Schools · admissions · family logistics
Choosing an international school in Southeast Asia
A school affects far more than the education budget. It shapes where you live, the child's visa, the weekday routine, friendships and a possible move into another education system later. Treat it as one of the most important decisions in the family move.
Last verified 31 August 2026
The short answer
What makes a school a good fit?
The best school is the one that can teach and support your child, is properly authorised for the programme it claims, fits the likely next education system, and sits inside a sustainable family commute. Brand recognition alone does not answer any of those questions.
Country comparison
What changes across the five destinations
Ranges are broad because year group and school tier matter. Fee examples link to the provider responsible for the schedule.
| Destination | Planning range | Where choice is deepest | Published example |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🇹🇭 Thailand | about £6,000–£13,000/yr | Bangkok | Bangkok Patana School |
| 🇲🇾 Malaysia | about £3,800–£20,000/yr | Kuala Lumpur | The International School of Kuala Lumpur |
| 🇻🇳 Vietnam | about £8,700–£31,000/yr | Ho Chi Minh City | United Nations International School of Hanoi |
| 🇮🇩 Indonesia (Bali) | about £9,500–£14,000/yr | Sanur | Green School Bali |
| 🇵🇭 The Philippines | about £2,800–£22,000/yr | Metro Manila | International School Manila |
The curriculum affects what comes next
Think about the next school move as well as this one
British / English
Can offer familiar year groups and routes towards IGCSE/GCSE and A levels. Check the actual awarding bodies, subject breadth and post-16 pathway.
International Baccalaureate
PYP, MYP, DP and CP are separate programmes. Verify that the school is authorised for the programme your child will enter.
American
Often credit- and diploma-based with possible AP options. Ask how transfer credits and university counselling work for a later home-country or international move.
Australian, bilingual and other routes
Australian state-based programmes, national curricula and bilingual models may all appear. Verify the exact qualification, recognition and support for a later transition.
Check the exact claim: a school offering one IB programme is not automatically authorised for all four, and a Cambridge exam centre is not necessarily providing a complete Cambridge education. Use the awarding body's official search.
Make the school tour useful
Look beyond the lobby and presentation
Ask to see the everyday routines and support a child experiences, not only the newest building and admissions presentation.
Look beyond the advertised tuition fee
Ask for the full first-year cost
- Application / assessmentone-off
- Registration / enrolmentone-off
- Capital / developmentone-off or annual
- Tuitionrecurring
- Bus, meals, uniform, devicevariable
- Support, exams, tripschild-specific
Then repeat the calculation for child two. A sibling discount is not a second-school-place budget.
A sensible order for school admissions
Coordinate the school place, visas and housing
- 01
Write down what your child needs
Map their age and year group, curriculum history, language, support, interests and likely next school system.
- 02
Check and shortlist schools
Confirm authorisation and accreditation, then ask about availability and the complete fee schedule.
- 03
Get to know the school
Tour it, speak to support staff, review documents and understand offer conditions and refunds.
- 04
Align immigration
Confirm the child's study status and the separate basis for each parent before irreversible payments.
- 05
Choose the home
Try the journey at real drop-off time, then look for a home within a manageable distance.
Country school guides
Compare named schools, cities and fee schedules
Detailed city comparisons
Compare fees, admissions and the school run in six priority cities
Each city guide compares four useful starting points using published fee schedules, then helps you check places, support and neighbourhoods before making a commitment.
Bangkok
4 schools · first-year costs · printable shortlist
Metro Manila
4 schools · first-year costs · printable shortlist
Kuala Lumpur
4 schools · first-year costs · printable shortlist
Ho Chi Minh City
4 schools · first-year costs · printable shortlist
Penang
4 schools · first-year costs · printable shortlist
Hanoi
4 schools · first-year costs · printable shortlist
Chiang Mai
3 schools · first-year costs · printable shortlist
Phuket
4 schools · first-year costs · printable shortlist
Da Nang
4 schools · first-year costs · printable shortlist
Cebu
4 schools · first-year costs · printable shortlist
Johor Bahru
4 schools · first-year costs · printable shortlist
Research your shortlist carefully
Three guides to use with every country
British vs IB vs American
Compare programme structures, qualifications and the effect of changing schools later.
How to choose a school
Use the ten-step process covering school claims, safeguarding, fees and the daily journey.
Could online schooling work?
Compare online schools, home education, qualifications, exams and the family timetable.
Bring the research together
Ready to turn your research into a family move plan?
The Family Move Planner keeps your destination comparison, family priorities, budget, sources, questions and timeline in one organised system.
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Common questions
Questions about international schools
Which Southeast Asian country has the best international schools?
Thailand and Malaysia offer the broadest established choice across several curricula, especially Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur. Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Bali and Metro Manila also have highly established schools, but city-level breadth and specialist support matter more than a national ranking.
Is an international school the same as an accredited school?
No. “International” is a description, not a single quality mark. Verify claimed programme authorisation with the awarding body and examine local licensing, independent accreditation, safeguarding, governance and inspection evidence separately.
How can I verify an IB or Cambridge school?
Use the International Baccalaureate's official World School finder and Cambridge International's official school search. An IB candidate school is not yet the same as an authorised IB World School for that programme.
Should children stay with their home-country curriculum?
Continuity can reduce friction if a return is likely, especially near senior qualifications. Younger children may move successfully between British, IB, American, Australian, bilingual or national-plus programmes. Judge teaching, support and the likely next school—not the label alone.
What school costs are commonly excluded from tuition?
Application, assessment, registration, enrolment, capital/development, deposits, transport, meals, uniform, devices, exams, trips and additional learning or English-language support may all be separate. Ask for a sample complete first-year invoice.
When should we apply?
As early as your shortlist is serious, particularly for popular year groups or specialist support. But ask about refund and deferral rules before paying irreversible fees when immigration or employment is still uncertain.
How do we assess safeguarding from overseas?
Ask for the current safeguarding policy, designated lead, safer-recruitment/background-check process, reporting route, staff training, transport supervision and handling of allegations. Accreditation can help, but parents should still test how policy works in practice.
Should we choose the school before the house?
Usually yes. Confirm a realistic place and test the journey at drop-off and collection time, then search inside a reliable commute. Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Ho Chi Minh City, Bali and Manila can all punish a map-only housing choice.