Reviving Thai Education: Turning School Closures into a Catalyst for Change

It’s disheartening to see the closure of many long-standing schools across Thailand this year from Udomsuksa School Ladprao, which had served students for over 50 years, to Thanormpitvittaya School, a 63-year-old institution. These closures are not isolated cases. More than 20 private schools have shut their doors this year alone, a reflection of deeper structural challenges in the Thai education system.

The Shrinking Student Population and Rising Costs

Thailand’s declining birth rate is now taking a visible toll on schools. With over 33,000 schools nationwide, nearly half (15,757) have fewer than 120 students, a critical threshold for operational sustainability. According to Kasikorn Research Center, the number of students is expected to fall by another 1.2% this year, or around 56,000 fewer students.

For smaller Thai schools that already face intense economic pressure and high fixed costs, this trend is proving fatal. Many are also struggling to adapt to new market demands, embrace technological advancements, and manage generational transitions in school leadership.

A Growing Divide in Education Quality

While traditional Thai schools are under strain, the international school segment continues to thrive, expanding at 9–10% annually. This contrast highlights a growing inequality in the education system. As Professor Sompong of Chulalongkorn University noted, outcomes at international and sathit schools are three times stronger than those of average Thai schools, a sobering statistic that underscores the widening gap between local and premium education.

Yet, this imbalance also presents an opportunity: to revitalize local private schools and elevate their quality to international standards, particularly in provinces outside Bangkok where the demand for high-quality education is rising.

Three Levers to Revitalize Thai Schools

1. Focus on Learning Outcomes

Thailand’s PISA scores are at their lowest in 20 years, with English proficiency averaging below 50%. To rebuild trust with parents, schools must demonstrate meaningful learning outcomes, not just better grades, but real progress in students’ ability to think critically, solve problems, and apply knowledge.

This requires both universally accepted measurement tools and a commitment to developing tangible soft skills such as entrepreneurship, creativity, and adaptability, traits that build grit and prepare students to navigate a rapidly changing world.

2. Leverage Technology for Productivity

Thai students spend nearly 8–9 hours a day, 220 days a year in classrooms, yet outcomes remain stagnant. The traditional model of mass lecturing and exam-driven learning has reached its limits. As highlighted in Make It Stick: The Science of Successful Learning, “We are poor judges of when we are learning well and when we’re not. Feeling productive doesn’t mean it’s effective.”

Repetitive reading and cramming create an illusion of mastery without true understanding.

Technology can help change this. Tools such as AI-assisted lesson planning and subject-specific tutorials can reduce teachers’ administrative burdens and enable more personalized teaching. Schools can use learning data to improve continuously, as seen in the Alpha School model in the U.S., where students learn just two hours a day online yet outperform peers through tailored instruction. The rest of their time is dedicated to developing life skills, leadership, communication, and teamwork, that prepare them for the real world.

3. Attract and Empower Talent

Transforming education requires not just great teachers, but also strong management. Incentive systems should reward innovation and outcomes, attracting capable leaders to the sector. However, smaller schools often struggle to afford the resources needed to stay competitive, not only in hiring high-quality principals or English teachers, but also in investing in modern education software that could enhance teaching and learning. This creates a structural disadvantage that limits their ability to innovate and scale.

The Path Forward

Skydeck Education was established to tackle these very challenges by bringing together leading private bilingual schools to share resources, expertise, and a common goal: developing future-ready students for Thailand.

By consolidating strengths across schools and integrating innovation, technology, and management excellence, we can revitalize Thai education, ensuring that quality learning is not a privilege, but a promise for every child.

And if you're interested in partnering with us, please contact Kanin at kanin@skydeckpartners.xyz