Ashmanator

My daughter is in the Private Thai education system that teaches the Thai curriculum in 70% English ad 30% Thai. The term is coming to an end and I have just received the Invoice for the Thai Term April to September. The school have billed 100% as normal. Rough calculations would indicate that there was probably around 25% less teaching/ learning  time during lockdowns etc. So, each child has only received 75% of "normal" education. It seems strange that there are no concessions for the reduced "service" . Having spoke to several other parents, they seem to feel that they shouldn't be paying full fees, but are not prepared to challenge the fact that they are going to. Naturally the school would have had lower operational costs, utilities, admin/ operational staff etc etc. So it seems strange to me that the schools costs were probably lower, but they charge full fees making there bottom line healthier? From the parents perspective, simply paying the same amount for 25% less education seems unethical....

Thoughts? I am meeting with the school next week to discuss, so would be interesting to other peoples thoughts.

I have recently been through the same dilemma. My daughter is now 19 months old. I wanted to introduce her to a pre-school class to start her getting used to other environments (other than our routine), used to socializing with other children and getting the benefits that a good structured pre-school class can bring. Also to give mum a bit of time off.

We live near heroines, so was really looking at north Phuket only. I found that none of the schools accepted children below 2-2.5 years old. The only schools that did were PIA and BIS. We visited both and decided that BIS seemed more established, had better systems in place and just felt more like a school. PIA was also good, but just felt like it was more of a Sports Academy with a school on the side. I am sure that in time this will change.

We opted for BIS which was surprisingly affordable (at this age - I believe the fees jump quite considerably at a certain age) for 2-3 mornings a week. Our daughter loves it. An english teacher, 2-3 thai assistants, she gets to experience so many playing/ development experiences that we just are not set up at home for. So far I am really pleased with the decision.

The only problem is the mrs dealing with the separation!!!!!!!

Theres an interesting small island 5 minutes off East Coast of Phuket called Coconut Island (Koh maphroah) . It has a new resort which has everything for the family. The island has no noise, cars, disturbances etc, but only short trip back to phuket for night life. If you google it you will find the name of the resort, there is only one.

Hi Greg, Thanks for your very useful reply.

My baby girl weighs 7.5 kg at the moment.

You are quite right in all you say. I was just thinking though, how does one know if the neck muscles are strong enough? Not really easy to measure. She fully supports her head and is now sitting looking around in all directions without any "wobbly" moments at all.

I guess the answer is to keep rear facing as long as possible, but like you say, she enjoys looking around at her surroundings all the time. She may get frustrated in time if she is restricted.

I am tempted to follow your suggestion and persevere with the infant seat as long as possible, then opt for the forward facing.

Next job is to filter through the 1,000's options for the seats themselves.

Thanks

There is more to your question than just age. How is the baby developmentally? How much does he/she weigh?

The primary reason for rear facing vs. forward facing is neck strength and head control. I was always taught to leave them rear facing until 1 year old when you can be sure their neck muscles are strong enough to support their head in a crash. This is probably the more important factor in my opinion than whether their legs are slightly too long for the seat. Of course, if they are really just way too big for the seat then I might reconsider this. At some point that does become a serious problem.

Each child can be different and you need to make your decision about when they are ready to graduate to forward facing based on all available evidence. If in doubt, leave them rear facing until you are certain it is safe to give them a forward facing seat.

Certainly the children like the forward facing seats much better when they start to become more aware of their surroundings, so you also need to consider what they want as long as it isn't dangerous for them.

I have a 7 month old baby. I am in the process of upgrading her car seat as she has just about out grown her infant seat. Looking on the internet, it seems that there are two trains of thought.

1) From the age of 9 months, it is safe for a baby to sit forward facing in the car.

2) It is safer to continue with your baby sitting in a rear facing position as long as possible, as it is so much safer.

So... should one buy a rear facing seat, forward facing seat........ or a convertable seat that apparently does both???

I have to say whilst on the subject, the choice in europe and US is just incredible, not easy choosing one from a distance. I note that Thailand has a very limited selection, of which all are twice as expensive than US and Europe.

Any views?

I recently acquired a passport for my English/ Thai daughter. Details are here. I presume it is the same for 100% English. Can't help with the postal application process, but I can say that the embassy returned the passport to us in Phuket by DHL.

http://www.thaivisa....st-passport-uk/

Central department store on the 4th floor. There is a large baby section, has a few models to choose from. Expensive, but they are expensive everywhere in Thailand.

I have just been through this process so can tell you exactly what is required.

My daughters passport arrived 3 days ago.

You will need your childs birth certificate, your wifes Id card and your marriage certificate. Take them to a licensed translator and get them translated into English.

You will also need your original (british) birth certificate.

2 photos of your baby.

Complete the application form and take to the british embassy in Bangkok.

Pay the fee, submit the documents, then your done.

I was in and out in 30 minutes. Passport arrived approx. 4 weeks later.

I did not go near a ministry of foreign affairs.

Easy

I feel this is exactly what im getting from the notes. Do you think the translation company went to the ministry of foreign affairs?

My opinion is that they didnt.

I know that they didn't as I waited while it was translated.

Thank you so much!

Im off up there next tuesday.

Did you also get a Thai passport?

Yes, I actually got the Thai passport first. I was dreading it, but actually it turned out to be a pleasant experience.

I applied in Phuket which has a reasonably new office for this purpose.

I used the same documents as above, but obviously not translated.

Arrived at the office, the receptionist picked up my baby immediately, gave her a big cuddle, then proceeded to measure her height. That done, the process had started. 10 minutes later called to sit down with the clerk. The clerk completed the application form with my wife. They took a photo with a digital camera attached to her computer, so no need to take pictures. That was funny as I had to hold her up, with a towel behind her to hide me and my hands holding her. Easier said than done and caused amusement for the whole office. Then the best bit, she had to sign her application form with her BIG TOE PRINT!! All done, took maybe 45 minutes. Passport arrived 2 weeks later. As I say a pleasant surprise.

I have just been through this process so can tell you exactly what is required.

My daughters passport arrived 3 days ago.

You will need your childs birth certificate, your wifes Id card and your marriage certificate. Take them to a licensed translator and get them translated into English.

You will also need your original (british) birth certificate.

2 photos of your baby.

Complete the application form and take to the british embassy in Bangkok.

Pay the fee, submit the documents, then your done.

I was in and out in 30 minutes. Passport arrived approx. 4 weeks later.

I did not go near a ministry of foreign affairs.

Easy

I feel this is exactly what im getting from the notes. Do you think the translation company went to the ministry of foreign affairs?

My opinion is that they didnt.

I know that they didn't as I waited while it was translated.

I have just been through this process so can tell you exactly what is required.

My daughters passport arrived 3 days ago.

You will need your childs birth certificate, your wifes Id card and your marriage certificate. Take them to a licensed translator and get them translated into English.

You will also need your original (british) birth certificate.

2 photos of your baby.

Complete the application form and take to the british embassy in Bangkok.

Pay the fee, submit the documents, then your done.

I was in and out in 30 minutes. Passport arrived approx. 4 weeks later.

I did not go near a ministry of foreign affairs.

Easy

The is a very well stocked old style hardware shop in sapam. It is called "Sapam Hardware" opposite sapam temple, Koh Kaew

I recently flew to Bangkok on Thai Airways with my wife and 4 month baby. First flight for the baby, so was intrigued as to how it would be.

Fortunately she enjoyed it and didn't fuss at all.

However, when boarding the plane, I was told that we could not take the baby car seat/ carrier onto the plane. I was previously lead to believe that was the best way. SO, no big deal, followed instructions.

When it came to seating arrangements, the flight attendant told me that they did not have safety belts for babies. I was so surprised that I just let it go. But halfway through the flight, thought it very strange. I'm sure I have seen babies get special harnesses that attach to the adult seat belt.

Any experiences anyone?

We did get a baby life jacket, but no instructions how to use it.

Air Asia on the return allowed the car/ safety seat.

I have just completed the same task. The advice below is spot on. Follow those guidelines and you should be fine. I took several photos, each with a duplicate, just in case they refused one, I had another option. They did refuse one as the computer scanner could not detect the ears well enough!!!! The second version worked well.

When I took my baby for her thai passport, they took the picture in the office. They used a towel between myself and the baby to hide me and my hands. It was quite effective.

Good luck.

Typically you hold the infant in front of you, above you and to the right (or left).

Some guidelines I found...

If you're traveling abroad with your infant, you'll need to apply for a child passport before you go. So, you'll need to get acceptable passport photos. Many parents soon discover that getting a passport photo of a baby is more challenging than it sounds. Here are the US Passport office's requirements for infant passport photos:

The photos must be 2 inches by 2 inches.

The photos must have been taken within the past 6 months.

Baby must be facing forward, looking at the camera and set against a white or off-white background.

The size of the head in the picture must be between 1 inch and 1 3/8 inches.

No hats, headgear or cute little baby bonnets, please.

The baby should have a "natural" expression-i.e. mouth closed, not laughing, screaming or crying.

The photo itself must be good quality, clear and in-focus.

The baby must be the only thing in the picture-nothing used to support the baby can appear in the picture's frame. That includes you, your hands, your arm or your baby's car seat.

Pacifier's are a no-no.

They have them in stock at the apple shop, main level big C.

Have a look at The Village Coconut Island. Check the website out and PM me for more details.

We had our first daughter 4 months ago at The Phuket International hospital. My wife is Thai, I am English. The whole process from start to finish was great. We first visited Phuket bangkok hospital, but my wife did not feel comfortable with the doctor. So we ended up at the International hospital. The doctor was great, at each scan, he explained everything in Thai and perfect English. We were keen to have a natural birth, the doctor would not commit to either until that last moment. Yep, the day came, I witnessed the whole thing, I was almost forced to attend. Natural it was ( I have to laugh with Senia, two nurses were also almost sitting on my wife to help the baby out), popped out relatively easy ( for me at least haha), no complications. 3 nights in hospital that were good for coming down from the emotional high of birth and exhaustion for my wife. We also used that time to learn from the nurses, some of the basics. They did have pre and post natal classes, but they were rubbish, we learnt more from the actual nurses in those 3 days. Final cost was 30,000 baht, no extras. I have since paid extra 7,000 for a full program of shots. My experience could not have been better. I was lucky and did not have any complications, but I can only assume if there had been, they would have been managed as well as the standard procedure. I would fully recommend having a baby in Thailand. I have many friends that have had equally good experiences, it's not all bad!!!!!!! Each to their own though. Good Luck

Hi Chris,

When the baby is born, the hospital normally register the birth of your child and will provide you with the Thai birth certificate. This is normally part of the hospital birth package.

You will then need to register the baby to get a thai ID card. Done in a day.

Then apply for thai passport at one of the regional offices. Very simple process and take a week or so.

To get the british passport you will need to get your birth certificate translated officially, take that with your passport, your babies birth certificate to the british embassy. Actually I believe that they use an agency to process the the paperwork now. Then apparently in no more than 2 weeks, you should have your british passport for your baby.

The thai id card and passport are not critical, but as people have suggested before may as well have all angles covered, as well as them being entitled to it and having them may help in some circumstances.

I don't think that you will get a british birth registration, as your child was not born there.

Army question is a good one. Maybe the fact that you can claim the child has british citizenship, they are are not legible... but that is just a guess.

Good luck

Hi there,

Do you need evidence of termination of a previous marriage also? Seems to be a bit of a pain if that's a case. Would need to ask the ex to send them from Spain. Is it a requirement?

Thank You.

As far as I am aware, you do not need any marraige or divorce certificate. I have been told that all one needs is a translated birth certificate, proving that the british partner is in fact the father/mother, plus passport. I will be trying in 2 weeks, so i'll let you know for sure.

When you go for a Thai passport remember to take the baby as well as documents. My Thai wife insisted that it was not necessary as it was not listed on the Thai website. She was pretty embarrassed and I was pretty annoyed when we made an abortive 170 klick round trip to Ubon!

No need to fill in any applications for the Thai passport, the officials do all that for you and they take the baby's picture. A very convenient process compared to the British approach.

Yes, I took my daughter yesterday to apply for her Thai passport. It was the best governmental service I have experienced here in Phuket/ Thailand. Walked in the door, greeted by a smile and helpful receptionist. Office is air conditioned, civilised queue. Only waited 10 minutes then sat down with the lady, she completed the forms, took the photo, I paid 1,000 baht..... All done. I walked out in shock!!! Well Done Phuket passport office.

These are obviously words of experience and knowledge. I know everyone is helping out each other here, but I had to have a little chuckle at the constant use of the word cement.

In order to further your learning and knowledge in the DIY field, you need to understand and use the correct basic terminology, otherwise it could get very confusing. Please see below, in particular the red.

bbradsby obviously has a lot of experience looking at his regular posts, he's the man to ask.

FYI

Cement

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia For other uses, see Cement (disambiguation).

Lafarge cement plant in Contes, (France).

In the most general sense of the word, a cement is a binder, a substance that sets and hardens independently, and can bind other materials together. The word "cement" traces to the Romans, who used the term opus caementicium to describe masonry resembling modern concrete that was made from crushed rock with burnt lime as binder. The volcanic ash and pulverized brick additives that were added to the burnt lime to obtain a hydraulic binder were later referred to as cementum, cimentum, cäment and cement.

Cement used in construction is characterized as hydraulic or non-hydraulic. Hydraulic cements (e.g., Portland cement) harden because of hydration, chemical reactions that occur independently of the mixture's water content; they can harden even underwater or when constantly exposed to wet weather. The chemical reaction that results when the anhydrous cement powder is mixed with water produces hydrates that are not water-soluble. Non-hydraulic cements (e.g., lime and gypsum plaster) must be kept dry in order to retain their strength.

The most important use of cement is the production of mortar and concrete—the bonding of natural or artificial aggregates to form a strong building material that is durable in the face of normal environmental effects.

Concrete should not be confused with cement, because the term cement refers to the material used to bind the aggregate materials of concrete. Concrete is a combination of a cement and aggregate.

I can suggest a company based in Bangkok called Civil Maters International.

Contact is call Matt Harrison, Tel 0818 666148

Has completed a lot of work for my project, fully reliable.

Hi Chris,

When the baby is born, the hospital normally register the birth of your child and will provide you with the Thai birth certificate. This is normally part of the hospital birth package.

You will then need to register the baby to get a thai ID card. Done in a day.

Then apply for thai passport at one of the regional offices. Very simple process and take a week or so.

To get the british passport you will need to get your birth certificate translated officially, take that with your passport, your babies birth certificate to the british embassy. Actually I believe that they use an agency to process the the paperwork now. Then apparently in no more than 2 weeks, you should have your british passport for your baby.

The thai id card and passport are not critical, but as people have suggested before may as well have all angles covered, as well as them being entitled to it and having them may help in some circumstances.

I don't think that you will get a british birth registration, as your child was not born there.

Army question is a good one. Maybe the fact that you can claim the child has british citizenship, they are are not legible... but that is just a guess.

Good luck

I have used this website for several purchases. I found them to be cheaper than the department stores but still maintaining quality and variety including many of the worldwide brands.

I could fully recommend them:

http://www.danababy.com/

Hi Senia,

Sounds like we all go through the same experience!

Advice is something that we too were inundated with, it does get quite annoying after a while and I soon learnt how to say thank you and move on quickly. I find the internet great to get a a good mix of views, then apply what you feel right for your baby and your circumstances.

an example... I was reading that a baby should not be given any water until 6 months, certainly not before 3 months. My baby has been on water since one month!! she drinks it happily between breast feeding and the odd formula. Does general advice have relevance in such hot temperatures? She soon tells me if she doesn't like something !!

Our daughter was 3.01 kg at birth, exactly 4 kg at 1 month, 4.9kg at 2 months and now 5.7 at 3 months and a week. I think they all do their own thing for the first year!!!!

Babysitters are difficult to find. We used some friends for the first few times, they were happy to do it, but not too often!! We have since found a girl that works at a local nursery during the day, so happy to come and do a few hours for some extra cash.

Happy Days.....

I am doing the same myself. Basically need your birth certificate, your child's birth certificate, get them translated officially. Need photos of your child. Need to download the form from the british embassy website Take yourself and your child to British embassy or their agent (they have an agency that handles all paperwork now), with all paperwork and correct forms. Then apparently it gets sent to hong kong and should be back within 2 months. Sounds easy... I'll let you know.

I have bought golf buggies for my resort from a company called East Furniture.

They are in Phuket, Hua Hin, Chang MAi.

Owner is called James Firth : 0819 707910

He gets them from China, exactly same quality as western brands, much less expensive than Thailands normal prices. We bought a 14 and 8 seater, but he can get all sizes.