HAND-CHECKED · SOURCE-VERIFIED EVERY TERM · REAL TUITION FEES · 0 PAID PLACEMENTS
// HEAD-TO-HEAD · current source audit

Garden Rayong vs
EFIP.

This comparison is deliberately not a price ranking. Garden Rayong publishes a British IGCSE-to-IB route and latest-published 2025/26 tuition of ฿147,000–฿609,800. EFIP publishes a French-medium national route from age three to the baccalauréat at 2026/27 tuition of ฿175,000–฿235,000. Language readiness, qualification destination, boarding and compulsory extras matter as much as the headline gap.

// 01 · current record

Shared age range.
Different system.

Both schools begin in the early years, but Garden's latest public tariff remains 2025/26 while EFIP publishes 2026/27. Garden follows British stages through Cambridge IGCSE and the IB Diploma. EFIP follows the French National Curriculum through the baccalauréat général and offers an FLSCO bridge class for pupils new to French.

// In this guide → GIS Rayong editorial ↗ · EFIP editorial ↗ · Rugby vs Regents ↗ · Garden vs Regents ↗ · Regents vs Garden ↗ · MIS vs TPIS ↗ · British schools hub ↗ · IB Diploma hub ↗

// 01A · 18-point comparison
Garden vs EFIP · standard published tuition before full-year-payment discounts (all-in rows include named mandatory charges) · fee years: Garden 2025/26 (latest published); EFIP 2026/27 · checked 27 July 2026
DimensionGarden RayongÉcole Française Internationale de Pattaya
SchoolGarden International School, RayongÉcole Française Internationale de Pattaya
Age spanAges 2–18; Nursery through Year 13Ages 3–18; maternelle through terminale
CurriculumBritish EYFS and National Curriculum, Cambridge IGCSE and IB DiplomaFrench National Curriculum through the baccalauréat général, with an FLSCO bridge class for non-native French speakers
Published tuitionLatest published 2025/26: Nursery ฿147,000–฿268,500; FS1–2 up to ฿385,800; Years 1–2 ฿418,500; Years 3–6 ฿447,300; Years 7–9 ฿496,800; Year 10 ฿500,100; Year 11 ฿495,400; Years 12–13 ฿609,800.Dated 2026/27: Nursery–Year 1 ฿175,000; Years 2–6 ฿200,000; Years 7–10 ฿215,000; Year 11 ฿220,000; Years 12–13 ฿235,000.
Named extrasApplication ฿5,000; enrolment ฿60,000–฿120,000; refundable deposit ฿40,000; transport, boarding, visa documents, trips and compulsory support separate.First registration ฿50,000; annual administration ฿5,000; new-student uniform package ฿4,000; intensive French, books, CNED, bus and meals separate.
Planning pointLatest fee tariff is 2025/26; request a dated enrolling-year quote and reconcile optional boarding.Nine levels are currently homologated on the official AEFE directory; confirm the status and delivery arrangement for the child's exact level.
Sourcesschool overview · latest published feesadmissions · 2026/27 fees · AEFE directory
Published support-cost labelCombined fee label — “Compulsory EAL/Learning Support”; amount on request in the latest published 2025/26 fee source.Language support only — intensive French supplement for non-French-speaking pupils: ฿20,000; no general learning-support tariff is published.
Live editorialRead the Garden Rayong editorialRead the EFIP editorial

The fee years differ, so align the child's proposed class and request matched enrolling-year offers. Price Garden’s entry, resources, meals, support, transport and boarding rows alongside EFIP's registration, administration, uniform, intensive French, books, CNED, examinations, meals, bus and visa-support charges.

// 02 · decision framework

Choose the runway,
then price the year.

What is actually published?

Garden publishes latest-available 2025/26 tuition of ฿147,000–฿609,800. EFIP publishes 2026/27 tuition of ฿175,000–฿235,000 plus ฿50,000 first registration, ฿5,000 annual administration and a ฿4,000 new-student uniform package.

What is the curriculum choice?

Garden moves from British EYFS and National Curriculum into Cambridge IGCSE and the IB Diploma. EFIP follows the French National Curriculum through the baccalauréat général, with an FLSCO bridge for children learning French.

What needs planning?

Garden's latest fee tariff is one year older and boarding is off campus. EFIP families must confirm the child's French entry route, exact homologation status, CNED and examination arrangements and every compulsory extra.

Shortlist guidance

  • Garden suits families seeking an English-medium British-to-IB route in Ban Chang with optional boarding from Year 5.
  • EFIP suits families seeking a lower-fee French national pathway in Huai Yai and prepared to make French-language readiness central to the decision.
// 03 · compare the usable offer

Two all-through routes.
Different credentials.

The schools overlap from age three through secondary, yet their teaching languages and qualification destinations differ. Garden combines English-medium British stages with Cambridge IGCSE and the IB Diploma; EFIP uses French as the main medium while also recording English, Thai, Chinese and Spanish.

Match the actual attendance offer

Ask both schools to state the child’s proposed class, start date, age cut-off and following year. Garden publishes Nursery through Year 13; EFIP publishes maternelle through terminale and tuition through Year 13.

Do not translate British and French labels by number alone. Request the placement assessment, French-system equivalence, current cohort and written progression route. For a teenager, make subject continuity and the IB or baccalauréat sequence first-meeting questions rather than future details.

Make language exposure visible

Garden records English as the teaching language alongside Thai, Spanish, French and Mandarin. Ask for weekly allocation, subject language, newcomer support and the transition from British primary into Cambridge IGCSE and the IB Diploma.

EFIP records French as the medium and publishes an FLSCO bridge class for non-native speakers; English, Thai, Chinese and Spanish are also recorded. Ask which subjects remain in French during the bridge, how readiness for the mainstream class is measured and what intensive-French charge applies.

At both visits, request anonymised work and the report format. Observe how teachers explain unfamiliar tasks and whether language support builds independent subject learning.

Build complete first-year totals

Garden's latest 2025/26 tuition runs from ฿147,000 to ฿609,800. Application is ฿5,000, enrolment ฿60,000–฿120,000 and the refundable deposit ฿40,000. Bus costs ฿18,000–฿32,100 per term, boarding ฿297,000–฿345,000 per year plus a ฿20,000 deposit, and compulsory EAL or learning support is priced on request.

EFIP publishes ฿175,000 for Nursery through Year 1, ฿200,000 for Years 2–6, ฿215,000 for Years 7–10, ฿220,000 for Year 11 and ฿235,000 for Years 12–13. Add ฿50,000 first registration, ฿5,000 annual administration and a ฿4,000 new-student uniform package.

EFIP prices intensive French at ฿20,000 where required, Years 7–9 books at ฿8,000–฿13,000, CNED at ฿39,000 in Year 10 and ฿48,000 in high school, annual bus at ฿46,000 round trip or ฿35,000 one way, and meals at ฿12,960–฿18,000. DNB and baccalaureate examination fees are additional but unpriced.

Plan both transfer points

Garden publishes Cambridge IGCSE followed by the IB Diploma. Confirm which senior years accept newcomers and which subjects operate for the enrolling cohort.

EFIP publishes a French national route to the baccalauréat général. Ask how a child entering from another curriculum is placed, which subjects run locally, when CNED is used and how records transfer to another French or non-French school.

Rehearse relocation after two years. Request the transcript, curriculum map, grading scale, examination evidence and teacher references each school would supply. A lower current bill may still carry language or transfer preparation if the next school expects a different sequence.

Audit support without assumptions

Garden publishes ELS at ฿20,000–฿30,000 per term and prices compulsory learning support on request. EFIP publishes intensive French at ฿20,000 where required and describes an FLSCO bridge class for non-native French speakers.

If support matters, request the staff member, group size, minutes per week, review date, progress measure, exit criteria and price. Separate language acquisition from other learning needs.

Bring existing reports before assessment and ask admissions to state any limitations in writing.

Test the senior pathway with present evidence

Garden publishes an established IGCSE-to-IB Diploma sequence and a 100% Diploma pass rate for 2023. Ask for the latest IB cohort size and average points, current IGCSE and IB subjects, timetable constraints and university-counselling evidence.

EFIP publishes tuition through terminale and the baccalauréat général, while the official 2026 AEFE directory records nine currently homologated levels. Ask the school to map each proposed year to its homologation and CNED status and explain DNB or baccalaureate examination arrangements.

For either school, request anonymised subject-choice forms, a sample transcript, the examination calendar and the counselling timeline.

Compare accreditation and curriculum claims carefully

EFIP appears on the official AEFE directory as a partner school with nine currently homologated levels. Garden is independently listed by CIS and the IB, while its Cambridge and ONESQA claims remain school-published in the current ledger.

Ask each school for the campus-specific register or examination evidence that applies to the child's programme, then compare teacher qualifications, class size, homework and reporting cadence. Keep registration separate from curriculum, qualification and teaching-quality claims.

Model discounts without inventing them

Garden publishes scholarships of up to 25% of tuition, reviewed annually, that replace other discounts and exclude examinations, trips and resource funds. EFIP publishes tuition discounts of 10% for the second child and 15% for the third and subsequent children.

Apply each discount only to tuition unless the written offer says otherwise, and keep EFIP's administration, registration, books, CNED, transport, meals and examination charges separate.

Test the real family week

Garden is in Ban Chang, Rayong; EFIP is in Huai Yai east of Pattaya. Drive both routes at arrival and collection times, including work and sibling stops.

EFIP publishes annual bus at ฿46,000 round trip or ฿35,000 one way. Garden publishes bus bands of ฿18,000–฿32,100 per term and also offers boarding from Year 5 in a small off-campus residential-estate house. Request exact address quotes and test vehicle time rather than relying on straight-line distance.

Finish the offer meeting

  1. Placement: exact class, live operation and next class.
  2. Learning: language allocation, programme map, work and reports.
  3. Cost: acceptance cash, first year and recurring year.
  4. Support: provision, staffing, review and price.
  5. Transition: Garden's British-to-IB sequence or EFIP's French national and baccalauréat route.

Save offers, fee schedules, calendars and placement answers together.

// 04 · visit worksheet

Observe, record,
then decide.

Test a normal morning

Arrive before the class begins and watch the transition from gate to room. Record how quickly the child separates, who welcomes them, which language adults use and whether the routine is understandable without repeated prompting. Ask what happens on a difficult morning and how parents are informed. A polished tour after children leave cannot answer these questions.

Compare learning evidence

Ask for a starting assessment, mid-year report and anonymised work from the proposed class. At Garden, trace English, Thai, Spanish, French and Mandarin through British primary, IGCSE and IB stages. At EFIP, trace French-medium classwork into the national programme and ask how FLSCO pupils demonstrate readiness to join mainstream lessons.

Record the balance of adult-led, child-initiated, individual and group activity during the visit. Ask how teachers adapt the same task for a child who is new to English, already reading or reluctant to join a group. The right environment is not defined by one teaching philosophy; it is the setting where staff can explain how this child will participate and progress.

Check care outside lessons

Confirm arrival supervision, meals, allergies, illness procedures, late collection and activities. Garden prices meals, resources, transport and boarding separately. EFIP prices meals, bus, some books, CNED and the new-student uniform package outside tuition, while extracurricular activities are unpriced, so model the child's actual routine rather than comparing tuition alone.

Place both calendars beside the family’s work calendar. Count closures that require alternative care and ask whether holiday programmes are offered, separately registered or guaranteed to enrolled pupils. A school-year tuition comparison does not capture care purchased during long breaks.

Separate address from commute

Garden is in Ban Chang, Rayong; EFIP is in Huai Yai east of Pattaya. Verify each entrance, transport route and contract address before payment. Test gate queues, parking and the return journey.

EFIP is day-only. Garden offers boarding from Year 5 in an off-campus residential-estate house capped at 12 students. For either bus service, ask for pickup time, route duration, supervision and price in writing.

Write a conditional decision

For each school, finish the sentence: “This place works if…” Include the quoted total, language routine, classroom fit, support availability, care hours, travel ceiling and next-school plan. Then write the conditions that would trigger a review. This prevents a single attractive feature from hiding an unresolved cost or transition risk.

Run the same exercise for two future dates. At age six, both schools may be usable, but Garden's British primary sequence and EFIP's French national primary route require different evidence. At age eleven, compare live secondary subjects, cohort size, language support and the documented next qualification.

Before signing, compare the two schools’ invoice language line by line. Ask each admissions team to mark every compulsory, optional, refundable and one-time row, then calculate cash due before the first day, the complete first year and a normal later year. For EFIP, include registration, administration, uniform, intensive French, books, CNED, examinations, meals, bus and extracurricular activities.

Also rehearse a mid-year move. Ask what notice is required, which reports and curriculum records would be released, how deposits are returned and whether prepaid services are refundable. Families using the Eastern Seaboard industrial corridor should test both routes at real collection time, because a lower fee cannot compensate for an unsustainable daily journey.

Ask how each school handles a mid-year departure before assuming either transfer will happen neatly at the end of a stage. Record required notice, reports supplied, outstanding-fee conditions and whether unused services can be refunded. A family expecting relocation should weight these documented terms alongside teaching and price.

Do not pay while a condition remains material and unanswered. Ask admissions to correct the offer email, retain Garden's latest 2025/26 schedule and EFIP's 2026/27 schedule, and note who supplied every grade and support answer. That record makes the decision auditable.

// FAQ

Quick answers
before you decide.

Which school publishes lower tuition?

The fee years differ: Garden's latest tariff is 2025/26, while EFIP publishes 2026/27. EFIP's headline rows are lower across overlapping stages, but compare matched enrolling-year totals, language readiness and qualification routes.

Do both schools publish Cambridge routes?

No. Garden follows British stages through Cambridge IGCSE to the IB Diploma. EFIP follows the French National Curriculum toward the baccalauréat général.

How long can a child stay?

Both publish routes to age 18. Garden runs Nursery through Year 13; EFIP publishes maternelle through terminale and tuition through Year 13.

What should a Garden quote include?

Ask for enrolling-year tuition, application, enrolment, refundable deposit, resources, meals, transport, boarding, visa documents, trips, compulsory EAL or learning support, exams and refund terms.

What should an EFIP quote include?

Include tuition, first registration, annual administration, uniform, intensive French, books, CNED, DNB or baccalaureate examinations, meals, bus, extracurricular activities, visa support and refund terms.

Five questions.

Use the decision framework above to weigh curriculum, fees, continuity, location and your child’s fit.