Should We Live In Thailand

[Blackandwhite]

I hope you don't mind my post here but as I always listen to my Mum and what she thinks I thought it might be good to see what other ladies think I will be brief but would appreciate your thoughts on this

My wife is Thai we have been married 9 years,

Me I am 36

My wife 30

Our lovely little girl Iysha is 7 years

We live a very good life here and I earn very good money, we have a lovely house in the country, we do what we want in life without being wasteful.

We visit Thailand as often as possible and ever since the first time I visited Thailand I have been deeply in love with two things, my wife and where she comes from.

I do ask myself even though our life here would be classed as very lucky or even more, I do really think we are making a big mistake by remaining in the Uk and not allowing my daughter to grow up in Thailand and go to school there, I fully understand that things are very different in Thailand, but the standards of living here are good in some ways but in so many ways not so good, like the wonderful ways the Thais are and their general attitude to life.

I am unfortunately blinded by Thailand and the people, I love everything about Thailand and everything about it. I do see the bad but I have learnt most of the bad things are in every country.

I am in a total confused state about what is best for us all, I am not happy here with all I have and I understand the risks with uping sticks and leaving the Uk but there is something telling me I should just do it.

I could raise enough money to buy a house and have a fair income from property and business here to pay for schools and living costs, I do not like to drink in expensive bars or spend all my time chasing after girls half my age, I love my wife and daughter and that is all that matters to me.

Do we stay here not fulfilling my dream and remaining discontent with where we live or should we perhaps just do it and bit the bullet.

Thoughts please ladies

I dream of

My lovely daughter growing up in a country that is still allowed to respect the god they believe in, a country that deeply loves and respects children and older people, a country that does not put kids in nursery and elders in nursing homes, a country that where ever you go you are normally spoken to in a polite and gentle manor, to sit on a nice warm beach at weekend, where there is only one season and that is always warm, I love the saying the Thai's say, no problem, dont think to much, we can do that tomorrow, it okay don't worry about that it might not happen, up to you and many more.

What do we do please just give your thoughts if you have time I will be happy to hear the thoughts of all you ladies out there.

Thank you so much if you have time to reply or let me know of other that have done similar to what I am thinking of doing

[RubbaJohnny]

A very sensitive letter

Well if you can afford it why not

Married youll only need show 3 months deposit of 400k in aThai Bankfor a visa or 40k pcm income into a SOLO bank account

If you can generate enough to not work here or be dependent on it enjoy

UK is a rat race dominated by things of course living hree is different to hols but you know this

You may wish to consider bi-lingual school giving offspring chance of Higher education in Anglophone world

Only you can take the plunge be sure your famiiy is happy with the idea why not have a prolonged trial say a year and see how it goes prob not bes time to realize real estste so rent and think

Perhaps take pro advise on pension health and insurance

Good luck whatever you choose Siam will still be here and remind your friends only bad news gets in Uk press the riots sleaze and Tsunamis have no bearing on rural life where I reside

Tho world price of commodities exchange rates and climate change are international

Edited September 17, 2009 by RubbaJohnny

[Blackandwhite]

Thank you, all other thoughts would be good please

[sbk]

The school system in Thailand is generally quite poor and if you want your child to have choices, real choices, then staying in school in the UK will allow your child to make that choice herself. Moving back to Thailand could (note I say could not will) handicap her chances for the future and keep her tied only to Thailand.

You have romanticised a country and a culture that you clearly do not know alot about. There are many flaws in Thailand, of which, frankly you seem woefully unaware. Sure, its got its strong points too, but if you are thinking about the future of your child then you do her a grave disservice thinking that she will somehow be better off with a Thai education.

[Boo]

SBK has it bang on. My husband (Thai) & I always agreed that if we had any daughters we wouldn't live in Thailand full time & would at the very least make sure senior school education onwards would be in UK & not Thailand due to the inherent attitudes that young girls & women are subjected to in Thailand. This is just a personal opinion but one my Thai born & raised husband agreed with.

That said, a few years in Thailand would probably be good for her to connect to her thai roots as well as giving you a chance to experience the real Thailand & all the problems it has & you WILL come against. So if you an afford to move over for a few years without losing your UK assets then go for it. If anything it will give you a more honest view of the country & people.

[WhiteShrek]

I liked your post and feel it's very important to ask such questions as a parent. We probably have the reverse issue already living here in Thailand, and wonder should we move back to farangland for the sake of the kids.

First impressions on your post though, were that it was a case of "the grass is greener" combined with "rose tinted spectacles" you wear to look at Thailand, plus that very British trait of measuring and dare I say complaining about what you don't have and what the Ozzies would describe as "whingeing poms" - though I disagree with the Ozzies as being too strong on that I see where they are coming from. One thing Thailand could teach you is to appreciate more what you have by a combination of Buddhist values and simply seeing people with less or situations.

I think if you a few years actually living in Thailand your perspectives would shift, which is perhaps no bad thing, but I'd wager Thailand wouldn't be the dream you see it as now.

Edited September 18, 2009 by WhiteShrek

[lioness]

You will make your own decision no matter what anyone has to say here.

Does your 7 year old daughter speak Thai, maybe you don't want to change schools and have her struggling to understand what's going on. then again if you are going to make the move maybe sooner rather than in her early teens say.

There are some very good private schools in Thailand and many students go on to uni etc from both private and government schools. You would quite possibly get your child into a more caring environment in Thailand and end up with a more well adjusted child.

A great many kids I have seen around the UK are just rude little brats, I've actually heard girls discussing they intend to get pregnant just so they don't have to find a job, It seems kids can speak any way they like to their parents and get away with it. If this is what the schools ( and parents )are turning out over there I wouldn't want my child in that environment. This lack of respect is one of the reasons I have chosen to educate my daughter here rather than Australia, and kids in Australia are angels compared to the UK.

[Boo]

I live in Uk currently & have neice at school age & don't see any of those things from her or her peers lioness. Maybe it is a particalur type of poeple you are exposed to but please dont' tar all with the same brush.

[CrossBones]

Stay in the UK.

Better for your daughter to be educated in the UK and be western. More equality for women in the UK. There are more benefits to having a western eduction than a Thai.

You can make more money and have a better life in the UK. Its better for your family.

Thailand eats away at you after a while, its not so much fun when you are not on holiday. If you stay in Thailand too long it changes you for the worse. Many people like you fall in love with Thailand come here with good intentions and then things start to really annoy you, you become bitter.

[WhiteShrek]

In terms of education, the one advantage of being in Thailand is your daughter would have better Thai language skills and be bi-lingual. There'd be a risk of losing the Thai element in UK. I think generally a UK education would be better, particularly in areas such as morales and equality. Let's face it UK society is generally based on the premise everyone should be equal. Thai society is generally based on the premise everyone is not equal. I personally prefer equality and would like that for my kids.

If you think British values have changed. Thai values have too and things aint what they used to be either. I admire many of the Thai and Buddhist, values, but in reality many Thais don't live any more what they claim. Cheating, corruption, inequality are accepted or at least tolerated as being the norm in Thai society. At least in the UK there is serious pushback when they raise their face.

Interesting the post above about daughters. If I had sons I'd definitely prefer them educated in the UK, so they are not spoiled by society, becoming arrogant abusers of their "higher status" and abusing their generally above equal status. In the UK they can learn to treat people as equals. For daughters it's less clear cut. I love many of the feminine traits women have retained in Thailand, and of course as parents we can teach them to give and receive equality in the way they should.

To sum up the gender issue. In Thailand I'd teach my daughters to fight a little more for their rights and equality, but retain their femininity. In the UK I'd teach them to stop fighting the battles that their grandmothers had already one. The battles over and won, and most decent UK guys these days acknowledge equality. Chill out as a woman in the UK, and they'd attract far more nice guys as a Thai leuk-kreung with a great balance of East and West.

I guess bottom line is exposure to both cultures is useful. If I had to make a choice, and couldn't have dual exposure I'd be more comfortable bringing kids up in the UK.

BTW One thing we'd thought of is main education in UK, but perhaps summer school in Thailand for 4-5 weeks at least in early years - just for fun, and combined with holiday...

Edited September 18, 2009 by WhiteShrek

[WhiteShrek]

Oh and don't underestimate the state social and safety nets in the UK if something goes wrongs.

Not sure if applicable to you or not, but if something happened to you in UK either seriously disabled or you died, they'd still have a good chance of acheiving something in life, with or without money. Without money in Thailand there could be serious risks for your wife and children's future if you became seriously disabled or died...

Worst still if something happened to both of you!

[Blackandwhite]

This is great feedback on thoughts thank you, please keep it coming it is very interesting and it does help in my thoughts to what we should be doing

Thank you again.

I will add, an opinion of mine is also that the government in Thailand are a corrupt group of people, but if you look at the government here in Uk and the way things are done it is just about the same except it is covered up and hidden for example, police in Thailand taking bribes, it happens here very day in different ways and we also have the various stealth taxes and fines the government dream up, like a fine for parking to far away from the curb when parking on the street and a fine for overloading your litter bin that you pay tax for to have emptied.

I totally get the fact bring a girl up in the Uk as an equal is great, but as mentioned British girls in this day as they are growing up do seam to have a certain Yob culture being bred into them, there is little in the way of control from the authorities and this in itself is a little frustrating.

The constant over taxation and goal post moving everyday British people are expected to reach is getting beyond a joke, kids start school at 5 years old with hard homework that takes 7 nights a week because the schools and teachers are not capable of meeting circular targets in the hours they work these day due to the fact they are always off on courses or working job shares as they are enjoying the luxury of exuberant salaries and only need to work part time. and then you are expected to from then until the are 65 years old or more in some cases as there is not enough money in the economy for people to retire on as the government have screwed things up so badly.

Please do not see this as insulting or moaning it is just observations I make and things I think about the Uk and where we live.

Example

Yesterday int he news there was a case where two 12 year old boys sexually assulted a younger boy, is this a counrty going mad and falling apart or is it just life ???

[lioness]

I live in Uk currently & have neice at school age & don't see any of those things from her or her peers lioness. Maybe it is a particalur type of poeple you are exposed to but please dont' tar all with the same brush.

Read the post, I didn't say all. If the cap fits wear it.

[WhiteShrek]

There are some very good private schools in Thailand and many students go on to uni etc from both private and government schools.

Indeed that's true with the emphasis on "some". They are the minority though. And if you bring in the state system, the balance definitely switches back to the UK

You would quite possibly get your child into a more caring environment in Thailand and end up with a more well adjusted child.

A great many kids I have seen around the UK are just rude little brats, I've actually heard girls discussing they intend to get pregnant just so they don't have to find a job, It seems kids can speak any way they like to their parents and get away with it. If this is what the schools ( and parents )are turning out over there I wouldn't want my child in that environment. This lack of respect is one of the reasons I have chosen to educate my daughter here rather than Australia, and kids in Australia are angels compared to the UK.

I live in Uk currently & have neice at school age & don't see any of those things from her or her peers lioness. Maybe it is a particalur type of poeple you are exposed to but please dont' tar all with the same brush.

As for the second part..... possible but I'd say the probability is much more the other way.

If you want your kids "adjusted to Thailand" sure have them educated here. If you want to ensure they are properly "adjusted to the rest of the world and life outside Thailand" have them educated somewhere else.

Seriously I agree with Boo, and my experiences mirror hers. Must be something particular to Lioness' exposure. I've many family and friends involved in teaching in the UK, and I'd be absolutely delighted to find the same for free here in Thailand...

All comes back to Thailand general teaches everyone is not equal. UK teaches they should be. Who's to say which is right or wrong, but I know which I strongly prefer - perhaps due to my education (or lack of it) thow.

[Boo]

Example

Yesterday int he news there was a case where two 12 year old boys sexually assulted a younger boy, is this a counrty going mad and falling apart or is it just life ???

If you don't think this happens in Thailand then you should certainly not bring a 7 year old daughter here. The main difference in Thailand is that often child abuse is brushed under the carpet & deemed a "family matter" or just not reported.

If the cap fits wear it.

Who is wearing the cap?. Your post read like you considered this an endemic in UK but there are plenty of bratty, rude, violent & down right horrible children in thailand too. One thing my husband always mentions when we talk about where to live in the future is how better behaved UK teens seem compared to their thai conterparts & that he never hears about the kind of college wars that often occur in Bangkok. That is just his opinion. So the cap fits in thailand too

[WhiteShrek]

Example

Yesterday int he news there was a case where two 12 year old boys sexually assulted a younger boy, is this a counrty going mad and falling apart or is it just life ???

If you don't think this happens in Thailand then you should certainly not bring a 7 year old daughter here. The main difference in Thailand is that often child abuse is brushed under the carpet & deemed a "family matter" or just not reported.

If the cap fits wear it.

Who is wearing the cap?. Your post read like you considered this an endemic in UK but there are plenty of bratty, rude, violent & down right horrible children in thailand too. One thing my husband always mentions when we talk about where to live in the future is how better behaved UK teens seem compared to their thai conterparts & that he never hears about the kind of college wars that often occur in Bangkok. That is just his opinion. So the cap fits in thailand too

Pretty much spot on, for both accounts.

When Mrs Shrek looks at my brothers kids in particular and many friends kids back in farangland as well, she always remarks how well behaved they are compared to Thai kids/ teenagers.

Admittedly we don't come from a problem/ deprived area back in farangland, but then again neither do the majority of people either. Contrary to what people would have you believe, problem communities and deprived areas remain the minority in the UK.

[PeaceBlondie]

Lots of good advice here. I regretted moving my kids 90 miles.

[LivinLOS]

I live in Thailand.. And if I had kids I would look to educate them back in the west, even if it meant I had to leave.

As someone seeing Thailand through rose tinted glasses I would say let your kids finish their education and start their adult lives..

I dont know your financial position but could you spend many months per year here and maintain your UK base ??

[hansnl43]

Mostly I just read some topics, also here, but this topic is very interesting for me too and applicable.

Now I have to go with my (step)daughter, 11yo, to her swimming contest. Later today I will write here my question too. Now we live in Holland and we are thinking to live in Thailand in a few years.

[jubby]

Just realised this is in the ladies Forum, so appologies for posting.

My 3 Girls have been in Thailand 2 years now and are fluent in Thai , The English will need a bit of work but its still well above the Thai average.

I'm not convinced all Schools in the UK are better than all Thai Schools. We have a very good school here, not expensive but seems to have high standards. Homework every night, Its a long school day too but the Kids are genuinely happy here and look forward to school. I know they would be bored back in the UK. Lets face it wether Thailand or UK, your girls going to have to face a longer education and more competition for fewer Jobs.

She will still have the safety net of the UK if it all goes pear shape. No one knows what the future will bring, lots of gloom and doom or maybe challenges ahead for sure. Maybe best to live life today.

Same goes for yourself, If your not happy in the UK and I can fully understand why, Make the Move, Lifes too short .

make sure you do have the finances though because your still quite young.

Ask yourself what your going to do with your time also. Time seems to go quicker in Thailand for me, but I have suffered from the lack of Mental stimulation that I was used to back in the UK. I have an Issue with ladies at the moment, Something I never dreamed would be a problem, but something that can creep up on you here. I can't see what all the fuss is about afterall this is thailand. So be warned However strong you think you are ; The Culture can seep into you

[MarcHolt]

I am not sure if you have been following my thoughts over the past 2 years on where to live and send my daughters to school. But I finally decided to move back home to Australia and it was the best possible decision for us.

It sounds like you have a good life in the UK. My advice would be to stay there and give your daughter a good education. The Thai schools are not very good. Even though my daughter went to one of the top 5 private schools in the kingdom I wasn't impressed. Since coming home she has excelled and is one of the top students in her class. Her teachers give her glowing recommendations.

If you are thinking of giving your daughter a grounding in her Thai culture and language I would say forget it. She will get a far better education and end up a more rounded person if she stays in the UK.

I know it's easy to fall in love with Thailand and all things Thai, but at the end of the day it is a foreign culture that has very little to offer the world. If you send your daughter to school there she will end up with a lot of ideas that will not help her live in the world when she becomes an adult.

And as you are making a good living in the UK and you are reasonably happy there you would find uprooting your family to Thailand stressful and perhaps even bad for your financial stability. Believe me, the grass is not always green on the other side, no matter how you romanticize it.

Why not get the best of both worlds and continue taking your family to Thailand for visits? They will both get what you want for them, without uprooting their lives. It would be difficult for you to fit into Thai culture. You will never be Thai. But I imagine your wife has settled quite well into the UK lifestye...and your daughter is already British. Why try to change all that and upset the balance?

Since moving to Australia 9 months ago my family has settled very well into the lifestyle here. My wife has no desire to return to live in Thailand. She loves the cleanliness, the well organized culture, and the many activities we take part in here. When we lived in Bangkok we were confined to going to the airconditioned shopping centers, or one of the few parks. We had to drive miles to Pattaya to see the ocean, and it was always crowded, noisy, and dirty.

Here the beaches are clean without any bothersome vendors every 20 seconds, the sea is crystal clear, and there are plenty of other attractions to see as well. I know you don't have that in the UK, but why not take your family to some of the wonderful towns and sites of historical significance? Or take them traveling around the Continent? You are so close to so many attractions there. Whereas in Thailand you would be severely limited in the places you could visit.

I love Thailand but it doesn't compare to living in your own culture where you can make a decent living and enjoy a high standard lifestyle.

[Blackandwhite]

I am not sure if you have been following my thoughts over the past 2 years on where to live and send my daughters to school. But I finally decided to move back home to Australia and it was the best possible decision for us.

It sounds like you have a good life in the UK. My advice would be to stay there and give your daughter a good education. The Thai schools are not very good. Even though my daughter went to one of the top 5 private schools in the kingdom I wasn't impressed. Since coming home she has excelled and is one of the top students in her class. Her teachers give her glowing recommendations.

If you are thinking of giving your daughter a grounding in her Thai culture and language I would say forget it. She will get a far better education and end up a more rounded person if she stays in the UK.

I know it's easy to fall in love with Thailand and all things Thai, but at the end of the day it is a foreign culture that has very little to offer the world. If you send your daughter to school there she will end up with a lot of ideas that will not help her live in the world when she becomes an adult.

And as you are making a good living in the UK and you are reasonably happy there you would find uprooting your family to Thailand stressful and perhaps even bad for your financial stability. Believe me, the grass is not always green on the other side, no matter how you romanticize it.

Why not get the best of both worlds and continue taking your family to Thailand for visits? They will both get what you want for them, without uprooting their lives. It would be difficult for you to fit into Thai culture. You will never be Thai. But I imagine your wife has settled quite well into the UK lifestye...and your daughter is already British. Why try to change all that and upset the balance?

Since moving to Australia 9 months ago my family has settled very well into the lifestyle here. My wife has no desire to return to live in Thailand. She loves the cleanliness, the well organized culture, and the many activities we take part in here. When we lived in Bangkok we were confined to going to the airconditioned shopping centers, or one of the few parks. We had to drive miles to Pattaya to see the ocean, and it was always crowded, noisy, and dirty.

Here the beaches are clean without any bothersome vendors every 20 seconds, the sea is crystal clear, and there are plenty of other attractions to see as well. I know you don't have that in the UK, but why not take your family to some of the wonderful towns and sites of historical significance? Or take them traveling around the Continent? You are so close to so many attractions there. Whereas in Thailand you would be severely limited in the places you could visit.

I love Thailand but it doesn't compare to living in your own culture where you can make a decent living and enjoy a high standard lifestyle.

I am not really thinking that making a living in Thailand would be totally necessary, I would need to think of something to keep me occupied whilst my daughter is at School. Seams to me that most of the people here think one of two things

Schools are a shambles in Thailand

Thailand is n place for a child to grow up as the Thai people are not all they seam from first glance

I guess the fact I have never actually lived in Thailand leaves me no evidence to come back with any more questions to what causes the thoughts mentioned above.

There are so many things here in Uk that is such a crock there is not enough space to list it all, I think from a businessman's point of view the Uk is becoming a rather less opportunist place to be, crime is soaring, jobs are are at an all time low, business taxes are constantly going up with a rob the rich to feed the poor, small businesses are constantly being damaged by the government by the new laws and rules they are constantly.

Still hard to see the wood for the trees.

Don't know, really hard to see all sides of it as I have never actually lived in Thailand

[charlie1968]

I live in Uk currently & have neice at school age & don't see any of those things from her or her peers lioness. Maybe it is a particalur type of poeple you are exposed to but please dont' tar all with the same brush.

i agree with you

not all are bad

[WilliamCave]

Hello as to my family I was faced with the same questions u have. I did move my family back to Thailand my kids are in schools my kids are 2 and 4. and they have been in school in Thailand for 1 year now. For me living in Asia is more alive than any North American city I have been to or lived in.

The education is the biggest issue for me for the kids, and my view on this is it starts with the parents and how I am leading and directly involved with there education.

To start with I travel with my kids so they see different things cultures and people. My kids now speak know 2 languages and at home there is 1 hour every night teaching them. I bring with me all the material taught in Canada schools for my children and they are taught every day at home.

In my opinion does not matter were u are educated it starts with the prents. I have seen in western cultures were the education systems are no better than the thai system and I think it is directly related to the parents.

Many parents in western and Thai culture always direst there blame on the school system.

In summary education starts at home with the parents not the education systems, they are a fill in.

[Petbon]

One advantage is that your children growing up in Thailand could help in building their self-confidence and self-esteem as less subject to "putdowns" and told to "go back to where you came from", which arises a lot.

Western education for its masses has evolved over a long time, and it shows, no doubt about that.

While in BKK I noted that a couple of UK school brands have been set up.

[F1fanatic]

I am not sure if you have been following my thoughts over the past 2 years on where to live and send my daughters to school. But I finally decided to move back home to Australia and it was the best possible decision for us.

It sounds like you have a good life in the UK. My advice would be to stay there and give your daughter a good education. The Thai schools are not very good. Even though my daughter went to one of the top 5 private schools in the kingdom I wasn't impressed. Since coming home she has excelled and is one of the top students in her class. Her teachers give her glowing recommendations.

If you are thinking of giving your daughter a grounding in her Thai culture and language I would say forget it. She will get a far better education and end up a more rounded person if she stays in the UK.

I know it's easy to fall in love with Thailand and all things Thai, but at the end of the day it is a foreign culture that has very little to offer the world. If you send your daughter to school there she will end up with a lot of ideas that will not help her live in the world when she becomes an adult.

And as you are making a good living in the UK and you are reasonably happy there you would find uprooting your family to Thailand stressful and perhaps even bad for your financial stability. Believe me, the grass is not always green on the other side, no matter how you romanticize it.

Why not get the best of both worlds and continue taking your family to Thailand for visits? They will both get what you want for them, without uprooting their lives. It would be difficult for you to fit into Thai culture. You will never be Thai. But I imagine your wife has settled quite well into the UK lifestye...and your daughter is already British. Why try to change all that and upset the balance?

Since moving to Australia 9 months ago my family has settled very well into the lifestyle here. My wife has no desire to return to live in Thailand. She loves the cleanliness, the well organized culture, and the many activities we take part in here. When we lived in Bangkok we were confined to going to the airconditioned shopping centers, or one of the few parks. We had to drive miles to Pattaya to see the ocean, and it was always crowded, noisy, and dirty.

Here the beaches are clean without any bothersome vendors every 20 seconds, the sea is crystal clear, and there are plenty of other attractions to see as well. I know you don't have that in the UK, but why not take your family to some of the wonderful towns and sites of historical significance? Or take them traveling around the Continent? You are so close to so many attractions there. Whereas in Thailand you would be severely limited in the places you could visit.

I love Thailand but it doesn't compare to living in your own culture where you can make a decent living and enjoy a high standard lifestyle.

I am not really thinking that making a living in Thailand would be totally necessary, I would need to think of something to keep me occupied whilst my daughter is at School. Seams to me that most of the people here think one of two things

Schools are a shambles in Thailand

Thailand is n place for a child to grow up as the Thai people are not all they seam from first glance

I guess the fact I have never actually lived in Thailand leaves me no evidence to come back with any more questions to what causes the thoughts mentioned above.

There are so many things here in Uk that is such a crock there is not enough space to list it all, I think from a businessman's point of view the Uk is becoming a rather less opportunist place to be, crime is soaring, jobs are are at an all time low, business taxes are constantly going up with a rob the rich to feed the poor, small businesses are constantly being damaged by the government by the new laws and rules they are constantly.

Still hard to see the wood for the trees.

Don't know, really hard to see all sides of it as I have never actually lived in Thailand

Difficult choice unless you are thinking of your daughter rather than yourself. From your daughters point of view, unless you are living in a v rough area, she is far more likely to get a good education and grow up with Western values such as equality, respecting honesty and finding love rather than money.

On the other hand, the weather and scenery in Thailand is far more appealing to adults living in the UK. As for the opportunities available, the crime rate and decent jobs available - its no better in Thailand - you just won't read about it in the papers. As for taxes etc., these are problems that worry adults - not school children.

[Blackandwhite]

One advantage is that your children growing up in Thailand could help in building their self-confidence and self-esteem as less subject to "putdowns" and told to "go back to where you came from", which arises a lot.

Western education for its masses has evolved over a long time, and it shows, no doubt about that.

While in BKK I noted that a couple of UK school brands have been set up.

Schools it seams is the thing that causes a massive amount of concern from many in these forums, schools here in the Uk are failing, I enjoy doing homework with my daughter and she seams to get a massive amount of it here. It seams she is getting less education at school and more at home as time goes on, she has two teachers they share the position of one teacher, they do what is dogmaticly called '' Job share '', involves two teahes sharing the job of one and trying to pick up the pieces the other none doesnot do during the week, that also means, 2 lots of the following, in services day, training days, sick days, maternity leave and much much more, very inconsistent and disruptive way of providing education, so in short it really is not that great anyway.

[patklang]

SBK has it bang on. My husband (Thai) & I always agreed that if we had any daughters we wouldn't live in Thailand full time & would at the very least make sure senior school education onwards would be in UK & not Thailand due to the inherent attitudes that young girls & women are subjected to in Thailand. This is just a personal opinion but one my Thai born & raised husband agreed with.

That said, a few years in Thailand would probably be good for her to connect to her thai roots as well as giving you a chance to experience the real Thailand & all the problems it has & you WILL come against. So if you an afford to move over for a few years without losing your UK assets then go for it. If anything it will give you a more honest view of the country & people.

If i can be allowed to post on here.(if not delete please Boo)\

Are you basing your kids education in UK against a high quality international school or a government school,and does your kid go private school in uk or a government one.Also if his daughter finished up as a lawyer or top doctor then there wouldnt be any INHERENT ATTITUDES,so sorry but i dont realy understand the logic in your post.If the op understands then thats all that matters realy

thank you

[patklang]

My older brother went back to live in uk with his wife and her daughter,age 15 at the time.She went to normal school and was unable to converse much in english so she started to be friends with another thai,who had got friends with an iranian girl,african,polish etc etc.Now she is saying she doesnt like english boys and girls because they dont mix with them,now sort that lot out.

[Boo]

sorry you are unable to comprehend my post paklang, maybe you can ask a friend to explain it to you.

I see no point to explaining it further as it is already very clear but if you are unaware of the various expectations & prohibitive attitudes directed at thai women, even those who manage to achieve a high level career/good education etc then it is possibly something for you to look into yourself