Data · BAANLYY Scores™ · Methodology

The BAANLYY School Access Score, defined

A transparent framework for comparing Thai neighborhoods and cities on school access: four equally-weighted sub-factors — distance to international schools, curriculum diversity, accreditation and capacity/waitlists — each scored 0–25 for a 0–100 total.

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By Kirby Scofield
Founder of BAANLYY · International real estate broker, investor & relocation specialist
Last updated 8 July 2026 · Last reviewed 8 July 2026

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Status, upfront: this page defines the School Access Score methodology in full detail. It is not yet computed and published as a 0–100 number per area or city. What is real and live today is BAANLYY's own school research for every one of its 33 covered cities — see the comparison section below — plus the curriculum-specific International Schools Guide. We say so plainly rather than implying a live numeric score already exists.

01

The four sub-factors

Sub-factorPointsHow it would be measured
Distance to international schools0-25Proximity and realistic commute time from the area to the nearest cluster of international schools, accounting for Bangkok-style peak-hour traffic where relevant.
Curriculum diversity0-25How many distinct curricula (British IGCSE/A-Level, American AP, IB World, and others) are realistically reachable from the area, so a family isn't locked into one system before they've decided what fits their child.
Accreditation0-25Density of schools holding recognized accreditation (e.g. Council of International Schools, Western Association of Schools and Colleges, IB World School status, or equivalent national/international accreditation) within reach of the area.
Capacity & waitlists0-25General signal of how oversubscribed the area's schools tend to be -- a genuinely hard sub-factor to score, since capacity and waitlist status change by grade level, term and year and aren't centrally published.
02

The formula

School Access Score = Distance to International Schools (0–25) + Curriculum Diversity (0–25) + Accreditation (0–25) + Capacity/Waitlists (0–25), for a maximum of 100. All four sub-factors are equally weighted by default. This mirrors the same disclosed, equal-weight approach BAANLYY uses across its other scores — see the Investment Score, Retirement Score and Pet Score methodology pages for the same principle applied to different subjects.

03

Why capacity & waitlists is the hardest sub-factor

Thai international schools don't centrally publish live capacity or waitlist figures, and the picture changes by grade level, term and academic year — a school that's full for Grade 1 admissions might have open seats at Grade 9 the same term, and vice versa. A responsible score would need current, grade-level data rather than a static "full" or "open" label frozen at build time. We're disclosing that dependency explicitly rather than publishing a number we can't keep accurate.

04

A real comparison: BAANLYY's school research by city

Rather than invent area-by-area school-access numbers we haven't verified, here is what's real and live today: BAANLYY has a dedicated schools guide for every one of its 33 covered Thai cities. Coverage depth varies — Bangkok, with the country's largest concentration of international schools, has the deepest research — but every city below has its own page.

BangkokPhuketPattayaRayongChonburiChiang MaiKoh SamuiHua HinKrabiUdon ThaniKoh PhanganKoh TaoKoh LantaNonthaburiPathum ThaniChiang RaiHat YaiKhon KaenNakhon RatchasimaUbon RatchathaniAyutthayaSurat ThaniNakhon Si ThammaratSongkhlaSamut PrakanLampangPrachuap Khiri KhanTrangNong KhaiSukhothaiBuriramKanchanaburiPhang Nga
05

Frequently asked

Is the School Access Score live for specific areas today?Not yet as a computed 0-100 score. This page defines the methodology -- the four sub-factors and how each would be measured -- using BAANLYY's real, already-published per-city school research rather than a single invented ranking. See the comparison section below for links to BAANLYY's dedicated school guide for every covered city.
Why is capacity/waitlists the hardest sub-factor to score?Because Thai international schools don't centrally publish live capacity or waitlist data, and it changes by grade level, term and year -- a school with a long waitlist for Grade 1 might have open seats in Grade 9 the same term. A responsible score would need to query current data per grade level rather than treat a school as uniformly 'full' or 'open,' which is exactly the kind of live-data dependency this methodology discloses rather than fakes with a static number.
How does this differ from the International Schools directory guides?BAANLYY's International Schools Guide (British, American, IB and by-area guides) helps a family choose a curriculum and shortlist schools -- it's an editorial decision-making resource. This School Access Score is a comparative rating framework intended to score neighborhoods or cities against each other on school access specifically. They're complementary: the guides help you choose a school, the score (once computed) would help you compare areas.
Which cities have BAANLYY's own school research today?BAANLYY has a dedicated schools guide for every one of its 33 currently covered Thai cities -- see the full list in the comparison section below. Coverage depth (number of schools profiled, detail level) varies by city, with Bangkok's coverage being the deepest given its concentration of international schools.
Does a high School Access Score guarantee a place for my child?No. This is a proprietary, editorial comparison framework for general research purposes only -- not education, legal or financial advice. Always verify current fees, accreditation status, curriculum and actual seat availability directly with each school before making enrollment or relocation decisions.
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This is a disclosed proprietary methodology for general research purposes only — not education, legal or financial advice. Always verify current fees, accreditation status, curriculum and actual seat availability directly with each school before making enrollment or relocation decisions.

Sources & References

Sources & References

Primary and official sources are cited above. Government rules, fees and procedures in Thailand change over time and vary by office; always confirm current requirements with the relevant authority before relying on them. BAANLYY never takes paid placement in editorial content.