CMISOur School
Conveniently located in the city of Chiang Mai, Chiang Mai International School (CMIS) provides high quality education in an ideal social and cultural environment. CMIS has been helping meet the educational needs of the international community in northern Thailand since 1954. In a few years, CMIS will celebrate its 70th anniversary of educational excellence.
We offer an English-language, American-sourced education taught from an international perspective. Our well-qualified teachers provide instruction that is aligned to a standards-based curriculum focused on learning. The academically rigorous Advanced Placement (AP) courses offered in the high school help prepare our graduates for admission to outstanding universities and colleges around the world.
Built on a tradition of providing educational excellence in a caring community, today we remain the school of choice for students from more than 30 different countries. While remaining true to our core values of the Christian faith, we welcome students from all faiths, cultures, nationalities, and backgrounds from the expanding international community in northern Thailand.
At CMIS, we celebrate our ethnic and cultural diversity. Our students have historic and cultural connections to many different countries, speak multiple languages, and often hold more than one passport. We strive to maintain a culturally diverse student body, adding to the richness of the international educational experience.
Accreditation and Member Organizations
CMIS has held legal status with the Thai Government as an international school since 1985, and has been accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) since 1987. CMIS is a member of the East Asian Regional Council of Overseas Schools (EARCOS), the International Schools Association of Thailand (ISAT), and the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS). In addition, CMIS has sponsored a local chapter of the National Honor Society (NHS) since 2016.
Our History
Missionaries returning to work with the Church of Christ in Thailand (CCT) after World War II established a school for their children in Chiang Mai. Classes began on June 1, 1954 with eight students. In 1958, construction began on the present campus for the “Chiang Mai Children’s Center.” Student numbers grew as more expatriate families seeking an English-language education for their children moved to Chiang Mai.
In 1984, representatives of the Thai Foreign Ministry and the CCT agreed that the formal establishment of an international school in Chiang Mai was a necessary step to achieving the school’s legal status. Classes began in September 1985 for Kindergarten to Grade 8 under the new name “Chiang Mai International School” (CMIS). High school grades were progressively added from 1992 to 1995.
Today, CMIS is a dynamic international school with over 500 students, but it is still small enough to retain a friendly and relaxed campus environment. It also remains true to the traditions of its founders, serving missionary families and maintaining the heritage and values of the Christian faith at the heart of the school, while welcoming children of all faiths, cultures, and ethnic backgrounds from the growing international community in Chiang Mai.