Taylor's Schools Acquires Four St Andrews Campuses in Thailand From Cognita

Taylor's Schools, the Southeast Asian K-12 group built around campuses in Malaysia and Singapore, has completed the purchase of four St Andrews International School sites in Thailand from Cognita, according to Tes, marking the first time the group has expanded beyond its home markets.

The four campuses are St Andrews Sathorn, Dusit and Sukhumvit 107, all in Bangkok, and St Andrews Green Valley on Thailand's Eastern Seaboard. The schools range from early years through secondary and collectively serve several thousand students. All four will retain their existing names, staff and identities while gaining access to Taylor's Schools' curriculum resources and professional development network.

What the deal means for Taylor's

The acquisition takes the group to 10 schools and roughly 10,000 students across three countries. Angelina Tee, the chief executive who joined Taylor's in January after spending more than a decade at Cognita, described the deal as "an important step in our story in Thailand" and indicated further moves were in the pipeline. Among the plans under consideration is the addition of boarding facilities at Green Valley, which Tee described as a potential base for outdoor education across the broader group.

Thailand has become a focal point for international school operators this year. Six new British-curriculum institutions opened for the 2026 academic year, among them Dulwich College, Wycombe Abbey and SPGS International School. St Andrews, which has operated in the country for more than 15 years, carries a level of established brand recognition that recent arrivals are still building. Taylor's appears to be betting that an acquired reputation is worth more, at least initially, than a fresh flag.

What it means for Cognita

For Cognita, the disposal of its Thai portfolio is a significant step. The group's owner, Jacobs Holding, has been examining strategic options for the broader business throughout 2026, including a potential majority stake sale that has struggled to close amid valuation disagreements and uncertainty around UK fee regulation. Whether the Thai sale reflects a deliberate shift toward asset-lighter operations in specific markets, or is simply an opportunistic transaction, has not been made clear in available disclosures.

Taylor's entry positions a regional operator, rather than a global one, as the buyer for established but non-core assets. If Cognita continues to trim its Southeast Asian portfolio, this will likely not be the last such deal.