For the operation of international schools to be to a uniform standard and be smoothly administered, the Ministry of Education has established requirements and conditions for an international license as follows.

 1.Definition

      An international school is an educational institution providing an international curriculum or international curriculum which its       subject’s detail has been adjusted or a self-organized curriculum, which is not the Ministry of Education’s. A foreign       language is used as the medium of teaching and learning and students are enrolled without restriction or limitation on       nationality or religion or government regime, and are not against the morality or stability of Thailand.

2.Qualifications of Applicants for International School License

     The applicant for international school license may be a person or a juristic person with the following qualifications:

          2.1 A person must be of Thai nationality by right of birth, with a qualification at least a bachelor degree and with other                  qualifications according to the Private Education Act B.E. 2525 (1982) and to the order imposed by the Ministry of                  Education.

          2.2 For a juristic person:

                 (1) He/She must have education as his/her only purpose

                 (2) More than half a number of the shareholders or committee members must be of Thai nationality

                 (3) One signing on behalf of a juristic person applying for international school license must be of Thai nationality by                        right of birth

                 (4) He/She must have other qualifications according to the Private Education Act B.E. 2525 (1982) and to the order                        imposed by the Ministry of Education.   

3.Location

          3.1 Land must be of features and a size appropriate and spacious for relevant educational level as follows:

                 (1) Pre Primary Level: land of at least 1 rai in 1 plot

                 (2) Primary (Prathom): land of at least 2 rai in 1 plot

                 (3) Secondary (Mathayom): land of at least 2 rai in 1 plot

                  A school providing from kindergarten to secondary level must have at least 5 rai in 1 plot

          3.2 Land for school location must be of the ownership of the license.  If the land is mortgaged, the mortgage must only be                  part of the school project

          3.3  If the land is lease-hold, it must:

                 (1) be of the Office of the Bureau of Crown Property, Ratchapatsadu, Religious Property, Buddhist monastery or                        Government Property or State Enterprises or

                 (2) be of private sector but with a length of lease contract based upon educational level as follows:

                             - For the Pre Primary Level, its lease contract must be at least 10 years

                             - For the Secondary Level, its lease contract must be at least 15 years

          3.4 Land must be located in a good environment with convenient transportation and shall be fenced to provide                  demarcation of the exact area.  The land shall be spacious enough for the  she school’s operation, shall not be a                  flooded area and shall provide hygienic and sanitary conditions.  There shall be nether business operation in the                 school’s area.  The school’s location shall not be near potentially hazardous industrial factories and shall not be near                 other places inappropriate for school business, except with the approval of the government organization concerned.

          3.5 At least 1/3 of the land must provide greenery

          3.6 At least 1/3 of the area in use must be an indoor or outdoor space for activities that support learning, teaching and the                  recreation of students.

 4.Building and Design

      School buildings must be stable and strong, have sufficient light and be well ventilated.  Each room must be suitable for the       curriculum at each level as follows:

          4.1 Building height: for Pre Primary Level, thee height of the building must not exceed 2 storey and must not have pillar in                  the middle of the room.  For Primary and Secondary Level, if the building exceeds 4 storeys, there must be an                  elevator, and the width of stairs must be at least 1.50 metres

          4.2 The size of classroom must be at lest 48 square metres.  The narrowest part of the classroom must be at least 4                  metres.  The classroom shall have 2 entrances.  Each of which must be at least 1.60 metres in width.

          4.3 Rules for calculation for classroom capacity based upon the number of students:

                 (1) Pre Primary Level: not exceeding 20 students per classroom, or  2.5 square metres per one student with a                        prospect  of compromise.

                 (2) Primary Level: not exceeding 25 students per classroom or 2.0 square metres per one student with a prospect of                        compromise.

                 (3) Secondary Level: not exceeding 30 students per classroom or 1.50 square metres per one student with a prospect                        of compromise and there shall be a sufficient area remaining adequate for activities to be organized.

          4.4 The number of separate showers and toilets for male and female students shall be not less than the number specified                  in the regulations of the Ministry of Education and appropriate for the number of students.

          4.5 There must be nurse’s room with the provision of appropriate medical supplies. For schools with primary level                  onwards, nurse’s rooms must be gender-specific.

           4.6 Other rooms must be included as follows: administration room, library (resource room), canteen, Thai language and                   culture room and others as appropriate, with sufficient and appropriate teaching and learning materials.

           4.7 The school design and drawings must be proposed to the Office of the Private Education Commission for its                   consideration and approval on the format and must be granted construction permission from other government                   organizations involved.

 5.Curriculum

          5.1 The applicant for a school establishment license must propose a curriculum to the Ministry of Education for its                  consideration and approval.  The curriculum proposed may be an international one, an international curriculum with                  modifications or a curriculum established by the school itself.

          5.2 The teaching of Thai language and Thai culture must be provided at every level.  That is, non-Thai students are                  imposed to learn Thai language and Thai culture as a one karb compulsory subject.  For Thai students, they must                  take the subject at least 5 karb per week.  One karb is equivalent to 50 minutes.  This shall be as imposed in the                  regulations of the Ministry of Education.

 6.Qualifications of Manager, Headmaster/mistress and Teachers

          6.1 the applicant for a school manager must have the following qualifications:

                (1) Thai nationality by right of birth.

                (2) At least a bachelor degree or the equivalence.

                (3) Other qualifications imposed in the Private Education Act B.E. 2525 (1982) and as to the regulations of the Ministry                       of Education.

          6.2 The applicant for a headmaster/mistress must have the following qualifications:

                 (1) Thai nationality by right of birth.

                 (2) At least a bachelor degree in educational administration or education or the equivalence.

                 (3) Experience of being a teacher at least for 3 years.

                 (4) Other qualifications imposed in the Private Education Act B.E. 2525 (1982) and as to the regulations of the Ministry                        of Education.

          6.3 The applicant for being a teacher must have the following qualifications:

                 (1) Thai nationality.

                 (2) At least a bachelor degree or the equivalence and evidence of teaching experience of at least 15 credits or                        teaching credential (certificate) or at least 3-year teaching experience.

                 (3) Ability to use English language or use other languages provided to teach students in school equivalent to the                        native speakers do.

                 (4) For non-Thai teachers applying for being a teacher shall be exempt from the requirement for knowledge of Thai                        language of Prathom 6 level and the condition for Thai nationality shall be a compromise

                 (5) Other qualifications shall be as to the impositions in the Private School Teacher Act and the regulations of the                         Ministry of Education.    

 7.Qualifications of Students

       Students shall be admitted with no restriction on nationality, religion and government regime.  Notably, the number of Thai        students must not exceed 50 percent of the total number of the students.

 8.Tuition Fees and Other Fees

      Tuition fees means the charges collected from parents and/or students by the school for the initial enrollment, tuition, library       fee, sport fee, medicine charge, activities or material charges, educational equipment and special English course fees       (ESL/EFL/EAL.)

      Other fees means the charges collected from parents and/or students by the school for school’s investment budget,       supporting the school’s business or other service charges apart from tuition fees.

      The collection of tuition and other fees shall be according to conditions required by the Cabinet’s resolution or the policy of       the Ministry of Education together with the permission granted by the Secretary General of the Office of the Private       Education Commission and a governor.

 9.School Quality Assurance

      The school shall apply for membership of an internationally accredited quality assurance organization within 12 months of       being granted the school establishment license and becoming operational (except for pre-primary level.)

      The school must request quality assurance from the Ministry of Education within 12 months from the date of the school’s       operation.

      The school of every level must be awarded local quality assurance from the Office of the Private Education Commission       within 3 years from the date of the school’s operation.

      Schools of primary and secondary levels must be educationally accredited from an international organization recognized       and accepted by the Office of the Private Education Commission within 6 years from the date of the schools’ operation.        The schools must submit progress on each step to the Office of the Private Education Commission.

      Where the school cannot comply with these procedures, they shall appeal for a one-year (only) extension.  If the school is       unable to complete the process, it shall be closed in 2 years.

      The school must report to the Office of the Private Education Commission on students’ exam achievement every academic       year.

10.School Administration

      Apart from the above regulations, the operation of international school shall be according to the requirements of the Private       Education Act, Ministerial Regulations and other relevant orders of the Ministry of Education.

 11.Exceptional Case

      The school project which has already been approved prior to the enforcement of this regulation, the school shall proceed       its establishment according to the approved project. However, if it has a request for any changes of the operation after the       approval, the school shall comply with this regulation.

      Translated by International Schools Association of Thailand

      8th May 2003