I know the phrase “you get what you pay for” gets thrown around a lot in Thailand, but can we talk about the absolutely bonkers tuition fees at some of Bangkok’s international schools?

I recently toured a school that charges north of 900,000 baht a year for Year 9. That’s before you factor in the “optional” extras like bus fees, lunch, uniforms, after-school clubs, and whatever mysterious “building fund” they conveniently leave off the brochure. By the end, you’re staring down the barrel of a million baht a year so your kid can learn about tectonic plates and get bullied by the children of oil executives.

Look, I’m not denying the value of a good education. But when the school’s marketing team uses words like “bespoke”, “holistic” and “future-ready global citizens” without a hint of irony, I start wondering if we’re paying for academics or just a really expensive performance art project. Meanwhile, some of these same schools are posting job ads for teachers with two years’ experience and offering salaries that might just cover their Grab bills. So where’s all the money going? Gold-plated smartboards? Imported snow for the winter play?

There’s a madness to the model, and I’m not even sure who it’s serving anymore. Are we preparing kids for the world, or just training them to look good on LinkedIn by age 14? Anyway, just needed to get that off my chest before I start applying for a second job handing out flyers on Sukhumvit. Cheers!

Dave the disillusioned Dad