In the first half of this year, Thailand launched multiple crackdowns targeting unlicensed and illegal educational institutions.
In early April, an unregistered international school in Bangkok’s Prawet District was raided by authorities. A total of 10 foreign teachers without valid work permits were taken into custody on the spot.
In early May, officials shut down an institution on Koh Phangan that operated an illegal primary school under the guise of a kindergarten, with all nine school administrators held legally accountable.
At the end of May, a joint task force from multiple government departments targeted a popular Chinese-oriented preschool and primary bridging school in Bangkok that had been operating for over five years. Attracting numerous Chinese families seeking affordable expat education by charging tuition fees 30% lower than reputable licensed schools, the institution concealed severe compliance risks behind its low pricing. Families suffered devastating consequences: students were forced to suspend classes, their ED student visas became invalid, academic transcripts were not officially recognised, and parents had no recourse to recover tuition fees, leaving them stuck in an impossible predicament.
When selecting an international school, many parents instinctively prioritise campus facilities and tuition costs. We urge all families to exercise caution: countless institutions lure families with marketing pitches of bilingual education and international curricula, yet operate without official school licences, valid accreditation, or legal work visas for foreign teachers. Falling victim to these unregulated schools can completely derail your child’s overseas education journey.
We have compiled a step-by-step school selection guide to help you identify fully licensed, legally compliant international schools that will not face government shutdowns, guiding you to choose accredited official institutions:
Verify official licensing via the OPEC official website, and confirm the school holds a formal international school licence issued by Thailand’s Ministry of Education. Students at licensed institutions are registered in the national education database, and schools can issue official study certificates to apply for and renew ED student visas. Unlicensed centres cannot process legal student visas; if raided, all visas will be voided immediately, forcing children to transfer schools or leave the country at short notice.
Check institutional accreditations: Confirm whether the school holds official authorisations including IBO accreditation, CIE recognition, WASC certification and other recognised credentials.Word-of-mouth reputation: Learn about the school’s actual campus culture through groups of current parents and alumni testimonials.
Foreign staff compliance: Verify all foreign teachers and employees hold legitimate Thai work permits.Faculty composition: Review the proportion and retention rate of foreign teachers. Frequent staff turnover is a red flag for declining teaching quality.Teacher qualifications: Prioritise educators with formal teaching degrees and overseas classroom experience, rather than merely native English speakers with no professional training.
Bonus indicators of a high-quality school: Reasonable class sizes and a stable student-teacher ratio; dedicated Mandarin language programmes and on-campus counselling services; fully disclosed historical university admission data, with transparent disclosure of staff turnover rates.
A sincere reminder for all families planning low-child expat education in Thailand: compliance must be your top priority when choosing a school, followed by tuition fees and campus amenities. Enrolling in an unlicensed illegal school will waste years of expat residency and hundreds of thousands of tuition fees with no remedy. If you are currently researching schools for your child, feel free to message us for support!
