Our Administration Team and Coordinators give valuable support to our Executive Leadership Team through their commitment to the school’s mission and values.
Michel Thibeault (Kru Michel)
Mindfulness Director
Kru Michel holds a Bachelor of Education from McGill University and a Master’s of Education from University of Montreal, Canada. Michel has more than 30 years of experience as an educator. He has worked with young people in different capacities – as a classroom teacher with students from nursery to Year 13 for many years and as a school principal and Outdoor Leadership CEO in Canada for 12 years before coming to Thailand. Kru Michel’s main role has been to oversee the implementation of the curriculum and to supervise and train teachers. This includes facilitating the integration of the Buddhist approach of the school.
Marisa Visuthakul (Kru Tualek)
Quality Assurance Manager
Kru Tualek is one of the Panyaden Pioneer Team since 2011, she brings over 7 years’ experience of client project management in the advertising and communications sectors. As a Quality Assurance Manager, her role is to coordinate, oversee and implement plans to ensure the successful achievement of all organisational outcomes relative to accreditation and standards of educational organisation in Thailand. Kru Tualek graduated with a Bachelor degree in Mass Communication from Kasetsart University and a Master’s of Strategic Marketing Communications from the University of Greenwich, UK.
“I believe kids should be at the centre of learning and have a lead role in directing their own education, guided and supported by professional teachers. Trying and sometimes getting things wrong is not failing – in fact it is the best way to develop and progress. This culture of learning at school is what inspires me to build and maintain our quality at Panyaden.”
Jill Caroline McFarlane (Kru Jill)
Activities and Athletics Director
Kru Jill is from Alberta, Canada. She holds a BA in Physical Education as well as a BEd in Elementary Education. During her education, she played competitive volleyball at the intercollegiate level. Kru Jill has been teaching for five years and has spent the last three as a Physical and Health Education teacher and Athletic Director on Vancouver Island. Jill comes to Panyaden after spending a year backpacking around the world with her husband. She believes in the importance of a physically active lifestyle rooted in nature and spends her free time hiking, camping and travelling.
Dr. Rachael Stevens (Kru Rachael)
Vice Principal (Early Years and Year 1)
Kru Rachael holds a PGCE (Lower Primary) where she specialised in Early Years education. Her passion for Lower Primary education is rooted in her belief that providing play-based learning opportunities for our youngest students, both indoors and out, allows them to learn more about themselves, explore their own interests and achieve their next steps, setting them up develop their love of learning for life. Kru Rachael is dedicated to incorporating mindfulness and a Buddhist approach into her classrooms and holds a Doctorate in Tibetan Buddhism from the University of Oxford and a Masters in Buddhist Studies from SOAS.
She has found her home at Panyaden as believes strongly in the benefits of an international, bilingual education where children are greeted with compassion and kindness, paired with academic rigour and high expectations. In her free time she enjoys travelling, cooking, reading and trying to learn Thai!
Andrea Susannah Paetkau (Kru Andrea)
Primary Vice Principal (Student Life)
Kru Andrea has been a school leader for over twenty years. She holds a Master of Education in International Leadership from Charles Sturt University, Australia, and obtained her B.Ed along with a Specialist in Religious Education from the University of Toronto, Canada. In 2001, Kru Andrea established a private school for students with Learning Disabilities. She received training in the Orton-Gillingham methodology, which is aligned with the Science of Reading. During her time as the Learning Specialist at Avenues in São Paulo, Brazil, she also gained expertise in Project Based Learning. Her fervent passion lies in Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI). Over the past three years, Kru Andrea has actively contributed to the Avon Maitland District School Board’s development of policies and procedures pertaining to EDI.
Kru Andrea has consistently exhibited an interest in religion and spiritual practices. Her life journey has encompassed meditation and yogic disciplines, and she finds resonance in Panyaden's Buddhist principles. She thrives on learning, imparting knowledge to others, and observing students evolve into independent thinkers and problem solvers—particularly neurodiverse students.
Kris Ian Leverton (Kru Kris)
Primary Vice Principal (Curriculum)
Kru Kris hails from Oxford, United Kingdom, and has been engaged in teaching for over fifteen years. His teaching journey has taken him across the UK, Thailand, and Singapore, where he has assumed roles such as Key Stage Leader, Head of Department, and Instructional Coach. He holds an MSc in Education for Sustainability, a PGCE in Primary Education, and a BA (Hons) in International Relations.
Passionate about education for sustainability and devoted to fostering a profound connection between students and nature, Kru Kris found his calling in promoting values-based education at Panyaden. His dedication to linking students with the natural world led him to take on the role of Vice Principal for Curriculum at the school. He eagerly anticipates contributing to an already remarkable learning program.
Kru Kris is accompanied by his wife and two children.
Dr. Nanthawan Watthanawara (Kru Dear)
Primary Thai Language Coordinator
Kru Dear holds certification in Teaching Thai for foreigners and has earned her Ph.D. in Multicultural Education from Chiang Mai University. Prior to joining the Panyaden team, she taught at an international school for two years and served as a lecturer in the German department at Payap University for eight years. Additionally, she held a lecturing position at the Faculty of Education, Chiang Mai University, for five years. Over the past decade, she has worked closely with our multicultural education philosophy. She believes that each student’s differences are strengths, which create a classroom that values respect, creativity, and thinking critically. In her free time, she enjoys cooking, reading, spending time in nature, laughing with friends and family, travelling, and eating delicious food!
Phatcharaphorn Kwanthong (Kru Pond)
Buddhist Education Coordinator
Kru Pond brings over twenty years of teaching experience to both Thailand and international settings, encompassing kindergarten, primary, vocational education, and university levels. She holds both Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees from Chiang Mai University. Kru Pond firmly believes in nurturing the social and emotional development of children to cultivate their self-confidence, self-discipline, and their ability to care for themselves, others, and the environment. She has discovered that Buddhist Education aligns harmoniously with her personal interests in baking and painting, offering pathways to experience inner peace and relish in life.
Christine Vithayathil (Kru Christine )
Secondary School Vice Principal and Secondary Student Support Coordinator
Kru Christine originally comes from a small and beautiful village in the Austrian Alps. She holds teaching qualifications from Austria as well as the UK. In addition, she has a Master’s Degree in English Literature and various certificates in English language teaching. Kru Christine also holds a Certificate of International School Leadership from the Principal’s Training Centre. She is also an IB DP Examiner for English B. After several years of teaching in Austria and the UK, she ventured into the world of teaching in international schools. As an English language learner, Kru Christine feels very passionately about advocating for multilingual learners.
She has shared this passion with students, parents and staff at international schools in India, Japan, China, and the Philippines. She is excited to start her fifth year at Panyaden International School.
At Panyaden, Kru Christine serves as the Secondary School Vice Principal and the Student Support Coordinator. She also teaches IBDP English B and supports students' academic English language development throughout Secondary School.
Outside of school, she keeps herself busy by reading books about education. She enjoys spending time in the kitchen baking bread, sweet treats and making jams. She also enjoys knitting and drinking cups of tea in her rocking chair. Most of all, she loves spending time with her family: her husband Daiju, their daughter Nina (Year 7) and their two cats Rollo and Dusty.
Paul Sebastian (Kru Paul)
High School and IBDP Coordinator
Kru Paul was born and raised in Saskatchewan, Canada. He has a BA in Economics (University of Regina, Saskatchewan), an MA in Curriculum; Int’l Teaching (Michigan State, USA), and a certificate in International School Leadership from the Principal’s Training Centre. He started his career in private business development and international trade with the Canadian government before beginning his teaching career at AISB (Hungary) in 1994. He has taught IBDP and IBMYP (Economics, ToK, Individuals & Societies, and various electives) and, for the past 17 years, has also been a principal and head of school.
He met his wife Ildiko in Hungary, and they have since lived and worked in eight countries around the world. Kru Paul loves to explore philosophy and cultures of any variety, play any sport, and discover great foods of the world with Ildiko.
Robert MacConnon (Kru Robert)
Middle School Coordinator
Kru Robert has been teaching Science (specialising in Chemistry) for the past 19 years. He studied Environmental Chemistry and Science education at the University of Melbourne and has taught science in countries including Singapore, Vietnam, the United Kingdom, Oman and Australia. Kru Robert has a young and energetic family. His interests include running, music, environmentalism and being outdoors.
Owen Haywood (Kru Owen)
Service Learning Coordinator
Kru Owen hails from Durham, England. He has a BSc in Mathematics from Leeds University and a Master’s in Education for Sustainability from London South Bank University. After gaining his university degree, he started teaching EAL in South Korea for one year, then travelled around Asia with his twin brother for a year. He settled in Bangkok for two years, teaching Mathematics, then went to Laos to build and set up a restaurant in Vang Vieng, where he stayed for five years. Keen to get back into the world of education, he moved back to England to gain his teaching certificate.
Since then, he has taught in Myanmar, China, Qatar and Cambodia and now at Panyaden International School. He enjoys learning languages and speaks some Thai and Laos. His hobbies include running marathons, cycling, swimming, yoga, sports, and gardening. He relishes learning about all things sustainable. He is married to Alexandra (Alex), has two young children called Isla and Isabella and is in his element when hiking in nature with his family. This year he will facilitate Year 7 Mathematics, Service Learning in Middle School, as well as Pre-CAS and CAS in High School. Also, he is thrilled to be an educator at Panyaden as the Service Learning Coordinator to help make Panyaden a beacon for service learning in Thailand and the rest of the world.
Bongkot Theppiman (Kru Ying)
Secondary Thai Language Coordinator
Kru Ying is from Kamphaeng Phet, where she describes the province as in the middle between Bangkok and Chiang Mai or next to Sukhothai. Since she graduated from Chiang Mai University, she has taught Thai language and culture at international schools in Chiang Mai for over 13 years. She has been at Panyaden since 2013 and continues to learn and grow in this warm and loving community. Kru Ying is passionate about teaching and believes that education should focus on teaching students a sense of responsibility towards themselves, their community and the environment.
Denison Lane (Kru Denny)
Buddhist Education Coordinator
Kru Denny is originally from Sonoma, California, where he taught high school English Language and Literature. He received his Bachelor’s Degree in English Literature and a teaching degree from Sonoma State University, where he focused on literacy for English learners. This is Kru Denny’s seventh year teaching at Panyaden. Kru Denny values the Buddhist approach to teaching and learning – the development of not only intellectual faculties but also emotional intelligence and ethical values.
He recognizes that nurturing students' inner qualities, such as empathy, kindness, and self-awareness, is just as important as imparting academic knowledge.Outside of school, Kru Denny enjoys going on adventures far and near with friends and family. His hobbies include reading, watching t.v. and movies, hiking, เรียนภาษาไทย (learning Thai), watching San Francisco Giants baseball, and playing in a rock band with his middle-aged friends.
Panee Assawaprapa (Kru Peach)
Admissions & Parent Relations Manager
Kru Peach joined Panyaden in 2017 after over 10 years working in the marketing, customer relations and admission fields for various corporations and educational institutions. She holds a Bachelor of Social Science degree from Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University (Japan) and a Master’s in Business Administration (International Programme) from Payap University. As Panyaden’s Admissions and Parent Relations Manager, Kru Peach says that her favourite part of the day is talking with families about Panyaden’s unique approach to education and helping families join our school community.
“Panyaden’s vibrant and welcoming community, its vision to create lifelong learners, and its dedication to providing a holistic education is what ensures it is successful, both academically and as the basis for a peaceful and fulfilling way of life.”