A Thai-language page covers the same service for Thailand. Lessons are taught in English, not Thai.
No time difference: Chiang Mai and Hanoi are both UTC+7
There is none. The IANA time zone database lists one zone for Thailand, Asia/Bangkok (zone table), and its zone1970 file lists Asia/Bangkok for both Thailand and north Vietnam, and Hanoi is in northern Vietnam. The zone rules give a fixed offset of UTC+7 and no daylight saving, so 19:00 in Hanoi is 19:00 in Chiang Mai all year.
The calendar on the booking page shows each slot in your own time. Mike's calendar decides which slots are open and no particular hours are promised, so if you can study only at fixed times, check it first.
How online lessons with Mike work from Chiang Mai
Mike is a Cambridge CELTA-certified teacher based in Hanoi. He teaches every session himself, one-to-one, live on Google Meet and in English; there is no centre or classroom in Chiang Mai. His own IELTS result is 7.5 overall and 8.5 in Speaking (about Mike).
A 60-minute session can cover Listening, Reading, Writing (Task 1 and Task 2, marked against the public band descriptors) or Speaking (Parts 1, 2 and 3 in the real test format), with feedback during the session. A lesson is practice, not an IELTS test, and Mike is a teacher, not an examiner. See Speaking coaching and Writing feedback (any price there is Vietnam's). No band is promised, and progress depends on your starting point and the work you do between sessions.
Pricing and booking steps are the same across Thailand, so the online IELTS tutor page for Thailand explains them once. The booking page normally shows your own regional price in your own currency before you pay and offers a paid 30-minute trial once, on a first booking.
An online tutor or a class in Chiang Mai?
Band Booster IELTS runs no classes in Chiang Mai or anywhere else, and this page lists no in-person classes or schools. A class may suit you if you want a fixed timetable, classmates or explanations in Thai; one-to-one lessons may suit you if you want each session built around your own answers and can book from open slots. See private tutor versus group course (written for Vietnam) and how to choose an online IELTS tutor.
IELTS test centres in Chiang Mai: what IDP and the British Council list
Band Booster IELTS is not the exam board. It does not register students or set exam fees or dates, and is not affiliated with IDP, the British Council or Cambridge. Mike's CELTA is a teaching qualification.
You book the test with IDP or the British Council. What follows was read on their Thailand pages and on ielts.org in October 2026; lists and formats change, so confirm each point with the provider. The two providers list different venues, so open both: IDP's Chiang Mai page and the British Council's test locations page. This page names no venues, fees, dates or session frequency.
| Question | IDP Thailand | British Council Thailand |
|---|---|---|
| Venues in Chiang Mai | Three centres listed (the page also shows one in Chiang Rai, a different city) | Two venues listed; Chiang Mai is marked "New" |
| Computer delivery | Announced: all tests on computer from 22 March 2026; computer at all three centres, but the page also mentions paper | Announced: all tests on computer from 22 March 2026; Chiang Mai named among its computer centres |
| Speaking | Face to face or by video call, depending on the centre; one Chiang Mai centre listed as face to face, two as video call | Face to face with a trained examiner on its computer page; its Academic page says some Thailand centres use video call, no city named |
| One Skill Retake | All three Chiang Mai centres are tagged as supporting it | Offered in Thailand; no city is named, so ask about Chiang Mai |
| IELTS for UKVI | Available at selected Chiang Mai centres, says its Chiang Mai page | Listed for Chiang Mai, Bangkok, Khon Kaen and Phuket |
Sources: IDP's test dates and Speaking format pages, and the British Council's pages on IELTS on computer, IELTS Academic, One Skill Retake and UK visas.
Is IELTS Speaking in Chiang Mai face to face or by video call?
ielts.org's Speaking page describes Speaking as a recorded, face-to-face interview with an examiner, in three parts and 11 to 14 minutes, but its Guide for Test Takers says you take Speaking face-to-face or via video call. IDP Thailand's Speaking format page says the format, face to face or a video call from a private room at the centre, is generally set by the test centre, lists one of the three Chiang Mai centres as face to face and two as video call, and recommends confirming the format with IDP before you book. The British Council's Academic page says some of its Thailand centres deliver Speaking by video call, and names no city.
Check how and when your Speaking test is delivered when you book, and rely on your confirmation. A Speaking lesson with Mike is practice, not a test, and cannot tell you which format your centre uses; see IELTS Speaking tutor for Thailand.
Computer delivery, Writing on Paper and IELTS Online
IDP and the British Council both announced on their Thailand sites that from 22 March 2026 all IELTS tests are delivered on computer, and ielts.org says exact timelines vary by market. IDP's own Chiang Mai page still mentions IELTS on Paper alongside its computer sessions, so the pages conflict: confirm the exact format of the session you book.
IDP's Writing on Paper page says that option is available in Thailand from October 2026 at one Bangkok centre only, and not for IELTS for UKVI, so IDP does not list it for Chiang Mai; its Chiang Mai sessions are tagged "Writing on computer". ielts.org says IELTS Online is offered in some countries, for Academic only, and that receiving organisations decide whether to accept it. The British Council's Thailand which-test page says you can take IELTS Academic remotely with IELTS Online in Thailand. Ask the provider whether it is bookable for you. More: computer-delivered IELTS in Thailand.
One Skill Retake in Chiang Mai
IDP's Thailand test dates page tags each of its three Chiang Mai centres "One Skill Retake available". The British Council says it offers One Skill Retake in Thailand but names no city, so ask whether your Chiang Mai venue does. ielts.org says you need a full IELTS on computer test at a centre that offers it, and the retake no later than 60 days after that test. It advises checking your centre before booking the full test, and checking that the organisation receiving your result accepts it. See also One Skill Retake or a full retake.
IELTS for UKVI in Chiang Mai
IDP's Chiang Mai page says IELTS for UKVI is available at selected IDP centres in Chiang Mai. The British Council's UK visas page for Thailand lists it for Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Khon Kaen and Phuket, and says UK Visas and Immigration accepts only tests taken in person at an official IELTS for UKVI test centre. This page gives no visa advice. IDP says organisations set their own score requirements and advises confirming the score you need directly with your chosen organisation. See also Academic versus General Training.
What to practise, and how to use ielts.org's materials
This is general study advice, not guidance from IDP, the British Council or ielts.org, and promises no band.
- Writing: practise both tasks in one 60-minute sitting, typing as well as handwriting, since the Chiang Mai sessions IDP lists are tagged "Writing on computer".
- Speaking: practise aloud with another person, in order: Part 1, Part 2 with one minute to prepare, then Part 3. The Speaking Part 2 timer helps with a long turn.
- Listening and Reading: practise at full length, on a screen.
ielts.org's preparation resources page lists official sample tests with questions and answers, videos on how Writing is scored, and apps, webinars, courses and books; its sample test questions page describes practice papers for Academic, General Training and IELTS for UKVI Life Skills as available at no charge. A simple routine: work through sample questions alone and to time, have a timed answer marked in a Writing session, use Speaking sessions for live practice, and redo what went wrong between lessons. The band score calculator shows how four skill scores average into an overall band.