Best International Schools in Chiang Mai (2026 Guide): Fees, Curricula and Areas

Last updated October 9, 2026. Fees were read from each school's own website this month.

Most lists of international schools in Chiang Mai are written from someone else's list. This one is built from the schools' own fee pages, read in October 2026, and every school below links to the page we used. When a school does not publish a number, we say so instead of guessing.

Directories count somewhere between 15 and 20 international schools in the area, depending on how strictly they define the term. We cover 12 where we could read a fee schedule or a fee page. That leaves out a few smaller or newer schools, and it is not a ranking. We have not visited every campus, so we describe what the schools say about themselves and what they charge, and leave "best" to your family's situation.

The 12 schools at a glance

Annual tuition is for 2026-27, from the school's youngest year group to its oldest. Compare the ends of each range with care: a school that starts at age 2 and one that starts at Kindergarten are not quite measuring the same thing.

The spread is wide. The cheapest starting points sit around 200,000 baht a year, and the upper years at Prem and Lanna pass 800,000. Meals, transport, language support and a one-time enrolment fee come on top at most schools, and they matter more than people expect. We come back to them below.

Start with the curriculum

The curriculum decides more than the fee does, especially if your child might change country again.

American. CMIS, NIS, Grace, UCIS and ACIS teach an American-style programme, and CMIS, NIS and UCIS list Advanced Placement or WASC accreditation on their sites. This is the easiest route if you expect a move back to the US or to a US-style school elsewhere in Asia. Grace is the one to read carefully: it teaches the American curriculum "from a biblical worldview," which is a clear religious framing, not a footnote. CMIS describes itself as a Christian community that welcomes other backgrounds.

British and Cambridge. Lanna, Meritton and BCIS follow the English National Curriculum or the Cambridge pathway through IGCSE and A Level. Panyaden offers a British curriculum alongside the IB Diploma and the Thai national curriculum. SISB teaches a Singapore curriculum that moves to Cambridge IGCSE and A Levels in the upper years.

IB. Prem calls itself Thailand's first four-programme IB World School, and it takes boarders. APIS runs an IB continuum from primary to the Diploma. Panyaden offers the IB Diploma in the last two years.

If you do not know where you will be in five years, an IB or Cambridge school travels well. If you do know, match the school's curriculum to the next stop.

Which side of the city?

Chiang Mai traffic is not kind to a 40-minute school run, so the map matters as much as the brochure.

• City centre: CMIS and SISB are both inside the city. CMIS is on Chetupon Road, SISB on Hussadhisawee Road.
• North, towards Mae Rim: Prem sits on a 100-acre campus in Mae Rim. NIS is in San Phi Sua, in the northern part of Muang district.
• Hang Dong and the south-west: the biggest cluster. Lanna, Panyaden, Grace, Meritton, BCIS and APIS's main campus are all in Hang Dong.
• Chiang Mai to Lampang highway (Saraphi): UCIS and ACIS are on the same road, in Nong Phueng.
• Mae Hia: APIS's primary campus (Nursery to Grade 6) is here.

Several schools publish a bus service: Prem, Lanna, SISB, UCIS, BCIS and ACIS. Meritton, Panyaden, NIS and APIS do not say either way on the pages we read, so ask before you choose a house.

The schools, one by one

Chiang Mai International School (CMIS). The oldest of the group, founded in 1954 as a school for missionaries' children. It is now an international day school with students from around 30 countries, on a central campus at 13 Chetupon Road. Tuition for 2026-27 is 341,700 baht for Preschool, 426,800 for Kindergarten to Grade 5, 463,400 for Grades 6 to 8 and 580,200 for Grades 9 to 12. New families also pay a 5,000 baht application fee, a one-time enrolment fee of 100,000 baht (30,000 in preschool) and 10,000 baht a year in capital improvement fees. Families doing full-time missionary work can apply for a reduced rate.

Prem International School. Prem is the one with the forest school, the farm and the boarding house. It has 100+ co-curricular activities in its Exploria programme, 34 nationalities and day tuition from 416,000 baht in Early Years to 814,000 in Grades 9 to 12. The one-time costs are real: a 130,000 baht foundation fee (charged for the first two children), a 50,000 baht refundable deposit and a 6,000 baht application fee. Boarding is listed separately, at 350,000 baht a year for weekly boarders and 478,000 for full boarders. Prem says enrolment is open all year, subject to places.

Lanna International School. A British-style school in Baan Waen, Hang Dong, from age 2 to 18. Tuition runs from 413,400 baht in Early Years to 803,400 in Years 12 and 13, and exam fees for IGCSE and A Level are included, which is not true everywhere. Registration is 90,000 baht, plus a 13,000 baht equipment deposit. After-school activities run in five sessions a year, though the school does not name them online.

Nakornpayap International School (NIS). An American-curriculum school in San Phi Sua, with Common Core and AP, and WASC accreditation listed on its site. The rates we could read are for 2025-26: 290,000 baht in the youngest years to 496,800 in Grades 9 to 12, with meals included. Registration is 66,000 baht, with refundable deposits for books (10,000) and damage (20,000). The 2026-27 rates were not readable when we checked, so confirm them with the school.

Panyaden International School. Panyaden bundles a lot into its fee: meals, books and most trips are included. Tuition goes from 321,000 baht in Nursery to 594,000 in the IB Diploma years. Admission is 75,000 baht, with a 3,000 baht application fee and a 15,000 baht refundable deposit. Its after-school programme includes cooking, band, coding and robotics, and some clubs are run by parents and community experts. Intakes are mid-August and January, and applications are accepted all year.

Grace International School. A K-12 school in Hang Dong, with 2026-27 tuition between 309,000 baht (Kindergarten to Grade 5) and 379,000 (Grade 12). The application fee is 2,000 baht. Grace does not publish its entrance or capitalization fee online, so you will need to ask. It also does not take applications all year: it processes them from February to May.

Singapore International School Chiang Mai (SISB). The Singapore curriculum, with a Cambridge route in the upper years. Tuition is 324,300 baht in Nursery and 564,300 in Grades 11 and 12. The enrolment fee is 150,000 baht, the highest one-time fee in this guide, and the fee page lists payment options. There is also a 30,000 baht refundable deposit. Clubs include Minecraft, taekwondo, violin, chess, fencing and cooking, and the school bus is optional.

Unity Concord International School (UCIS). The lowest starting tuition of the American-curriculum schools here, on the Chiang Mai to Lampang highway. Tuition goes from 201,600 baht in Pre-K to 386,400 in Grades 9 to 12. On top, UCIS lists a long set of annual charges, including 25,000 baht in capital fees and 80,000 baht for EAL support when needed. Intakes are in August and January, and the school takes applications year-round. The bus is optional, at 15,000 to 25,000 baht a semester.

Meritton British International School. Cambridge from Pre-Nursery to A Level, in Nong Kwai, Hang Dong, with tuition from 224,400 baht to 440,000. Enrolment is 60,000 baht for the first child, 45,000 for the second and waived from the third. The school runs after-school clubs from 15:30 to 16:30, covering ballet, taekwondo, chess, choir, football, swimming, drama and Model UN. Language support (ELL) is 70,000 baht a year if your child needs it.

British Concordance International School (BCIS). Another Cambridge school in Nong Kwai, from age 2 to 18, and the lowest starting tuition in this guide at 196,350 baht, rising to 346,500. The entrance fee is 80,000 baht, with 20,000 for lifetime books. There is no separate application fee or deposit. The school bus costs 30,000 to 50,000 baht a year. BCIS says it accepts applications throughout the year.

American Pacific International School (APIS). Two campuses: a Primary Campus in Mae Hia (Nursery to Grade 6) and a Main Campus in Hang Dong (Grade 5 to 12). Tuition goes from 250,650 baht in Nursery to 524,800 in Grade 12. Entrance fees are 40,000 baht from Pre-Nursery to K3 and 100,000 baht from Grade 1 up. APIS also has a residential programme with weekly and full boarding from Grade 5.

Americana Chinese International School (ACIS). An American curriculum with a global angle, in Saraphi, from preschool to Grade 12. Tuition is 210,000 baht in Preschool to K2 and 394,800 in Grades 10 to 12. Entrance is 80,000 baht, with a 10,000 baht lifetime book fee. ACIS gives 5% off the second child and 10% from the third. After-school options include dance, karate, chess, guitar, swimming and Chinese, subject to demand.

What comes on top of tuition

Tuition is the number everyone compares, and it is usually not the number you end up paying in year one. Three things add up quickly.

One-time fees. Most schools charge an enrolment or entrance fee, and they range from 60,000 baht (Meritton) to 150,000 (SISB). CMIS and APIS charge 100,000 for most grades, Prem a 130,000 foundation fee. Some of it comes back as a deposit, most of it does not.

Language support. If your child is still learning English, read this line twice. Where schools publish it, the extra charge is substantial: 25,000 baht a term at Panyaden, 20,000 a term at SISB, 40,000 a year at ACIS and at Lanna, 50,000 at BCIS, 70,000 at Meritton and 80,000 at UCIS.

Meals and transport. NIS and Panyaden include meals. Prem charges 10,050 to 11,950 baht a term for lunch and 17,100 to 20,700 a term for transport, depending on distance. SISB lists snacks and lunch at 25,500 to 36,600 baht a year. Bus fees at BCIS and ACIS run 30,000 to 50,000 baht a year.

Fee pages are also the least consistent part of this research. Most schools publish their schedule only as a PDF, and a few do not list every fee at all. When a number matters, ask for the current schedule in writing.

When to apply

Intakes are mostly in August, with a second one in January at some schools. Prem, Panyaden, UCIS, Meritton and BCIS say they accept applications through the year, subject to places. Grace is the exception, with a February to May window. At CMIS, new families pay semester one by 1 May if they start in August. If you are moving in July with a child in Grade 10, start early and have your records ready.

After the school bell

International schools in Chiang Mai fill the school day well, but many families still look outside school for sport, music, art and swimming. Where your school sits changes which classes are realistic on a weekday afternoon. You can browse listings by activity on Mikkado.

For a wider look at schools, from preschool to Thai bilingual options, see our parent's guide to education options in Chiang Mai.

FAQ

How much does an international school cost in Chiang Mai?

For 2026-27, published annual tuition among the 12 schools above starts at around 200,000 baht in the youngest year groups at the cheapest schools and passes 800,000 baht in the upper years at Prem and Lanna. Budget for a one-time enrolment fee on top, usually between 60,000 and 150,000 baht, plus meals, transport and any language support.

How many international schools are there in Chiang Mai?

Directories list between 15 and 20, depending on what counts. This guide covers 12 schools whose fee pages or fee schedules we could read.

Which international school is cheapest?

BCIS, UCIS, ACIS and Meritton have the lowest published starting tuition, between about 196,000 and 225,000 baht. Compare the same year group across schools before you decide, because the ranges above cover different ages.

Can my child start in the middle of the year?

Often yes. Prem, Panyaden, UCIS, Meritton and BCIS say they accept applications through the year, subject to places. Grace does not, and processes applications from February to May.

Which part of Chiang Mai is best for international school families?

It depends on the school. Hang Dong has the biggest cluster of schools, the city centre has CMIS and SISB, and Mae Rim and the northern edge have Prem and NIS. Pick the school first, then the house, and check whether the school runs a bus on your route.

How we checked

We read each school's own fee page or fee schedule in October 2026 and did not use third-party directories for any figure. Fee pages we used: CMIS, Prem, Lanna, Panyaden, Grace, SISB, UCIS, Meritton, BCIS, APIS and ACIS. Fees change every year, so use these figures to compare, then confirm the current schedule with the school before you apply.