Bangkok · History
Brighton College Bangkok: a decade from founding to global top 100
Brighton College Bangkok opened in Krungthep Kreetha in September 2016 and, in less than ten years, built a record that includes a BSO Gold and Outstanding rating, a British International School of the Year title, and a second campus.
Brighton College Bangkok opened in September 2016 on a 20-acre campus in Krungthep Kreetha, east of Bangkok, about thirty minutes from the city centre and fifteen minutes from Suvarnabhumi Airport. It was the third school to join the Brighton College international family, a network that traces its roots to Brighton College UK, founded in 1845 by William Aldwin Soames as the first independent school in Sussex.
The Bangkok campus was developed in partnership with the Brighton College board of governors and local investors, specifically the Assakul family. Investor and parent Kris Assakul had been introducing British curriculum education to Thailand since 1998 at St. Stephen's International School, and brought that experience to the Brighton partnership. The expansion has been led by Nusara (Assakul) Banyatpiyaphod, Chair of the Brighton College Bangkok Board.
Campus and Curriculum
The school provides education for boys and girls aged 2 to 18 and is divided into two schools on the same campus. Children follow the British curriculum and enjoy specialist teaching in art, music, dance, PE, computing, and languages, including Thai and Mandarin, from the age of four. From Year 5, pupils receive specialist teaching in academic subjects and take IGCSEs before progressing to a choice of 21 A Level subjects in Years 12 and 13.
Founded in Bangkok in 2016, the school joined FOBISIA in 2020 and follows a British-type curriculum offering the International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE) and A Levels. The school also hosts the largest Model United Nations Conference in South East Asia each year, with over 600 delegates attending. It additionally hosts the region's largest Medical Conference for aspiring medics.
Inspection and Accreditation
Brighton College Bangkok was accredited by teams from the Educational Development Trust (EDT) and the British Schools Overseas (BSO) inspectorate following a rigorous four-day visit in November 2023 that saw more than 70 lessons observed and 25 meetings held with leaders, governors, staff, pupils, and parents. The inspection team awarded the school the highest grades achievable: Gold and Outstanding.
The inspectors awarded Brighton College Bangkok the highest score in every category and drew particular attention to academic outcomes, finding that progress was outstanding at every level of the school, from Nursery through to Sixth Form, with public examination results described as not only the best in Thailand but among the best in the world. Pupils have achieved a four-year rolling average of over 70% A* to A at A Level, and one year's A Level grades of 87% A* to A were recognised as the best of any British international school anywhere in the world.
Awards and Recognition
Brighton College Bangkok was named British International School of the Year at the Independent Schools of the Year Awards 2024. The award recognises excellence in academic results, teaching and learning, contributions to sustainability and global citizenship, strong leadership and governance, and exceptional co-curricular provision.
In 2026, the school was included in the Spear's Schools Index as one of the 100 leading private schools in the world, and one of only two schools in Thailand to receive the distinction. The Spear's Schools Index is among the most rigorous evaluations of private school excellence globally, assessing schools across academic outcomes, pastoral care, co-curricular provision, and breadth of opportunity.
Leadership
Since 2022, Nick Gallop BA MSc has led the school as it developed into one of Bangkok's most prominent British schools. He is confirmed as Head Master in the UK Department for Education's British Schools Overseas register. His predecessor brought the school through its formative years from opening in 2016.
Second Campus
In 2025, Brighton College Bangkok extended its British curriculum to a new Vibhavadi branch. Supported by a 1.4 billion baht investment, the Vibhavadi campus features dedicated centres for the arts, STEM, and sports, catering for pupils from Early Years through IGCSE and A Level. Mr Crispian Waterman was appointed Founding Head Master of the Vibhavadi campus. The founding of the Vibhavadi campus was intended to extend access to the Brighton College approach to families in a different part of the city.
The original Krungthep Kreetha campus currently enrols around 700 pupils. Marking its tenth anniversary in 2026, the college announced the most significant phase of investment in its history since founding, with new facilities planned across the school. Central to that investment is a new Olympic-standard athletics track.