The honest picture: one licensed international school, a handful of good kindergartens, and no on-island secondary option — what that means for your move. Fees are 2026 guide figures in Thai baht (≈ THB 35–36 = USD 1).
Koh Phangan is not a schooling destination the way Koh Samui or Phuket are, and it's worth planning around that rather than being surprised by it. The island has exactly one Ministry-of-Education-licensed international school — Si Ri Panya in Ban Tai, teaching a British curriculum through Cambridge IGCSE — plus a small, well-regarded set of English-medium nurseries and kindergartens clustered around Thong Sala and Ban Tai. Once a child is ready for secondary school beyond what Si Ri Panya offers, there is no further on-island option: families either move to an accredited homeschool or online curriculum, or base near Koh Samui's larger school market instead. Read this guide alongside the Koh Phangan hub and, if secondary schooling is a firm requirement, our Koh Samui schools guide for the fuller island alternative.
A representative list of Koh Phangan's established options. This is a starting point, not a ranking — visit in person and speak with current parents before enrolling.
| School | Area | Curriculum | Known for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Si Ri Panya International School | Ban Tai (opposite Wat Pho) | British / Cambridge (EYFS–IGCSE) | The island's only school officially licensed by the Thai Ministry of Education as an international school (since September 2019), delivering an English National Curriculum through Cambridge IGCSE. It is the closest thing Koh Phangan has to a full primary-through-early-secondary option. |
| The Learning Tree Nursery & Kindergarten | Thong Sala | English-medium nursery & kindergarten | The island's longest-running English-medium early-years school, based in Thong Sala since 2010 and a common first stop for expat toddlers and young children. |
| Circle of Sun International Kindergarten | West coast (Srithanu area) | Montessori-influenced early years | A small kindergarten with Montessori-trained, English-fluent staff and low ratios — typically 4–6 children per teacher — popular with the west-coast wellness community. |
| Seeds of Phangan | Ban Tai area | Early Childhood Education | A kindergarten staffed by educators holding degrees in Early Childhood Education, Psychology or Social Work, with a low student-to-teacher ratio for the early years. |
| Le Petit Prince | Chaloklum (north coast) | Preschool 2100 programme | A north-coast preschool near Chaloklum following a structured, age-grouped early-years programme — useful for families based on the quieter north side of the island. |
Full profile: Si Ri Panya International School
Si Ri Panya is the only school on the island with published, verifiable fees. Everything else is smaller and less formal, so treat the figures below as a starting point for direct enquiries, not a fixed price list.
| Stage | Annual cost (guide) |
|---|---|
| Si Ri Panya — Primary / early secondary (Cambridge IGCSE track) | THB 205,220–271,223 / year (2025/26 published fees) |
| Nurseries & kindergartens (Learning Tree, Circle of Sun, Seeds of Phangan, Le Petit Prince) | Typically well below Si Ri Panya's fees — few publish rates online, so confirm current tuition directly |
| Homeschool / accredited online curriculum (from age 12, or as an alternative earlier) | Charged per subject or per year by the provider (e.g. Wolsey Hall Oxford, CambriLearn) rather than a flat campus fee |
On top of tuition, budget for application or registration fees, uniforms, and — since Koh Phangan has no public transit — a scooter, songthaew fare or private school run for the daily commute.
Most of the island's schooling sits in the Ban Tai–Thong Sala corridor: Si Ri Panya is in Ban Tai, opposite Wat Pho, and The Learning Tree is in Thong Sala itself, both within easy reach of the island's banks, pier and immigration office. Families in the west-coast wellness community around Srithanu tend to use Circle of Sun for the early years, while those on the quieter north coast near Chaloklum have Le Petit Prince closer to home. Koh Phangan has no public transit, so the school run is by scooter, songthaew or private arrangement — confirm the realistic journey time before you sign a lease, since the island's interior roads are steeper and slower than Samui's.
This is the planning point that catches families out. Si Ri Panya covers primary years and an early Cambridge IGCSE track, but Koh Phangan has no broader on-island secondary school. Once children outgrow what's available locally, families generally choose one of two routes: switch to an accredited homeschool or online curriculum — providers such as Wolsey Hall Oxford and CambriLearn are widely used by expat families across Thailand and let you stay on the island — or shift the household's centre of gravity toward Koh Samui, which has a much larger international-school market reachable by ferry from Koh Samui (USM) or Surat Thani. Homeschooling itself is straightforward for foreign residents: Thailand's domestic homeschool regulations are aimed at Thai families, and expats are not bound by the same registration process. Decide this before you commit to a long lease — it shapes both where you live and how long Koh Phangan works for your family.
Because Koh Phangan's schooling market is small and informal outside Si Ri Panya, due diligence matters more here than on a bigger island. Thai authorities have stepped up scrutiny of unlicensed education operations on the island, and enforcement action in 2026 was a reminder that not everything marketed as a "school" is properly registered. Before you commit: ask any school directly for its current Ministry of Education licence or registration status, check that foreign teaching staff hold valid work permits, and be wary of a setup that can't produce verifiable accreditation on request. Si Ri Panya's MOE licence is a matter of public record; treat that as the benchmark other options should be measured against.
Yes, one: Si Ri Panya International School in Ban Tai, which has held an official Thai Ministry of Education international-school licence since September 2019 and teaches a British curriculum through Cambridge IGCSE. Beyond Si Ri Panya, the island has several English-medium nurseries and kindergartens — The Learning Tree, Circle of Sun, Seeds of Phangan and Le Petit Prince — but no other MOE-licensed international school.
This is the real planning question on Koh Phangan. Si Ri Panya covers primary and an early-secondary IGCSE track, but the island has no broader on-island secondary option comparable to Koh Samui or Phuket. Families in this position generally do one of three things: continue with Si Ri Panya if it fits, move to an accredited online or distance-learning curriculum (providers such as Wolsey Hall Oxford or CambriLearn are commonly used by expat families in Thailand), or relocate — or split the week — to access Koh Samui's larger international-school market by ferry.
Si Ri Panya's published 2025/26 fees run from roughly THB 205,220 to 271,223 a year depending on year group. The island's nurseries and kindergartens are generally cheaper, but most don't publish fees online, so request current rates directly from each school. If you move to homeschooling or an online curriculum instead, budget per subject or per year through the provider rather than a single campus fee.
Not necessarily, and this is worth checking carefully. Thai authorities have increased scrutiny of unlicensed education operations on the island, and enforcement action in 2026 highlighted the risk of enrolling in a setup that isn't properly registered. Before committing, confirm a school's Ministry of Education licence status directly, ask about the work-permit status of its foreign teachers, and be cautious of any 'international school' that can't produce current, verifiable accreditation.
Most families base themselves in the Ban Tai–Thong Sala corridor, which puts Si Ri Panya, The Learning Tree and the island's banks, pier and immigration office within a reasonable scooter or songthaew ride. Families centred on the west-coast wellness community around Srithanu often use Circle of Sun for the early years, while those on the quieter north coast near Chaloklum have Le Petit Prince nearby. Wherever you choose, confirm the school run realistically before signing a lease — Koh Phangan's interior roads are steeper than Samui's.
This guide is general information for relocation planning, not admissions, immigration or financial advice. School licensing, fees, staff and programmes change — confirm current details directly with each school and with Thailand's Ministry of Education before enrolling.
Primary and official sources are cited above. Government rules, fees and procedures in Thailand change over time and vary by office; always confirm current requirements with the relevant authority before relying on them. BAANLYY never takes paid placement in editorial content.
Compare the fuller international-school market on Koh Samui, or explore Koh Phangan's areas and cost of living first.
Hero photo by Ksenia Chernaya on Pexels.