Lanna and Prem are often placed in the same Chiang Mai shortlist because both serve a broad international market and run through the secondary years. They are not interchangeable choices. Lanna is a British examination pathway in Hang Dong. Prem is an IB World School with day and boarding options in Mae Rim. The better question is which route, campus life and geography your child can actually sustain.
The quick comparison
| Lanna | Prem | |
|---|---|---|
| Published pathway | British/Cambridge; IGCSE and A-Levels | IB continuum; day and boarding school |
| Campus geography | Ban Waen, Hang Dong, south-west of Chiang Mai | Huai Sai, Mae Rim, north of Chiang Mai |
| Published annual tuition | ฿413,400–฿803,400 for 2026/27, from Lanna’s official fee schedule | ฿416,000–฿814,000 for 2026/27 in the school’s 2026/27 fee record; confirm grade band and inclusions with Prem |
| Comparable Grade 5 tuition | ฿616,200 (Year 6 equivalent, 2026/27 official schedule) | ฿604,000 (Grade 5, 2026/27 official schedule) |
| First-year extras | ฿6,000 assessment, ฿90,000 registration, ฿13,000 refundable equipment deposit, ฿10,000 annual capital fee, ฿1,000 PTO and ฿2,000 insurance; exams are included | ฿6,000 application, ฿50,000 refundable security deposit and ฿130,000 foundation fee; additional meals, transport and support may apply |
The fee years matter. Lanna’s official 2026/27 schedule and Prem’s official 2026/27 schedule are the current references. Prem’s schedule also lists lunch/snacks, transport and EAL as possible additional termly charges. Do not treat a foundation fee or refundable deposit as tuition.
Choose the pathway before comparing the campus
Lanna’s Cambridge route makes sense when the family is intentionally choosing IGCSE and A-Levels, including the subject combinations and exam style that follow that route. Prem’s IB continuum is a different academic architecture, with a day-school option alongside residential life. Neither label tells you whether a particular child will thrive. Ask for the current subject list, assessment calendar, learning-support process and senior-year timetable rather than relying on a reputation shorthand.
Prem’s admissions information describes both day and boarding routes and links visa support to payment of the Foundation Fee. That is a practical distinction for families whose work, housing or travel pattern makes residential flexibility valuable. It does not mean boarding is required. Lanna is the more straightforward comparison when the family wants a Hang Dong day-school base.
Geography is part of the school decision
Lanna’s Hang Dong location puts the school close to the southern residential belt and the airport side of the city. Prem’s Mae Rim campus changes the shape of the week: housing, transport and after-school activities all have to work around a northern campus. A family considering Prem should test a normal school-day route from its actual work and home locations, not a quiet mid-day map estimate. A family considering Lanna should do the same for the Hang Dong road network during pickup.
Our Hang Dong guide and Mae Rim guide are useful starting points, but the right home depends on the child’s schedule and the adult commute. If you are choosing the school and home together, the Home Finding service can make that geography decision part of one review.
What parents can and cannot tell you
Lanna’s 2017–2022 directory reviews praise teachers and children enjoying school, alongside historical concerns about management communication and campus plans. Repeated entries reduce 16 displayed rows to ten distinct accounts. They largely predate the current campus. A July 2026 parent account is more current: positive about teachers and the new campus, concerned about fee increases. The publisher’s property business is a commercial interest.
Prem’s five 2023–2024 directory reviews are positive about confidence, progress and activities. Four refer to a child; the other writer’s role is unclear. These are brief, unverified testimonials. They do not establish a representative parent verdict, an academic result or boarding quality. Ask current families in the relevant phase about support, communication and teacher continuity.
For both schools, ask to see the smoke-season routine: filtered classrooms, outdoor-activity thresholds and communication with families. That is a practical check for any Chiang Mai shortlist, rather than a conclusion drawn from an old discussion about a particular campus.
Questions to ask on a tour
- Which subjects are actually available in the child’s intended IGCSE, A-Level or IB years, and what are the minimum cohort sizes?
- What is included in the current fee: meals, transport, devices, uniforms, activities, registration and support?
- For Prem, the published Foundation Fee is non-refundable. What notice is required to recover the separate security deposit, and what does a day student’s weekly schedule look like?
- For Lanna, how does the school handle exam preparation, language support and transition into the senior years?
- What happens during smoke season, and how are families told when outdoor routines change?
- Which neighborhood makes the actual school-day commute manageable for this family?
Start with the school matcher for a shortlist, then verify places and current fees with the schools. A shortlist becomes useful when it is tied to a child, a budget, a likely next country and a route you can live with every weekday.