An honest guide for relocating families: Lampang’s three international schools, what each actually covers, Thai English-Programme alternatives, and when Chiang Mai is still the safer bet.
Lampang has three international schools, confirmed by an independent Bangkok Post trade-press profile: Cranberry International School (Nursery–Primary 6, founded 2013), the longer-established British International School of Northern Thailand (BISN, since 2003), and the newer St. Helier-Brelade International School (since 2021), which shares leadership with BISN. It is a genuinely small, niche market next to Chiang Mai’s much larger cluster of roughly 20 international schools, and third-party information on BISN and St. Helier-Brelade in particular is thinner than on Cranberry, so confirm current details directly before enrolling. Pair this with the Lampang hub for the wider relocation picture and Chiang Mai's international schools if you want a larger, more established secondary-school market as a backup.
Cranberry International School is the best-documented of the three, with a public official website spelling out curriculum and licensing. BISN and St. Helier-Brelade are real, independently verified via directory listings, their own web presence and a Bangkok Post interview with BISN/St. Helier-Brelade's own deputy director — but published detail on their current grade offerings, accreditation and enrolment is thinner, so treat directory copy as a starting point rather than a final answer.
| School | Location | Curriculum | Known for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cranberry International School (CIS) | Phaholyothin Road, Chomphu subdistrict, Mueang Lampang — about a 5-minute drive from the town centre | US Common Core / NGSS core subjects + AERO/California standards for other subjects, Thai language & culture, Chinese from Kindergarten 1 | Founded in 2013 as an international preschool, now covering Nursery through Primary Grade 6 (roughly ages 2–12) as an English-immersion school. Licensed under Thailand's Office of the Private Education Commission (OPEC). No secondary programme yet. |
| British International School of Northern Thailand (BISN) | A riverside site just outside Lampang town | British national curriculum (maths, English, science core) at primary; Montessori kindergarten; advertised through to secondary level | Lampang's first international school, opened May 2003 (previously Nawattaphume International School / NIS). Its own leadership described the school in a 2020s Bangkok Post trade-press interview as reaching a mature, declining stage of its business cycle. Confirm current grade offerings and enrolment directly. |
| St. Helier-Brelade International School | 24/1 Chalermprakiet Road, Tambon Prabat, Lampang | British National Curriculum with Montessori-influenced early years; Early Childhood, Primary and Lower Secondary levels | Permitted to operate in 2021 — Lampang's newest international school, founded by the same leadership as BISN, per that school's own deputy director, as a deliberate restart against BISN's maturing business cycle. |
Cranberry International School does not publish its tuition fees online, so treat any figure you hear second-hand as unverified until you contact the school directly (cisoffice@cranberry.ac.th or +66 090 674 3899, Monday–Friday 08:00–16:00) for its current fee schedule and admissions process. St. Helier-Brelade's deputy director cited a discounted rate of roughly 40,000 baht per semester in a Bangkok Post interview — again, treat this as dated, reported pricing rather than a current quote. BISN's current fee schedule could not be independently verified; contact the school directly. Gather recent school reports, immunisation records and any employer relocation-package details before you enquire at any of the three, and ask specifically about class sizes and current openings by grade.
As in most Thai provincial capitals, Lampang has Thai national schools running an English-Programme (EP) track — the standard Thai curriculum taught with extra English-medium instruction — at a meaningfully lower cost than an international school, though with a more fully Thai-integrated school day. BAANLYY has not yet verified a specific named EP school in Lampang well enough to recommend one directly; ask the provincial education office, other resident families, or a local relocation contact for current, reliable options before enrolling.
Cranberry stops at Primary Grade 6, so families relying on it alone need a follow-on plan once a child ages out. BISN and St. Helier-Brelade both reference secondary-level provision, which in principle covers the gap locally — but because independently verified detail on their current programmes is thinner than Cranberry's, families who want certainty often still plan around Chiang Mai’s much larger and more established international-school market, about 1.5 hours away, either as a full relocation or as a fallback if a local secondary option doesn't work out. Families comfortable enrolling and confirming details directly with BISN or St. Helier-Brelade can realistically keep a teenager in Lampang instead.
Yes — three, according to an independent Bangkok Post trade-press profile: Cranberry International School (Nursery–Primary 6, founded 2013), the longer-established British International School of Northern Thailand (BISN, since 2003), and the newer St. Helier-Brelade International School (since 2021), which shares leadership with BISN. Lampang's international-school market is genuinely small and niche compared with Chiang Mai's much larger cluster.
Cranberry International School stops at Primary Grade 6, but BISN's own marketing references coverage through secondary level and St. Helier-Brelade explicitly covers Early Childhood, Primary and Lower Secondary — so local secondary options do exist. That said, third-party information on BISN's current grade offerings is dated and unclear, so confirm the current top grade, accreditation and class sizes directly with either school before relying on them. Families who want the far larger, more established secondary-school market instead commonly look to Chiang Mai, about 1.5 hours away.
Thai national schools with English-Programme (EP) tracks exist in Lampang as in most Thai provincial capitals, teaching the standard Thai curriculum with extra English-medium instruction at a meaningfully lower cost than an international school. BAANLYY has not yet verified a specific named EP school in Lampang to recommend directly — check with the provincial education office or ask other resident families for current options before enrolling.
Cranberry International School does not publish tuition fees online — contact the school directly (cisoffice@cranberry.ac.th or +66 090 674 3899) for its current fee schedule. In a Bangkok Post interview, St. Helier-Brelade International's deputy director cited a "actual" tuition of 250,000 baht per semester, discounted to around 40,000 baht per semester to compete with local English-Programme schools — treat both figures as dated, reported pricing rather than a current quote. BISN's current fee schedule was not independently verifiable at time of writing. Confirm all figures directly with each school.
It depends on how comfortable you are relying on less-documented local secondary options. BISN and St. Helier-Brelade both reference secondary-level provision, but available third-party verification of their current programmes, accreditation and enrolment is thinner than for Chiang Mai's much larger and more established international-school market roughly 1.5 hours away. Families who want a well-documented, easily verified secondary option typically still lean on Chiang Mai; families willing to enrol and confirm details directly with BISN or St. Helier-Brelade can realistically base a teenager in Lampang too.
This guide is general information for relocation planning, not admissions or financial advice. School fees, curricula, accreditation status and campus details 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.
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