The team leaders and management at Panyaden are passionate people who strive for academic excellence across all aspects of the school programme.
Achieving academic excellence and a healthy attitude to life for all of our students is of paramount importance to the founders of Panyaden International School. The dedication our leaders demonstrate to upholding the school’s vision and mission is outstanding and provides a strong foundation for all teachers and staff to build upon. Each year, we read over 250 teacher applications before carefully selecting candidates for any new teaching positions. All new teachers receive 2 weeks of rigorous training and benefit from an additional 50 hours of ongoing professional development support throughout each school year.
We require that all our teachers hold suitable qualifications and be experienced educators. Most of all, our teachers must be ready to be suitable role models to our students. We know that we ultimately teach through modelling and expect all teachers to fully embrace the values of the school and develop personal attributes in line with the school’s 12 Wise Habits. You will find our talented teachers under each year level, within our Academic Programme.
Pran Indhapan (Kru Nuchie)
School Director and Manager (Acting as Head of School)
Kru Nuchie has been actively involved from the very beginning when Panyaden was being initiated in 2010. For almost a decade, she has been our inspiration and the motivational force behind Panyaden’s growth. She has always wanted to build the kind of academic environment where every family aspires to be: a sprawling, biodiverse campus that creates endless experiential learning opportunities, a committed faculty, highly engaged students, thriving athletic and extra-curricular programmes, and a strong and supportive community of parents and friends.
Since inception, she has been able to take the school towards its vision. She holds a Master of Education Management and Master of Arts in International Relations from the University of New South Wales, Australia.
Daiju Vithayathil (Kru Daiju)
Secondary School Principal
Kru Daiju has been involved in education for over 18 years. He holds Bachelor and Master’s Degree in Business Administration. Kru Daiju has taught Social Studies, Business and Management, Economics and Theory of Knowledge. In the last eighteen years, he has been fortunate enough to have worked at some of the leading schools in China, India, Japan and the Philippines. He is also a member of the IB Educator Network as a workshop leader and examiner for Business and Management and Extended Essays.
He has been involved with and chaired a number of committees throughout his career. He has served in various coordinator roles, including IB Coordination, technology initiatives, school improvement programs, and has played a critical role in many aspects of educational professional development.
“I believe that all children can learn but each learns in a different way and at different rates; with hard work and perseverance we can touch each child in a special way. Keeping the atmosphere positive is the key to success, as well as keeping the lines of communication open among staff, students, and parents. Teamwork is the ultimate way a school can be successful in reaching the goal of helping a child attain his or her full potential.”
Michel Thibeault (Kru Michel)
Primary School Principal
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 joined Panayden as Head Teacher in March 2011, before the official opening of the school and became the Primary School Principal in December 2018.
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 Thai curriculum, the Buddhist approach and the green components of the school.
“Part of an educator’s role is to create an environment where students want to learn what they have to learn. I believe that the best way to develop high academic skills that will lead to a fulfilling life is to build them on a strong foundation of emotional intelligence. We cannot over emphasise the importance for teachers to know themselves and to model using social-emotional learning to enhance academic learning.”
Valaya Dipongam (Kru Tumm)
Administration Director
Valaya has more than 10 years of professional experience as a Business Development and Legal Consultant. She holds a Bachelor Degree in Law from Thammasat University and also a Master’s degree in Law in Corporate Law from the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, New York.
She initially joined Panyaden in 2013 during a brief break from her career as a Legal Consultant in New York, but this year she decided to come back to Panyaden as Administration Director after having successfully established a stable business base for her family.
“I am impressed with the Panyaden philosophy as working here made me a better person from the inside. What we are trying to achieve at Panyaden is not only about improving our students’ futures but also about supporting the development of every employee and parent at school.”
As an Administration Director, she will lead and oversee all daily support operations of the school. This includes purchasing, maintenance, IT, catering, housekeeping and Human Resource departments, all vital operations to the school.