An honest look at schooling for relocating families — what really exists on the island (and what doesn't), the homeschool and online-schooling route most families take, and how the Rayong, Pattaya and Bangkok alternatives fit in. Fees are 2026 guide ranges in Thai baht (≈ THB 35–36 = USD 1).
Koh Chang is one of Thailand's largest islands, but unlike Phuket, Koh Samui or even Koh Lanta, it has no English-medium or internationally accredited school on-island at all. What exists are ordinary Thai government schools teaching in Thai, and a small donation-funded charity school (Study Buddies, in Klong Prao) serving the children of Cambodian migrant workers — neither is a realistic route for a relocating expat family. In practice, most foreign families on Koh Chang either homeschool using an accredited online curriculum, or look to the mainland: St. Andrews International School, Green Valley near Rayong, Regents International School Pattaya, or further afield to Bangkok, typically with weekly or termly boarding rather than a daily commute. Below: the realistic options, what each involves, where families with children tend to live on the island, and how to plan around it. Pair this with the Koh Chang cost-of-living guide and the Koh Chang hub.
Rather than a list of international schools Koh Chang doesn't have, here are the routes families actually take. The right one depends on your child's age, the curriculum you need, and how far you're willing to travel.
| Option | Where | Curriculum | What to know |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thai government schools | White Sand Beach, Klong Prao & other villages | Thai national curriculum, in Thai | Koh Chang has ordinary Thai government primary and secondary schools serving resident families, the same as any populated Thai district. Instruction is entirely in Thai with standard national-curriculum content, which works for children who already speak Thai or are young enough to immerse, but is not a realistic route for most relocating expat families. |
| Homeschooling & online schools | Anywhere on the island | British / US / IB online | The default route for expat families on Koh Chang, because no formal English-medium or international school exists on the island at all. Families use accredited online curricula (IGCSE, US, IB) alongside local tutors, and a genuine long-stay expat community across White Sand Beach and Klong Prao supports informal meetups and shared tutoring. |
| Community charity education (not a mainstream option) | Klong Prao (in the migrant-worker community area) | Basic literacy, non-curricular | Study Buddies, based in Klong Prao, provides basic education to the children of Cambodian migrant workers on the island, funded entirely by voluntary donations. It's a genuine local initiative worth knowing about, but it is not an English-medium or internationally accredited school and isn't a realistic schooling route for a relocating expat family. |
| Rayong & Pattaya international schools (commute or boarding) | Rayong (~2.5–3 hrs by ferry & road) or Pattaya (~4 hrs) | British, IB & American | St. Andrews International School, Green Valley (Rayong) runs a blended IB and British National Curriculum day school for ages 2–18, roughly 25 minutes from Rayong town — a day-only option, not realistic as a daily commute from Koh Chang. Regents International School Pattaya, the only Eastern Seaboard school offering both A-Levels and the IB Diploma, is a day-and-boarding school for ages 2–18, which makes weekly boarding the more realistic route for a Koh Chang-based family wanting this tier of schooling. |
| Bangkok international schools (boarding) | Bangkok (~5–6 hrs by road) | British, IB, American & more | For the widest choice of curricula and the deepest international-school market in the country, some Koh Chang families use weekly or termly boarding at an established Bangkok international school, accepting the longer travel time in exchange for far more choice than the Eastern Seaboard offers. |
Thai government schools are effectively free for enrolled Thai residents, but that route only works if your child is fluent in Thai. For most relocating families, the realistic budget lines are an online curriculum plus exam fees, or full international-school tuition on the mainland.
| Route | Annual cost (guide) |
|---|---|
| Online school / homeschool curriculum + exams | THB 30,000–150,000 |
| Thailand international-school range, for comparison (any full day school) | THB 75,000–1,300,000 |
| Added cost of boarding at a Rayong/Pattaya/Bangkok school | Varies by school — request current boarding fees directly |
Budget separately for registration fees, books, transport, and — for the Rayong, Pattaya or Bangkok routes — the real added cost of weekly or termly boarding, or a second home near the campus. Always request each school's full current fee schedule before committing; BAANLYY does not receive placement fees from any school named here.
Koh Chang has no public transport network, so families get around by scooter or car, and a mainland school run means the ferry. Where you live on the island still matters for daily life and community:
| Area | Fit for families | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Klong Prao | Best fit for families | The island's most family-oriented beach — large resort-style stays, a quieter pace than White Sand Beach, and the base for most of the island's long-stay expat households with children. |
| White Sand Beach | Good for everyday amenities | The widest choice of shops, clinics and restaurants, useful for daily logistics, though busier and more tourist-driven than Klong Prao. |
| Klong Son | Practical if a mainland commute matters | Closest to the ferry piers, worth considering if regular trips to Trat town or the mainland become part of the family's routine. |
| Lonely Beach & Bang Bao | Not typically family bases | Lonely Beach is the island's backpacker/nightlife hub and Bang Bao is a working fishing village — neither is where island families with school-age children typically settle. |
See the full Koh Chang areas guide for rents and lifestyle by neighbourhood, and the getting-around guide for realistic ferry and mainland travel times.
Homeschooling or an accredited online curriculum is the mainstream route on Koh Chang specifically because no formal English-medium school exists on the island — it works well paired with the existing long-stay expat community around Klong Prao and White Sand Beach, local tutors, and informal co-op-style meetups. Thai government school is realistic only for children who are already fluent in Thai or young enough to immerse quickly, and won't deliver an international curriculum or English-medium instruction. A full international education (British IGCSE/A-Levels, the IB, or American) means looking to St. Andrews Green Valley near Rayong for a day-school option (if you relocate nearer the campus) or Regents International School Pattaya for boarding, with Bangkok's much larger international-school market as the furthest but widest-choice option. Choose around your child's age and stage, how long you're staying on Koh Chang, and whether boarding is something your family is comfortable with.
Decide your schooling route before you choose a rental on Koh Chang — given there is no on-island international school, it will shape the move more than almost anything else. If homeschooling, research Thailand's registered home-education route and your chosen curriculum's accreditation before relying on it, and connect with the island's existing expat community around Klong Prao early. If you're targeting Rayong, Pattaya or Bangkok, start conversations six to twelve months ahead of your target intake: the international-school year typically runs August to June, popular schools have waitlists, and boarding places fill early — you'll need recent school reports, transcripts, immunisation records and references gathered before you leave your home country. Whatever route you choose, line up your area, home and healthcare around the decision — see the Koh Chang healthcare guide next.
No. As of 2026 there is no English-medium or internationally accredited school on Koh Chang itself — confirmed by local Koh Chang expat resources. The island has ordinary Thai government schools teaching in Thai, plus a small charity school (Study Buddies, in Klong Prao) serving Cambodian migrant-worker children, neither of which is a realistic route for a relocating expat family. Most families instead homeschool, use an accredited online curriculum, or send children to school on the mainland.
Homeschooling and accredited online curricula (IGCSE, US or IB pathways) are the default, supported by the island's existing long-stay expat community around White Sand Beach and Klong Prao for informal tutoring and social meetups. Families wanting a full international-school experience generally look to St. Andrews International School, Green Valley in Rayong or Regents International School Pattaya, or further afield to Bangkok, usually with weekly or termly boarding rather than a daily commute.
St. Andrews International School, Green Valley sits roughly 25 minutes from Rayong town, which is itself around 2.5–3 hours from Koh Chang by ferry and road — too far for a daily run, so it functions as a day school only if a family relocates nearer the campus. Regents International School Pattaya is roughly 4 hours from Koh Chang and offers boarding, which is the more realistic route for island-based families wanting that tier of schooling. Bangkok's much larger international-school market is roughly 5–6 hours away and is typically used with boarding as well.
Not in the way most relocating families need. Thai government schools teach entirely in the Thai national curriculum and language, which suits children who are already fluent in Thai or young enough to immerse fully, but isn't a substitute for an English-medium education. Study Buddies in Klong Prao is a genuine, donation-funded charity initiative for the children of Cambodian migrant workers on the island — a good thing to know about and potentially support, but it does not offer an internationally accredited curriculum and isn't set up as a school for relocating foreign families.
Klong Prao is the island's most family-oriented base, with the largest concentration of long-stay expat households, followed by White Sand Beach for everyday amenities. Klong Son is worth considering if a regular ferry crossing to the mainland becomes part of the routine. Lonely Beach and Bang Bao are not typical family bases — see the full Koh Chang areas guide for rents and vibe by neighbourhood.
This guide is general information for relocation planning, not admissions or financial advice. School fees, curricula, locations and admissions rules change — confirm current details directly with each school.
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.
Schooling route sorted — now match a family-friendly area near Klong Prao, and line up healthcare and your visa.
Hero photo by Tima Miroshnichenko on Pexels.