The short version
Krabi's schooling reputation is worse than its schooling. The standard advice — that the province has nothing serious and that families must commute to Phuket, board there or homeschool — is simply out of date. Krabi has three licensed international schools taking children to age 18, one of which is an official Cambridge school running its own on-site examination centre fifteen minutes from Ao Nang. What the province genuinely lacks is scale: no IB World School, no boarding, no French or American-curriculum school on the mainland, limited learning support, and year groups small enough that the honest question is not which curriculum a school offers but how many children are actually in your child's class. Below: the three schools and where each one stops, the four routes families really take, the entrance-exam catch that closes the cheap route to most foreign children, what it costs, and where to live for each school run. Pair this with the Krabi cost-of-living guide and our Krabi area guides.
Krabi's three international schools
All three are licensed, all three run to 18, and two of them are a ten-to-fifteen minute drive from Ao Nang. Read the “how big is the cohort” column as carefully as the curriculum column — in a province this small it is the one that decides whether the advertised stage is a real class.
| School | Where | Curriculum | Ends at | How big the cohort really is |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Krabi International School (KIS) | Nong Thale — ~15 min from Ao Nang, ~20 min from Krabi Town | British — English National Curriculum & Cambridge | 18 — IGCSE and A/AS Level examined on site | Publishes an average class size of 11, a 7:1 student-teacher ratio and 24+ nationalities |
| British International School Krabi (BISK) | Ban Nateen — ~10 min from Ao Nang | British — National Curriculum for England, EYFS onwards | Reported to 18 (IGCSE, A Level) — unverified; see the profile | Described as a small all-through school; publishes no roll or class-size figures anywhere we could find |
| The International School of Asia, Koh Lanta (ISA) | Sala Dan, Koh Lanta — an island, not a mainland commute | American (Common Core), mid-transition to the English National Curriculum | 18 — Grade 12 | 82 full-time students across preschool to Grade 12; roughly one student a year graduates to university |
Full profiles — campus address, stage-by-stage pathway, accreditations, cohort reality and what we could not verify: Krabi International SchoolBritish International School Krabi (BISK)The International School of Asia, Koh Lanta (ISA)International Kids Sunflower (Sunflower Montessori)Anuban Krabi School — English Program (EP)
Your four realistic routes
The right route depends on your child's age, the curriculum you need, whether they speak Thai, and how long you are staying.
| Route | Where | Curriculum | What to know |
|---|---|---|---|
| A Krabi international school | Nong Thale, Ban Nateen & Koh Lanta | British (Cambridge/ENC) or American | The route most families wrongly assume does not exist here. Three licensed schools run to age 18, and one of them is a Cambridge examination centre — a child can sit IGCSE and A Level without leaving the province. The trade-off is cohort size, not curriculum: ask how many children are in the year group, not how many are in the school. |
| A government English Programme (EP) stream | Krabi Town, towards the airport & Khlong Thom | Thai national curriculum + core subjects in English | By far the cheapest structured bilingual route, and the one most guides recommend to foreigners without mentioning the catch: EP places are won by an entrance examination sat around late January or early February, and Thai to a native-speaking standard is expected. For a newly-arrived child with no Thai, this route is usually closed regardless of budget. |
| English-medium early years | Ao Nang | Montessori, bilingual English/Thai | A small number of Montessori and bilingual settings take children from age 2 to 6. Genuinely good options for the youngest children — but they end at six, so decide the next school before you enrol rather than after. |
| Phuket international schools, or online | Phuket (2–3 hrs by road) or anywhere | IB, American, French, British at scale — or accredited online | Now a considered choice rather than a default. Go to Phuket if you specifically need the IB, a non-British curriculum, boarding, competitive sport, serious learning support, or a large sixth form with a wide subject list — none of which Krabi offers. Accredited online schooling remains common on Koh Lanta and among location-independent families. |
The English Programme catch
Almost every guide to living in Krabi points foreign families at the government English Programme schools as the affordable answer. They are affordable, and for the right family they are genuinely good. But the part that usually goes unsaid is how you get in: EP places are won by an entrance examination, sat around late January or early February, and Thai to a native-speaking standard is expected — because everything outside the EP subjects is taught in Thai. A child arriving from abroad with no Thai will not normally be competitive, whatever the fee comparison suggests. Note too that foreign teachers on Thai EP programmes must hold a university degree but are not required to hold a teaching qualification, so visit and ask to observe an English-medium lesson rather than taking the brochure on trust. These are the EP schools Krabi families actually name:
| School | Stage | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Anuban Krabi | Primary | Krabi Town |
| Isaranuson | Primary | Krabi Town |
| Chokchai | Primary | Out towards Krabi airport |
| Ammartpanichnukul | Secondary | Krabi Town |
| Kanchanapisek Wittayalai | Secondary | Khlong Thom district |
Honest sourcing note: this list comes from a long-running local Krabi guide rather than from the schools' own websites, and we were able to verify the English Programme stream from a primary source only at Anuban Krabi. Treat the rest as leads to check in person, and confirm that a given school is still running its EP stream this year before you plan around it.
What it costs
Indicative annual bands for 2026, in Thai baht. These are route-level ranges, not school quotes.
| Route | Annual cost (guide) |
|---|---|
| Government English Programme (EP) stream, annual | THB 40,000–150,000 |
| English-medium early years / Montessori, annual | THB 80,000–250,000 |
| Krabi international school, annual | THB 180,000–390,000 |
| Phuket international school, annual (for comparison) | THB 250,000–950,000 |
| Accredited online school + exam entry, annual | THB 30,000–150,000 |
Why there are no per-school fees on this page. They change every year, and a stale number is worse than no number. Krabi makes the point unusually well: for Krabi International School alone, three separate directories currently publish three different 2026/27 ranges, and none of them is the school's own schedule. Ask each school for its current written schedule and check what it includes — registration, admission, refundable deposit, uniform, transport, lunches and trips are commonly billed on top, and for the Phuket route you must also budget boarding or a second home and the weekly commute.
Where families base themselves
Krabi province has no rail of any kind and no public transport a child could use alone, so every school run here is by car, scooter or school minibus — and the neighbourhood you pick is the commute:
| Area | Schools in range | Why families live there |
|---|---|---|
| Ao Nang | BISK (~10 min) and KIS (~15 min); English-medium early years | The main expat and long-stay base and the best-placed area in the province for schools — both mainland international schools are a short drive, and the early-years options are here. Widest choice of rentals and services. |
| Nong Thale & Klong Muang | KIS is in Nong Thale itself | Quieter, greener and closer to the KIS campus than Ao Nang is. Worth a look for families who have chosen KIS and want the shortest possible run; check the school minibus route before committing. |
| Krabi Town | All the government EP streams; KIS ~20 min | Everyday Thai life, markets and the lowest rents. The province's EP primary and secondary streams cluster in and around the town — but read the entrance-exam section before planning around them. |
| Koh Lanta | The International School of Asia, at Sala Dan | A relaxed island long-stay scene with its own licensed international school taking children from 2 to 18 — and, unusually, accepting short-term students and mid-year joiners. It is an island: this is not a daily commute from the mainland, and there is no school bus. |
One transport fact is worth more than any map: Krabi International School runs a minibus collection service across the surrounding area, with routes adjusted to where its families live — so its catchment is set by that service, and it is worth asking admissions whether it reaches your shortlisted neighbourhood before you sign a lease. The Koh Lanta school, by contrast, reports no school bus at all, which makes it an island-resident option rather than a mainland commute. If you do choose Phuket, check the real door-to-door time before assuming weekly boarding or a split household will work.
Ask every Krabi school this
These are province-specific. They are not the questions you would ask in Bangkok, and the first one is the one Krabi families most often forget:
- Ask how many children are in the specific year group your child would join -- not the whole school. This is the single highest-stakes question in Krabi. Cohorts here are small enough that a stage can be advertised on a website while the class itself has two or three children in it, or is not running at all this year. Ask for the number, in writing, for the year your child enters.
- If you need A-levels or IGCSEs, ask which subjects actually run this academic year and who teaches them on site. A small sixth form cannot offer every option every year; the subject combination your child needs may or may not be timetabled.
- Ask whether the school is licensed by the Thai Ministry of Education as an international school, and request the licence details. Krabi has a mix of licensed international schools, government English Programme streams and private early-years centres, and the distinction affects both the qualification and your child's visa route.
- For a government English Programme (EP) place, ask about the entrance examination and the Thai-language requirement before you plan around it. Local guidance is that EP entrance tests are sat in late January or early February and that Thai to a native-speaking standard is expected -- which quietly rules the EP route out for most newly-arrived foreign children.
- Ask what transport the school actually runs, and whether it reaches where you intend to live. One Krabi school runs a minibus collection service across the surrounding area; another reports no school bus at all. In a province with no rail, that decides which neighbourhoods are realistic for you.
- Drive the route at 07:30 on a school day, not at midday, and drive it in the wet season. Krabi's road times change a great deal with rain and with the tourist season.
- Request the school's own current fee schedule in writing, including registration, admission, deposit, uniform, transport, lunch and trips. We do not publish per-school fees -- for one Krabi school, three directories currently quote three different ranges.
When Phuket really is the answer
Phuket has nineteen international schools; Krabi has three. That gap matters in specific, nameable cases and almost nowhere else. Go to Phuket if you need the IB Diploma, a French or American curriculum, boarding, dedicated special-educational-needs provision, competitive inter-school sport, or a large sixth form with a wide subject list — Krabi supplies none of those. Stay in Krabi if a recognised, examined British education in very small classes is what you actually need, because on that basis the commute, the boarding fees and the second home are costs you do not have to pay. And if your circumstances are genuinely open-ended, note that the Koh Lanta school accepts short-term and mid-year students with no entrance assessment and no waitlist, which is rare in Thailand and well suited to long-stay and remote-working families.
Admissions & relocation tips
Decide your route before you choose where to live — in Krabi, schooling shapes the move more than almost anything else. For the international schools, the year runs August to July; visit in person, ask for the headcount in your child's specific year group, and ask which subjects are actually timetabled at IGCSE and A Level this year. For a government EP place, work backwards from the late-January/early-February entrance examination and be realistic about the Thai-language requirement. Gather recent school reports, transcripts, immunisation records and references before you leave home, and confirm the school's licensing and the student-visa route it supports. If you may home-educate, research Thailand's registered home-education arrangement and your curriculum's accreditation in advance. Whatever you choose, line up your area, home and healthcare around the decision.
Krabi schools questions
Are there international schools in Krabi?
Yes — three licensed ones, which is more than most guides to the province admit. Krabi International School at Nong Thale teaches the English National Curriculum and Cambridge Pathway to age 18 and runs its own on-site examination centre for IGCSE and A/AS Level. British International School Krabi, formerly Nawattaphume International School, is at Ban Nateen about ten minutes from Ao Nang and delivers the National Curriculum for England. The International School of Asia at Sala Dan on Koh Lanta takes children from age 2 to Grade 12. What Krabi does not have is scale: no IB World School, no French or American-curriculum school on the mainland, no boarding, and year groups small enough that you should ask for the headcount in your child's specific year before you plan a move around it.
Can my child sit IGCSEs and A-levels in Krabi?
Yes. Krabi International School is an official Cambridge school and runs its own examination centre, so a student can sit both IGCSE and Cambridge AS and A Level without leaving the province, with UCAS support for UK university applications. British International School Krabi is also listed as offering IGCSE and A Level, though we could not verify that from a primary source. The practical question in a province this size is not whether the qualification is available but whether the specific subject combination your child needs is timetabled in a given year — ask for the current subject list and the number of students in each sixth-form group.
How much does schooling in Krabi cost?
As broad annual bands: a government English Programme stream runs roughly THB 40,000–150,000, English-medium early years around THB 80,000–250,000, a Krabi international school roughly THB 180,000–390,000, and a Phuket international school anywhere from about THB 250,000 to THB 950,000. Accredited online schooling plus exam entry typically lands around THB 30,000–150,000. We deliberately do not publish per-school figures: for Krabi International School alone, three separate directories currently quote three different 2026/27 ranges, none of them the school's own. Always ask each school for its current written schedule including registration, admission, deposit, uniform, transport, lunch and trips.
Can foreign children get into the cheap English Programme schools?
Usually not, and this is the single most misleading thing written about schooling in Krabi. Government English Programme streams are genuinely affordable and genuinely bilingual, but places are won by an entrance examination — local guidance is that it is sat in late January or early February — and proficiency in Thai to a native-speaking standard is expected, because the rest of the timetable is taught in Thai. A child arriving from abroad with no Thai will not usually be competitive for a place, whatever the fee comparison suggests. If your child already speaks Thai, the EP route is excellent value; if not, budget for an international school or plan a serious Thai-language runway first.
Should we choose Krabi or Phuket for schools?
Choose Phuket if you specifically need something Krabi cannot supply: the IB, a French or American curriculum, boarding, competitive inter-school sport, dedicated special-educational-needs provision, or a large sixth form with a wide subject list. Phuket has nineteen international schools and Krabi has three. Choose Krabi if a recognised, examined British education in very small classes is enough — because on that basis the two-to-three-hour commute, the weekly boarding and the second home are costs you simply do not need to pay. Many families historically moved to Phuket for schooling without ever checking what Krabi actually had.
Is homeschooling or online school common for expats in Krabi?
It remains common, particularly on Koh Lanta and among location-independent families, and accredited online schools paired with local tutoring, sport and a home-educating social network are a legitimate route. It should now be a choice rather than a fallback, though — the assumption that Krabi leaves families no alternative is out of date. Thailand permits home education under a registered arrangement, so research the legal route and your chosen curriculum's accreditation before relying on it, and note that the Koh Lanta school accepts short-term and mid-year students if you want a campus option without a long commitment.
When does the school year start in Krabi?
Krabi's international schools run an August-to-July year, in line with the UK and most of the international sector. Thai government and bilingual schools follow the Thai academic year, which starts in mid-May, with EP entrance examinations generally sat in the preceding late January or early February. Plan backwards from whichever calendar applies — and if you are considering a Phuket school as well, apply early, because the popular ones operate waitlists and open applications six to twelve months ahead.
This guide is general information for relocation planning, not admissions or financial advice. BAANLYY takes no paid placement from schools and does not rank or endorse them. School fees, curricula, locations, year groups and admissions rules change — confirm current details directly with each school.
International schools near Krabi
International schools in and around Krabi, ordered by distance from the city centre and sourced live from Google Maps. Ratings and review counts update automatically — tap any name for directions, hours and contact details.
Distances are straight-line from the city centre, for rough comparison only. Listings are provided by Google and are not endorsements. BAANLYY does not manage these businesses.
Sources & References
- Real Estate Information Center (REIC), Government Housing Bank, Thailand
- National Statistical Office, Thailand
- Tourism Authority of Thailand
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.
Plan the rest of your move.
Schooling sorted — now match a family-friendly area and home to your budget, and line up healthcare and your visa.
Hero photo by Ron Lach on Pexels.
