Leading UK school group to establish Phuket campus as international school demand grows beyond Bangkok

NLCS International has signed an agreement with VLC Group, which owns several premium hotels and resorts in Phuket and Khao Lak, to develop NLCS Phuket. The project will bring the educational model of one of the United Kingdom’s highest-ranked independent schools to Thailand’s expanding international education market.

North London Collegiate School was founded in 1850 by education pioneer Frances Mary Buss and is regarded as one of the UK’s most successful independent schools. In The Sunday Times Parent Power Guide 2026, NLCS was named Independent Secondary School of the Year, Independent International Baccalaureate School of the Year and Independent Secondary School of the Year in London. The accompanying league tables ranked NLCS as the number one girls’ school in the UK, second for all schools in London and third nationally.

Planned as a premium co-educational day and boarding school, NLCS Phuket will serve students from Early Years to Year 13. The campus will be located in Cherng Talay, one of Phuket’s fastest-growing residential districts, and is aimed at Thai, expatriate and internationally mobile families seeking a rigorous British education in Phuket. Boarding will be available for students from across Thailand and the wider region.

The agreement was signed at Courtyard by Marriott Phuket, Patong Beach Resort by Daniel Lewis, managing director of NLCS International, and Naruj Chirayus, managing director of VLC Group and NLCS Phuket.

“For many families, Phuket already offers an exceptional quality of life, but there has been a clear gap in the market for a highly academic school with a direct connection to one of the UK’s leading educational institutions. As a Phuket-based family business, we see education as a natural part of the island’s next stage of growth. Our aim is to help make Phuket a more complete place to live, learn and build community.”

NLCS International works with partners globally to develop schools based on the founding school’s approach, including academic ambition, tailored pastoral care and a strong co-curricular programme. Its network includes NLCS Jeju, NLCS Dubai, NLCS (Singapore), NLCS Kobe and NLCS Hong Kong, which is scheduled to open in 2027.

Lewis said…

“NLCS Phuket represents an important new chapter for our international family of schools. Our aim is to deliver an education that develops scholarship, in a joyful and exciting environment, that celebrates every individual for who they are, and that is rooted in a genuine love of learning. This is not simply a well-known name above the door. The strength of NLCS lies in the authentic connection between our schools, the quality and depth of our academic support, and our shared belief that happy, confident students are best placed to achieve exceptional outcomes.”

Boarding is expected to be a central part of the school’s offer, which NLCS International said will allow families to access an NLCS education without sending children abroad. The project is also intended to strengthen Phuket’s position as a regional education base, keeping students closer to family and within reach of major travel hubs in Asia.

NLCS Phuket is expected to open with a capacity for about 1,000 students, with scope to expand to around 1,500 over time. Planned facilities include boarding houses, separate junior and senior school areas, science and technology facilities, a 50-metre swimming pool, a sports hall, covered tennis courts and football pitches.

The announcement comes as Thailand’s international education sector grows beyond Bangkok. Kasikorn Research Centre forecasts Thailand’s international school business will grow by 9.7% in 2025, with international student numbers projected to rise by 8.3%. The research also indicates continued expansion outside the capital, naming Phuket as a key provincial market.

VLC Group said the addition of a leading day and boarding school would strengthen Phuket’s family infrastructure and support the wider economy by attracting long-stay residents, skilled professionals, entrepreneurs and investors, while increasing demand across housing, hospitality, retail, transport, local services and employment.

Chirayus said…

“Top schools create communities around them. We have seen this in places such as Dubai and Jeju, where education has played an important role in shaping internationally minded residential destinations. With NLCS Phuket, we want to support the development of Phuket as an educational centre of excellence for the region.”

NLCS International said NLCS Phuket will maintain close links with the wider NLCS family of schools, with support in school design, curriculum development, recruitment, teacher training, academic planning and quality assurance.