A school tour usually goes the same way. Someone from admissions walks you past the library, the pool, a Year 4 class doing something colorful with paper, and you leave with a folder. It's a pleasant hour and it answers about a third of what you need to know. The rest you have to ask for, and it helps to know which questions are worth the awkwardness.

Is the school licensed and accredited?

Private schools in Thailand operate under the Office of the Private Education Commission (OPEC) at the Ministry of Education, so any international school in Thailand should be able to confirm its license without fuss. Accreditation is a different thing. Bodies like the Council of International Schools (CIS) and the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) send reviewers who measure a school against published standards, and exam boards separately approve schools to run IGCSE, A-Levels or the IB. Ask which ones apply and when the last review was. If the answer is a date and a report, good. If it's a long pause, you've learned something.

What is the total cost?

The tuition figure on the website is a starting point. Most families discover the rest later: application and assessment fees, a one-time enrollment or capital fee, deposits, buses, lunch, uniforms, exam registration, the Year 9 trip. Some schools bill by term, others by year, and a few quote in a currency other than baht. Get the full list in writing for your child's specific grade. It's also fair to ask how much fees have gone up each year recently. Schools that look similar on price today can be quite far apart in three years.

How big are the classes, and how long do teachers stay?

Averages in brochures cover for a lot of variation, so ask for the actual number in your child's year. Then ask about the teachers. How many have been there more than three years? How many positions were filled from outside last summer? High turnover doesn't automatically mean a bad school, but a child whose teacher changes every September has a different experience from one who knows the staff by name.

How does admission work?

Some schools take nearly everyone who applies. Others run entrance tests or interviews and keep waiting lists for popular year groups, and in Bangkok that tends to mean the primary years at the better-known campuses. Find out what the assessment covers, how long a decision takes, and whether places open mid-year. This matters most to families arriving on a work contract that starts in March, not August.

What support is there for English and learning needs?

A large share of students at an international school in Thailand are working in their second or third language. Ask whether English support happens inside regular lessons or pulls children out of them, and how long students typically need it. For a child with a learning difference, ask plainly what the school can and can't support. Is there a specialist on staff, or one teacher who also has a full class? A limited answer that's honest is more useful than a warm one that isn't.

How is Thai language handled?

Thai nationals at international schools are generally expected to follow Thai language and culture requirements set by the Ministry of Education, and schools handle this in different ways. Some give it a solid place in the timetable, others fit it around the edges. If your child is Thai, or learning Thai, ask how many hours it involves, who teaches it, and whether it affects exam choices later.

Where do graduates go?

University lists in prospectuses tend to feature the best results. Ask for the full list from the last three years, including how many students went to universities in the countries you're considering. Ask who handles applications and how many students that counselor looks after. A counselor with 25 seniors and one with 90 offer very different help.

How long is the commute?

This one gets overlooked until the first week of term. A school that looks ten minutes away on a map can be an hour each way at 7:30 on a weekday. Ask which bus routes cover your area, how early the pickup is, and whether there's a late bus for after-school activities. If you can, drive or ride the route at the real time of day before you sign.

Can we visit on a normal school day?

Open days are staged, and everyone knows it. Ask whether you can visit on a regular school day, sit in on a lesson, and talk to a current parent who isn't on the school's ambassador list. Most schools that are comfortable with themselves will agree. A flat no tells you something too.