Grace International School was established to meet the educational needs of children of missionaries and Christian workers in Southeast Asia. Throughout GIS’s short history the Board of Trustees, administration, faculty, and staff have continually endeavored to maintain the original focus while providing a high quality Christian education to its students.

In late 1997, representatives from a variety of mission organizations met to begin the formal process of establishing Grace International School. In the following months, five organizations made financial commitments to become Founding Members and eight other organizations made commitments to become Founding Associate Members. This gave them tuition discounts, priority admission for their students, and seats on the Board of Trustees. The founding organizations have five permanent seats, and the founding associates have three rotating seats on the BoT. Since then, over 100 like-minded organizations have joined as Associate Members. The Board of Trustees, operating under the authority of the Grace International School Educational Foundation, also includes four additional members elected at large from the associate organizations.

When GIS opened in 1999, the 176 students in kindergarten through grade 12 met in rented space in World Club Sports Complex. As the school grew, it became necessary to rent more of the facility until in June 2001, GIS purchased the property. Presently, over 500 students benefit from GIS programs that include not just core curriculum but also special needs services, fine arts, extra-curricular sports, and ministry opportunities. Our high school offerings have grown to include Advanced Placement courses to meet the needs of our college-bound students, whether they are from American or international backgrounds. GIS also offers support and assistance to home schooling families through our special Extension Services Division. Non-Thai faculty and staff at GIS raise their own support in order to keep tuition costs affordable. The result is a dedicated team committed to providing students with an outstanding education from a Christian perspective.

The school is located in a suburban area southwest of Chiang Mai, Thailand. Chiang Mai, the second largest province in Thailand, is nestled in the scenic Ping River valley at the foot of Doi Suthep Mountain. With an international airport, rail and bus lines, and major highway routes, Chiang Mai is well-connected with the rest of Southeast Asia and the world.