Asia
ASEAN School Awards Crowns Its First Winners at Bangkok Gala
The inaugural ceremony, held in Bangkok on 8 May, recognised schools across the region in 17 categories, with institutions from Singapore, Thailand, and Indonesia among those honoured.
The inaugural ASEAN School Awards Gala Dinner took place on 8 May 2026 at the Bangkok Marriott Hotel Sukhumvit, bringing together educators, school leaders, and admissions professionals from across Southeast Asia to mark what organisers billed as a milestone for the region's international education sector. The event, according to EIN Presswire, drew 43 finalists across 17 categories from a "broad cross-section of K-12 schools and education organisations" throughout ASEAN.
Among the schools in contention were several with British curriculum roots. King's College International School Bangkok and St Andrews International School Green Valley were both named as finalists, as were Wellington College International School Bangkok and Brighton College Bangkok Vibhavadi in the Innovative Facilities category. Singapore's XCL World Academy was a finalist for the Arts Award, while Jakarta Intercultural School was recognised for Innovative Teaching and Learning.
A new benchmark for the region
The awards were held in conjunction with two other events: the Lead To Succeed Summit, a conference for school leadership professionals, and the International School Marketing and Admissions Conference. Together, the week positioned Bangkok as a convening point for the region's international school community at a moment of rapid expansion, particularly across Thailand, Malaysia, and Vietnam.
For British schools in the region, the awards carry practical weight beyond the trophy. Inclusion in a shortlist signals to prospective families that a school has been independently assessed against regional peers, at a time when new campuses are opening at an unusually high rate. Several of the 2026 finalists are themselves recent openings, underscoring how quickly the competitive landscape is shifting.
What comes next
Organisers have indicated the awards will run annually, with a second edition expected in 2027. For schools that did not make the 2026 shortlist, the next cycle represents an early opportunity to build a submission track record. For those that did, the more immediate question is how to translate the recognition into admissions momentum ahead of the August 2026 school year start.