OPINION: The Ivory Tower of Thai International Schools

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In the halls of Thailand’s international schools, a quiet transformation is reshaping what it means to be Thai. 

Image: Budh Tanavongchinda/The Inquirer

Walk into the schoolyard of an international school at breaktime; chances are, students are talking in English. In fact, countless international schools pride themselves on their exceptional English education programmes. Students are offered a variety of writing competitions – organized by clubs, schools, and even interscholastic organizations like FOBISIA. All the while, students are fully immersed into an “International” identity. Whether it’s a House system ripped straight out of Harry Potter or talks of school values at every assembly, international schools are steeped in Western culture. 

Yet under the banner of global citizenship, Thai identity is slipping through the cracks. Testimonials from a variety of Thai international schools students have painted a troubling picture. They show native speakers struggling with extended reading, choosing “Tinglish” over Thai, and feeling increasingly isolated from Thai culture. 

This is only exacerbated by the wave of “linguistic inclusion” measures that have spread across the Thai international school circuit. “Don’t speak in Thai unless you’re translating a word, or have permission from a teacher. English is the only inclusive language. Follow our school values, be kind, be inclusive.” Sounds familiar? This is only a fragment of the propaganda espoused by the flood of Western administrators telling Thai students to avoid speaking in their own language; internationalism at the cost of a nation. 

In most international schools, the percentage of ethnically Thai students hovers at around 60-80%. Yet a growing number of those students are resorting to Thai tutoring lessons to catch up on their native tongue. This comes in spite of the Ministry of Education’s attempts to increase Thai fluency. Five 50-minute Thai courses per week are mandatory for all Thai nationals in international schools. This effort, while well intentioned, has catalysed a horde of lessons meant to “tick a box” in the legislation, being viewed by students as a free period and by parents as an unnecessary measure.  

All this culminates in one question: When education goes global, does culture pay the price? 

International school students are increasingly adopting the label of ”Dek Inter.” The term combines dek (เด็ก), meaning "child,” and inter, short for "international,” reflecting students’ unique position within Thai society. These students are often all too familiar with the Western history, politics, and culture taught in international curriculums like IB, A Levels, and AP. Yet ask them about traditional Thai festivals like Loy Krathong or Songkran, and you’re unlikely to get much beyond surface-level activities like water fights and floating lanterns. Similarly, local literature, history, and even, to an extent, Thai politics, are being neglected in the increasingly Western curriculums. 

Are Thailand’s international schools raising the next generation of leaders – or strangers in their own land?

“The first rule of Politics Club is not to talk about Thai politics.” 

It’s a line that’s all too common amongst international school students. Schools are careful to skirt around Thai politics, briefing international teachers on the delicate position of the government and monarchy. Similarly, students are encouraged to not think too hard about current events; shifting them further and further away from awareness of – and engagement in – the country they call home. All the while, senior school assemblies, politics societies, and school newspapers are all too happy to talk about elections, coups, and conflicts abroad in black and white.

The choice of Thai parents to send their child to an international school is not an easy one. It can be about promoting internationalism, giving their child an education they did not receive, or fostering values of open-mindedness and diversity. Whether the choice is the right depends on a fluctuating set of factors, factors that encompass far more than just the school, the students, or the parents. Yet one thing is for certain, in the quest to chase global dreams, be careful to not lose touch of your roots.