Bangkok
Wycombe Abbey to Open First Thailand Campus in August 2026
The prestigious UK independent school is partnering with BE Education and Rabbit Holdings to launch a British-curriculum day and boarding school on a 66-acre site near Suvarnabhumi Airport.
Wycombe Abbey International School Bangkok (WASBKK) is set to open its doors in August 2026, marking the storied UK school's first footprint in Thailand. The announcement was made on 6 April 2026, with the project described as a three-way collaboration between Wycombe Abbey, Hong Kong- and Shanghai-based education group BE Education, and Rabbit Holdings, a subsidiary of BTS Group Holdings — one of Thailand's leading infrastructure and property conglomerates.
The new school will occupy the former site of VERSO International School in Thana City on Bangna-Trad Road, close to Suvarnabhumi International Airport. At over 66 acres, the campus is expected to rank among the largest for any international school in Bangkok. Facilities include an Olympic-standard swimming pool, a FIFA-standard football field, tennis and golf amenities, a full athletics track, and a 1,000-seat stadium.
British Curriculum with Boarding
WASBKK will deliver a full British curriculum pathway through to IGCSE and A Level, offering a continuous education from Nursery to Year 13 for pupils aged 2 to 18. Boarding will be central to the school's identity, with full, weekly, and flexible options available — consistent with the Wycombe Abbey model applied at its other international campuses in Hong Kong, Changzhou, Hangzhou, and Nanjing.
William Vanbergen, Founder and Chairman of BE Education and Chairman of the Wycombe Abbey International Advisory Board, framed the launch as a network-building exercise as much as a single-school opening, noting the group's ambition to connect students across campuses through shared programmes and exchanges. Further expansion into Singapore and South Korea is also planned.
Growing Market
Thailand's international school sector provides a fertile backdrop for the launch. The country currently hosts more than 250 international schools serving between 70,000 and 80,000 students, with the market valued at over 80 billion baht and growing at roughly 10 per cent annually, driven by demand from both expatriate and locally based Thai families seeking internationally recognised qualifications.
Fiona Angel, appointed as Founding Executive Headteacher, said the school would focus on developing well-rounded students for a rapidly evolving global environment. The transition from VERSO is expected to be complete before the August 2026 start of term.