Sisaket Questions From The Rest Of Us

[Somtamnication]

Hi all.

Been living in Thailand 11 years, married for 10, 6 year old son, etc etc. Wife is from Phuket, but parents are all from Sisaket, who left the area 40 odd years ago. They have one rai of empty land there. No idea if we use that land or not. Depends on number 1 and 2. Baan Nam Kham area.

Anyways, coming from Phuket, we are contemplating leaving this sh$t hole and all the negatives here and move to a more quieter area, maybe to Sisaket and meet real Thais (if you live in a tourist area like Phuket or Pattaya, I am sure you know what I mean).

1- My main concern is schooling. Either in Ubon or Sisaket town, are there any private mini EP schools? My wife does a fantastic job with tutoring our son while I work to death and I fill in the English stuff and show him that there is a world outside of Thailand. But we do want a better school than just a normal govt school. Any info?

2- While I will most likely continue with teaching jobs and doing websites, wife is a fantastic farang food cook. She may open a restaurant if we see the need of one there. I am from the UK, but grew up in South America and the U.S., so the food may be a mixed blend of both North and South Am. food and the usual Thai stuff, small menu, etc etc. Is there a need for that in that area?

Thanks for reading.

[Somtamnication]

bump

[spacemand]

1) There is a school with a English program that starts at about 11 years old from what I hear its very good but costs about 60.000 a year must be good they have more applicants that spaces.

2) There are 3-4 places run by foreigners that serves farang food I am not sure if the market is big enough for another.

[SantiSuk]

Needs a farang food place that actually opens. I go there shopping quite frequently and rarely eat farang food. I may be wrong but there seem to be at least a couple of places in the centre that are closed 90% of the time. SiSaket is a quiet backwater of a town to my mind OP. That doesn't mean you wouldn't learn to love that, but coming from Phuket you'd be better off in Ubon by miles IMO. Better restaurants of Thai and falang food, better nightlife, much better shopping (SiSaket has two good supermarkets but bu$$er all else as far as I can see) and better transport links (8 flights daily to BKK on Nok, Aur Asia or Thai Airways) plus 3 a week to Chiang Mai and Phuket). If you are a Brit I would say its like choosing between Nottingham/Mansfield or Norwich/Kings Lynn.

There - I've said it and alienated every ex-pat in SiSaket. I will continue to go to SiSaket and explore it to find the hidden gems that might change my mind. You do not have to live in Ubon city to benefit form it anyway, unless cash is tight. The 60k of road from SiSaket to Ubon is fast and wide! I don't have any axes to grind for Ubon (I live 45k from SiSaket town in Changwat SiSaket and 85k from Ubon town) except to say that Ubon must be better 'cos there's a hash there!

There are reportedly good schools with English programs in Ubon (comments of falang friends/acquaintances, not the comments on this web-site): http://www.ajarn.com/help-and-guides/region-guides/ubon-ratchathani/ (Ubon is 620 kiloms from Bangkok - a 7 hour drive + stops to taste; dunno where they get 560 miles from! Teachers never were reliable on Geography or maths!)

Assumption is an International School with a reportedly very good reputation (and probably high cost).

I've got some difficult locational issues to address myself when our two year old is a few years older, although amazingly there is a mini EP program in a convent in our local Amphur of Kantharalak. I've heard that the three kids out of 20 in that class that take it seriously get some decent teaching!

Edited April 12, 2012 by SantiSuk

[Somtamnication]

Space and Santi, Thank you for the answers.

Not keen on catholic education, having grown up in a catholic country, they never impressed me. But we do give balance to his learnings at home, and correct the errors from the school he is at now.

I would admit, that my pet peeve is falang restaurants that do not stay open, have ad hoc hours and generally go by the wayside with the owners are out of town or not there. That will not happen with our restaurant, if we decide to move. I do great websites, and google maps and even videos on how to get to the restaurant will posted.

I am contemplating Ubon, due to the school info here and on ajarn.com.