Bangkok · History
Wellington College Bangkok: ASEAN's First Campus, Built From Scratch in 2018
Opened in August 2018 as the first Wellington College in Southeast Asia, the Bangkok school grew from a pre-prep start-up to a 1,100-student campus in under a decade.
Wellington College has roots that run deep. The original school was founded in 1856 by Queen Victoria, in memory of Arthur Wellesley, Duke of Wellington, and former British Prime Minister. It opened to its first 76 students on 20 January 1859. The Bangkok campus carries that lineage into Southeast Asia, but its own story begins in 2018, when Thai partners brought the brand to a 28-acre site on the eastern edge of the city.
Origins
Wellington College International School Bangkok is the first Wellington College established in ASEAN. The school was opened in 2018 by partners Gurdist Chansrichawla and Dr. Darika Lathapipat, both of whom come from strong education backgrounds with a commitment to education quality and the values of Wellington College. Dr. Lathapipat is Vice President for Finance and Administration at Dhurakij Pundit University, holding degrees from Imperial College London and a Doctorate from the University of New South Wales. Chansrichawla is a Senator in the Thai Parliament and a member of the Senate Economic Finance and Banking Standing Committee.
The school is owned jointly by Wellington College UK and Thai investors. The project took an investment of 2.5 billion baht to complete. The founding head appointed to lead the enterprise was Christopher Nicholls. Nicholls began his teaching career at Caterham School in the UK, then moved to Singapore to work at Tanglin Trust School, before going on to Tokyo to develop the Senior School at the British School in Tokyo. Before joining Wellington in 2017, he spent two years setting up a new school in Warsaw, Poland.
Wellington College International Bangkok opened in 2018 with a pre-prep and prep building and full sports facilities. The school initially offered classes from Pre-Nursery to Year 6 for boys and girls aged 2 to 11. The formal inauguration followed shortly after. On the morning of Saturday, 15 September 2018, the Official Inauguration and Grand Opening was held at the new campus in the Krungthep Kreetha area of eastern Bangkok. The ceremony was led by Dr. Lathapipat as Chairman of the Board of Governors and attended by Abhisit Vejjajiva, former Prime Minister of Thailand, Thailand's Minister of Education, the British Ambassador to Thailand, and Julian Thomas, Master of Wellington College UK.
Growth
The school opened its pre-prep and prep building in 2018; the second phase was to construct a bespoke senior school and auditorium, designed to take the school to a capacity of 1,500 students. Phase Two, offering classes through to Year 13, was planned to commence by 2020. The senior building followed, and in 2025 the sixth form moved into dedicated premises. The Sixth Form is now based in its bespoke, purpose-built facility within the state-of-the-art Skylight building, which opened in 2025.
Around 1,100 students from Pre-Nursery through Year 13 are enrolled on the 70-rai (28-acre) green campus in Krungthep Kreetha, Saphan Sung, eastern Bangkok. The location sits midway between central Bangkok and Suvarnabhumi Airport.
Curriculum and Accreditation
Students follow a broad and balanced British curriculum, supported by specialist teachers, small class sizes and outstanding facilities, before progressing to internationally recognised IGCSE and A Level qualifications. Both current Wellington IGCSE pupils and students from other schools are welcome to join the Sixth Form community.
On accreditation, the school moved quickly. Wellington College Bangkok gained full COBIS Patron's Accreditation within its first year of operation, in May 2019, becoming the first school in the world to achieve this. Wellington College International Bangkok then received accreditation from the Council of International Schools (CIS) on 12 January 2024. The school was also shortlisted for the British International School of the Year Award in 2022.
Campus and Facilities
The campus is purpose-built and expansive, featuring a 600-seat theatre, Olympic-length pool, golf practice facilities, and generous outdoor space. Students benefit from a 650-seat theatre, industry-standard Design Technology, Computing and Robotics suites, specialist science laboratories, music and art studios, 25-metre and 50-metre swimming pools, Australian Open-standard tennis courts, a golf practice area, extensive sports pitches, a running track and expansive green spaces. The school is home to a diverse community representing more than 30 nationalities.
Wellington Identity
The Bangkok campus draws directly on the educational innovations embedded at the founding school in Berkshire. These include Wellbeing as a formal school subject and Harkness learning, both pioneered at Wellington College UK in the early 2000s under Master Sir Anthony Seldon. The values of Courage, Kindness, Respect, Integrity and Responsibility underpin every action and decision, and are infused into how students learn and live. An exchange programme with Wellington College UK highlights the position of pupils to engage with a truly global educational network.
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