Where Is The Ideal Place?

[nonameidentified]

The alternative, of course, is to hire a full-time driver, but it's frequently hard to find a reliable one and the cost of cars here is very, very high due to import duties.

I am not assuming anything, but judging by your posts, it sounds like you will be here on a full expat package. This means your husband will be allocated a driver and a car. If you live fairly close (within an hour) to your husband's place of work, his driver would be able to transport you when he is available. However, if you want to be truly independent in the areas you specify, you will need to be able to drive or take taxis everywhere. Most non-working women expats I came into contact with who came with their working husbands bought 'cheap' jeeps either new or second hand from other expats leaving the country.

Secondly, so-called 'international schools' vary wildly in quality and cost. Sometimes I think half the major families of Thailand are in the school business -- and, yes, it is big business here. At the top of the heap are ISB (International School of Bangkok) and Bangkok Pattaya

It's Bangkok Patana, not Bangkok Pattaya. I have seen quite a few posts referring to BPS as Bangkok Pattaya for some weird reason or another. And although these schools are the oldest and the most famous, Japanese students will normally go to the Japanese school; German speakers to the Swiss school; French speakers to the French school and so on Not 100% of the time, but most of the time.

International schools provide a private bus service that travels around from house to house in your area, picking up other students along the way; this service will usually be paid for by the company as part of the deal, though it is an optional extra. Most kids travel anywhere from an hour to two hours to school, and is a common and usual arrangement. This is not due to the distance but because of the traffic conditions. I was lucky that my school and father's workplace were very close to each other; it was because of this that our family could choose a place from a wide variety of areas.

Whatever you choose to do, you, your husband and children will have to compromise. If you want to be in the company of other expats, rent a place on an estate like Lakeside (lots of Americans) as Terdsak suggests or Ladawan (lots of Brits and Australians) or move into a condominium - you might hate this idea at first as you are used to living in a house, but it is a fantastic way to get to know people. Of course, if you want to live in Chonburi, that's another kettle of fish altogether and not my area at all, but there's plenty of people here who can help. Good luck!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

1. First of all, we're still negotiating the contract cause what they've offered as a 'standard' contract cannot really meet our needs in thailand.

According to the contract, the post that my husband will be holding will not be entitled to the company car and chauffeur (which will be a great problem for us if so cos I dun drive and judging from where he company site is, without a car is impossible!!)

Secondly, I do not possess a driving licence and at first I thought of getting one in thailand but after reading the details on the process, I think it'll be rather tough to get one cos everything's in Thai. So if I don't speak Thai, don't read Thai, forget about it(even though a native thai speaker can be there for you, no translator means lesser chance!) Therefore, in this case, getting a car for myself will be out of the question.

2. And as for the schools, well, my husband's french. My children are pretty young, the one who's going to school is only 3 years old. I speak English and I'm from Singapore (Used to be an english teacher in S'pore). So, I spoke english to my girls. The only problem for my girl is that she understood english but always replied in french. And that is the reason why we would prefer to get an english speaking international school rather than a french international school.

And since i was born in Singapore, i grew up living in an appartment plus we used to live in appartments before in France too. The thing is just that we finally come to a conclusion that living in a house is a better choice for us than condo or apartments. Not that we dislike people but we just prefer to have a little more space for us.

That is also why i thought perhaps getting an empty house can be cheaper in terms of rental rather than a house fully-furnished. But while I was searching through all the classifieds in the internet, it seems like almost 80% of the houses for rent are fully-furnished. I wonder if this is because I search in the english websites or just simply because there are more fully furnished houses for rent.

3. Another HUGE question that I start posing in my mind is whether Pattaya will be a better choice or outskirts of Bangkok in facilities and ease of travelling. There's definitely lesser choices for the international schools in Pattaya but it's not really a problem since my girl is still rather young.

Then in terms of distance between say Bangkapi or Bangna to Chonburi and Pattaya to Chonburi, I really have no idea which is nearer too. Anyone has any idea about this?

[Diablo Bob]

The alternative, of course, is to hire a full-time driver, but it's frequently hard to find a reliable one and the cost of cars here is very, very high due to import duties.

I am not assuming anything, but judging by your posts, it sounds like you will be here on a full expat package. This means your husband will be allocated a driver and a car. If you live fairly close (within an hour) to your husband's place of work, his driver would be able to transport you when he is available. However, if you want to be truly independent in the areas you specify, you will need to be able to drive or take taxis everywhere. Most non-working women expats I came into contact with who came with their working husbands bought 'cheap' jeeps either new or second hand from other expats leaving the country.

Secondly, so-called 'international schools' vary wildly in quality and cost. Sometimes I think half the major families of Thailand are in the school business -- and, yes, it is big business here. At the top of the heap are ISB (International School of Bangkok) and Bangkok Pattaya

It's Bangkok Patana, not Bangkok Pattaya. I have seen quite a few posts referring to BPS as Bangkok Pattaya for some weird reason or another. And although these schools are the oldest and the most famous, Japanese students will normally go to the Japanese school; German speakers to the Swiss school; French speakers to the French school and so on Not 100% of the time, but most of the time.

International schools provide a private bus service that travels around from house to house in your area, picking up other students along the way; this service will usually be paid for by the company as part of the deal, though it is an optional extra. Most kids travel anywhere from an hour to two hours to school, and is a common and usual arrangement. This is not due to the distance but because of the traffic conditions. I was lucky that my school and father's workplace were very close to each other; it was because of this that our family could choose a place from a wide variety of areas.

Whatever you choose to do, you, your husband and children will have to compromise. If you want to be in the company of other expats, rent a place on an estate like Lakeside (lots of Americans) as Terdsak suggests or Ladawan (lots of Brits and Australians) or move into a condominium - you might hate this idea at first as you are used to living in a house, but it is a fantastic way to get to know people. Of course, if you want to live in Chonburi, that's another kettle of fish altogether and not my area at all, but there's plenty of people here who can help. Good luck!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

1. First of all, we're still negotiating the contract cause what they've offered as a 'standard' contract cannot really meet our needs in thailand.

According to the contract, the post that my husband will be holding will not be entitled to the company car and chauffeur (which will be a great problem for us if so cos I dun drive and judging from where he company site is, without a car is impossible!!)

Secondly, I do not possess a driving licence and at first I thought of getting one in thailand but after reading the details on the process, I think it'll be rather tough to get one cos everything's in Thai. So if I don't speak Thai, don't read Thai, forget about it(even though a native thai speaker can be there for you, no translator means lesser chance!) Therefore, in this case, getting a car for myself will be out of the question.

2. And as for the schools, well, my husband's french. My children are pretty young, the one who's going to school is only 3 years old. I speak English and I'm from Singapore (Used to be an english teacher in S'pore). So, I spoke english to my girls. The only problem for my girl is that she understood english but always replied in french. And that is the reason why we would prefer to get an english speaking international school rather than a french international school.

And since i was born in Singapore, i grew up living in an appartment plus we used to live in appartments before in France too. The thing is just that we finally come to a conclusion that living in a house is a better choice for us than condo or apartments. Not that we dislike people but we just prefer to have a little more space for us.

That is also why i thought perhaps getting an empty house can be cheaper in terms of rental rather than a house fully-furnished. But while I was searching through all the classifieds in the internet, it seems like almost 80% of the houses for rent are fully-furnished. I wonder if this is because I search in the english websites or just simply because there are more fully furnished houses for rent.

3. Another HUGE question that I start posing in my mind is whether Pattaya will be a better choice or outskirts of Bangkok in facilities and ease of travelling. There's definitely lesser choices for the international schools in Pattaya but it's not really a problem since my girl is still rather young.

Then in terms of distance between say Bangkapi or Bangna to Chonburi and Pattaya to Chonburi, I really have no idea which is nearer too. Anyone has any idea about this?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Maybe an answer to a few of your questions.......

For some strange reason, here in Thailand houses are normally rented either furnished/partcially furnished..... this is normally because when people leave a house they tend to leave something behind! Consequently, after about 10-15 renters the house is now totally funished with the utmost lack of taste!

If the hiring of a driver is for your husband to commute to work then I would seriously consider moving closer to the workplace and purchasing a motorcycle..... otherwise you are going to be paying for a driver to eat and sleep his day away. If the driver is for your use, consider purchasing a motorcycle....... cheap, and another reason NOT to live in Bangkok. Oh, my sister, who is no spring chicken has been driving her Honda Dream in Pattaya & Chiangmai with no problems...... the license requirements are not insumountable, a slight hassle that a few baht makes go away, quickly.

Pattaya is closer time wise to Bangkok, there is less traffic, less hassles and most of the shoping convieniences available in the big city. Housing prices are substancially lower than Bangkok. I think that the schools are either British or American systems.

Personally, I would choose either Sri Ratcha, Pattaya or ANYWHERE else in Thailand, rather than live in Bangkok. That's why I chose Chiangmai......

[bangkapiboy]

aint nothing wrong with living in Pattaya. You've got really everything a westerner could need there.

[nonameidentified]

The alternative, of course, is to hire a full-time driver, but it's frequently hard to find a reliable one and the cost of cars here is very, very high due to import duties.

I am not assuming anything, but judging by your posts, it sounds like you will be here on a full expat package. This means your husband will be allocated a driver and a car. If you live fairly close (within an hour) to your husband's place of work, his driver would be able to transport you when he is available. However, if you want to be truly independent in the areas you specify, you will need to be able to drive or take taxis everywhere. Most non-working women expats I came into contact with who came with their working husbands bought 'cheap' jeeps either new or second hand from other expats leaving the country.

Secondly, so-called 'international schools' vary wildly in quality and cost. Sometimes I think half the major families of Thailand are in the school business -- and, yes, it is big business here. At the top of the heap are ISB (International School of Bangkok) and Bangkok Pattaya

It's Bangkok Patana, not Bangkok Pattaya. I have seen quite a few posts referring to BPS as Bangkok Pattaya for some weird reason or another. And although these schools are the oldest and the most famous, Japanese students will normally go to the Japanese school; German speakers to the Swiss school; French speakers to the French school and so on Not 100% of the time, but most of the time.

International schools provide a private bus service that travels around from house to house in your area, picking up other students along the way; this service will usually be paid for by the company as part of the deal, though it is an optional extra. Most kids travel anywhere from an hour to two hours to school, and is a common and usual arrangement. This is not due to the distance but because of the traffic conditions. I was lucky that my school and father's workplace were very close to each other; it was because of this that our family could choose a place from a wide variety of areas.

Whatever you choose to do, you, your husband and children will have to compromise. If you want to be in the company of other expats, rent a place on an estate like Lakeside (lots of Americans) as Terdsak suggests or Ladawan (lots of Brits and Australians) or move into a condominium - you might hate this idea at first as you are used to living in a house, but it is a fantastic way to get to know people. Of course, if you want to live in Chonburi, that's another kettle of fish altogether and not my area at all, but there's plenty of people here who can help. Good luck!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

1. First of all, we're still negotiating the contract cause what they've offered as a 'standard' contract cannot really meet our needs in thailand.

According to the contract, the post that my husband will be holding will not be entitled to the company car and chauffeur (which will be a great problem for us if so cos I dun drive and judging from where he company site is, without a car is impossible!!)

Secondly, I do not possess a driving licence and at first I thought of getting one in thailand but after reading the details on the process, I think it'll be rather tough to get one cos everything's in Thai. So if I don't speak Thai, don't read Thai, forget about it(even though a native thai speaker can be there for you, no translator means lesser chance!) Therefore, in this case, getting a car for myself will be out of the question.

2. And as for the schools, well, my husband's french. My children are pretty young, the one who's going to school is only 3 years old. I speak English and I'm from Singapore (Used to be an english teacher in S'pore). So, I spoke english to my girls. The only problem for my girl is that she understood english but always replied in french. And that is the reason why we would prefer to get an english speaking international school rather than a french international school.

And since i was born in Singapore, i grew up living in an appartment plus we used to live in appartments before in France too. The thing is just that we finally come to a conclusion that living in a house is a better choice for us than condo or apartments. Not that we dislike people but we just prefer to have a little more space for us.

That is also why i thought perhaps getting an empty house can be cheaper in terms of rental rather than a house fully-furnished. But while I was searching through all the classifieds in the internet, it seems like almost 80% of the houses for rent are fully-furnished. I wonder if this is because I search in the english websites or just simply because there are more fully furnished houses for rent.

3. Another HUGE question that I start posing in my mind is whether Pattaya will be a better choice or outskirts of Bangkok in facilities and ease of travelling. There's definitely lesser choices for the international schools in Pattaya but it's not really a problem since my girl is still rather young.

Then in terms of distance between say Bangkapi or Bangna to Chonburi and Pattaya to Chonburi, I really have no idea which is nearer too. Anyone has any idea about this?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Maybe an answer to a few of your questions.......

For some strange reason, here in Thailand houses are normally rented either furnished/partcially furnished..... this is normally because when people leave a house they tend to leave something behind! Consequently, after about 10-15 renters the house is now totally funished with the utmost lack of taste!

If the hiring of a driver is for your husband to commute to work then I would seriously consider moving closer to the workplace and purchasing a motorcycle..... otherwise you are going to be paying for a driver to eat and sleep his day away. If the driver is for your use, consider purchasing a motorcycle....... cheap, and another reason NOT to live in Bangkok. Oh, my sister, who is no spring chicken has been driving her Honda Dream in Pattaya & Chiangmai with no problems...... the license requirements are not insumountable, a slight hassle that a few baht makes go away, quickly.

Pattaya is closer time wise to Bangkok, there is less traffic, less hassles and most of the shoping convieniences available in the big city. Housing prices are substancially lower than Bangkok. I think that the schools are either British or American systems.

Personally, I would choose either Sri Ratcha, Pattaya or ANYWHERE else in Thailand, rather than live in Bangkok. That's why I chose Chiangmai......

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Thank you very much for your great ideas. It's really funny the way your explain how the house turn out to be furnished!! But there's a point there.

I'm someone who hates getting stuck in traffic jams too. My husband too. So perhaps Pattaya or Sri Ratcha could be a way out.

[nonameidentified]

Just a quick note to thank you those who helped me in giving me advice here a couple months back.

We've finally moved to Thailand on the 4 January and found a nice condo with a nice sea view at Sri Racha.

You guys were right, during our last trip checking out all the possiblities for us to settle down, we found that Bangna was really nothing interesting and rather polluted. But shopping is really easy when it comes to Bangkok.

Pattaya... gosh!! It turned out to be a real 'eye-opener for us. We've never seen such many bars and sexual service workers in a town like this before. And if we eliminate the area out, there'll not be many places we can go for a walk with our kids. Except Naklua area which is better.

Bang Saen, is a nice little town but with seemed to be tough for us to do shopping.

And finally Sri Racha, what more can I say. We love it!! There's nice and reasonably priced seafood restaurants around the area, Going to Robinsons or rather Pacific Park shopping centre is nearby with almost everything we need to find for daily use, there's nice decent bars with good live music around the area, it's rather easy to go beach and island exploring during the weekends (in Rayong area it takes us not more than 2 hours to reach an island), nicely situated condo with excellent services, and when we really need specific stuff like furniture or deco stuff, we'll take a little drive down to Pattaya or even Bangna.

But Sri Racha is rather Japanese occupied. With lots of Japanese restaurants and bookstores, etc. But anyway, it's not disturbing at all. Sri Racha, a pretty little town.

Once again, thank you Thaivisa forum!!!