UWC Thailand
17 February 2025
Phuket, Thailand
540 students, aged 16 to 19 years- Founded - 2016
UWC Thailand is a peaceful retreat in the foothills of Phuket’s green-capped mountains. This distinctive setting reflects the school's dedication not just to academic excellence but also to the broader values of global citizenship, wellness and environmental stewardship. Engaged in activities from coral reef monitoring to integrating positive mindfulness practices, 
UWC Thailand prioritises the well-being and development of its students, the community and the environment in all its endeavours.
Three unique features
Good Heart: UWC Thailand integrates Social Emotional Learning and Mindfulness into its curriculum, promoting the development of key life skills, including self-awareness and management, social awareness and effectiveness and 
impactful and ethical approaches to work.
Balanced Mind: UWC Thailand, an International Baccalaureate (IB) continuum school for Pre-Kindergarten to Grade 12, is dedicated to skill development through diverse programmes including mindfulness, outdoor education, sports and community engagement. Blending rigorous academics with practical experiences, instils in students the belief that they are capable of more than they know.
Healthy Body: As an athlete-friendly school and member of the World Academy of Sport, students have access to exceptional facilities and seamlessly balance elite-level training in swimming and triathlon with a world-class education, supported by dedicated teachers and coaches.
Academic curriculum
In their final two years, UWC Thailand students follow the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP), which is made up of three core components and six subject groups.
Average class size: 24 students
International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme
Core components
- Theory of Knowledge: students reflect on the nature of knowledge and on how we know what we claim to know.
- The Extended Essay: an independent, self-directed piece of research, finishing with a 4,000-word paper.
- Creativity, Activity, Service (CAS): students take part in a range of experiences and at least one project.
Subjects
- Studies in language and literature: English Literature, Thai Language & Literature, School Supported Self-Taught Literature, Language & Culture
- Language acquisition: Chinese B Ab Initio, English B, French B, French B Ab Initio, Spanish B Ab Initio
- Individuals and societies: Business Management, Economics, History, Global Politics, Environmental Systems & Societies
- Sciences: Biology, Chemistry, Design Technology, Physics, Environmental Systems & Societies
- Mathematics: Maths - Analysis and Approaches, Maths - Applications and Interpretation
- The Arts: Visual Arts, Film
Co-Curricular
All IBDP students at UWC complete a co-curricular programme called Creativity, Activity and Service (CAS) - an integral part of the IB qualification. Students get the opportunity to choose a physical, a creative and a social service activity.
UWC Thailand’s strong focus on Outdoor Experiential Education and Place-Based Service Learning ensures students engage with the island's diverse environments. This commitment sustains partnerships with neighbouring service organisations, addressing wildlife conservation, ecological restoration, community support and action-oriented governmental work for policy development and change.
Physical activities:
- Badminton
- Basketball
- Climbing
- Cricket
- Cycling
- Football
- Golf
- Gymnastics
- Kayaking
- Hiking
- Mountain Biking
- Muay Thai
- Pilates
- Climbing
- Orienteering
- Running
- Sailing
- Scuba Diving
- Skateboarding
- Surfing
- Swimming
- Table Tennis
- Tennis
- Touch Rugby
- Volleyball
- Weight Lifting / Fitness training
- Yoga
Creative activities:
- Anthropology
- Art Group
- Baking
- Band
- Chess
- Choir
- Dance
- Debate
- Drama club
- Film Makers
- Guitar HAIR-itage Tales & Art
- Hispanic language and culture
- Kucheza - African Dance
- Maker Space / Design
- Model United Nations
- PAPA - Pitch Perfect PAPA: UWCT Musical Theatre
- Photography
- Public Speaking
- Thai Authentic Cooking Class
- "Young Inheritors of Traditions” (YIT)
Social service:
- Amnesty International
- All For Village
- BanYa Literacy Centre
- BIG Because I am a Girl
- Bodhi Dogs Earth
- Home Gibbon Rehabilitation Sanctuary
- Good Shepherd
- MANTA coral
- MANTA Mangrove
- Mirror Foundation Phuket
- Elephant Sanctuary
- Plastic Free
- Phuket Sexuality and Gender Alliance
- Shaka Student Cafe Sign Language
- UWC Thailand Young Volunteers In Action
- UWCrust Pizza Group
- Yaowawits
Facilities and residences
UWCT’s campus lies in the foothills of a mountainous national park in a rural area on the northern end of the island of Phuket, a short 15 minute drive from some of the most beautiful beaches in the world. On campus, students have access to a wide variety of learning spaces and resources.
Facilities
Library- Cafeteria
- Student-run café
- Indoor, multipurpose gymnasium
- Climbing and gymnastics gym
- Outdoor, covered multipurpose court
- Covered football pitch
- Multi-use grass field
- Frisbee golf course
- Skate park
- World-class athletic and sports facilities
- 25 and 50 metre Olympic pool
- Weight rooms
- Tennis courts
- Beach volleyball courts
- Yoga and pilates facilities
- Jiu Jitsu training facilities
- Fitness centre
Residential accommodation
The primary boarding house accommodates students in rooms of 3-6 students in separate wings for male and female students. Boarding facilities prioritise deliberately diverse living arrangements in order to best develop and foster intercultural relationships and understanding. All residences have common rooms, communal kitchens, laundry facilities and study spaces.
Medical provisions and wellbeing support
Medical provisions
- Full-time nurse
- International standard hospital within 10km of the campus
Academic and emotional wellbeing
UWC Thailand has a strong commitment to the welfare, development and support of our students. The school supports students’ academic and emotional wellbeing through:
- Two full-time counsellors
- Advisory programme focused on social-emotional wellness and mindfulness
- Full-time House Parents (parents providing residential support to students) for all boarding houses
- Co-Directors of Residential Life to support students
