Welcome to Our Program at Chiang Rai International School

Chiang Rai International School endeavors to put our boarders at the center of every decision that we make. We appreciate that every boarder comes to us with a different life story and a unique learning journey. To that end, we know that there is no "one size fits all" solution to the boarding support and care that we give. Boarders, parents and visitors all comment on the positive relationships that exist between staff and students and a sense of pride in our community.

Our Boarding staff feel incredibly blessed to have such a wonderful diversity of boarding students. Our mixture of nationalities, interests, talents and personalities, combine to make a thriving community that pushes for excellence in all that we do. We provide full time, weekly and flexible boarding options for students offering continuity and stability from which our boarders can access a first-class international education.

We believe that boarding with us helps students to develop confidence, character and independence, which, over time, results in a more mature and open minded individual.

In addition, to developing their own characters, we also aim to foster within each boarder:

• A sense of and respect for community living.

• A passion for excellence.

• An understanding for the need of balance in mind, body and spirit.

• A forward-thinking approach and a genuine sense of teamwork.

• A place where they feel welcomed and appreciated.

We do this by providing a supportive environment that is secure and safe, and by encouraging respectful and positive relationships between boarders and staff. We seize every opportunity to celebrate success, encouraging individuals to reach their potential and discover new horizons. We communicate with parents and guardians openly, honestly and attempt to form a close partnership with them. All this, we find, creates a wonderful environment to learn and to grow together.

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New to Boarding

If you are new to boarding and are about to join us, we extend a special welcome to you. You and your family are no doubt a little anxious about making the initial steps with us but we urge you to enjoy the excitement and the buildup. You certainly have nothing to worry about. Many new boarders have joined us before, and we are well practiced at welcoming new families to the CRIS dorms.

However daunting it may first appear, the boarding routine will become second nature surprisingly quickly. There will be things to get right at the beginning, such as uniform, the timetable, layout of the school, and the daily routine, but help and guidance is always on hand, and we will do whatever it takes to make the transition a very smooth one.

New students will go through a thorough induction program and be paired up with an experienced student mentor to whom he/she may go to with any questions or issues. This mentor student or "buddy" will be a reliable and caring boarder who will be able to set a good example and who will have a genuine interest in helping new students to settle in. In addition, every boarder is part of a small family of boarders, headed up by at least one senior student and containing a range of ages. These families support each other and it’s not long before new boarders are not new anymore and they in turn support someone else.

Boarding can present some emotional difficulties for some new students and their families, especially during the first few weeks. We hope that new boarders will feel able to talk to us about any homesickness that may occur so that we can share our experience of it and do our very best to comfort and support boarders through it. In short, there is always someone on hand to talk to and help you, no matter how big or small the issue is.