← LamphunLamphun · Schools & Universities

Schools & universities in Lamphun.

Chakkham Khanathon, founded in 1904 and named for Lamphun's last ruler; a Chiang Mai University campus at Sri Bua Ban; a Buddhist college — and an honest answer on international schooling.

Share

Lamphun's schooling is Thai-medium and locally strong, anchored by a secondary school older than most of the province's modern institutions. What it does not have is an international school — and for relocating families that single fact usually decides where in the province you live, because the alternative is a daily drive to Chiang Mai. This guide is explicit about where that line falls so you can plan properly rather than discover it after signing a lease.

Institutions

Education in Lamphun

Chakkham Khanathon School

Public secondary · founded 1904

The province's flagship government secondary school, founded in 1904 and named by King Rama VI in honour of Chao Chakkhamkhajornsak, the last ruler of Lamphun. It teaches roughly 3,000 students across the secondary years and is the main academic route for local families. Thai-medium, with the usual English-programme and gifted-track streams found at large provincial schools — confirm current programmes directly.

Chiang Mai University — Lamphun (Sri Bua Ban) campus

Public university campus

Chiang Mai University has developed a large campus site at Sri Bua Ban in Lamphun, south of Chiang Mai and near the province's industrial belt. It extends CMU's footprint into Lamphun and links the province to northern Thailand's leading university; specific faculties and programmes based there change as the site develops, so check CMU directly for what is currently taught on the Lamphun campus.

Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya University — Lamphun Buddhist College

Public Buddhist university unit

Thailand's oldest Buddhist university runs a Lamphun college, fitting for a province whose identity is bound up with Hariphunchai and its temples. It serves monastic and lay students in Buddhist studies and related fields, and is a distinctive part of the local education landscape rather than a mainstream option for relocating families.

District & primary schools

Primary & secondary · Thai medium

Each of Lamphun's eight districts has government primary and secondary schools, plus anuban (kindergarten) provision. These are Thai-medium and serve local families well; for a non-Thai-speaking child arriving mid-schooling they are a significant adjustment, and worth visiting before committing.

International-curriculum schooling

Not in the province — see Chiang Mai

Lamphun has no full international-curriculum school. Families needing an IB, British or American track should plan on Chiang Mai, which has northern Thailand's deepest international-school provision and is close enough — roughly half an hour from Lamphun town, less from the northern Ban Thi corridor — that a daily school run is genuinely realistic. That commute, rather than a local option, is the honest answer, and it is the single biggest factor for families weighing Lamphun against living in Chiang Mai itself.

FAQ

Schools & universities questions

Are there international schools in Lamphun?

No — there is no full international-curriculum school in the province. Chiang Mai, roughly half an hour north, has northern Thailand's deepest international-school provision, and many Lamphun families with children on an international track simply drive. If international schooling is non-negotiable for you, plan the commute deliberately before choosing an area: the northern Ban Thi corridor makes it easy, the southern districts do not.

What's the best school in Lamphun?

Chakkham Khanathon School is the province's flagship — a large government secondary school founded in 1904 and named after Lamphun's last ruler, with roughly 3,000 students. It is Thai-medium, so it suits Thai-speaking or bilingual families; confirm current programmes and admissions directly with the school.

Is there a university in Lamphun?

Yes, in two forms. Chiang Mai University has developed a campus at Sri Bua Ban in Lamphun, and Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya University runs a Buddhist college in the province. Neither makes Lamphun a student city in the way Chiang Mai is — for a full range of degree programmes, the north's higher-education centre is still Chiang Mai.

What's the best schooling option for a family moving to Lamphun?

It comes down to your language plan. For Thai-medium or bilingual schooling, Lamphun's government schools are solid and Chakkham Khanathon is the province's strongest. For a full international curriculum, you are commuting to Chiang Mai — which is why families in that situation usually settle in the northern part of the province rather than the south.

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.

Keep going
Lamphun hubHealthcareWhere to live

General information, not education advice. Confirm current curricula, ages served and admissions directly with each institution. Hero photo via Pexels.

Kirby Scofield
By Kirby Scofield
Founder of BAANLYY · International real estate broker, investor & relocation specialist
Last updated 17 August 2026 · Last reviewed 17 August 2026