Thai Kids At International School

[friendineed]

I'm looking for an international school for my daughter in Bangkok.

Unfortunately we only have the one, so can afford the fees.

My daughter is just 3 years old. So this is a little forward planning.

We've spent the last 6 months in UK, and my daughter's English is now better than her Thai.

I've looked around a couple of International schools; Bromsgrove and Ruam Rudee, and have noticed that he majority of kids are full Thai. I believe that Bangkok Pattana has a limit on the percentage of Thai students. Is this the case with any of the other international schools?

I'm concerned that the playground language in the above two schools will naturally be Thai, and that being around many other native Thai speaking kids will hold back her English language development.

We do want our daughter to grow up as Thai. Hence our decision to stay and live in Thailand. But, i also want her to mix with other English and European kids, and to be able to speak English fluently.

So, do any international schools set a limit on the percentage of Thai kids?

I'd be interested to hear opinions from teachers as to which inter schools are the best ; ie. happy and motivated teachers, teacher ratios, happy children and facilities.

Thanks for the help and advice.

[StreetCowboy]

You might get a better response in the Family and Children sub-forum, and certainly less risk of sarcastic remarks...

My kids are at Patana school; the majority of kids are Western, playground language is English, I am not aware of any self-segregation by the kids, though I don't spend much time there.

It's an absolutely top school, better than anywhere I have seen in the UK or the Far East, though it is horrendously expensive. We have opted to suffer significant personal inconvenience and hardship in order to keep the kids there, in preference to the next-best alternative. Their sporting and academic achievements are second to none, and I think that they do a pretty good job at motivating the lower achievers as well, if my kids' attitude to sport is anything to go by...

My apologies for sounding like an advertisement, but I really am delighted with the school.

SC

[t.s]

i see an english curriculum with a thai playground environment as the best of both worlds. my three year old doesnen't want to speak thai, anything that encourages that is, to me, bonus.

[scorecard]

I have no intention of criticising your intent but I'm curous as to why you seem to want to push down your daughters Thai language. But forgive me if I'm misreading that point.

I have opted for another school for my Thai granddaughter. The school is Amnuay Silpa on Sri Ayuthaya Road, Bangkok. It has a Thai-British curriculum and it's run by an education foudation established decades ago. My guess is that 99% of the students are Thai nationals.

In regard to language:

- By start of Pathom 1, the children are ready for all classes in English language except Thai language and Thai history which are both taught in Thai langauage. There is a lot of interaction in the classes.

- The administration language of the school is Thai, however at muster etc., there is also a lot of English.

Other points:

- Classes are small. My granddaughter has just started K3. 22 students in her class, however this is always divided into two groups so ultimately there's only 11 in each learning group.

- Already my granddaughter (just turned 5) is at about intermediate plus level in English and her reading and writing skills in both language are well advanced for her age. Her spoken Thai is well developed. She does of course have the advantage of strong immersion in both English and Thai at home. I never speak Thai to her, when I speak with her father (my adult Thai son) we only speak English. When she speaks direct to her mother and father it's only Thai.

- The school is operated very professionally, there are numerous aditional activities, my grandaughter (at the school already for two years) has participated in: ballet, extra music, Tai Kwon Do (excuse the spelling), extra art. Excellent library, very clean comprehensive canteen facility. Swimming is part of the standard curriculum and they have two new pools. Other sporting facilities are excellent.

- Fees are well below international schools. As an example, grandaughter just started K3 Immersion (meaning half of every day for this full year is devoted to English language), fees for this year for K3 are 66,000Baht per term (2 terms per year), plus of course uniforms etc etc.

- The school goes right through to the end of high school and they have a good track record of students being accepted into high profile Thai, British, Australian universities (perhaps more).

Edited June 17, 2010 by scorecard

[toybits]

Some people send their kids to International Schools in the hope that they would learn to speak English. These parents think that by doing so, they themselves are not burdened by the responsibility of talking to their kids in English. I find this very selfish and lazy. The OP seems to speak good English. You should continue to talk to your child in English. Don't be lazy.

Edited June 17, 2010 by toybits

[WinnieTheKhwai]

I think it's a complete non-issue. Your daughter will speak both language fluently. My daughter's English remains better than her Thai, going to an international kindergarten. So my concern is actually on her not learning enough Thai (and local Muang as well, which is completely absent; you can't be Thai and live in Chiang Mai and not speak Muang.)

[MikeyIdea]

Language should not be your concern. Your child will naturarly get native speaking both languages. It is important that you make sure that your child gets the Thai reading and writing bit early, you have to enroll your child in the Thai courses (all extra not included) if you send to an international school - in kindergarten I mean, don't wait until primary school with it

It is a concern that so many schools are full of Thai children and teenagers, I see it as a real concern but not because of language. These rich Thai kids aren't that nice actually. They are spoilt and over confident (or try to show they are) and their parents haven't really showed them the importance of respect. It's like their parents forgot to teach them something. A stupid sample, like it or not; They were the ones who almost never stood up to offer my 75 year old mother their seat on the sky train. The girls much worse than the boys in that respect

I took my daughter skating the other day, A couple of vans from Regent dropped off students. Of some 20 kids, only 2 spoke English, that happened to be the only half Thai and her Thai friend. And they weren't that nice actually

Have you considered a combination of bilingal and international? I certainly do not think that the Thai education technique is good but there are still many advantages from exposure to both to consider.

I think this thread contains quite a bit of thoughtful information How To Best Combine Schools, Teaching Techniques, Culture And Tradition - Thailand Forum

One quote from that thread

A toddler today will finish university in 20 years time, she will then work for 40 years after that. Half way down this toddlers working life, that's 40 (forty) years from now by the way, China will be the world leader economically, India will be second and America and the EU will have struggled to stand still economically for the last 20 years. The Asian economies on overdrive driven by several billion diligent people who are pushed forward not only by the positive feeling of living in a country where things gets better every year, but also by an improved educational system will have taken over the world economy. America and the EU will still be powerful of course but it is going to be at the level of struggling to stand still.

I wouldn't miss the Asian bit for "better education" - my personal opinion

Good Luck

Edited June 17, 2010 by MikeyIdea

[chuckacinco]

This is a good question that I wish I could write about with perfect clarity. However, I want to respond based on my experience and if there are flaws, well it's late and I want to be helpful if I can.

I have lived and taught in Thailand for twenty years. I have a fifteen year old son and a three year old daughter. I had the same language concerns with my son as you have with your daughter. My first child was a giant learning curve for me. As a parent, and I wanted to do the right thing especially with something so important as education. I understand your concerns. Even with all the teacher education I have gone through, the organic nature of language is difficult to pin down to a very specific set of recommendations. People are not machines and can't be programmed. I was very concerned about my son's language skills but in the end, my conceptions about the amount of English at school either helping him to speak English better or handicapping his Thai was a needless worry. School is much bigger than language.

My son went to Nursery and Kindergarten at a Thai school, then onto a lower end International School and is now at a "premium" international school. He is perfectly bilingual but favors English over Thai, meaning his English report card grades are better than his Thai grades. Throughout his education I was very aware of how much information there is about language acquisition. I wish I could tell you that teachers have figured it all out and now know the secret (is playground English a no-no?, should we only speak one language to our children?) but they haven't. I worried needlessly that my son's English skills were going to be damaged by the education system in Thailand - international or otherwise. When he started school I thought his peers would take over his brain and he would speak that hideous English-Thai pidgin that is the lingua franca of Thailand schools. He turned out fine.

So, I think the emphasis should be on how the child is taught more than the what (at least from three years up to about seven or eight).

If I had the money to spend for a premium school for my three year old daughter, I'd pick the Early Learning Centre. Stop by for a visit and I think you will be impressed. The city school is in Thonglo. They are a Reggio Emelia-inspired project based and art intensive school. I used to teach there. Some of the most caring and hard working teachers I have known work and have worked there. I don't get any money by plugging this school by the way. I am just a great fan. I worked very hard there and believe me, the children are well taken care of and very very watched. No child gets lost in the mix. Maybe another poster could share their experience about this school.

I know that it is possible to have a very good education at a bilingual or even a full Thai school but if you are willing to pay the going half a million or so rate for a good international school, your daughter will be have the best qualified western teachers available. That means something. Paying top rates means you should pretty much expect the most qualified teachers who would be well versed in addressing your specific concerns. There are exceptions, but the best professional teachers go where the salaries justify their qualifications.

As a teacher, I also struggle with the language issue. I empathize and share your concern. In my opinion, at that age (three) there is nothing to worry about on the extent of peer to peer Thai in the playground or in peer class activities (though the instruction language should be English). What I watch out for is the clique of playgroups where Thai is the common language. I am more concerned with exclusion cultural issues rather than language issues. As a parent, that's the test of a school. Many children easily adapt and play cooperatively within Thai speaking groups as the local children can actually speak English as well as Thai. There usually isn't problem. However, some children are excluded and or feel excluded. I can't imagine how you could ask the school marketing staff but you might try talking to some parents. If it is worth it to you, hang out when it is time to pick up the children and chat with the moms and dads. Share your concerns with them and I can almost promise you they will have the same concerns.

Anyway, good luck on your search. Your daughter is blessed with a father that cares for her future.

Edited June 17, 2010 by chuckacinco

[friendineed]

Thanks for all the replies.

Some interesting , and different points of view.

I'm relieved to see most posters think that she'll be able to speak fluently in both Thai/English at any half decent inter school.

Certainly puts my mind at ease.

I do try to make the effort to speak English to my daughter, but often forget, to the admonishment of my wife.

Perhaps i'm worrying too much about the language, and should be looking at other things.

I do want my daughter to be happy at school, learn to think for herself, have moral values, and to do as well academically as she is able.

I don't think she'll have these all these opportunities at a non-inter school.

Unfortunately, which school will best offer this is very difficult to judge.

I do agree that some inter schools are overpriced, and don't wish my daughter to be learning bad habits from rich Thai kids with no manners.

I also agree that during my daughter's life, that Asia will be the place to be.

If she decides to make her life in Thailand, then knowing a few rich Thai-Chinese may not be such a bad thing(?)

Lots to think about. Thanks again.

[PattayaParent]

It is a concern that so many schools are full of Thai children and teenagers, I see it as a real concern but not because of language. These rich Thai kids aren't that nice actually. They are spoilt and over confident (or try to show they are) and their parents haven't really showed them the importance of respect. It's like their parents forgot to teach them something. A stupid sample, like it or not; They were the ones who almost never stood up to offer my 75 year old mother their seat on the sky train. The girls much worse than the boys in that respect

Good Luck

It's a cultural thing, the elderly give up their seats to the young in Thailand.

[MikeyIdea]

Hi

I love these discussions, bear with me

IMHO, I think this statement is wrong

“I do want my daughter to be happy at school, learn to think for herself, have moral values, and to do as well academically as she is able.”

I’ll skip the happiness, and go to learn to think for herself;

That starts at home, if we have done a good job at home, then school is not going to take that away. I agree that extreme samples of “Thai style” teaching would be detrimental for sure, but don’t think that it would be critically so – if we have done and do a good at home. Parents often underestimate childrens ability, I think it a bit apply here too. Correct though that international does that best, bilingual second and Thai Thai school end up at the very bottom somewhere. Difference between international and bilingual I believe is covered by our childrens wonderful and often underestimated ability to adapt. I think to myself: Children can easily handle that well, don’t worry

Moral values: Well, from what I see of the majority of the students at international schools in Bangkok (i.e., Thais), international schools are not doing a very good job with that. But it is not correct to blame the schools, it starts at the rich Thais home. Bilingual schools does that better. Why not a compromise, half bilingual half international? I have been in Thailand for too long perhaps… But I mean what I write

Do well academically: Highly overrated. It is not necessarily the ones with very good grades who become managers, it’s those with high EQ, SQ. Clearly very bad scores for That Thai schools. It is easy to think that international schools does that better but is that because we think that the half of the bilingual school that is not farang does a not very good job? Probably true that the Thai part doesn’t do as good a job as an international school I say… But, what I also think is that what we give our children at home and the half of the time that is good is more than enough for our children. Underestimating again? Yes, I think so. Besides, I clearly think that opportunities will lie in Asia in 20 years time, to be fully native at both the cultural games is going to be very very important.

“I don't think she'll have these all these opportunities at a non-inter school.”

I think the opposite, if we don’t think today but look at the graduation day in 20 years time, I think that an only inter-school education will miss out on some very important skills. Part good bilingual part international I think is the way to go.

Michael

[MikeyIdea]

It is a concern that so many schools are full of Thai children and teenagers, I see it as a real concern but not because of language. These rich Thai kids aren't that nice actually. They are spoilt and over confident (or try to show they are) and their parents haven't really showed them the importance of respect. It's like their parents forgot to teach them something. A stupid sample, like it or not; They were the ones who almost never stood up to offer my 75 year old mother their seat on the sky train. The girls much worse than the boys in that respect

Good Luck

It's a cultural thing, the elderly give up their seats to the young in Thailand.

My mother has long passed the stage when it would be considered appropriate for a younger to not give up her seat. I stand by my observation regarding which young that immediately stood up offering their seat and which who ignored

[moe666]

My friends ( american) has a son mother( Thai0 who is 2 years old this little boy speaks thai to mom and english to dad. Parents worry to much about their children and how they will turn out. Your daughter at 3 is a sponge she will do just fine worry or not.

[MikeyIdea]

My friends ( american) has a son mother( Thai0 who is 2 years old this little boy speaks thai to mom and english to dad. Parents worry to much about their children and how they will turn out. Your daughter at 3 is a sponge she will do just fine worry or not.

I had a Swiss friend in the mid 90's who spoke German, French and English with 4-his 5 year old daughter, the mother spoke Thai. The child always answered his daddy in English but she understood all languages. I was absolutely amazed

[astral]

I had a Swiss friend in the mid 90's who spoke German, French and English with 4-his 5 year old daughter, the mother spoke Thai. The child always answered his daddy in English but she understood all languages. I was absolutely amazed

At a early age children are like sponges, taking in everything.

I have friends with two girls, aged 6 and 11. He always speaks to them in English, mother in Arabic, and they learn French a school.

Pretty well tri-lingual.

[PattayaParent]

It is a concern that so many schools are full of Thai children and teenagers, I see it as a real concern but not because of language. These rich Thai kids aren't that nice actually. They are spoilt and over confident (or try to show they are) and their parents haven't really showed them the importance of respect. It's like their parents forgot to teach them something. A stupid sample, like it or not; They were the ones who almost never stood up to offer my 75 year old mother their seat on the sky train. The girls much worse than the boys in that respect

Good Luck

It's a cultural thing, the elderly give up their seats to the young in Thailand.

My mother has long passed the stage when it would be considered appropriate for a younger to not give up her seat. I stand by my observation regarding which young that immediately stood up offering their seat and which who ignored

Thai adults always stand up to give my 5 year old a seat on the skytrain, they were probably wondering why your mother was being so rude.

Regarding MikeyIdea's thoughts that learning begins at home, unfortunately most parents see it as the schools job to teach children, not their own rsponsibility.

Edited June 18, 2010 by PattayaParent

[MikeyIdea]

It is a concern that so many schools are full of Thai children and teenagers, I see it as a real concern but not because of language. These rich Thai kids aren't that nice actually. They are spoilt and over confident (or try to show they are) and their parents haven't really showed them the importance of respect. It's like their parents forgot to teach them something. A stupid sample, like it or not; They were the ones who almost never stood up to offer my 75 year old mother their seat on the sky train. The girls much worse than the boys in that respect

Good Luck

It's a cultural thing, the elderly give up their seats to the young in Thailand.

My mother has long passed the stage when it would be considered appropriate for a younger to not give up her seat. I stand by my observation regarding which young that immediately stood up offering their seat and which who ignored

Thai adults always stand up to give my 5 year old a seat on the skytrain, they were probably wondering why your mother was being so rude.

That comment shows more about you than it does about my mother PattayaParent

[stefanlarsen1974]

I'm Danish and speak Danish predominantly to my daughter. My wife and her family speak Thai to her, and when my wife and I talk together, we use English. This means that our daughter will probably turn out to be trilingual...

I worried about this before she was born, but decided to do what felt natural instead. The only thing is that I have asked my in-laws to please refer to me as "far" (daddy in Danish) to my daughter, as I would so much love to have her call me that when she gets a little bit older. In return I try my best to use the correct Thai words for Mom, grandmom and granddad, but it is SOOO difficult to merge with speaking Danish - hehe...

About schools, I think you should find either a bilingual or an international school - but spend a lot of time reviewing the different schools. I am a teacher myself, and am at the moment looking for work here... Some schools I would NEVER consider working for - because I spend a long time researching them on various internet sites. Just a simple Google search can often let you know if the school has a bad reputation. Often these comments will be by angry ex-teachers, and should therefore be taken with a grain of salt, but usually there is no smoke without a fire... And if the school is not willing to treat their teachers well, do you think they are interested in your kid - other than as a source of income?

Generally, you get what you pay for, so if you are willing to pay, you should find a school that has a good reputation, both amongst parents, but also amongst teachers...

Best regards!

[PattayaParent]

Thai adults always stand up to give my 5 year old a seat on the skytrain, they were probably wondering why your mother was being so rude.

That comment shows more about you than it does about my mother PattayaParent

It just shows that Thais know more about their own culture than Farangs do.

[Spaniel]

Our son (Thai/American) started at Ruamrudee in kindergarten and attended there until he graduated (12th grade) in 2008. From birth I only spoke English to him and my wife, Thai and he is 100% bi-lingual. At Ruamrudee they have a policy that the students are supposed to speak only English on campus but I would always hear the Chianese students speaking Chinaese together, Indians etc. We were very happy with Ruamrudee and highly recommend it.

[dominique355]

I didn't read all the previous posts, so forgive me if I missed something.

My two kids (Thai/Swiss) go to a British school which follows the British curriculum. They have a policy that on the school ground kids are to speak English at all times. My kids went there first to nursery and then followed the normal way and are now at the end of year 2, resp. year 3.

The school has no policy on the number of Thai kids or any other nationality or background. My kids could not speak one word of English when they arrived at school, now they are fluent.

The school is "Ascot International School" in Ramkhamhaeng Soi 118 (www.ascot.ac.th). Check it out. Prices are reasonable, especially when compared with Ruam Ruedee or Bangkok Pattana. They have buses to pick up and bring back your kids. If you have any other question, PM me. Good luck.

PS: It's now the time to sign up for the 1st. term of the 2010/2011 year starting in September 2010.

[dominique355]

I forgot to mention that in my kids' school Thai language classes are mandatory as well as one other foreign language.

So the kids don't "forget" their Thai language. As a second foreign language they follow Chinese and German (German as an ECA).

[Kilgore Trout]

As I mentioned in another post; I believe it is law that if a school has an international charter there is a set limit to the percentage of Thai kids they are able to have. Some schools seem to flaunt this requirement (if it is so). I believe Harrow, which is an international school has a very high proportion of Thai students from what I have heard. This is also the case for many school outside the vicinity of downtown Bkk. Correct me if I am wrong.

[Kilgore Trout]

I didn't read all the previous posts, so forgive me if I missed something.

My two kids (Thai/Swiss) go to a British school which follows the British curriculum. They have a policy that on the school ground kids are to speak English at all times. My kids went there first to nursery and then followed the normal way and are now at the end of year 2, resp. year 3.

The school has no policy on the number of Thai kids or any other nationality or background. My kids could not speak one word of English when they arrived at school, now they are fluent.

The school is "Ascot International School" in Ramkhamhaeng Soi 118 (www.ascot.ac.th). Check it out. Prices are reasonable, especially when compared with Ruam Ruedee or Bangkok Pattana. They have buses to pick up and bring back your kids. If you have any other question, PM me. Good luck.

PS: It's now the time to sign up for the 1st. term of the 2010/2011 year starting in September 2010.

I cannot begin to tell you how wrong (IMHO) I think forcing the kids to speak only English on the playground is; these children, the majority of whom are ELL students sit in a classroom all day using their English reading writing and speaking skills. This is very taxing and stressful for a child, recess should be a time to relax and rest your mind. They should be able to use their mother tongue in this respect if they so choose. I believe that research would back me up on this.

Put it in perspective, go learn Thai all day and then be told that you cannot speak English at lunch to your mate. How would you feel? You would probably be stressed and just keep your mouth shut as to avoid punishment.

[bkk_mike]

The schools tend to only count as Thai those children where both parents are Thai.

Where the child has dual nationality, they're invariably counted under the other nationality for accreditation.

However, you also have to factor in that there's a significant proportion of nationals from other Asian countries (Japan, South Korea, Singapore, India, etc.) and simply looking at the playground you may well be over-estimating the number of Thais.

[girlbetterknow]

Hi there! Bangkok Patana does limit Thai students as they keep it international as much as possible. But I know many half Thai/British students who go there as I have been there before while I was young. It is a great school and also offers IB. But I ended up going to Harrow International School when it opened up in 1998 and have attened there since last year 2009 as my final year in sixth form. I can say there is a fair few Thais that go to Harrow but also there are a few more non Thais joining the school as the school has grown. I can say that Harrow was the best time of my life and i truly miss it. The school has a rule that you must speak English at all times but obviously not in Thai classes and other foreign languages. We get warning cards if we are caught speaking Thai, Chinese etc. I can say though that many of the Thai student who join improve their English accent in time. My ex boyfriend also attended Harrow since it opened and he has such a lovely English accent and we are both now currently studying in University in UK. He is full Thai. But both of us know how to speak, read and write both Thai and English with also extras such as Chinese with basic French and German. Education at Harrow is high and also has sister schools in UK, Hong Kong and Beijing. I believe that Bromsgrove also has the same simular education as Harrow as their is also a Bromsgrove in the UK with both Harrow and Bromsgrove being Boarding and Day schools. Bromsgrove and Harrow also follow the British traditions such as shirt and ties with boater hats which I find looks wonderful and makes me feel proud to have been part of a school that has helped me so much as I also have mild learning problems. Harrow has a residence called Hyde Park Vibhavadee right next to the school which many students and parents have brought. Any way good luck

[MangoMungo]

Speaking of IB schools, has anyone sent their child through the whole IB regime (PYP, MYP, DP) at a Thai school? How was the experience?

[Valjean]

I'll just add the obvious that little kids learn two languages with ease if exposed to them. My step-son, who didn't speak English until I came in the picture around 18 months old is 5 now and fluent in Thai and English. His Thai is more natural to him for speaking but his English is perfectly acceptable. And his English reading is stronger because he attends Rasami International School in Bangkok (British system, highly recommended) and my reading with him. Rasami has lots of luuk-krung and Thai kids, the majority in fact as opposed to Indian or western. The playground rule is English but I'm not sure how hard-core they are about this.

I guess a downside to this is that he doesn't have any native English speaking friends, from school, neighborhood or of course back up in the countryside. Ideally it would be nice for him to have a bit more western exposure for culture and language but I'm not really losing sleep about this at this point. Has he finishes primary I might opt for a change but that's down the road a bit.

During the Rasami term break coming up we'll send him to live with his grandmother and attend a Thai private school to work on his Thai reading. I've worked in a multi-national here and it's not unusual for Thais who went to good international schools and often overseas for some college to be of course fluent in both Thai and English but have fairly basic Thai reading and writing skills. I'd like to see him well balanced in both languages.

I'd pick the school you like in terms of environment, system, staff and other considerations. For pre-school and primarily kids they will learn the two languages just fine.

Enjoy!

[MrJohnson]

Language should not be your concern. Your child will naturarly get native speaking both languages. It is important that you make sure that your child gets the Thai reading and writing bit early, you have to enroll your child in the Thai courses (all extra not included) if you send to an international school - in kindergarten I mean, don't wait until primary school with it

It is a concern that so many schools are full of Thai children and teenagers, I see it as a real concern but not because of language. These rich Thai kids aren't that nice actually. They are spoilt and over confident (or try to show they are) and their parents haven't really showed them the importance of respect. It's like their parents forgot to teach them something. A stupid sample, like it or not; They were the ones who almost never stood up to offer my 75 year old mother their seat on the sky train. The girls much worse than the boys in that respect

I took my daughter skating the other day, A couple of vans from Regent dropped off students. Of some 20 kids, only 2 spoke English, that happened to be the only half Thai and her Thai friend. And they weren't that nice actually

Have you considered a combination of bilingal and international? I certainly do not think that the Thai education technique is good but there are still many advantages from exposure to both to consider.

I think this thread contains quite a bit of thoughtful information How To Best Combine Schools, Teaching Techniques, Culture And Tradition - Thailand Forum

One quote from that thread

A toddler today will finish university in 20 years time, she will then work for 40 years after that. Half way down this toddlers working life, that's 40 (forty) years from now by the way, China will be the world leader economically, India will be second and America and the EU will have struggled to stand still economically for the last 20 years. The Asian economies on overdrive driven by several billion diligent people who are pushed forward not only by the positive feeling of living in a country where things gets better every year, but also by an improved educational system will have taken over the world economy. America and the EU will still be powerful of course but it is going to be at the level of struggling to stand still.

I wouldn't miss the Asian bit for "better education" - my personal opinion

Good Luck

Interesting post. I think the thing that many people overlook when deciding 'between' Thai or internationals schools is that it is not all about the language. It is really more about the broader pedogogical issues (teaching and learning styles) and social environment. My kids are in a Thai school but are both fully bilingual (Thai and English - with a bit of Chinese thrown in). I too have seen many Thai kids who are in international schools who really seem to struggle with expected cultural norms, especially with their immediate and extended families eg. being overly opnionated with their elders. This may seem triviall but I think it is a very often overlooked consequence of an international school environment. One of the other things is the often transient nature of both teachers and students in the international school system. This can lead to a lack of commitment on the part of the teachers ( some but certainly not all) and a difficulty in forming long-term friendships amongst the student population. For me, I'd like something in-between and am still searching for the best option.

[dominique355]

I didn't read all the previous posts, so forgive me if I missed something.

My two kids (Thai/Swiss) go to a British school which follows the British curriculum. They have a policy that on the school ground kids are to speak English at all times. My kids went there first to nursery and then followed the normal way and are now at the end of year 2, resp. year 3.

The school has no policy on the number of Thai kids or any other nationality or background. My kids could not speak one word of English when they arrived at school, now they are fluent.

The school is "Ascot International School" in Ramkhamhaeng Soi 118 (www.ascot.ac.th). Check it out. Prices are reasonable, especially when compared with Ruam Ruedee or Bangkok Pattana. They have buses to pick up and bring back your kids. If you have any other question, PM me. Good luck.

PS: It's now the time to sign up for the 1st. term of the 2010/2011 year starting in September 2010.

I cannot begin to tell you how wrong (IMHO) I think forcing the kids to speak only English on the playground is; these children, the majority of whom are ELL students sit in a classroom all day using their English reading writing and speaking skills. This is very taxing and stressful for a child, recess should be a time to relax and rest your mind. They should be able to use their mother tongue in this respect if they so choose. I believe that research would back me up on this.

Put it in perspective, go learn Thai all day and then be told that you cannot speak English at lunch to your mate. How would you feel? You would probably be stressed and just keep your mouth shut as to avoid punishment.

You seem to speak from theory rather than practice, am I right? Most kids in these International schools are either 100% expats or 50%, so Thai is NOT their mother language. Parents put their kids in these schools because they want them to be fluent in English; after all that's what a British curriculum is all about.

I have been at the school many times to observe the kids. Believe me, these kids have absolutely no problem communicating in English with each other, no stress at all.

My neighbor's kids are of the same age and go to a Thai public school. So I can compare the language skills of my kids with the next door kids. It may be true that sometimes, my kids mix Thai and English or struggle to find the right word in the language they are currently using, but I see no significant difference in their Thai language skills, neither speaking nor writing. But I do see a huge difference in the respective English language skills.

I remember when I was a kid (long long time ago) and my parents sent me to a French speaking summer camp, in order to improve my French. Unfortunately there were several other kids who also spoke German as a mother language and I used to hang out with them, speaking German. Needless to say that my French did not improve a lot. So I believe this "English Only" rule is quite OK.