Highgate Opens Its First Overseas Campus in Thailand This August

Highgate School, one of the top-ranked independent schools in England, is weeks away from opening its first international campus. According to the Bangkok Post, the school's first semester begins in August 2026, with founding families already registered at a visitor centre in Chonburi province.

The new campus, Highgate International School Thailand, sits near Siam Country Club in Chonburi, roughly 90 minutes south-east of Bangkok. It has been developed through a partnership between Highgate School UK and the Siam Motors Group, a long-established Thai conglomerate best known for its Yamaha Music School network. The collaboration is the Phornprapha family's deliberate step from music education into full international schooling.

A phased opening

The school will open in August for Pre-Prep and Junior pupils aged two to 11, following the English National Curriculum. A Senior School, taking students through IGCSEs and A Levels, will follow in 2027, with boarding facilities planned for 2028 to 2029. At full capacity, the campus is designed to accommodate up to 1,400 day and boarding students aged two to 18.

Leading the school is founding head Ben Keeling, who brings nearly two decades of international school leadership experience, including eight years as principal of Shrewsbury International School Hong Kong. Staff are being recruited primarily from the UK and will undergo training directly with Highgate's London campus to ensure alignment with the school's academic ethos.

Joining a crowded field

Highgate arrives at a moment of considerable activity in Thailand's British school market. Dulwich College Bangkok and Wycombe Abbey International School Bangkok are also due to open in August 2026, following Glenalmond College's Phuket debut earlier in the year. The cluster of openings reflects sustained demand for IGCSEs and A Level pathways in a country that now has more than 180 international schools serving over 60,000 students.

Within five years, the school has set a target of securing British Schools Overseas accreditation and membership of the Federation of British International Schools in Asia. Tuition fees are set at 500,000 to one million baht per year, positioning Highgate Thailand at the premium end of the market but below the ceiling of some established Bangkok campuses. For families in Pattaya, Rayong and Chonburi, proximity to the campus rather than a daily drive to Bangkok is likely to be a significant draw.