At KIS, Parich Ruktapongpisal shapes education through curiosity, adaptability and lifelong learning.

Education has always been one of the foundations of society. We spend years in classrooms where conversations about education often focus on examinations, grades or academic achievement. Less attention is given to its wider purpose and the role it plays in shaping the way people think, communicate and understand the world around them. 

In previous editions of the Friday Future Lister, we have explored education through the perspectives of teachers, professors and those directly involved in the classroom. This time, we step back to look at education on a broader scale. Beyond teaching individual subjects, how does a school shape the way students learn, think and prepare for the future?

To understand how these ideas translate into practice, this edition looks at the work of Parich Ruktapongpisal, school licensee at KIS International School Bangkok. Through his perspective, we explore how education continues to evolve, what meaningful learning looks like today and why preparing students for life extends far beyond preparing them for examinations.

Growing with KIS

KIS International School Bangkok opened in 1998 under the name Kesinee International School Bangkok, founded by former cabinet minister Pongsak Ruktapongpisal. That same year, his children, twins Parich and Pichaya Ruktapongpisal, became part of the school’s first cohort of students. As KIS expanded, they experienced that growth from inside the classroom.

The school adopted the name KIS International School Bangkok in 2003 and gradually expanded from primary education into a full International Baccalaureate (IB) curriculum. Parich watched many of those changes unfold throughout his own years as a student.

After graduating from KIS, he studied political science and economics at the University of California, Berkeley. Although his academic background was in politics and economics, the experience shaped the way he looked at systems, institutions and how they influence people’s lives – ideas that later became relevant when he turned to education. 

He returned to Thailand in 2017 and joined KIS in a leadership role at the age of 23. His twin sister, Pichaya, serves as Development Director at Reignwood Park while also contributing to the KIS expansion project, particularly in construction and financial management.

As KIS continued to grow, plans emerged for a second campus. The new school became part of Reignwood Park, a mixed-use community in Pathum Thani that brings together homes, green spaces, sports facilities, wellness and education within one master-planned environment. The project reflects a shared belief that education should form part of everyday community life rather than exist in isolation.

KIS International School Reignwood Park officially opened in August 2024 as the second campus of KIS. The project became a collaboration with the siblings from its earliest stages. Together, they were involved in the planning, campus design, interior spaces, furniture selection and construction to ensure the new school reflected the vision they shared. 

One School, Two Campuses

Today, KIS International School Bangkok and KIS International School Reignwood Park operate under the concept of One School, Two Campuses. The second campus extends more than 25 years of IB education established at the original Bangkok campus, while allowing the school to grow without changing its identity. Each campus offers a different environment, yet both share the same educational philosophy, curriculum and values.

Education, in Parich’s view, should prepare students for far more than examinations. Curiosity, critical thinking, collaboration, communication and emotional awareness are equally important because they shape how students continue learning long after they leave school.

Courtesy of KIS International Schoool

That belief naturally aligns with the IB curriculum. The programme places equal importance on academic knowledge and the ability to apply that knowledge in real situations. It also develops the skills needed for life in the 21st century, from teamwork and problem-solving to self-management and independent learning.

The new campus became another opportunity to put those ideas into practice. As Bangkok’s first and only IB day and boarding school, KIS International School Reignwood Park forms part of the wider Reignwood Park community. He sees that environment as an extension of learning itself, allowing students, parents and families to become part of one community rather than meeting only inside the classroom.

Courtesy of KIS International Schoool

The campus reflects that philosophy in everyday life.  Students move between science and robotics laboratories, music and orchestra studios, collaborative learning spaces and boarding residences. Even boarding students develop practical life skills alongside their academic studies because education, in his view, extends beyond lessons and continues through everyday experiences.

The original Bangkok campus continues to evolve as well. New libraries, classrooms, laboratories, art and music studios, design and technology spaces and collaborative learning environments are being introduced to ensure that both campuses continue to grow together while remaining one school with a shared vision.

Preparing Students for a World That Keeps Changing

Artificial intelligence has become part of everyday life and he does not believe schools should respond by banning it. Tools such as ChatGPT will continue to evolve, making prohibition a temporary solution rather than a lasting one.

Instead, he believes students should learn how to work alongside technology, understand its limitations and use it responsibly. Just as importantly, they should recognise its risks, from misinformation and phishing scams to the ethical questions that accompany new digital tools. Preparing students for the future therefore means teaching judgement alongside knowledge.

That philosophy reflects the broader direction he hopes KIS will continue to take. The school’s foundations have been built over more than 25 years and the second campus represents another step in that journey rather than a new beginning. His ambition is to continue strengthening an educational environment that prepares students to contribute thoughtfully to both their local communities and a rapidly changing world.

Education, ultimately, cannot prepare students for every challenge they will encounter. It can, however, equip them with the curiosity, judgement and adaptability to navigate a world that will continue to change. 

Courtesy of KIS International Schoool