way2muchcoffee

It seems to me that in a marriage everything is shared. Fifty percent of my earnings belong to my wife. This is the law is it not? I manage the money, mostly through the use of various accounts. She pays the bills through a joint account. We each have savings accounts. All pin numbers are known to both of us. Money decisions are shared.

IF you want them to attend school in the west they need an international school. If your looking a a good University in Bangkok then a Bi-lingaul school will be fine as they will be sufficient in English and Thai.

Not necessarily. A few Thai students graduating from the EP I work for go on to Universities in the West every year. Our graduating classes consist of only about 30 students each year, so when 2 or 3 go abroad for university it amounts to 10% of the class. Another 10% go on to proper Thai programs in Thai universities, while 80% go to International Programs in Thai universities.

Thai schools and ur a expat... your doing an injustice to your child.

Not a well-informed comment. At the school I work for, the upper secondary class sizes for academic subjects like science, math, and English are between 8 and 20 students. Western textbooks are used exclusively, and are selected to parallel an education in the West while meeting the advanced standards of the Thai curriculum. A well-chosen bilingual program will rival most international schools in all subjects except English.

My daughter is 14 and I just sent her back to attend high School in the states. She is doing fine and had attended BIS in Phuket. If she had been at the bi-lingial school she would be lost

The school system in the US is all over the board in terms of quality. The UK system is much better. Unless I could get my child into a strong district in the US I wouldn't even consider the option. If I were a UK citizen it would be a more difficult choice. On the other hand, I would strongly recommend a year abroad for socialization purposes.

If she had been at the bi-lingial school she would be lost

Perhaps the bilingual schools in your area, Phuket, are not good. Actually, we have had a couple of teachers come to our school who previously worked in Phuket. Their comments about their experiences in the bilingual schools there are decidedly unfavorable.

International Schools

If the school offers the IB Program it is almost certainly sound.

If the school does not offer IB, but is linked to a 'mother' school in the UK, offers IGCSE followed by proper A-Levels, then it very likely is a good choice.

If the school offers proper AP courses (US system), it is probably sound.

If the school offers none of the above, then it is likely not much better than bilingual schools, only the cost will be three to four times as high. The quality of international schools varies considerably. Check for accreditation, and by whom. Check the science facilities. Check out the recreational facilities. Check about teacher qualifications, textbooks, the mix of ethnicities amongst the students, etc.

Bilingual Schools or English Programs

The variation in quality amongst these schools is enormous. Some are quite good with proper curriculum, but most are not. Some have high quality teachers, others do not. Some will prepare a child well for international education, others do not.

An Example: The EP I work for now took 1st and 2nd place in a mathematics competition against the very best Bangkok international schools in the two age groups we fielded teams for. Ten schools fielded teams and we were the only EP in the competition. We also took 1st place in an all-EP competition in the subjects of English/Social Studies/Math/Science in which 18 very reputable BKK schools fielded teams. At this school we use only Western textbooks, have a detailed curriculum, dedicated teachers, excellent facilities, good management, and it is a decent place to work. Over the years I have privately tutored students from every top international school in Bangkok and I would put the best of our students in a competition any day against the best of theirs. I would definitely consider sending my own child here.

Another Example: The last EP I worked for had very low standards, a nonsense curriculum, a terrible administration team, and under no circumstances would I consider sending my child there.

Bangkok Christian College

St. Joseph Convent (Silom)

Thanks for the clarification. Texas has some particularly interesting alternative certification routes. It does require relocation, which rules it out for me, but I have investigated many alternative certification routes in the US, and Texas has some of the simplest.

It is a serious question. I believe there are some consumer protection laws in place. Getting those laws enforced would be another story, however. I honestly don't know, but am curious to hear from those who do.

What is stellar? Why? Why not? How does location of birth determine the quality of an individual?

ive assimilated into thai culture. believe me it was tough!

i saw my house ont he uk documentary!

no offense but thai s get offended if you ask them if they from issarn and they are not

That was precisely my point.

his assumption is that most end up with less than stellar type country type babes.

Abhor - your statement itself is loaded with assumptions.

What is stellar? Why? Why not? How does location of birth determine the quality of an individual?

It sounds as though you've become a victim from living here too long. You apparently have taken on the same abhorrent racist and classist beliefs found in large segments of society here.

I'm trying to decipher what your post means PB.

I'm considering life insurance on myself, with the wife as the beneficiary obviously. I would not have married her if I didnt' trust her implicitly. Having said that, there's no reason to tell her about the policy. Just leave it in the hands of my brother for safekeeping.

For EP enrollment looks like an entrance/placement exam is required. If a student has had the usual thai government school preparation in English what would be her chances in obtaining the necessary result for admission? In other words is there a required English language proficiency level for EP enrollment?

That will vary. If a school is over-enrolled then they will adhere to strict entrance exam results, particularly in English. If the school has available seats then this could be waived. Be aware though, your step-daughter is already entering M3. this poses two difficulties.

1) Most of the academic content in English Programs is taught in English. At her age it will be difficult to understand the teacher if her English skills, particularly listening skills, are low. The content at that level is fairly advanced and she is likely to have problems. Having said this, there are usually many students in any EP that have low English abilities and they somehow get by, usually through the help of their classmates.

2) Changing schools is frowned upon in Thailand. It may nearly impossible to switch schools after M2 and before M3. Most often schools will accept students staring in P1, P4, M1, and M4. I'm not sure the logic behind this, but that's how it usually works. Of course school administrators ofte make exceptions when appropriate inducements are offered.

- any special requirements (entrance/aptitude exams, etc.) that need to be completed at prathom prior to mayathom enrollment?

No, but many schools (the better ones) do have entrance exams. At some schools low grades in Prathom and low entrance exam scores will be ignored if the parent provides a 'donation' to the school.

- do teaching staff at mayathom presume that students are there to prepare for university matriculation? If not, what other benefits can completion of mayathom provide with regard to further education, employment, etc.

I agree with the posters above, more or less. In English Programs the presumption is that students will attend university. At many private schools the same is true. Government schools will vary greatly on this point.

I also agree that an M6 diploma would be the minimum acceptable education level for today. I would definitely target higher than that though.

- is there any formal counseling for university preparation provided at mayathom? If not is there an informal mentoring arrangement between teachers and students?

Again this will vary from school to school. If the school works under the assumption that most students will go on to university, then yes, they will usually provide both mentoring and counseling. Having said this, not all schools do this well, but some do.

- are university bound students given any special preparation for entrance examinations? Is there one standard university entrance examination for all candidates or different exams according to the intended course of study?

There is a nationwide entrance exam that is taken at the end of M6 (year 12) for admission to government universities. Private universities have their own admission procedures and they will vary with the quality of the institution.

Another question...my oldest niece quit school before finishing prathom and is now 18 y.o., intelligent and exhibits potential (good reading and writing skills). If she wanted to continue formal education what options does she have?

There are adult education courses available, both through the government and privately, that will provide an M6 diploma. They can be completed in a variety of ways: weekend classes, passing knowledge tests, classes held in the week. These programs vary greatly in quality and the time it takes to get the certificate.

now I'm a bit confused...if it takes 6 years to complete matayom 1-6 then students won't start at university until reaching 21 y.o. (they finish prathom at 15)? Or are the 6 levels of matayom usually completed in less time?

Prathom means primary school, i.e. grades 1 through 6. Mathayom, or secondary, means grades 7-12.

On another note, one poster above indicated that English Programs stop at M3. While some may do that, most offer classes up through M6, at least in BKK.

I would suggest that the people who support the Democrats are much less likely to sell their vote for a bottle or two of white whiskey.

The night market at Saphan Put also has them.

Go to Suda restaurant near Asok intersection any evening. The fake monks will come around asking for money.

I've not had this extortion experience- I do notice that usually only drivers on motorcycles get pulled over while passing various roadblocks, ( a way to discriminate against the poor? )

I have a US license and an International translation that's good for motorcycles AND a Thai license so I"m pretty set.

How does this work though. How does the cop extort ? What if you've done nothing wrong and all your paper work is in order, and you just refuse to hand over any money?

Actually you're bang on. They flag you down. Smile. Lie to your face, saying you did something or other. Whether you did it or not, trying to argue the point is useless. If you are lucky, the cop might not speak English, or be new and intimidated by the white face and will let you pass on. If you are unlucky the cop will ask for anywhere from 200 to 1000 bt. You have the right to refuse to pay the street cop. He will then take your license to the nearest police station. You will go to the station, unescorted, wait around for a while, then have a chance to plead your case to the officer on duty. That officer will make the final decision whether to assess any fine. The fine could be more than the original amount, or it could be nothing at all. It really depends on the officer at the desk. Once you've sorted the situation with the desk officer your license will be returned to you. Most people prefer to avoid the hassle of all this and find it more convenient to hand over the cash to the street cop and be on their merry way.

Fair points a2396.

I'm from the Seattle area originally. People in those parts are generally polite to a fault. Probably this extends to driving behaviors. And yep, I live in BKK. Driving is madness here, until you work out the common practices of drivers. After that it isn't so bad, but it does require an extremely heightened attention to the road and everything and everyone nearby. It's a pleasure driving in rural Thailand, even the provincial city capitols. I've found the behavior of police with regards to the traffic stops and extortion will vary from region to region. The worst areas are the roads from BKK to Hua Hin and from BKK to Pattaya. Must always pay close attention to speeds on those roads. Generally I've found that the police are the least likely to extort in the NE and Northern regions. BKK isn't so bad, but only because there are so many cars on the road. The chances of getting snared are statistically low, even though they are often out in force. And I definitely agree that big cities tend to be cesspools the world around. Big cities always have problems with drugs, crime, violence, pollution, and aggression.

Agreed. The OP is way off base.

I disagree.

Pollution is worldwide, depending on where you go.

There are very few places in the US as polluted as BKK. Trash is everywhere here, and throughout the rural areas as well. Much less so in the US.

USA drivers are way more agressive & dangerous than Thailand.

You are way off base on this. About half of US drivers practice defensive driving, the other half practice offensive driving. In Thailand only about 2% of the drivers drive defensively.

USA healthcare unaffordable for many & the waits long for certain types of care. Many places understaffed & also refusing to take Medicare the gov't healthcare for seniors.

Fair points. Agreed.

Arrogant dick-head nit-picking police with time to bust lap dancers & massage parlors, ambush motorists going 5 mph over the speed limit, etc, etc.

Again I must disagree. The police here are far more nitpicking. Heck, Thai police will even make you pay for doing nothing at all. Whenever I drive to Pattaya/Jomtien there is a very good chance of having to pay 500 bt for the privilege of driving on the road. Once I was hit for 1000 over 2 days for doing absolutely nothing wrong. It would never happen in the US. As far as lap dancers and massage parlors in the US, I wouldn't know.

Try muggings, car jackings, armed home invasions, street drug dealing, in most USA getto neighborhoods. I'll take Thailand any day.

I've been mugged here and hacked up with a machete here in Thailand. Never happened back home. Street drug dealing happens in every low-income neighborhood here. Home invasions are very common here. I haven't heard much about car-jackings, perhaps it hasn't caught on yet in Thailand. Car and motorcycle theft is extremely common in Thailand, sometimes by police gangs.

I'll take Thailand any day.

Me too! Lived here for 7 years and don't intend to leave. Just have to take the good with the bad.

It's my understanding you won't get any exemptions for travel, housing, or medical insurance. You can get exemptions for certain types of life insurance and retirement plans.

That's okay. I'm on holiday anyway. PM me and I'll get back to you. LOL

What are your products?

You might have to go to the main branch of the bank. I did this in BKK at Bangkok Bank a few years back, but I had to go to their Silom head office. The fee was high, 500 bt sounds about right, but the check was large. It took about 4 weeks as I recall.

1) Give them a legal share in the company ownership

2) Pay them triple the going rate

Either would likely increase the loyalty. Neither is really desirable for you as the owner, but there it is. Basically a Thai can get a low-paying job anywhere at any time. There is no real incentive to stay in one place so they tend to bounce around.

I shower once or twice a day. It depends on my activity. I always shower in the morning. I shower in the evening if I've been out and about in the sun. If I spend all day in the air conditioned computer room, tv room, or office then there is no need for the evening shower. When the need arises I'll shower 3 times a day. I've also been know to not shower at all on the occasionally saturday or sunday when I spent all day in the house. It all depends. I shower when I need it.

They have excellent customer service in Thailand. Hire a Thai to run your errands, do your shopping, cook your meals, clean your house, mow your lawn, water your plants, take care of your kids, drive them to school, drive you to work, sort your internet, wait in line at the bank. They'll do everything. Perfect customer service I say.