Still Want To Raise Your Children In Thailand ?

[JimmyTheMook]

I can't be the only parent having 2nd thoughts about this.

The airport fiasco was an eye opener and the current asinine activity is a slap in the face.

Is this really a good place to be trying to raise kids ?

[Boo]

I cant say that I think it will have any impact on the children directly but I think it is a good reminder to all parents to make sure your children have all their passports & paperwork for your home countries sorted out in case of having to get out of the country at short notice.

[PeaceBlondie]

Thais have no chance to leave; they must raise their children here.

I can almost envision raising luk-krung kids here....no, I cannot. Thai culture and the Thai family system is overwhelming.

Parents, teach your children. Children, teach your parents.

[singa-traz]

I can't be the only parent having 2nd thoughts about this.

The airport fiasco was an eye opener and the current asinine activity is a slap in the face.

Is this really a good place to be trying to raise kids ?

Yep, I thought about it ... a second ... then realize that I come from a country where demonstration is a national pastime.

And your kids will just do fine, don't worry.

[dave_boo]

Until she's old enough to get in a real school....

But than again our house is in Nakhon Sawan and the closest all that strife comes is when the sister in law comes up to visit from Samut Prakarn--she's a bit delighted that she's going to have an assumed extended Son Kran holiday; I just hope she doesn't expect a spot of money to help her out (I'm cheap charley number one!).

[Nibor1945]

My children are Thai, this is where the majority of their family are. Thailand is undergoing growing pains which in time will pass, for all its faults it's still their country! We live out in the country where sanity still prevails to a large extent, and "Blue" would be the colour of choice with the Royal crest on of course! For the foreseeable future, this country holds more promise than my own westernized country with its Nanny state Mentality and failing economy. If I lived in Bangkok then perhaps I would think differently, having said that I will still "hedge my bets" by obtaining UK passports for my children, and Pray we do not have cause to use them.

Nibor.

[getgoin]

I can't be the only parent having 2nd thoughts about this.

The airport fiasco was an eye opener and the current asinine activity is a slap in the face.

Is this really a good place to be trying to raise kids ?

Thailand is a third world country in its style of politics, a Banana Republic, where little or no respect is given to the voice of the people over the voice of the military and the rich. As the country is evolving and the middle class is growing their brand of politics is likely to catch up to countries like Italy and France where a change of government on a yearly or in some cases monthly basis is seen as part of the system.

Raising kids here is a different issue.

Is it safe? A lot safer than the US.

Are kids better off here? I have 4 kids and I can say that they are better people because of living here.

Are they getting a better education? Yes.

These are the questions you should be asking.

[nanyang]

Are kids better off here? I have 4 kids and I can say that they are better people because of living here.

As a father of two daughters I can agree with that

Are they getting a better education? Yes.

Unless they're in a good international school I don't agree with that.

There is no depth to the Thai curriculum, which is 'imposed' in some way or another, upon most of the 'private' set ups in Thailand.

At Mattayaom level an education, relevant to the modern world, is non existent.

I am also concerned about the standard of English where pronunciation and vocabulary levels suffer as there is no reinforcement of the language.

Consequently, I shall be taking mine back to the west in order that they receive an education which will allow them to be able to be academically equipped for the future.

[lifeincnx]

Born and raised in Los Angeles, I found the current situation here in Bangkok mild by comparison to LA's rapidly declining landscape. Unless you have the money for private schools and top neighborhoods where I come from there is a good chance your kids could be shot by a drive-by gang banger. It's all relative, but from my rose colored glasses the view appears better here in Thailand for most children rasied by watchful parents.

[dave_boo]

I can't be the only parent having 2nd thoughts about this.

The airport fiasco was an eye opener and the current asinine activity is a slap in the face.

Is this really a good place to be trying to raise kids ?

Thailand is a third world country in its style of politics, a Banana Republic, where little or no respect is given to the voice of the people over the voice of the military and the rich. As the country is evolving and the middle class is growing their brand of politics is likely to catch up to countries like Italy and France where a change of government on a yearly or in some cases monthly basis is seen as part of the system.

Raising kids here is a different issue.

Is it safe? A lot safer than the US.

Every year, per the Washington Post, 12 200 children are killed in the US (they also state that 9,2M children-which means that over 3% of the TOTAL population-goes to the ER for unintentional injury; I think that should actually state that there are 9,2M visits by children of that age which is not the same as 9,2M children visiting-furthermore they're playing loose with the numbers; over 56% of the deaths were by 'children' in an age group that represents 26% of their sample and most would consider teens/adults; those 15-19).

According to UNICEF, Thailand (which has a population that's 22% as big as the US) has more than 6 000 childhood deaths each year. And they define childhood as 1-17! Basically, your childern are as at least twice as likely to die in Thailand as the US.

Are kids better off here? I have 4 kids and I can say that they are better people because of living here.

Better off here (which part of LOS) versus there (where in the world?). I'm assuming you're talking about the US since that's what was mentioned in your last post. Where did you live in the States? Detroit? LA? If you're currently living in the sticks in LOS, of course you'd think that it was a better place.

But consider me. I grew up in a rural area with convienent access to major cities, art, culture, etc. Would my daughter be better off in a situation like that or in a bad part of BKK?

Are they getting a better education? Yes.

Wow, just wow. You must come from a rough area if you think that Thailand's educational system (which has pumped out Mr. I'm Ready to Crap My Pants Everytime I'm On TV Gaithner) is better than the West's.

These are the questions you should be asking.

[soihok]

Are kids better off here? I have 4 kids and I can say that they are better people because of living here.

As a father of two daughters I can agree with that

Are they getting a better education? Yes.

Unless they're in a good international school I don't agree with that.

There is no depth to the Thai curriculum, which is 'imposed' in some way or another, upon most of the 'private' set ups in Thailand.

At Mattayaom level an education, relevant to the modern world, is non existent.

I am also concerned about the standard of English where pronunciation and vocabulary levels suffer as there is no reinforcement of the language.

Consequently, I shall be taking mine back to the west in order that they receive an education which will allow them to be able to be academically equipped for the future.

[think_too_mut]

A crash course in quoting is in order.

Hard to tell who is talking, who is replying, who is talking again.

[GuestHouse]

I don't think the airport fiasco or the recent troubles are the real issue - Rather a whole set of twisted social values and the lack of freedom to openly discuss the single most pressing issue that Thailand inevitably faces in the not too distant future.

[patklang]

The only problem i can see in Thailand for expats and their kids is censorship.WHEN this happens fully the country could be classed as a dictator state.It already is happening more and more on this forum.just hope Thailand does not become a nanny state,and we can still have a bar called,

SAVE THE GOLLY BAR

TIT

[getgoin]

Are kids better off here? I have 4 kids and I can say that they are better people because of living here.

As a father of two daughters I can agree with that

Are they getting a better education? Yes.

Unless they're in a good international school I don't agree with that.

There is no depth to the Thai curriculum, which is 'imposed' in some way or another, upon most of the 'private' set ups in Thailand.

At Mattayaom level an education, relevant to the modern world, is non existent.

I am also concerned about the standard of English where pronunciation and vocabulary levels suffer as there is no reinforcement of the language.

Consequently, I shall be taking mine back to the west in order that they receive an education which will allow them to be able to be academically equipped for the future.

If you can not afford an international school then I would agree. One of the problems associated with education in Thailand is that you get what you pay for and for some, lower costing and thus a lower academic standing Thai school might be the only option.

I can also say that the foreign and Thai teachers at international schools and the foreign teachers at Thai schools are of a better quality in Thailand.

This is all generally speaking.

And to dave_boo, your kids are more likely to die here. I know mine are a lot safer. And I would not be living in a bad part of Bangkok and if you are then by all means move.

Art and culture? There is a lot of art and culture here. What is lacking in the international schools is athletics.

I was worried about school for my kids so I moved back to the states. I saw first hand the uncaring clique ridden drug and gang infested public school system with its lack of passion for education where teachers and administrators wanted to just get the kids through and get home.

My oldest son graduated from high school last year and 3/4 of the students in his grade graduated with honors and some advanced placement credit for college. There were Thais, Germans, French, English, Japanese, Americans, Chinese and other nationalities in his class and they all got along great.

Although my son might have a little harder time assimilating back to western society, I'm sure he will be a better man becase of his education here.

[dave_boo]

If you can not afford an international school then I would agree. One of the problems associated with education in Thailand is that you get what you pay for and for some, lower costing and thus a lower academic standing Thai school might be the only option.

Do you truly get what you pay for? Does the cost of these international schools compare to what taxes are taken out to pay for the public schools in the West (who are offering at least as good of education as the best international schools in LOS--hence why they're called international schools due to the fact that they match the requirements in the first world countries)?

I can also say that the foreign and Thai teachers at international schools and the foreign teachers at Thai schools are of a better quality in Thailand.

This is all generally speaking.

And to dave_boo, your kids are more likely to die here. I know mine are a lot safer. And I would not be living in a bad part of Bangkok and if you are then by all means move.

How are your children safer? Do they live in a bubble that exempts them from general dangers? Are they riding around in an armoured truck? Are you within walking distance of a major street or throughfare? And for what it's worth, I live up in Nakhon Sawan where the worst thing that happens is people taking the occasional skin off on a motorcycle accident or in the unfortunate case last year of a drunk guy going night fishing, passing out and getting eaten by a crocodile...

Art and culture? There is a lot of art and culture here. What is lacking in the international schools is athletics.

What art and culture? For a city the size of Bangkok, there's a conspicous lack of museums, theatres, etc. There's more density in Nueve Leon, Mexico than than in Bangkok. And I'm not just talking about local arts and culture but international. Thailand doesn't even have an equivalent of PBS to educate their population (and I know there is a Thai version but it's nowhere near the quality of what even the most mind dead programme on PBS shows).

I was worried about school for my kids so I moved back to the states. I saw first hand the uncaring clique ridden drug and gang infested public school system with its lack of passion for education where teachers and administrators wanted to just get the kids through and get home.

Wow, sounds just like a school up here in Nakhon Sawan Province-and this is a town that doesn't even have a traffic light! A school that the wife and I yanked her brother out of to attend a Wat ran school in the capital so that he wasn't pressured into joing those gangs or taking yaa-baa. Once again, it sounds like you were from a rough area in the States, or rather took your children to a rough area and than try and extrapolate that to include all of the education in the States. Unfortunately my experience a short 11 years ago disagrees with that.

My oldest son graduated from high school last year and 3/4 of the students in his grade graduated with honors and some advanced placement credit for college. There were Thais, Germans, French, English, Japanese, Americans, Chinese and other nationalities in his class and they all got along great.

We can't go on back and forth listing single exceptions to prove our points so I'll stop.

Although my son might have a little harder time assimilating back to western society, I'm sure he will be a better man becase of his education here.

I on the other hand think that your son will be a good man because he has a father so invested in making sure that he turns out ok rather than the education that he received in Thailand.

[torrenova]

I don't think the airport fiasco or the recent troubles are the real issue - Rather a whole set of twisted social values and the lack of freedom to openly discuss the single most pressing issue that Thailand inevitably faces in the not too distant future.

Could not agree more. Sticking their heads in the sand will not make anything go away.

[momosan]

First some history: I'm half Thai, was born and raised here until I was 8 at which point my family and I moved to Australia where we stayed full time with visits back to Thailand now and again. Right now I've been back full time going into my 5th year and turning 28 this year with my daughter going into her first birthday next month.

My life as a whole being spent in this way has been an absolute blessing in a way that is very hard to describe. It's given me such a wonderful insight into two very different worlds and allows me to fit into both with no difficulty whatsoever. It's given me a very rounded perspective of all things (even the small green squiggly smooshy things that go 'poot'). This is what I want for my daughter. So, we'll all pack up and head back to Oz once she's absorbed most of what can be taken in here. Both countries have such wonderful, wonderful things to offer so I say why not take all that you can get? I'm still pretty young so for me it's still kinda easy and we still have many options.

[nanyang]

First some history: I'm half Thai, was born and raised here until I was 8 at which point my family and I moved to Australia where we stayed full time with visits back to Thailand now and again. Right now I've been back full time going into my 5th year and turning 28 this year with my daughter going into her first birthday next month.

My life as a whole being spent in this way has been an absolute blessing in a way that is very hard to describe. It's given me such a wonderful insight into two very different worlds and allows me to fit into both with no difficulty whatsoever. It's given me a very rounded perspective of all things (even the small green squiggly smooshy things that go 'poot'). This is what I want for my daughter. So, we'll all pack up and head back to Oz once she's absorbed most of what can be taken in here. Both countries have such wonderful, wonderful things to offer so I say why not take all that you can get? I'm still pretty young so for me it's still kinda easy and we still have many options.

Very well put 'young' man.

I assume that you have the four language skills in Thai and English.

[oldsparrow]

There are some points:

1. Raising the kid IN Thailand or raising the kid to BE Thai.

2. Average lifestyle of all kids in Thailand or USA or EU has very little effect to YOUR kid.

However, if you want to RELY on the state I think USA, Western EU or Singapore can be more desirable..

[Richb2004v2]

I have two week old twins. I plan on returning to the UK at the latest by the time they are 4 years old. I can not see anything but disadvantages to bringing them up in Thailand. It seems ridiculous to be lucky enough to be from a developed country but to opt to bring up your children as third world citizens in a third world country. For all the faults and deterioration going on in western coutrys they have a very long way to fall before they are level with Thailand.

[Livinginexile]

Are kids better off here? I have 4 kids and I can say that they are better people because of living here.

As a father of two daughters I can agree with that

Are they getting a better education? Yes.

Unless they're in a good international school I don't agree with that.

There is no depth to the Thai curriculum, which is 'imposed' in some way or another, upon most of the 'private' set ups in Thailand.

At Mattayaom level an education, relevant to the modern world, is non existent.

I am also concerned about the standard of English where pronunciation and vocabulary levels suffer as there is no reinforcement of the language.

Consequently, I shall be taking mine back to the west in order that they receive an education which will allow them to be able to be academically equipped for the future.

Yes that is the problem.

I love my son too much to allow him to go through the Thai education system.

What about university? absolutely no way, I want to give my son the best that I can.

I think a lot of men will forgo their childrens educational welfare in favour of their own Thailand obsessions.

[SMEEERE]

I have two week old twins. I plan on returning to the UK at the latest by the time they are 4 years old. I can not see anything but disadvantages to bringing them up in Thailand. It seems ridiculous to be lucky enough to be from a developed country but to opt to bring up your children as third world citizens in a third world country. For all the faults and deterioration going on in western coutrys they have a very long way to fall before they are level with Thailand.

I agree entirely,, for me i had it in my head that my daughter would grow up a better person as a thai, after being here for 3 years solid i have totally reversed my thoughts and we too are making tracks,it was very selfish of me to return to thailand as my wife was happy in the uk, so was i, i just didnt realise it,. .

[Chanok]

I have first hand experience with the Thai educational system, as I was an 'English instructor' for 3 years.

Only reason Thai schools employ foreign teachers, are to show the paying parents of the student, that their school is

giving them an excellent education.

However just about anyone, including non native speakers with some fair English skills, can be employed as teachers.

The point is that this scheme is about the best there is in the Thai educational system today.

To put it strait: utterly worthless educational 'system'...

I'll take my daughter back to Europe when she's old enough to begin her education.

[kurnell]

Lots of good arguments here from both sides. Momosan probably has hit the nail on the head and I will probably do something similar with my 2 kids when the time is right. Aussie is only a few hours away.

[garro]

I have a two year old and work in an English programme. I look at some of the older students and ask myself if I want my son turning out like them and the answer is a definite yes. I look at some other students and think, no way. I brought my family recently on a two month holiday back to Ireland (I have no problems with my home county; never have) and while we had a great time, I am happy to continue raising my kid in Thailand.

[jumnien]

When I drop my boy off for school here in Thailand and pick him up I just think of how bad the schools were in California when I was a kid. There probably are schools that exude the love, laughter and general pleasantness of his Thai school back home, but I've never seen them. I'm very happy with the total education he is receiving.

[Briggsy]

1. Healthcare.

2. Child mortality rate.

3. Education (costs and quality).

4. Opportunities to fulfil potential.

For me the choice would be obvious (if I had kids).

[jumnien]

1. Healthcare.

2. Child mortality rate.

3. Education (costs and quality).

4. Opportunities to fulfil potential.

For me the choice would be obvious (if I had kids).

Agree 100%, Thailand wins out on all accounts. That said, if I was raising a little critter to make a lot of money to support me in my old age I'd probably farm him off to an international school in America or the UK.

[Livinginexile]

1. Healthcare.

2. Child mortality rate.

3. Education (costs and quality).

4. Opportunities to fulfil potential.

For me the choice would be obvious (if I had kids).

Agree 100%, Thailand wins out on all accounts. That said, if I was raising a little critter to make a lot of money to support me in my old age I'd probably farm him off to an international school in America or the UK.

i think he was NOT implying Thailand

Number 2 sort of spells it out, unless you come from a country with a higher child mortality rate.