Asia
North London Collegiate School Signs for a Phuket Campus Opening in 2028
NLCS International has agreed with Phuket resort operator VLC Group to develop a co-educational day and boarding school in Cherng Talay, as premium British schools push deeper into Thailand's provincial markets.
North London Collegiate School is extending its international footprint into one of Southeast Asia's fastest-growing resort destinations. NLCS International has signed an agreement with VLC Group, a Phuket-based hotel and resort operator, to develop NLCS Phuket International School in Cherng Talay, with the campus due to open in the third quarter of 2028, according to Media OutReach Newswire.
The announcement reflects a wider shift in Thailand's international education market, where demand is no longer concentrated in Bangkok alone. Phuket has rapidly evolved from a beach holiday destination into one of Thailand's primary international school hubs, drawing internationally mobile families who have relocated permanently to the island or split their time between it and regional cities. Kasikorn Research Centre projected 9.7 percent growth in international education across Thailand in 2025, with Phuket emerging alongside Chiang Mai as the main destinations outside the capital.
What the school will offer
NLCS Phuket is planned as a co-educational day and boarding institution serving students from Early Years through Year 13. Its initial capacity is expected to be approximately 1,000 students, with scope to expand to around 1,500. Planned facilities include boarding accommodation, dedicated junior and senior school buildings, science and technology spaces, a 50-metre swimming pool, a sports hall, covered tennis courts, and football pitches. The campus will sit in Cherng Talay, one of Phuket's fastest-growing residential and hospitality districts.
NLCS was founded in 1850 by Frances Mary Buss and was awarded Independent Secondary School of the Year 2026 by The Sunday Times Parent Power Guide. The school's international network already includes campuses in Jeju, Dubai, Singapore, and Kobe, with a Hong Kong opening in development. Phuket would be the first purpose-built boarding campus in the network's Asia portfolio.
The operator and the market
VLC Group, whose managing director Naruj Chirayus signed alongside NLCS International's Daniel Lewis, owns and operates premium hotels and resorts across Phuket and Khao Lak. The partnership follows a pattern that has become standard in Thailand's international school expansion, with local hospitality and real-estate groups supplying land and capital while the British brand contributes curriculum, staffing expertise, and market credibility.
The 2028 timeline places NLCS Phuket in a market already seeing new supply. Glenalmond Phuket opened in August 2026 at the Thanyapura Sports Resort, and several other operators have signalled intentions for the island. How much enrolment the area can absorb, and at what fee levels, will shape the competitive picture considerably before NLCS opens its doors.