, similar to international schools. In 2024, these regions are expected to have the highest number of newly established tutoring schools, accounting for over 37% of the total nationwide. This aligns with the fact that these regions have a significant number of households with an average income exceeding 100,000 baht per month, second only to Bangkok.

Risks in the International School and Tutoring Business

• Rising international school tuition fees may prompt parents to consider sending their children to study abroad, as the gap between tuition fees begins to narrow. In 2024, the average annual tuition fee at a boarding school in New Zealand is higher than that of an international school in Thailand by 385,724 baht, though this amount includes food and accommodation for the academic year.
• International schools face challenges from private schools offering Thai curricula with multilingual programs, such as Thai, English, and Chinese. Some parents may consider switching to these programs for greater value.
• Technological advancements have made homeschooling easier. Since it is less expensive than attending international schools, this may affect the number of students enrolling in international schools. For instance, the cost of taking the GED exam (equivalent to the U.S. high school diploma) combined with 100 hours of one-on-one tutoring is approximately THB160,800.
• The availability of free online learning materials and sample tests may reduce the need for students to attend tutoring schools for supplementary education.

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