International School Bangkok Fees (2026–27): Tuition, Admission Fees, Bus and Honest Alternatives

International School Bangkok (ISB) fees for 2026–27 are THB 659,000 a year for Pre-Kindergarten, THB 1,015,000 for Elementary (KG–grade 5), THB 1,137,000 for Middle School (grades 6–8) and THB 1,197,000 for High School (grades 9–12), according to ISB’s official 2026/2027 School Fees Schedule (checked 8 November 2026). A new student from Kindergarten upwards also pays a THB 4,700 application fee and a one-time THB 260,000 registration fee, plus a THB 22,000 annual fee every year — so a new high school student’s first year comes to THB 1,483,710 before bus and food.

If you searched “International School Bangkok fees”, “ISB cost” or “ISB admission fees”, you are most likely a family relocating to Bangkok with an embassy, UN, NGO or corporate posting, or a Bangkok family weighing Thailand’s oldest international school against NIST and Bangkok Patana. This page sets out ISB’s official numbers in one place, shows what they add up to in real scenarios, explains what is included and what is extra, and walks through admission. It then compares ISB fairly with nearby schools and with NIJIN GLOBAL ACADEMY — a different kind of option: an online international school for Asia and Oceania that opens in 2027. For the wider field, see our guide to international schools in Bangkok.

The short answer: who International School Bangkok suits — and who it doesn’t

• Suits families who want an American-style education (US grade levels, a US-framework high school diploma) with the option of AP courses, the full IB Diploma or a mix of both in grades 11–12.
• Suits families who will live in or near Nichada Thani in Nonthaburi, where many students walk, bike or are driven to school within a gated community.
• Suits US Government and UN families, who receive admissions priority and, for Pre-K, a published 75% tuition reduction.
• Suits younger children still learning English: ISB states there is no minimum English level for Pre-K to grade 4, and EAL support is included in tuition (places per grade are limited).
• May not suit families who must live in central Bangkok and do not want a daily cross-city commute; ISB is outside the city centre.
• May not suit tight budgets: ISB’s tuition is at the top of the Bangkok range, and the THB 260,000 registration fee is due in year one.
• May not suit children aged 10 and over who are beginners in English, or children who need both EAL and learning support at the same time — ISB says it cannot combine the two.

What International School Bangkok is

ISB opened on 14 May 1951 in a single wooden building on the grounds of the US Embassy, with 50 students, to serve the American diplomatic community. The school describes itself as Thailand’s first international school and as an independent, not-for-profit institution. Today it serves approximately 1,700 students from more than 60 nationalities on a purpose-built campus in Nichada Thani, a residential community just outside Bangkok in Pakkret, Nonthaburi province.

The curriculum is US-based, from Pre-Kindergarten (age 3) to grade 12. In high school, students can earn the ISB Diploma and add individual AP courses, individual IB courses or the full IB Diploma in grades 11–12 — ISB says it was the first school in Thailand to offer the IB Diploma, and the IB’s own directory lists ISB as an IB World School since 1 February 1984. It is a day school; there is no boarding, so students must live with a parent or a school-approved legal guardian.

International School Bangkok fees (2026–27, official)

All figures below are from ISB’s Tuition and Fees page and the official School Fees Schedule 2026/2027 (PDF), checked 8 November 2026. US dollar figures are approximate, at 1 THB = US$0.029808 (open.er-api.com, 8 November 2026); ISB bills in baht.

The registration fee is non-refundable unless a new student withdraws within the first 20 school days. Note the wording: the registration fee and the annual fee apply to grades KG–12, so a Pre-K child pays the application fee, tuition and the THB 10 membership fee, and the registration fee arrives when (or if) the child first enrols in Kindergarten or above. Current holders of Assessment Certificates are exempt from the annual fee.

Payment timing for new students: a non-refundable THB 40,000 deposit is due within 7 days of acceptance and is deducted from first-semester fees; the first semester (tuition, transport, annual fee, membership, minus the deposit) is due 30 June 2026 and the second semester on 15 November 2026. Students enrolling after those dates pay all fees, full or pro-rated, immediately after acceptance. Overdue payments carry a late fee of 0.75% a month. Mid-year joiners pay 2% of the semester’s tuition per school day until they have attended 50 school days, after which the full semester tuition applies. The Board of Trustees reserves the right to revise fees during the year if unforeseen circumstances arise.

What is included — and what is extra

Included in tuition, according to ISB: the curriculum, extracurricular programmes, use of facilities and student support services; English as an Additional Language (EAL) support (stated on the fee schedule); and lunch and a snack in the Elementary cafeteria (stated in the admissions FAQ). Charged separately: the school bus, Middle and High School meals (bought à la carte with the ISB ID card), Life Centered Education, Individual Learning Assistance and occupational therapy. ISB holds only limited accident insurance, so each student must have their own medical insurance; travel insurance for overseas trips is included in the trip cost. Uniform prices, AP and IB exam fees and any sibling discount are not published on the official site.

School bus fees (2026–27)

The bus is air-conditioned, adult-monitored and two-way only. Most families live in Nichada Thani and do not need it; families living in central Bangkok will usually fall into one of the longer-distance bands.

Worked examples (official 2026–27 figures only)

A new grade 10 student, first year: application THB 4,700 + registration 260,000 + tuition 1,197,000 + annual fee 22,000 + ISA 10 = THB 1,483,710 (about US$44,230). Second year: 1,197,000 + 22,000 + 10 = THB 1,219,010.

A new grade 3 student, first year: 4,700 + 260,000 + 1,015,000 + 22,000 + 10 = THB 1,301,710 (about US$38,800), with Elementary lunch and snack included.

All four high school years, starting in grade 9 (if fees stayed at 2026–27 levels): 1,483,710 + 3 × 1,219,010 = THB 5,140,740 (about US$153,240). Real fees normally rise year to year, so treat this as a floor.

Two children, grade 2 and grade 7, living 6–15 km away: first-year school fees 1,301,710 + 1,423,710 = THB 2,725,420, plus two bus places 2 × 116,600 = 233,200, for THB 2,958,620 in year one. The fee schedule lists no sibling discount.

Pre-K for a US Government or UN family: ISB’s partnership page lists Pre-K 1–2 tuition at THB 164,750 a year (a 75% reduction on THB 659,000, including meals and snacks), plus the THB 4,700 application fee and THB 10 membership fee. Benefits for other grades are discussed with Admissions and are not published.

ISB fees vs nearby schools: NIST and Bangkok Patana

Most families comparing ISB also look at NIST International School (full IB, central Sukhumvit) and Bangkok Patana School (British curriculum and IB, Bang Na). Using each school’s official 2026–27 fee schedule:

Two things stand out. ISB’s elementary tuition is a single flat rate across KG–grade 5, which is higher than NIST’s and Patana’s primary rates — but it includes Elementary lunch and EAL. And ISB’s ongoing extra is small (THB 22,000 a year) compared with NIST’s annual campus fee option. Patana’s Year 12 figure is 5,500 + 250,000 + 1,014,000 + 30,000; Patana also charges Year 11 and Year 13 for two terms only, while ISB charges every high school grade a full year. Sources: NIST Tuition & Fees 2026–2027 and Bangkok Patana tuition and fees 2026/27, as checked for our NIST and Patana reviews on 1 November 2026. Our NIST International School fees review and Bangkok Patana School fees review cover each school in the same detail, and our international school fees in Thailand guide places all three in the national range.

Admission requirements and key dates

Grade placement follows the American system and is based on age on 1 September: a child must be 3, 4, 5 or 6 on or before 1 September to enter Pre-K1, Pre-K2, Kindergarten or grade 1. Families coming from a different calendar are usually advised to apply for the grade the child is currently in; exceptions need approval from the divisional principal and the Admissions Committee.

English: English is the language of instruction. There is no minimum English level for Pre-K to grade 4; from grade 5 to grade 12 a minimum level applies and rises by division (the thresholds are not published). All non-native speakers applying for Kindergarten to grade 12 take an English proficiency assessment. EAL places are limited per grade.

Learning support: ISB’s Student Support Services covers mild to moderate learning differences, subject to space and to whether the school can meet the child’s needs. ISB states that it cannot support students who need several types of support at once, so learning support and EAL cannot be combined. Full documentation (past evaluations, learning plans, medical reports) is required.

Visas and streams: every student must hold a valid non-immigrant visa or a Thai passport. ISB sorts applicants into Thai, Dual, Expat and ED-visa streams. Applications open on 15 September. Thai-passport applicants have a deadline of 15 January, with offers in April; Dual and Expat families are admitted on a rolling basis subject to space; ED-visa applicants for semester 1 apply by 1 February. Offers must be confirmed within 7 days. Siblings of current students and alumni may receive priority, and applicants without a seat enter a wait pool. Grades 10–12 applicants need an official sealed transcript by the first counsellor meeting, or credits may not transfer. Sources: ISB Application Guidelines & Requirements and Key Admissions Dates, checked 8 November 2026.

How a school day works: classes, campus and getting there

ISB’s admissions FAQ gives class sizes by grade: Pre-K1 classes of 12 with three teachers, Pre-K2 15, Kindergarten 17, grades 1–2 20, grade 3 21 and grades 4–5 22, with two teachers in each Elementary class. Middle and High School core classes average about 20 students. The school year runs from mid-August to mid-June; the official 2025–26 calendar ran from 13 August to 12 June. Daily start and finish times and the 2026–27 calendar were not on the pages we checked — ask Admissions or see the school calendar.

Because the campus sits inside Nichada Thani, the daily rhythm depends heavily on where you live. Families in the community walk, cycle or drive a few minutes; families elsewhere use the door-to-door Montri bus service, which serves students up to about 50 km away. If your work is in central Bangkok, it is worth doing the commute at school-run time before you sign a lease. Parents also get an ISB ID card that gives access to the campus libraries and some sports facilities.

Accreditation, diploma and university recognition

The IB’s directory lists ISB as an authorised IB World School offering the Diploma Programme since 1984. ISB’s website displays WASC (Western Association of Schools and Colleges) and CIS (Council of International Schools) among its affiliations, alongside IB, IASAS and EARCOS; the pages we checked do not include a written accreditation statement, so families who need proof of a particular accreditor for a US school district or employer should ask ISB or check the accreditor’s directory.

ISB publishes its results. For the Class of 2026, 94 students earned the full IB Diploma with an average of 35 points (global average 30.8), 12% scored 40 or more, the top score was 43 and 42% earned the bilingual diploma. On AP, 232 students sat 513 exams; 67% scored 4 or higher and 34% scored 5. Listed university destinations for 2026 include Brown, Columbia, Duke, Penn, UC Berkeley and UCLA in the US, McGill and Toronto in Canada, Melbourne and Sydney in Australia, UCL and St Andrews in the UK, and Keio, Waseda, the University of Hong Kong and Chulalongkorn in Asia. Four university counsellors support applications. Sources: ISB Our Performance, ISB High School and the IB school directory entry, checked 8 November 2026.

International School Bangkok vs NIJIN GLOBAL ACADEMY vs two other options (official data)

NIJIN GLOBAL ACADEMY (NGA) is included as a different kind of option rather than a like-for-like competitor: it is online, opens in September 2027 and has no accreditation or graduates yet. Bangkok fees are in THB for 2026–27.

Sources: ISB tuition and fees, NIST Tuition & Fees 2026–2027, Bangkok Patana tuition and fees and NGA’s curriculum and timetable page — ISB checked 8 November 2026; NIST and Patana 1 November 2026.

Reviews and common concerns, answered honestly

“Is ISB worth the price?”

That depends on what you need from it. The price buys a long track record, an American curriculum with both AP and IB routes, published IB and AP results, small Elementary classes with two teachers, and EAL and Elementary lunch inside tuition. If your child is heading for US or Canadian universities, or may move between American-system schools, those features carry real weight. If none of them matter to you, a lower-fee school may serve just as well.

“Nichada Thani is a long way from the city.”

It is outside central Bangkok, and ISB itself expects most families to live in the community. That is the point of the location for many families — a quieter, gated neighbourhood with the school on the doorstep — but it is a trade-off for parents who work downtown. The bus fee table above shows what the distance costs if you live further out.

“Will my child get in if their English is still developing?”

Up to grade 4, ISB sets no minimum English level and includes EAL in tuition. From grade 5 the bar rises by division and EAL places are limited, so older beginners may not be offered a place, or may wait for one. Apply early and ask Admissions directly about EAL space in your child’s grade.

“What if my child has learning needs?”

ISB supports mild to moderate learning differences and has a separate Life Centered Education programme with its own fee. It is candid that space is limited and that it cannot combine learning support with EAL. Send full documentation early and ask for a pre-review, which ISB offers through its inquiry form.

“The one-time fees are large.”

The THB 260,000 registration fee is a real first-year cost, and it is only refundable if a new student leaves within 20 school days. Budget for it alongside tuition, and if your posting may be short, factor it into a per-year cost.

Alternatives to International School Bangkok worth comparing

NIST International School — a not-for-profit full IB World School on Sukhumvit Soi 15, central Bangkok, with 2026–27 tuition of THB 650,200–1,132,800; see our NIST fees review. Bangkok Patana School — a large not-for-profit British school with IGCSE and the IB Diploma, tuition THB 515,000–1,014,000; see our Patana fees review.

NIJIN GLOBAL ACADEMY (NGA) — an online international school for ages 6–18 focused on Asia and Oceania, operated by NIJIN Inc. (Japan), opening in September 2027 (planned). Children learn subjects in English in small live groups of about eight, with a bilingual English–Japanese mentor and CEFR-based English levels; there is no academic entrance exam and no English requirement. It can run alongside a local school or as the main school, and it moves with the family if they relocate. Honestly: it is not yet open, not yet accredited and has no graduates, and its tuition is not yet published (the school says it will be far more affordable than a typical international school, with no enrolment, facility or uniform fees). Its timetable suits Bangkok’s daytime. To see how an online day works, read a day at an online international school, and for a wider view, our comparison of online international schools and online vs in-person international school costs.

See how NGA admissions work →

FAQ

How much does International School Bangkok cost per year?

For 2026–27, tuition is THB 659,000 (Pre-K), THB 1,015,000 (KG–grade 5), THB 1,137,000 (grades 6–8) or THB 1,197,000 (grades 9–12), plus a THB 22,000 annual fee from Kindergarten. In the first year, a new student from Kindergarten also pays THB 4,700 to apply and a THB 260,000 registration fee. The bus is extra (THB 111,300–178,000 a year by distance).

What are ISB’s admission fees?

A non-refundable THB 4,700 application processing fee; on acceptance, a THB 40,000 non-refundable deposit (credited against first-semester fees); and, for grades KG–12, a one-time THB 260,000 registration fee in the first year, refundable only if the student withdraws within the first 20 school days.

Is International School Bangkok accredited?

ISB is an IB World School authorised for the Diploma Programme since 1984 (IB directory). Its website displays WASC and CIS among its affiliations; for formal confirmation of a particular accreditor, ask ISB or check that accreditor’s directory.

Can international students enrol, and does my child need fluent English?

Yes — ISB has admitted expatriate families since 1951 and accepts students with a valid non-immigrant visa or a Thai passport, including ED-visa applicants. There is no minimum English level up to grade 4; from grade 5 a minimum level applies and EAL places are limited.

What are the alternatives to ISB?

In Bangkok, NIST International School (full IB, central Sukhumvit) and Bangkok Patana School (British and IB) are the usual comparisons. For families in Asia and Oceania who want a small bilingual live-online option with no academic entrance exam and no English requirement, NIJIN GLOBAL ACADEMY opens in September 2027 (planned); it is not yet accredited and its tuition is not yet published.

Choosing calmly before a move to Bangkok

ISB publishes one of the clearest fee schedules in Thailand, and the useful next steps are concrete. Find your child’s grade by age on 1 September, check the English and learning-support position for that grade, decide where you will live and test the commute, and apply early if you need an ED visa. Then add up year one honestly — tuition, the THB 260,000 registration fee, the annual fee, the bus band for your address and Middle or High School meals — and compare it with NIST and Patana on the same basis. If your posting is short, your child is still growing into English, or you want something that moves with your family, it is worth keeping one flexible option in view as well.

Tuition and admissions details were checked on the official websites on 8 November 2026. Schools revise fees every year — always confirm on the official site before applying.

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