Kajonkiet International School — known as KIS or occasionally KIS International — comes up in almost every Phuket school conversation where families are comparing mid-budget options. It sits in an interesting position: more affordable than BISP, PIA, and UWC, while offering a credible international curriculum that includes both Cambridge IGCSE and IB Diploma pathways.
The Kajonkiet group has deep roots in Phuket's Thai educational establishment — the name translates roughly as "good virtue" — and the international campus reflects this hybrid identity. If you're a family that wants genuine international curriculum quality without the premium price tag of Phuket's top-tier schools, KIS is worth a serious look. Here's what you actually need to know.
KIS Phuket — Key Facts
- Full name: Kajonkiet International School Phuket (KISP)
- Curriculum: IB PYP (primary) + Cambridge IGCSE (secondary) + IB Diploma (Gr 11–12)
- Location: Central Phuket / Thepkasattri Road area
- Annual fees: ฿220,000–฿400,000 depending on grade level
- Student body: approx 300–500 students; mixed Thai-international
- Language: English medium; Thai and Mandarin offered as subjects
- Accreditation: IB World School; Cambridge International Education centre
Background: What Makes KIS Different
KIS has an origin story that's a bit different from schools like BISP or UWC, which were founded explicitly as international schools for the expat community. KIS grew from an established Thai school network and developed its international programme in response to demand from both expat families and Thai families seeking a bilingual, internationally-oriented education without paying BISP-level fees.
This dual Thai-international heritage has pros and cons. On the positive side: the school has stable local institutional backing, a campus that feels properly built and maintained, and a Thai community integration that some expat families find genuinely valuable. On the less positive side: the school community is more mixed Thai-expat than schools like UWC or PIA, which some expat families seeking a more globally diverse environment find underwhelming.
KIS Phuket — Our Rating
Based on curriculum, value, facilities, community, and expat family feedback
Curriculum: Cambridge + IB Pathway
Primary: IB PYP
At primary level, KIS follows the IB Primary Years Programme — the same inquiry-based, transdisciplinary framework used by PIA and UWC at this stage. Quality of PYP delivery varies by school, and at KIS the feedback from parents is mixed: strong when it comes to classroom activities and teacher care for students, less strong in terms of the rigour of IB philosophy integration compared to schools like PIA with longer IB track records.
Secondary: Cambridge IGCSE
Grades 9–10 follow the Cambridge IGCSE curriculum. IGCSE is globally recognised and well-understood by universities worldwide — it's the same qualification offered by British international schools from Singapore to Dubai. For families who might move to a country where IGCSE is common (UK, Singapore, Hong Kong, Malaysia, India), this is a genuine advantage over schools that offer only the IB MYP at this stage. IGCSE grades (A*–G) are also a more universally legible credential than MYP certificates for many employers and secondary schools worldwide.
IB Diploma Programme
Grades 11–12 at KIS follow the IB Diploma Programme. This is where the programme becomes most demanding and where KIS's results are worth investigating in detail. IB DP pass rates and average scores vary significantly between schools. KIS's DP results have been improving over recent years and sit in the range of the global IB average (~80% pass rate), but families with children targeting top UK or US universities should look carefully at IB point score distributions rather than just pass rates.
Fees and Costs
KIS is one of the more affordable international school options in Phuket that still offers a genuinely credible international curriculum. This makes it particularly relevant for families who need international schooling but can't accommodate BISP-level fees.
| Grade Level | Annual Tuition (THB) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Early Years / Kindergarten | ฿190,000–฿230,000 | Half-day available for youngest ages |
| Primary (Gr 1–5 / IB PYP) | ฿220,000–฿260,000 | Per academic year |
| Middle School (Gr 6–8) | ฿260,000–฿310,000 | Transition to Cambridge framework |
| IGCSE (Gr 9–10) | ฿310,000–฿360,000 | Cambridge IGCSE exams Gr 10 |
| IB Diploma (Gr 11–12) | ฿360,000–฿410,000 | Includes IB exam fees |
| Registration Fee | ฿10,000–฿20,000 | Non-refundable |
| Deposit / Capital Levy | ฿80,000–฿120,000 | Refundable on departure |
| School Bus | ฿30,000–฿55,000 | Per year; route-dependent |
| Uniforms / Books / Activities | ฿10,000–฿25,000 | Estimated annual additional cost |
A BISP secondary student costs roughly ฿450,000–฿550,000/year. A KIS secondary student costs ฿260,000–฿410,000. That's ฿100,000–฿200,000/year in savings. Over 5 years of secondary, the difference can be ฿500,000–฿1,000,000. For many families, that's a meaningful amount — enough to invest in tutoring, university application support, or simply reduce financial stress.
Location and Transport
KIS's main Phuket campus is in the Thepkasattri area, broadly central for the island. It's well-placed for families in Phuket Town, Kathu, Thalang, and central Phuket. Journey times from Bang Tao are roughly 20–30 minutes; from Rawai or Chalong, 30–45 minutes. The school bus network covers most expat areas across the island.
Compared to BISP (Laguna/Surin area) and PIA (also Thepkasattri), KIS sits in a similar geographic zone. If you're deciding between PIA and KIS and the location is comparable, the curriculum choice and school community are more significant differentiators than the commute.
Facilities
KIS's campus facilities are adequate for a mid-tier international school. Science labs are functional, the library is reasonable, and IT infrastructure has been upgraded in recent years. Sport facilities — football pitch, basketball courts, swimming pool — are on par with similarly-priced schools.
Don't expect the scale or quality of BISP's world-class sports facilities. But for a school at this price point, the physical environment is clean, maintained, and more than adequate for the curriculum it delivers.
The Student Community
KIS's student body is roughly 40–50% Thai (or Thai-Chinese) and 50–60% international. The international portion represents a range of nationalities — Korean, Chinese, European, Scandinavian, Australian, British — but the Thai presence is more visible than at schools like UWC or PIA, where the Thai student proportion is lower. This isn't inherently a negative — many expat parents with children who will be living in Thailand long-term see Thai peer relationships as genuinely valuable. But if you're specifically looking for a very internationally diverse environment with limited Thai-majority social dynamics, KIS may feel different from your expectations.
KIS Strengths
- Best value per baht for international curriculum in Phuket
- Cambridge IGCSE at secondary — globally portable qualification
- IB Diploma at Gr 11–12 for university entry
- Stable institutional backing (Kajonkiet group)
- Good Thai-international integration for long-term Phuket families
- Improving IB DP results year-on-year
- School bus across Phuket; central location
Things to Consider
- IB PYP delivery less rigorous than top IB schools
- Higher Thai proportion than some expat families expect
- Less international brand recognition than BISP or UWC
- IB DP scores: less consistent than top schools
- Smaller extracurricular range than largest schools
- Less developed pastoral care / counselling resources
How KIS Compares to Other Phuket Schools
| Factor | KIS | HeadStart | PIA | BISP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Primary Curriculum | IB PYP | British / Cambridge Primary | IB PYP | British National Curriculum |
| Secondary Curriculum | Cambridge IGCSE | Cambridge IGCSE | IB MYP | Cambridge IGCSE |
| Diploma Level | IB Diploma | IB Diploma | IB Diploma | IB Diploma / A-Level |
| Mid-secondary fees | ฿280,000–฿360,000 | ฿280,000–฿370,000 | ฿330,000–฿400,000 | ฿420,000–฿550,000 |
| Thai student proportion | ~45% | ~35% | ~25% | ~20% |
| Sport facilities | Adequate | Adequate | Good | Excellent |
| Best for | Value-focused; long-term Phuket families | British curriculum families on mid-budget | IB from Early Years; community | Sport; British premium; university prep |
Admissions at KIS
KIS's admissions process is generally straightforward. The school accepts mid-year entries and is more flexible than larger schools about entry timing. The process involves:
- Enquiry and campus visit — KIS actively encourages families to visit before applying
- Application form — school reports for the past 1–2 years, passport copies
- English and Maths placement assessment — used to place the student correctly, not to reject
- Interview — informal for primary; more structured for secondary entry
- Offer — usually within 1–2 weeks of assessment
For Grade 11 IB Diploma entry, KIS will look closely at IGCSE or equivalent results — strong performance in core subjects is expected. Students entering without an IGCSE background (e.g. from a non-British-track school) are assessed individually.
KIS's hybrid Thai-international character is something you really need to see in person to calibrate your reaction. What feels right for one family doesn't for another. Visit when school is in session, ask to see a secondary class in action, and talk to current parents if possible — this will tell you far more than any website review, including this one.
Who KIS is Right For
KIS is a good choice if you're a family where one or more of these applies: you're in Phuket for the long term and want your children to have Thai peer relationships as part of their education; you need an internationally-credentialled curriculum (IGCSE + IB Diploma) without BISP-level fees; you like the Cambridge IGCSE pathway at secondary rather than the IB MYP; or you have children at primary level and want an IB PYP foundation on a budget.
KIS is probably not the best choice if you're highly focused on IB Diploma scores for competitive university entry and want the most rigorous IB environment available in Phuket; or if you strongly prefer a more globally diverse student body with a lower Thai proportion.
For more on Phuket's schools, see our full Phuket international schools guide, our PIA review, and our BISP review. If you're still choosing which area of Phuket to settle in, the housing guide and area guide for families are useful companions. See also our full cost of living guide which includes education cost breakdowns.
Planning a Move to Phuket with Children?
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Get Family Health Insurance QuoteLast updated: January 2026 · Fee figures are indicative and change annually. School curriculum and accreditation status should be verified directly with KIS Phuket before making enrollment decisions.
