Childcare in Songkhla.

Anuban Songkhla, also known as ABSK, is a long-established government kindergarten in Bo Yang subdistrict, Amphoe Muang Songkhla - first opened in 1943 and moved to its current site in 1950. It teaches in Thai, with larger classes and Thailand's standard anuban curriculum plus special programme rooms (including an English-focused MEP stream). It is the genuine, verifiable government-kindergarten option physically inside Songkhla city, and by far the most affordable.

Punyakhun School of Songkhla, near the provincial stadium in Amphoe Muang Songkhla, runs a flexible British curriculum with an English Immersion Programme (built on the Eduseeds framework) starting from Nursery. It is the one K-track school we could verify as actually based in Songkhla city itself with a genuine early-years intake - see our full Songkhla schools guide for the secondary-school caveat (it stops at Grade 6). It doesn't publish fees online and its main public presence is a Facebook page, so confirm current details directly.

The Songkhla Provincial Private Education Office (Samnakngan Karn Suksa Ekachon Changwat Songkhla) licenses and lists the province's private schools, including kindergarten-level (anuban) programmes, searchable by district. Songkhla town has a smaller pool of these than Hat Yai - confirm current, licensed options for Amphoe Muang Songkhla directly with the office before enrolling anywhere new.

For babies and toddlers, or families who prefer care at home, hiring a Thai nanny (phi liang) or a live-out helper is the common route in Songkhla town, exactly as in the rest of Thailand. Trusted carers are usually found by word of mouth through condo staff, colleagues at Thaksin University or Songkhla Rajabhat University, or a housekeeping/relocation agency based in Hat Yai.

Songkhla town itself has no dedicated bilingual nursery or international-school early-years programme we could independently verify. For a bilingual English-Thai nursery, full-day infant daycare, or early years linked to an international campus, families use Hat Yai, roughly 30-45 minutes away, which has a considerably larger childcare market including early years at Bloomsbury International School, Southern International School Hatyai (SIH) and American Prep. See our dedicated Hat Yai childcare guide for the specifics.

Both Anuban Songkhla and Punyakhun School of Songkhla are based in or near Amphoe Muang Songkhla's city centre, making the Old Town (Bo Yang) area the most practical base if you want a short daily run to either. It's also the most walkable part of the city for daily errands.

Samila Beach carries Songkhla's newer, better-appointed apartment stock and is only a short drive from the city-centre kindergarten and school options - a reasonable compromise between housing quality and proximity to childcare.

The area around Thaksin University's Songkhla campus and Songkhla Rajabhat University has a residential, family-oriented feel and reasonable access to both Anuban Songkhla and Punyakhun School without a long commute.

Ko Yo, reached via the Tinsulanonda Bridge, is Songkhla's quiet rural option. Families based here should expect a longer daily drive to any childcare in the city centre, and an even longer one for Hat Yai's bilingual nurseries.

Thai government kindergartens including Anuban Songkhla generally follow the national academic year, which starts in May, with enrolment periods typically opening several months earlier - contact the school directly for the current year's dates. Punyakhun School, being smaller and privately run, may offer more flexible or rolling intake for its Nursery-age places; confirm directly since it doesn't publish a formal admissions calendar.

Expect to provide your child's passport and birth certificate, immunisation/vaccination records, recent photos, and a parent passport plus your Songkhla address (a lease or condo booking is usually fine). A government kindergarten such as Anuban Songkhla may also request household registration or equivalent documentation for a foreign family - ask the school directly what it needs before your move.

Anuban Songkhla, as a government kindergarten, charges only nominal termly fees in line with Thailand's public-school system. Punyakhun School does not publish a fee schedule online - contact the school directly for current Nursery-level fees, any registration charge and payment terms. A live-out nanny is typically billed monthly.

There is no childcare rule tied to your visa - DTV, LTR, Non-B, retirement (for grandparents) and Education visa families can all use Songkhla's kindergartens and nurseries, paying out of pocket. A child's own visa or stay is handled separately from enrolment; neither Anuban Songkhla nor Punyakhun School requires Thai residency to enrol a foreign child, though always confirm current practice directly.

Anuban Songkhla gives excellent, low-cost Thai-language immersion in a real government-school setting. Punyakhun School's English Immersion Programme is the local option if you want more English exposure without leaving the city. If a fully English-medium or international-curriculum early-years programme is the priority, plan around Hat Yai instead - Songkhla city itself does not have one.

Neither Anuban Songkhla's special programme fees nor Punyakhun School's current pricing are published in a way we could independently verify. Contact each school directly - by phone or, for Punyakhun, via its Facebook page - before budgeting or committing to housing nearby.

The Songkhla Provincial Private Education Office (Samnakngan Karn Suksa Ekachon Changwat Songkhla) maintains the official list of licensed private schools, including kindergarten-level programmes, by district. It's the most reliable way to confirm whether a nursery or kindergarten you've heard about is currently licensed and operating in Amphoe Muang Songkhla.

If a bilingual nursery, full-day infant daycare, or international early years matters more than staying in Songkhla city itself, many families simply base themselves nearer Hat Yai, or accept the roughly 30-45 minute drive each way. Decide this before you sign a lease, not after.

Yes. Anuban Songkhla (ABSK), a government kindergarten first opened in 1943 in Bo Yang subdistrict, is the genuine local option for ages roughly 3-6, teaching in Thai. Punyakhun School of Songkhla, also based in the city, runs a private British-curriculum English Immersion Programme from Nursery through Grade 6. Both are physically inside Songkhla city, not Hat Yai.

We could not independently verify a dedicated bilingual or international-curriculum nursery physically inside Songkhla city as of 2026. Punyakhun School's English Immersion Programme is the closest local option. For a fuller bilingual or international early-years choice, families use Hat Yai, roughly 30-45 minutes away - see our Hat Yai childcare guide.

Anuban Songkhla, as a government kindergarten, charges only nominal termly fees - typically a few thousand baht at most. Punyakhun School does not publish its Nursery-level fees online; contact the school directly. A full-time live-out Thai nanny runs roughly THB 9,000-16,000 a month, in line with the rest of Thailand. Hat Yai's bilingual and international options cost considerably more - see our Hat Yai childcare guide for a full fee table.

Typically your child's passport and birth certificate, immunisation records, recent photos, and a parent passport with your Songkhla address (a lease or condo booking is usually enough). A government kindergarten such as Anuban Songkhla may ask for additional registration documentation for a foreign family - confirm directly. There is no visa rule tied to enrolment; DTV, LTR, retirement and other long-stay visa families all use the same local schools.

The Songkhla Provincial Private Education Office (Samnakngan Karn Suksa Ekachon Changwat Songkhla) maintains the official directory of licensed private schools, including kindergarten-level programmes, searchable by district. Use it to verify any nursery or kindergarten you've heard about before enrolling, since small-town listings can turn over quickly.

If a bilingual English-Thai nursery, full-day infant daycare, or an international early-years programme is your priority, yes - Hat Yai has a considerably larger childcare market, including early years linked to Bloomsbury International School, Southern International School Hatyai (SIH) and American Prep. If Anuban Songkhla's Thai immersion or Punyakhun School's English Immersion Programme fits your child's age and needs, Songkhla city itself works well and avoids the daily commute.