With the integration of ten ASEAN member countries as the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) in 2015, Thailand is gearing up in every possible way to take full advantage of the merger. Significant emphasis on trade and services has been imminent, but very few would have thought that international education in Thailand was among the contributors to the economy.
Thailand is the only country in the world with the largest number of international schools. The trend has taken a new turn in the past decade when expat communities began to grow and Thai nationals were allowed to be enrolled in these schools.
The number of international schools has risen quickly following the economic boom in Thailand. This indicates that while the number of enrollment is increasing, the economy could not be worse than it looked.
According to the International School Association of Thailand (ISAT), a few of the best international schools in this region are in Thailand. International schools have gained trust among Thai parents and foreign investors who send their children to these schools in Thailand.
Almost all of the foreign-based and international curriculum schools in Thailand have been internationally recognized and students who graduated from these schools went on to higher education at famous universities around the world.
International schools in Thailand follow the curriculum from the United States, United Kingdom, Japan, Germany, Australia, Singapore, France, India and the international baccalaureate program.
All of which also offer a second language class in many languages. The coming AEC has prompted Thailand to gear up to become an international hub of education in the ASEAN region.
According to Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, Thailand remains attractive to investors, if that is the case the integration of the ASEAN nations will make it easier for foreign investors who are raising their families to consider Thailand their second home where the cost of living is relatively reasonable and international education is second to none.
