Regent's International School, Bangkok

International school in Thailand. IB program.

During the Alphe International Education Conference in London, I met a representative from a private British school in Thailand. The school interested me since Thailand is one of the favourite vacation spots of the Russian-speaking population. In addition, there are a lot of international companies in Bangkok, which means that families are moving there for temporary residence and they will be interested in high-quality school education that can be easily adapted when moving to another country. All these thoughts led me to meet with the marketer of the school Alison Hogan, who has been promoting the school for the past 4 years. This is what Alison told me during our interview.

A: Our school was founded in Bangkok 15 years ago as a British School. We study according to the British curriculum. This year, the school has 600 students, of whom 350 are high school students. 90% of our teachers come from the UK, the rest from the USA and Australia. Our principal previously ran a prestigious private school in Scotland, Loretto School, so he has a great experience.

L: Who are your students, how popular are you in the international market?

A: 50% of our students are from Thailand, but the other half are international students from all over the world. Now only 50 students live in the boarding house. The rest of the international students are day students, and they live with their parents who work in Bangkok. Moreover, our school can accommodate up to 100 students in a boarding house. The boarding house is not located on the territory of the school, but very close - on the same street, 10 minutes on foot. At the same time, we do not allow students to walk from school to the boarding house. The school has minibuses that run between the hostel and the school. Bangkok is very safe, but we still care about the complete safety of our students. Students like the fact that the campus of the school and the campus of the boarding house are separate because after school they seem to go home. Educators live on the territory of the boarding house, teachers also come there every day to follow and help with homework. The guesthouse has a swimming pool and a football field. There are tennis courts on the school grounds and we are completing the building of a music school with a concert hall and an art department.

We accept students from the age of 11 to the boarding school, although day students of the school begin their studies at the age of 3.

L: Where are your international students from?

A: Mostly these are students from Asia. We have 2 Russian students in our boarding house. The school has students from Europe, but they all live with their parents who work in Bangkok.

L: Where is the school located in Bangkok itself?

A: It's right in Bangkok, but not in a business center, but in a nice residential neighbourhood where many foreigners live.

L: Tell us about the program and the results of the school.

A: The school follows the British system. Students graduate from high school with IGCSE exams, and in high school we study the IB program, not the A-level. We have the highest IB scores in Thailand and above the program average in the world. The average score of our graduates is 40!

L: What attracts international students to Thailand?

A: When a student enters a boarding school in any country, it is primarily a desire to learn to live independently. Well, as far as Thailand is concerned, it is primarily culture, climate and internationalism. Our school is very international - teachers from the UK and other English-speaking countries, and their children, of course, study at our school. At the same time, students from 25 countries study at the school, although, due to the fact that we are in a residential area, the influence of Thai culture is very much felt. It is a very kind, caring and very happy culture. Therefore, our students are very comfortable here.

L: How long have you been living in Thailand.

A: I do not live in Thailand, but in the UK, but I am very often going to Bangkok, I spent in general there five-six months. I love Bangkok, it is a very lively and business city. And I feel very safe there. Not only me, all my friends who visited me in Bangkok, all our parents and students say that Bangkok is one of the safest places for them. Surely there are places where I go, but there are such places in any country. Thais are very caring and you feel it all the time. Besides, Thailand is very cheap. If we take the prices at our school, then even if we add insurance and additional English lessons, it will turn out to be 14-15 thousand pounds per year, which is at least two times cheaper than similar schools in England or America.

L: Where do your students go after school?

A: As you can see from our official results, our students are admitted to the world's top-ranked universities every year. And this is another reason why it is better to study at an international school. Our students enter not only British universities, but they study in the USA, Canada, Australia. The whole world is open to our students!

L: What are the admission requirements and is it possible to enroll directly for the last two IB years?

A: Yes, you can. Depending on the age and level of English, of course. Sometimes, if there is not enough English, we have to place such students on the one-year IGCSE program. For admission, we require a test in English and in mathematics. In addition, the student must go through a Skype interview. We do not require the student to attend school, but since Thailand is a great vacation destination, we invite the family to visit Thailand and the school, to see the country for themselves and feel how comfortable they are here. If they come to Thailand, we show them the school, invite them to dine with us, show them Bangkok. People fall in love with Thailand, with Thai culture, with the climate, and as a result, we can select the best students for ourselves, which allows us to achieve such high results.