Page 10 - Masala Lite Issue 190 October 2026

10 SPILL THE CHAI

NO REALY...

WHAT SCHOOL

DID YOU GO TO?

The community dishes about the
not-so-secret(?) hierarchy of
international schools in Bangkok.

BY THE EDITORIAL TEAM

Bangkok is home to several illustrious and excellent international schools but
there seems to be heavy weightage of which school you’ve attended. The tier system Have you ever judged someone for the school they went to?
is one of the international school ecosystem’s worst kept secrets. Just like admissions
to an Ivy League, where you went to high school in Thailand determines your ranking Anonymous Alum,
on the social pecking order. On a night out, people might ask you what you do for NIST International School of Thailand (NIST)
work, but most people will ask where you went to school. Whatever your answer, the
person who asks the question has already formed an opinion based on your response. “Guilty as charged! When I was younger, I often assumed I would have
more in common with someone who went to another school of the same “status”,
Sounds like something out of a British upper-class melodrama, doesn’t it? Though
there aren’t any crests involved, not for the most part, people who grew up here hold for lack of a better word. That was very quickly proven wrong. As I grew up, I made

a certain pride in providing their alumnus status. Masala snuck undercover into the some amazing friends from completely different schools and backgrounds. Looking
rat pack to learn exactly how much importance a high school diploma holds. back, I think that assumption probably came from a lack of exposure more than
anything else. By the time I reached high school, I was much more in touch with
reality. I quickly learned that your education ultimately depends much more on the
How much did your school’s reputation shape how others saw you? teachers you have, the environment you’re in, and, perhaps most importantly, your
Anonymous Alum, own motivation to learn.”
Bangkok Patana School (BPS) Have you ever judged someone for the school they went to?

Anonymous Alum,
“I feel like whenever I mention which school I went to, there is a palpable
reaction. Some of them make me feel like I’ve already been slotted into Wells International School Bangkok
some hierarchy, some comment silently being made about my upbringing and the

kind of education I’ve received. Once or twice, someone may even say I don’t look like “I don’t think I judged them, but I definitely presumed their financial
the type to have gone to a school like that. It always confuses me. Was there some status based on the school they went to.”
handbook of behaviour and appearance for my school that I missed?”
Why is judging someone by their school so common in Bangkok?
How much did your school’s reputation shape how others saw you?
Anonymous Alum,
Anonymous Alum,
Bangkok Patana School (BPS)
NIST International School of Thailand (NIST)
“To be completely honest, growing up and even now, my school and “I think within the international school community, the school you go to can be a sort
education are things I am tremendously proud of. I recognise what a of badge. It holds the same value recognition as name-dropping an Ivy League or a
privilege it was to attend an international school, be exposed to the International Russell Group university. There is also the familiarity factor. Since we have grown up

Baccalaureate (IB) curriculum and meet people from all over the world from such a here, we may know someone or the other who has gone to a different international
young age. My father was, very rightfully, proud that he was able to provide me with school. If you mention your school at a social gathering with people you don’t know,
that education. Growing up, I think this did give me a bit of a chip on my shoulder, another person may recognise it from their vast friend group or their experiences,
particularly because I went to what I would consider one of the “Holy Trinity” schools and depending on their feelings regarding that school, you can gain an immediate,

(NIST, BPS, International School of Bangkok (ISB)). When people first met me, they if temporary, friend. It’s sort of a social safety net.”
would often assume I was someone who kept to myself and lived in an uppity little
bubble. That changed quite a bit after graduation and COVID-19, when people seemed
much less judgemental and everyone started mingling a lot more.” Why is judging someone by their school so common in Bangkok?

How much did your school’s reputation shape how others saw you? Anonymous Alum,
Anonymous Alum, St Andrews International School (STA)
Thai-Sikh International School “I think it’s because in Bangkok, school has become a status symbol. People openly
“More than I’d like to admit. Going to a small, cheaper international talk about schools in “tiers,” and the fees of the top international schools make them
school out in Bang Na, I noticed the change the moment someone asked, a visible sign of wealth and social class, much like a car or a neighborhood. Those

“Which school do you go to?” When I said the name, people either didn’t recognize schools also come with networks, English fluency, and access to universities abroad,
it or gave a polite “oh, okay” and moved on. Students from the bigger international so people link the name with future success. Judging someone by their school is really
schools already knew each other through sports tournaments, parties in Thonglor, a quick way of guessing their background, and since money and status still carry a lot
tutoring centers, and mutual friends, so they had a shared world I was never really of weight in Thai society, the shortcut sticks. Getting to know someone’s interests

part of. It wasn’t usually mean or intentional; I just didn’t have the connections to or ambitions takes more effort, so the label often comes first.”
get in. Being far from the city made it harder too, since so much of the social life
happened in places I rarely got to. After a while, I started feeling like my school name
decided which circles I could belong to before anyone learned who I actually was.” Why is judging someone by their school so common in Bangkok?
Anonymous Alum,
How much did your school’s reputation shape how others saw you?
Ruamrudee International School (RIS)
Anonymous Alum,
Ruamrudee International School (RIS) “I think this is because your formative years happen at a very young age, which shapes

your way of thinking, your first language, and your culture. So whether you have an
“I think at times growing up, the reputation of my school meant people may “international” mindset, a “native” mindset, or a “third culture” mindset can largely
think that I might be a party person and familiar with Bangkok even though be gauged through a shortcut of some three to four word acronym which may reveal
I’m not. People also tend to remember other friends they have from your alma mater who the majority of your classmates and friends must have been as a kid.”
and thus may subtly assume you might be similar to them or also already know them.”

MASALA LITE ISSUE 190 - OCTOBER 202 6