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Families · Moving with children

Moving to Phuket with children

I have three children; two of them go to school on Phuket, and this is our fifth year on the island. Families write to me with the same four questions: which school, which area, what it costs and how the parents stay legally. Here are the answers I give before we start looking, so your first message can already be about the budget.

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A seafront street on Phuket in the evening: a cafe, a minimart, a school minibus at the kerb and apartment balconies
Viktoria ShimanovichBuyer's agent, Create Memories Co., Ltd · fifth year in Phuket, three children, two at school on the island
Schools

School first, then the home

Phuket has 14 international schools plus several Russian-curriculum and distance options. They teach in English on British, American, French, Canadian and Finnish curricula, and most have EAL classes for children who arrive without the language. Many run school buses from residential areas; BISP and UWC also offer boarding.

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14international schools on the island
$3.5K to $22Ka year, depending on the school
8:00 to 15:00school day, classes of 15 to 25, a teacher plus an assistant
15,000 to 30,000 THBa month for kindergarten, ages 1.5 to 6, groups of 8 to 15

Where the schools are

  • Chalong and Rawai. ISP, BCIS, Montessori House, Buds, Lighthouse, Oak Meadow. The biggest cluster and the expat hub of the south.
  • Kathu and Phuket Town. Kajonkiet International, QSI, Wittaya Sathid.
  • Koh Kaew. British International School (BISP) and the Finnish Finnway.
  • Bang Tao and Thalang. Waldorf in Bang Tao; UWC Thailand and HeadStart in Thalang.
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What it costs

Budget schools$3,500 to $5,000 a year
Mid range$6,000 to $11,000 a year
Top schools (BISP, UWC)$15,000 to $22,000 a year
In bahtbilingual 100,000 to 250,000 THB a year; international 300,000 to 900,000 THB

My son's British school, BCIS, cost about 300,000 baht a year plus entry fees and a deposit. My younger daughters started at a kindergarten in Rawai at 18,000 baht a month each.

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Why school comes first

We did it ourselves. In December 2025 we moved house in Chalong so the girls could walk 700 metres to school: that saves a lot of nerves on a weekday morning. The island does have traffic. And areas next to strong schools are pricier, grow faster and let better, because expat families with children are the main long-term tenants.

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What to ask the school

  1. Accreditation: CIS, IB, Cambridge or NEASC.
  2. Is there an EAL or adaptation class for a child without English.
  3. Which areas the school bus serves, and the real drive time from the home you are considering.
  4. Fees plus the extras: uniform, meals, clubs, entry fee and deposit.
  5. Places and the waiting list: at HeadStart the wait was about a year.
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Under six: kindergartens

Three formats: Russian-speaking, bilingual (part of the day in each language), and international kindergartens such as HeadStart Early Years, BCIS Early Years and Kajonkiet, where assistants work with children who have no English yet. Children are taken from about 1.5 to 2 years, groups of 8 to 15, meals usually included. By parents' reports, a child starts understanding speech in two to three months.

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Areas

Two areas where families actually live

There are more than ten areas on the island. For a family with school-age children the choice almost always comes down to two, and the school decides between them.

Where my family lives

The south: Nai Harn, Rawai, Chalong

Who it suits

Expats living here year-round, many Russian speakers, quieter and greener, less tourist traffic. The family from Da Nang I showed both areas to chose the south in a day.

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What is nearby

Nai Harn beach, the Rawai seafront and fish market, Rawai Park, markets, cafes, supermarkets, a hospital. From Chalong the Big Buddha is five minutes away.

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Road to school

The largest cluster of schools is here: BCIS, ISP, Montessori House, Buds, Lighthouse, Oak Meadow. From Nai Harn, 7 to 10 minutes to shops and schools. In Chalong some homes are a walk from school. Airport: about 40 minutes.

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Housing and entry price

Little land, few new projects, low competition. In the catalogue: Nai Harn from $136,000 (No. 8, by the lake and the beach, Q1 2028); Rawai from $145,000 (No. 10, 700 m from the beach, Q3 2026, and No. 14, Q1 2027). Chalong has no new projects in the catalogue: it is houses and resale, ask me.

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Everything in order

Bang Tao and Laguna

Who it suits

Families who want it tidy, safe and serviced: the area looks like Europe in Asia. People live here all year, so the summer dip in occupancy is shallow if you also let.

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What is nearby

Boat Avenue, Porto de Phuket, Robinson, the long beach, beach clubs, golf, tennis, Bangkok Hospital. Airport: 20 to 25 minutes.

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Road to school

HeadStart and BISP within a few kilometres; Waldorf is in Bang Tao itself. From one project in Bang Tao: Finnway 5 to 7 minutes, HeadStart about 15, BISP about 20, UWC within reach. Some schools run buses.

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Housing and entry price

Apartments from about 6 million baht, villas from 20 million (November 2025). In the catalogue: Bang Tao from $100,000 (No. 3, Q3 2028); a project 15 minutes from HeadStart from $257,000 (No. 18); Laguna residences from $703,000 (No. 24).

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Kata and Karon also take families, but with more tourists on short stays. Catalogue No. 6 in Kata, from $124,000, is 20 minutes from BCIS.

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See the catalogue with area filters →
Budget

What a family budget is made of

Four lines beyond the price of the home. The numbers are in the articles and in my own posts; I do not invent new ones here.

Form of ownership

Freehold or leasehold. For living, family and inheritance I point to freehold; leasehold is 5 to 10% cheaper and suits income. Both qualify for the investment visa.

Read →

Rent before you buy

I advise living in the area first. My family rents: 35,000 baht a month on a yearly contract plus 10,000 to 15,000 for utilities (July 2025). Add 7 to 10% on top of a purchase price for registration, taxes, insurance and furniture.

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School and kindergarten

School fees from the table above, plus entry fees and a deposit. Kindergarten 15,000 to 25,000 baht a month per child.

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Healthcare and visas

Medical insurance and visas were about 200,000 baht a year for our family (four of us at the time). The insurance issued with a visa is for the visa only; it does not cover treatment in Thailand, so budget a separate policy. Private hospitals are close to both areas: Bangkok Hospital by Bang Tao, a hospital next to Nai Harn.

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If you also let the home

Gross 8 to 10% a year becomes 5 to 6% net after management and the low season. Families with children in international schools rent for the school year, which is why Bang Tao, Kamala and Surin hold about 85% occupancy across the year.

Read →
Our monthly spend for our family (four of us at the time), not counting insurance and visas: 160,000 to 180,000 baht. Rent, car, food, kindergarten, leisure. July 2025.
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Also worth reading before you pay anything: low season: rates and occupancy from May to October, buying off-plan: where buyer protection ends, developer discounts: when 40% off is a warning.

Visas

How the parents stay legally

Guardian visa

A child's student visa lets one parent get a guardian visa and live on Phuket legally.

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Investment visa

Property from 3 million baht, freehold or leasehold, or a yearly rental contract at 85,000 baht a month from a Thai owner. Issued for a year and renewed every year. A spouse, children and parents can be attached, each for a year. Buying does not equal a visa: any visa can be refused. Lawyers charge from 40,000 baht; some developers include the paperwork.

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Other routes

DTV for people who work remotely, a retirement visa from 50, LTR and Elite. A Thai bank account can be opened on a retirement, Elite or investment visa, not on DTV. Visa-free entry is 30 days (August 2026).

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The rules change often: the tourist stay went from 60 to 30 days in 2026. I do not do the paperwork myself; I tell you which route fits your case and hand you to a visa specialist.
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How it works

How the search goes

  1. Scenario

    Live here all year, or half the year and let the rest. Which year the children start school.

  2. School

    Two or three schools by curriculum, fees, EAL class and bus routes. We check places and the waiting list before we look at homes.

  3. Area

    The south or Bang Tao, within a sane drive of the school.

  4. Shortlist in 24 hours

    Three to five projects for your budget, with a net number if you also plan to let.

  5. Viewing

    With me on the island or by video. A tour of new builds fits in one day; the family from Da Nang picked the area in a day and the unit in four.

  6. Check before reservation

    Title (Chanote), the foreign quota, the contract and the developer's track record. A deal takes from two weeks to a month and a half.

My fee is paid by the developer out of its sales budget. You do not pay me a commission.
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FAQ

Questions families ask

Will my child cope without English?

Yes. Most international schools have EAL or adaptation classes, and kindergartens have assistants who work with children without the language. By parents' reports, a child starts understanding speech in two to three months. Children adapt faster than their parents.

How much does an international school cost?

Budget schools $3,500 to $5,000 a year, mid range $6,000 to $11,000, top schools such as BISP and UWC $15,000 to $22,000. In baht: bilingual schools 100,000 to 250,000 a year, international 300,000 to 900,000. Add entry fees, a deposit, uniform, meals and clubs. My son's British school cost about 300,000 baht a year.

Which area is better for a family, the south or Bang Tao?

The south (Nai Harn, Rawai, Chalong) is quieter, greener, with the biggest cluster of schools and the most expats living year-round; my family lives there. Bang Tao is tidier and more serviced, with HeadStart and BISP a short drive away and the best infrastructure. Choose the school first and then the area within a sane drive of it.

How do the parents stay in Thailand legally while the child is at school?

A child's student visa gives one parent a guardian visa. If you buy property from 3 million baht, freehold or leasehold, you can apply for an investment visa and attach your spouse, children and parents, each renewed yearly. Remote workers use DTV. Buying does not guarantee a visa; I hand the paperwork to a visa specialist.

What does your help cost, and how fast is it?

Nothing: my fee is paid by the developer. You get a shortlist of three to five projects within 24 hours of your message, viewings on the island or by video, and the title, quota and contract checked before any reservation.

Write me the children's ages and the budget

I will reply with two or three schools, the area that fits them, and a shortlist of three to five homes within a day. If you want to look first, the catalogue has filters by area and budget.

Message Viktoria on WhatsApp →Open the catalogue

School fees and visa rules are as stated in Viktoria's channel posts on the dates linked; catalogue prices are the developers' as of October 2026. Both change; check the current figures before you decide.