International School Fees Can You Afford Them?

Post by **JimmyGreaves** » Sun May 24, 2009 9:55 am

Yaamsaard is full so I hear but does not cost as much as an International School. Could you afford International School Fees if one opens in HH?

Post by **buksida** » Sun May 24, 2009 10:23 am

No chance, 40k per month x2 ain't gonna happen!

Post by **PeteC** » Sun May 24, 2009 11:00 am

To put this into perspective a bit, here are fees from Garden International Rayong. Not the highest or the lowest in Thailand but I think represents the median. Their web site is down today so I type this. Pete

One time enrollment fees

Early Years 3 days a week 5,000
Early Years 5 days a week 15,000
Nursery and Reception 35,000 (20,000 for existing Early Year)
Primary and Secondary 85,000 (50,000 for existing Reception)

Tuition

20% off below if born in Thailand of Thai parent(s)
This is per term, 3 terms per school year
Below to be increased by 10% next school year

Early Years 3 half days/3 full days 21,000/24,000
Early Years 5 half days/5 full days 35,000/38,000
Nursery 5 half days/5 full days 52,000/66,500
Reception 66,500
Primary 1-2 80,000
Primary 3-6 85,000
Lower Secondary 7-9 95,000
Upper Secondary 10-11 142,500 (payable 2 terms only)
International Baccalaureate 180,000 (payable 2 terms only)

Post by **GLCQuantum** » Sun May 24, 2009 1:18 pm

Thanks for that info Pete.

I rate Garden School very highly as I have taught private lessons to many students coming from there and their level of English has been very much similiar, sometimes better or worse, in comparison to a child coming from Somtawin. I thought it was much more pricey than that. ( Still couldn't afford it though !

)

At the moment, one of my private students comes from Harrows. You may have seen the child on TV for the Tesco Lotus adverts or Thai series on channel 3. The Dad is Scottish and he currently pays around 560,000 baht a year. He mentioned that he also pays an extra 100,000* for everything else ( lunch, books, uniform, extra curricular activities etc ), looking at the kids weekly menu on their website you would think you're in a five star hotel!

So all you entrepeneurs..... we have one parent who can afford International School prices, could ya build us a school.

Somtawin is a DAMN good deal for what the child get's out of it in terms of their English skills. It's the same curriculum as that of the big int. schools. Difference is the budget allowed to be used for resources is way inferior to that of multi billion baht mega schools in Bangkok.

I give Somtawin 4 years before you start seeing a big price hike, in which it will start to go the full international way. The Bilingual will stay as it is because........it's Bilingual. That will give you a better understanding of the difference in Education the child achieves from both schools. At the moment the prices are similiar so you're weighing up the pro's and con's of each in deciding your childs future, but the reality is Somtawin is FAR closer to the Education standards of a western school ( Still a long way off mind, but FAR closer )

Post by **Big Boy** » Sun May 24, 2009 2:17 pm

Gladly the question is no longer relevant to me. However, if my early retirement plans had gone to plan, the question would have been very relevant.

I think any parent planning to retire to Thailand with 'school age' kids has a duty to budget for their child's continued education at an appropriate level - not just place them where they can afford. If you cannot afford appropriate education, then you should seriously reconsider relocation.

A key factor in my original delay was lack of decent schooling in the Hua Hin area. We did consider moving elsewhere eg Bangkok or Pattaya for a couple years en-route to Hua Hin, but decided it would be easier to let my son finish his education in the UK first (for other unassociated reasons, a decision I have since regretted).

Post by **GLCQuantum** » Sun May 24, 2009 2:34 pm

Big Boy said....

I think any parent planning to retire to Thailand with 'school age' kids has a duty to budget for their child's continued education at an appropriate level - not just place them where they can afford. If you cannot afford appropriate education, then you should seriously reconsider relocation.

What a spot on statement Big Boy.

The problem here is a lot of people move here due to whatever reason, be it financial, be it beaches, be it a Thai wife and work their childs future around their own problems. The kid should be considered first. How many have turned up here and after a while started spouting about the lack of decent education ( I will still say that I consider Somtawin as a pretty decent education ) in Hua Hin. If you have a child, that should have been the very first thing to consider when moving here, not your very well priced house with a swimming pool!

Well said

Post by **Big Boy** » Sun May 24, 2009 2:43 pm

Thanks GLC.

The problem I had with Somtawain was the upper end age limit. From memory, they would have covered up to GCSE, but there was nowhere in the area that would have bridged the A-Level gap.

Post by **GLCQuantum** » Sun May 24, 2009 3:45 pm

The problem I had with Somtawain was the upper end age limit. From memory, they would have covered up to GCSE, but there was nowhere in the area that would have bridged the A-Level gap.

When I started at the school 6* years ago they were only up to grade 7, moving the grade 7's up a year each year as they did not have the students to bring in a new grade. I believe now it should be up to Grade 12. I might be wrong though, as I am not in touch with anyone there now.

Post by **PeteC** » Mon May 25, 2009 5:28 am

You need to think about why and where International schools open here. The vast majority are in Bangkok and on the eastern seaboard because of the working/contract expat population in those places.

GIS here in Rayong has very few kids with two Thai parents, I would say less than 5%.

I also discovered through conversation that most expats have the full or high partial tuition and fees paid for by their companies. Many have said to me their kids would never be in a school costing so much back home.

I would think that unless a microchip factory or some other type of clean industry opens up near HH and you have an influx of expat people associated with it, it may be a long time before an IS finds it economically viable to open in the area.

I've also been told that an IS with early years through IB needs a minimum of 300 students to make any profit, and runs at a loss for the first several years while paying off construction costs. So, they look for areas with long term sustainable potential of many rotating expat families. Pete

Post by **bigideas** » Thu May 28, 2009 11:00 am

I could afford it but there would be no spending on the house, no trips to Europe, no additional education or training courses for my stepson or the wife and this would probably lead to family ruin! I think I better vote NO!!

Post by **aghora** » Fri May 29, 2009 8:55 am

buksida wrote:No chance, 40k per month x2 ain't gonna happen!

40k per month??? 40k of what? Yamsaard is about 90 000baht per year + books and uniforms.
Somtawin international school is around 80 000baht per year + books and uniforms.

Post by **buksida** » Fri May 29, 2009 9:16 am

aghora wrote: 40k per month??? 40k of what? Yamsaard is about 90 000baht per year + books and uniforms.
Somtawin international school is around 80 000baht per year + books and uniforms.

Read the question that this thread is asking:

"Could You Afford 500K To Send Your Child To An International School In HH"

500k per year is over 40k per month. I have two kids.

Sending them to Yam or Som is currently feasible at 17k per month for the two of them however reading some of the reports here one gets the impression that both of these schools have a long way to go before they can be considered 'international'.