Bangkok · History
From a 1979 kindergarten to a 900-pupil British school in Nonthaburi
Denla British School opened in August 2017 as the international arm of a Thai education group with nearly five decades of history. It now runs from Early Years to Sixth Form on a 60-rai campus northwest of Bangkok.
The Pandejpong family founded Denla Kindergarten in 1979. For nearly three decades the group stayed in early years, building a reputation for nursery and kindergarten education across greater Bangkok. A second site, Denla Rama V, opened in May 2006 to meet growing demand. By the mid-2010s the group was educating around 3,000 children aged two to six across its two campuses, with a staff of roughly 600.
The decision to move into international secondary education was a significant step. According to FOBISIA, Denla British School opened in 2017, bringing an entirely different proposition: a through-school from Early Years to Year 13, modelled on the UK independent sector. The first full academic year began on 28 August 2017, with children aged three to ten on roll. Year groups extended to Year 8 in 2018, and the school continued adding year groups until it reached a full through-school.
The campus sits at 58 Moo 2, Ratchaphruek Road, Om Kret, Pak Kret, Nonthaburi, roughly 30 minutes northwest of central Bangkok by expressway. The site covers 60 rai (approximately 24 acres), making it one of the larger international school campuses in the country. Usable area exceeds 100,000 square metres and includes indoor and outdoor sports facilities, a music hall, science laboratories, and age-specific teaching blocks.
Curriculum and Accreditation
The school is structured in three divisions: Pre-Prep (Early Years to Year 2), Prep (Years 3 to 8), and Senior (Years 9 to 13). The curriculum is grounded in the English National Curriculum from Early Years through lower school, with specialist teaching in Thai, Mandarin, music, PE, computing, and art running throughout. The school day is extended by 1.5 hours beyond the standard British timetable to allow deeper co-curricular engagement.
At Senior level, students sit Cambridge IGCSE examinations in Years 10 and 11, progressing to A Levels in the Sixth Form. DBS is also an approved Pearson Edexcel centre and an Oxford AQA approved centre, giving students and teachers flexibility across exam boards. Thai language and culture are embedded throughout, keeping the school connected to its national context while delivering an international qualification pathway.
DBS holds accreditation from the Council of International Schools (CIS) and the Council of British International Schools (COBIS). It is a Cambridge International School, authorised to offer Cambridge IGCSE and A Level qualifications. Thai regulatory oversight comes through ONESQA, the Office for National Education Standards and Quality Assessment. The school joined FOBISIA, the Federation of British International Schools in Asia, in 2021.
Present Day
Roll currently stands at around 900 students from over 20 nationalities. Headmaster Jonny Liddell, a Cambridge graduate with NPQH qualifications, leads the school. At capacity the site is designed to hold approximately 1,600 students. IGCSE results have seen around 67 percent of students achieve A* or A grades, with approximately 95 percent reaching A* to C. The school reports that all students qualify for university admission.