Relocating To Thailand

[GuestHouse]

Or maybe just parents making sure that their children get the exam results they need to get into a university back home.

Unless you are suggesting that Thai universities are as good as those in the west.

Not belief that most professional expats want to gamble their children's futures on.

Professional expat being someone who has moved to Thailand on an assignment with their overseas employers (Generally with the benefits of educational fees at international schools being part of their assignment conditions)

[Mango-Guy]

I'm not suggesting that all Thai universities are as good as those in the West, but I imagine that some, maybe many, are. Perhaps not as good as Oxbridge/Ivy League, but they must compare with average Western universities. Many Thai students enrol in Western masters programs, and this would indicate that Western uinviersities value Thai undergraduate degrees.

I accept that there may be cultural reasons to place Western kids in Western schools and universities, but I still haven't heard any evidence that there is a problem in the Thai system. My suspicion is that it is simple a case of Western arrogance and perceived superiorty.

[sbk]

This girl is a 13 year old Australian, are you really suggesting that she would do as well with an education in Thailand (not intl school and then after reading about Dulwich's problems that doesn't look so attractive either) as she would with one from home? I don't think so.

[GuestHouse]

Having studied at a Thai University and supervised research projects for Students studying for their masters in a Thai university, I can only say that from what I have seen Thai universities do not make the grade.

Plagiarism is rife, attitudes to learning are very largely "I am in university and I expect to pass my studies"

I have seen work refused by tutors being resubmitted to heads of departments for marking 'over the tutor's head'. I know one expatriate lecturer who left his Thai university because of the exact case where he had refused to mark work that was a carbon copy of work submitted by other students - the culprit simply went over his head to get the mark. The university I am referring to is regarded as the premier engineering school in Thailand.

As for Thailand’s top schools: A couple of years back 2002 from memory, a researcher at a Bangkok University produced a study of drug use in Bangkok’s top ten schools. She catalogued widespread drug use by pupils of the school, and a host of problems associated with the drug use.

She based her report on the results of research from nine schools, keeping the tenth school research data sealed and making the statement in her summary that “Analysis of her research showed that only one of the nine schools could not be identified as having a drug problem among its students”.

The reason for the statement being that she could, if challenged under libel law, claim the accusation is not specific.

What happened next is every single one of the schools issued statements that their school was the one school without a drug problem.

This does not of course indicate drugs are not a problem outside of Thai schools – it does indicate drugs are a problem in Thailand’s top schools but more so it indicates the response of schools to the problem – Hide the Problem and Deny the Problem.

And in the event that anyone names the names – prosecute the news bringer.

[threekids]

Why are "International Schools not what they claim to be" after age 13, do they revert to Thai education?  Are there any facts here or just expat prejudices?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

This is an unbais statement but I am very surprised at the negative feedback in relation to the International Schools in Thailand. Surely a large portion of the vast sums of school fees being paid to these schools is put back into the education of their students. If not, is it the same in other International Schools in Asia?

[GuestHouse]

It's not simply a matter of funding, there are other factors to consider - culture is important, as is the transience of pupils and staff.

Professional expats assigned overseas will normally be on a fixed term assignment, usually two years, seldom more than four years. This leads to there being a high turn-over of pupils in international schools.

Our children seem to have attended an almost never ending string of leaving parties - this can and does become a problem were children are unable to establish friendships.

I think another issue is the teachers: Teaching has surely got to be the most competative work in Thailand - Under normal circumstances that should produce higher standards, but I doubt this is the case in Thailand's international schools.

Back home a teacher can shop around for jobs, in Thailand a well paid teaching job is something to hold on to. - This might produce teachers who 'fit in' but I doubt very much that it produces teachers who's primary concern is the education of their students.

As I overheared in a discussion between teaching staff from one of Chonburi's international schools 'Why did teacher Mr A lose his job? I thought he was a first rate teacher' to which the reply came ' There's more to keeping a job than being good at it'.

Check out the class sizes for each age group, there is a marked decline in expatriate pupils in the classes of 13 years and older.

It's not expatriate prejudice, it's simply not taking risks with a child's education.

[dragonmasterzip]

I think it is a very "selfish" move to relocate your daughter all the way to Phuket.  I am sorry but I just think it is. What is the reason for moving to Phuket now?  For a Thai woman? Work?  If it is, get your company to pay for her schooling!!!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I absolutely agree with JoJo.

I can conceive of no sensible reason why a caring Parent would uproot their child and try to integrate her into such a difficult environment - particularly at such a sensitive age.

And ignore "New Age" nonsense such as "there are alot of positive aspects of Asian culture when you compare it to our self centred one".

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Living your life for your kids only is absurd. I uprooted my daughters from Japan where they were born and brought them to America, this shortly after their mother died.

They are A students, have friends and would love to leave America now.

We have discussed a number of different countries, we had planned to move to Thailand Phuket in fact.

There is a Catholic School over on the land side of the island a bit south of the "international school".

I would NEVER send my kid to an international school anywhere in the world. They are generally filled with the most pretentious brats. The catholic school seemed very nice, no pushing religion, teach in English and Thai.

I think taking your kids out of one culture and letting them see another culture is a great idea. My daughters have been al over the world and make friends easily now because of this.

I think it is total BS to worry about kids or think because she is 14 she needs to be pampered. Folks life in general sucks because you DECIDE it sucks, not that it actually does.

I vote for the move

[sbk]

Do you realize that almost all schools outside of the intl school system teach in Thai? Someone told me that the Catholic school in Samui does, so presumably does the one in Phuket.

[Here Today]

I think taking your kids out of one culture and letting them see another culture is a great idea. My daughters have been al over the world and make friends easily now because of this.

I think it is total BS to worry about kids or think because she is 14 she needs to be pampered. Folks life in general sucks because you DECIDE it sucks, not that it actually does.

I vote for the move

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yes me too. My daughter is back in school here in Canada and on the honour roll again but I don't like the things the kids learn about our culture here. The most important thing seems to be what kind of clothes you wear. I didn't want to come back here but ran out of money. Right now I am paying into my pension for the 14 months I was off work and planning on taking early retirement.

[gisele]

"I would NEVER send my kid to an international school anywhere in the world. They are generally filled with the most pretentious brats. The catholic school seemed very nice, no pushing religion, teach in English and Thai."

I taught 5 years in an International school and I can say that the kids there were normal kids, not pretentious brats. They were mostly ambitious and almost all went to the best universities in the world upon graduation. I was proud to have my students accepted at places like Stanford and Harvard.

The schools that produce pretentious brats are often the schools that shelter the kids from the outside world like some schools in the Middle East for example. Exclusive schools can breed pretentiousness. There are many example of those schools in the US, Europe and Canada and they are not international schools.

Don't rule out international schools as a blanket statement, it's a question of making a judicious choice.