Greenacre International School vs PBISS International School
Greenacre International School and PBISS International School are both in Koh Samui, about 8 km apart. Both schools offer EYFS programmes. Greenacre International School also offers British and Pearson Edexcel IGCSE, and PBISS International School also offers Cambridge (Primary), Cambridge (Secondary), Cambridge IGCSE and Cambridge A Levels. Published annual fees are THB 189,000 - 282,000 at Greenacre International School and THB 244,030 - 449,230 at PBISS International School, which puts PBISS International School roughly 47% higher. Greenacre International School takes pupils from 3 to 16, and PBISS International School from 2 to 18. The two are similar in size, at around 418 and 500 pupils.
British Curriculum, EYFS (Early years foundation stage), Pearson Edexcel IGCSE
Curriculum
Cambridge (Primary), Cambridge (Secondary), Cambridge IGCSE, Cambridge A Levels, EYFS (Early years foundation stage)
Pupils
Pupils
418
Pupils
500
Typical class size
Typical class size
—
Typical class size
19
Instruction language
Instruction language
English
Instruction language
English
Opened
Opened
2017
Opened
2005
Bus service
Bus service
Yes
Bus service
Yes
Essentials
Essentials
Location
Location
Greenacre International School is nestled in the calm Na Mueang area on southern Koh Samui, Thailand, surrounded by coconut hills and close to the Na Mueang waterfalls. The campus is away from crowded tourist centers but reachable via main island roads, with bus pickup services from Chaweng and other nearby zones.
Location
PBISS is situated in Chaweng Noi, on the northeastern coast of Koh Samui, close to Bo Phut in Surat Thani province. The campus benefits from being accessible via local roads, and traffic—particularly during school drop‑off and pick‑up—can be congested at peak times, so planning travel accordingly is advised.
Stages
Stages
The school provides education beginning with the Early Years Foundation Stage at age 3 and continues through four further Key Stages, supporting students up to around age 15 or 16.
Stages
The school serves students from early years through pre‑university levels, structured as: Foundation Stage (Nursery–FS2) Primary School (Years 1–6) Secondary School and Sixth Form (Years 7–13)
This structure allows progression from early childhood learning through Cambridge IGCSE and A‑Level studies
School type
School type
Greenacre is a co‑educational day school.
School type
PBISS is a co‑educational day school.
Pupil nationality mix
Pupil nationality mix
—
Pupil nationality mix
—
Additional learning support
Additional learning support
Students who are English as an Additional Language (EAL) learners are supported through intervention classes that focus on spoken and daily-use English, helping build vocabulary, listening, and speaking skills.
Additional learning support
The school does not reference a formal Special Educational Needs (SEN) programme, but offers English Language Support (ELS) for students identified as needing extra help with English.
Country affiliation
Country affiliation
The school follows the English National Curriculum and functions as a Pearson Edexcel Approved Examinations Centre, reflecting a strong link to British educational standards.
Country affiliation
While PBISS follows the Cambridge (British) curriculum, there is no formal affiliation with any specific country’s education authority beyond this curricular framework.
Religious affiliation
Religious affiliation
Greenacre International School is secular and does not align with any religious organization.
Religious affiliation
PBISS is secular and has no religious affiliation.
School day structure
School day structure
The school day at Greenacre International School begins with a flag ceremony at 8:40 am, followed by lessons starting shortly afterwards. Students have a morning break from 10:30–10:45 and a lunch break from 12:00–12:45 in Primary or 12:15–1:00 in Secondary. Afternoon lessons continue until 3:00 pm, with clubs running from 3:00–3:45 on most days before students go home
School day structure
Foundation Stage (Nursery–FS2): Students arrive by 8:30 for flag ceremony; classes end at 15:00; supervised in the playroom until 16:00 if not collected.
Years 1–6: Arrival before 8:30 for flag ceremony; lessons begin at 9:00 and end at 15:00; supervised in playground until 16:00.
Years 7–11: Same start time; lessons finish at around 16:00; students wait in the secondary canteen area for collection.
Years 12–13: Timetables are flexible, so finishing times vary depending on subjects and schedule.
Bus service details
Bus service details
The school runs minibus transport covering several island zones, including Lamai, Nathon, Chaweng, and Maenam, offering convenient daily commuting options for families.
Bus service details
PBISS offers a school bus service for Primary and Secondary students. Availability is limited, operating on a first‑come, first‑served basis.
Annual Tuition Fees FS1 & FS2 (Kindergarten): THB 189,000 per year Year 1 & Year 2: THB 210,000 Year 3 & Year 4: THB 222,000 Year 5 & Year 6: THB 225,000 Year 7–Year 9: THB 261,000 per year Year 10: THB 282,000 per year
Billing Schedule & Payment Terms Tuition can be paid in three termly instalments or as a single annual payment with a 5% discount.
Sibling Discount 5% discount for a second child. 10% discount for a third or subsequent child, applied to the youngest child.
Additional Costs (not included in tuition) Uniforms, meals, transport services, extracurricular activities (ECAs), English as an Additional Language (EAL) lessons, and IGCSE books for Years 10–11.
Payment Options Payments are accepted via bank transfer. All transfer fees must be covered by the payer.
Fee details
Application Fee Pre-Nursery to FS2: No fee Years 1–2: THB 1,000 Years 3–6: THB 1,500 Years 7–13: THB 2,000
This fee is non-refundable and covers assessments, interviews, and processing.
Admissions Fee (One-time, non-refundable) Pre-Nursery to FS2: No fee Years 1–3: THB 42,500 Years 4–8: THB 47,500 Years 9–13: THB 55,000
Refundable Security Deposit: THB 30,000 per student Refundable upon withdrawal with one full term’s written notice, provided there are no outstanding fees.
Annual Tuition Fees Pre-Nursery/Nursery: THB 244,030 FS1–FS2: THB 248,470 Years 1–2: THB 269,710 Years 3–6: THB 300,190 Years 7–8: THB 349,000 Years 9–11: THB 391,340 Years 12–13: THB 449,230
Note: Tuition includes school books (except Years 9–13), some school trips, lunch and snacks, learning resources, and accident coverage on campus (up to THB 30,000 per incident).
English Language Support (ELS) For students requiring additional English support: Level 1: THB 10,000 per term Level 2: THB 20,000 per term Level 3: THB 35,000 per term
Additional Costs School uniform (purchased at the school office) Primary Extra-Curricular Activities (paid separately) School bus service (limited places; fees vary by route)
Discounts Sibling discount: 10% off second child, 20% off third and beyond (applies to mid-term enrollments)
Annual prepayment discount: 5% off tuition when all three terms are paid in advance
Refund Policy Tuition fees are generally non-refundable except under specific conditions.
Diving deeper
Diving deeper
Boarding arrangements
Boarding arrangements
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Boarding arrangements
—
Uniform requirement
Uniform requirement
—
Uniform requirement
—
Food options
Food options
—
Food options
—
House system
House system
—
House system
—
Governance and ownership
Governance and ownership
—
Governance and ownership
—
Academics
Academics
Curriculum details
Curriculum details
Greenacre delivers the National Curriculum of England from Early Years (age 3) through to about age 16, structured across four Key Stages. The EYFS stage focuses on play-based learning in seven core areas, including literacy, numeracy, and expressive arts. In Primary, students engage with a range of subjects, English, Maths, Science, History, Geography, Art & Design, Computing, PE, and Swimming—taught by class teachers and specialists. Key Stage 3 (Years 7–9) uses the Edexcel programme across roughly ten academic subjects. As an officially certified Pearson Edexcel Examinations Centre, Greenacre equips students in upper secondary with support toward the IGCSE examinations.
Curriculum details
PBISS bases its curriculum on Cambridge International Standards, tailored with a STEM+ integration across all levels to support learning in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics alongside core disciplines. In the Primary School (ages 5–11), the Cambridge x STEM+ curriculum develops skills in English, Mathematics, Science, and beyond with specific learning objectives for each year. In the final four years, the Secondary stages, students follow Cambridge IGCSE and International A‑Level courses. Throughout all stages, lessons include core subjects such as English, mathematics, science, and humanities alongside creative subjects like music, design, art, and drama. This structure offers a coherent progression from early years through to pre-university qualifications, grounded in Cambridge frameworks and enriched by hands-on STEM components.
1. Book a visit During the visit, staff explain the admissions procedure, required documents, payments due (including refund and notice requirements), and next steps. If English is not your child’s first language, they will meet the EAL specialist as part of this visit.
2. Prepare and submit documents Submit the Greenacre Application Form, recent school reports, and your child’s birth certificate/Thai ID. Provide two passport photos, passport copies for parents and the child. These documents allow the school to verify eligibility and plan any needed support.
3. Offer, acceptance, and payments Acceptance must be completed before the first day. Paying the school fees and the non-refundable registration fee for each student constitutes formal acceptance of a place.
Admissions
1. Submit Application & Documents Parents begin by submitting an online application via the Apply Now page, along with required documents like birth certificate, previous school reports, and identification.
2. Assessment & Offers While the site does not detail formal testing, the Admissions Procedure Policy implies that, once all documentation and fees are received, the school proceeds with enrollment and issues an offer for confirmed placement.
3. Confirm Placement & Pay Fees To secure the place, parents must make the required payments (application, admissions fee, and security deposit) and formally accept the offer as guided through the application process.
4. Enrollment Finalised Upon completion of the above, the student’s enrollment is finalised, and a start date is confirmed by the school.
Scholarships
Scholarships
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Scholarships
PBISS offers scholarships to current students who demonstrate outstanding records, including academic performance and other achievements. Details on the application process, eligibility criteria, or the scope of scholarships are not publicly disclosed on the website.
Waitlist
Waitlist
The school does not publicly disclose any information about operating a waitlist or pool system.
Waitlist
The school does not publicly disclose any waitlist or pool system for admissions. There is no information available on the website indicating that PBISS operates such a system.
