Relocating to Chiang Mai

[WinnieTheKhwai]

So basically what your saying is that if i send my child to say for instance: LIST in Chiang Mai which is a university of Cambridge international Examinations examinations centre, she will be "unable" to gain employment in Thailand??

Yes because,

1. She will be unable to read and write Thai to the required level.

I think the argument you two are having is incredibly cute, but you're both missing a step: prior to employment there will be university.

If you go the International school route then it will be very hard to get into a Thai university (other than some very limited international offerings). So then you're setting yourselves up to send your kid abroad when he/she is 18 or so. Or not go to university. However, if you do plan for a Western university, then a full international school is clearly preferable.

Meanwhile, we all got side-tracked beyond belief. A dude is moving to Chiang Mai with a one ( *** 1 *** ) year old.

Leave it to the hub of expat helpfulness to go argue the Thai education and job market. We'll all be lucky to still be alive by the time that becomes an issue for his kid.

[onthedarkside]

Best I remove the last 5 posts as they were all very unhelpful. Please be informative with all posts and not unhelpful, thank you.

And another post removed.

[wolf5370]

...back on topic. I like Hang Dong as its just far enough out of town to have nice mountain views and greenery, but close enough to get a songtaew into town for 20 baht. It's near Airport Plaza, the air port, immigration, and bike/car licensing. A Macro, 2 Big-Cs and a Tesco (and a million and 1 7-11s and mom+pop stores) It also has a spattering of farang eateries and bars without the mass tourist influx (some muay thai tourist due to local school). For international schools we have: Lanna, Grace, Ambassador and American Pacific - all close by. Gated communities aplenty to boot - including one of the biggest (for farang community) Ban Wan Tan. Houses for rent from about 4k (Thai moo bahn) upwards - average 10-15k for a 2/3 bed with small garden on gated moo bahn with security.

[wolf5370]

So basically what your saying is that if i send my child to say for instance: LIST in Chiang Mai which is a university of Cambridge international Examinations examinations centre, she will be "unable" to gain employment in Thailand??

Yes because,

1. She will be unable to read and write Thai to the required level.

I think the argument you two are having is incredibly cute, but you're both missing a step: prior to employment there will be university.

If you go the International school route then it will be very hard to get into a Thai university (other than some very limited international offerings). So then you're setting yourselves up to send your kid abroad when he/she is 18 or so. Or not go to university. However, if you do plan for a Western university, then a full international school is clearly preferable.

Meanwhile, we all got side-tracked beyond belief. A dude is moving to Chiang Mai with a one ( *** 1 *** ) year old.

Leave it to the hub of expat helpfulness to go argue the Thai education and job market. We'll all be lucky to still be alive by the time that becomes an issue for his kid.

I would guess most people sending their kids to International schools have no interest in Thai Universities (otherwise why not send them to bi-lingual private schools instead?). Most have family at home so kids have the option of going home for UG/PG study with family support (unlike most Thais at international school here - but I guess they will still pass the Thai entrance exams anyway due to native tongue).

One must remember though that if one parent is Thai, it is likely that the kids will learn Thai fluently anyway (I buy my kids books in English and in Thai for them to read - they have to read them as homework - for example). Universities here will accept western exams for entrance, but will require Thai to m6 level - this can be taken externally (or probably at the int. school for a cost) anyway. Good Thai universities offer courses in English anyway : e.g: Chula's current international program courses (in English): http://www.inter.chula.ac.th/inter/internationalstudents/InterProgramList.html - obviously these are premium rate, but so are international schools.

Just looked at the costs for BSAC at Chula (under grad bachelor degree) - payments are: 1 (all) 70k, 2 (Non-Thai) 44.5k and 3 (all first year only) 14k. So total for non-Thai in Thailand's number one university, we are talking 128.5k baht ($4k / Gbp2.6k) which is incredibly cheap.

Are employers really going to care if your Chula MSc was taught in English if you are a Thai national and can speak/read/write Thai fluently? Or are they going to see the English language and understanding of culture as a benefit instead?

[KRS1]

So basically what your saying is that if i send my child to say for instance: LIST in Chiang Mai which is a university of Cambridge international Examinations examinations centre, she will be "unable" to gain employment in Thailand??

Yes because,

1. She will be unable to read and write Thai to the required level.

I think the argument you two are having is incredibly cute, but you're both missing a step: prior to employment there will be university.

If you go the International school route then it will be very hard to get into a Thai university (other than some very limited international offerings). So then you're setting yourselves up to send your kid abroad when he/she is 18 or so. Or not go to university. However, if you do plan for a Western university, then a full international school is clearly preferable.

Meanwhile, we all got side-tracked beyond belief. A dude is moving to Chiang Mai with a one ( *** 1 *** ) year old.

Leave it to the hub of expat helpfulness to go argue the Thai education and job market. We'll all be lucky to still be alive by the time that becomes an issue for his kid.

I would guess most people sending their kids to International schools have no interest in Thai Universities (otherwise why not send them to bi-lingual private schools instead?). Most have family at home so kids have the option of going home for UG/PG study with family support (unlike most Thais at international school here - but I guess they will still pass the Thai entrance exams anyway due to native tongue).

One must remember though that if one parent is Thai, it is likely that the kids will learn Thai fluently anyway (I buy my kids books in English and in Thai for them to read - they have to read them as homework - for example). Universities here will accept western exams for entrance, but will require Thai to m6 level - this can be taken externally (or probably at the int. school for a cost) anyway. Good Thai universities offer courses in English anyway : e.g: Chula's current international program courses (in English): http://www.inter.chula.ac.th/inter/internationalstudents/InterProgramList.html - obviously these are premium rate, but so are international schools.

Just looked at the costs for BSAC at Chula (under grad bachelor degree) - payments are: 1 (all) 70k, 2 (Non-Thai) 44.5k and 3 (all first year only) 14k. So total for non-Thai in Thailand's number one university, we are talking 128.5k baht ($4k / Gbp2.6k) which is incredibly cheap.

Are employers really going to care if your Chula MSc was taught in English if you are a Thai national and can speak/read/write Thai fluently? Or are they going to see the English language and understanding of culture as a benefit instead?

Depends on the employer

If its an expat company with expats as employees than English is good to know, but expats usually stick together and hire their own for top level jobs, they always seek someone who can understand them. But id say 50% of expat companies are here today gone tomorrow and are usually small....Thais dont usually want to work at small companies for lack of job security, learning things on the job and the indifference in cultural understanding, they dont feel comfortable and like making friends in the workplace...unless its the type of Thai that worships all things farang.

BUT if it's a large Thai company with predominantly Thai staff, the candidate will have to read, write and speak Thai fluently to be considered for Managerial positions, in order to delegate with authority and to be taken seriously.

Then you have large multinational corporations who only hire the best and are expected to be fluent in both Thai and English. Some companies are strictly English but these are extremely hard to get into unless your academic performance is stellar and you have an impressive resume.

[AnotherOneAmerican]

Are employers really going to care if your Chula MSc was taught in English if you are a Thai national and can speak/read/write Thai fluently? Or are they going to see the English language and understanding of culture as a benefit instead?

At the risk of angering the OP.

I am such a person, I can't read or write Thai. My reading is poor but my writing is hopeless.

Speaking, reading, writing are not the same skill sets, writing is particularly hard as almost every word is unique and has to be memorised.

[Johpa]

Just not true.

Thai school prepares your children for life and work in Thailand.

International school prepares your child for life and work in an English speaking country.

If you choose the wrong option, the child will never fit in and be unsuitable for employment in their chosen country.

Au contraire, my daughter did her primary and secondary education in the US public schools. She attended an English language college program here in Thailand. She fits in as easily into the Thai workplace as she does into the US workplace. That being said, whether in Thailand or the US, it is the student's responsibility to overcome the shortcomings of the often mediocre public education available in each country, with the Thai education losing that battle to the bottom. You would not want your child to attend Thai public schools apart from perhaps the first few grades.

[elektrified]

Why not put the kid in a Thai government school, assuming she is Thai.

Maybe they want their child to have a decent education?

I would assume both your wife and the OP's went to a Thai government school. They didn't turn out that bad, did they?

How would I know where the OP went to school??? I don't know him. Mine went to private school. No, she got a good education at C.M. private schools (as did her brother who has a Masters Degree from CMU and is working on his Ph.D.)

I don't think it's helpful in any way to encourage someone to send their child to a public/government school in Thailand. Even the poorest of Thais I know have their kids in some level of private education. Everyone wants their kids to have the best possible chance in life.

[WinnieTheKhwai]

I don't think it's helpful in any way to encourage someone to send their child to a public/government school in Thailand. Even the poorest of Thais I know have their kids in some level of private education. Everyone wants their kids to have the best possible chance in life.

Yes. And I think that's a worrying trend. Private education is so much more expensive than government education that it may even cause parents to have fewer children, which would explain the dramatic fall in the Thai birth rate. (Thailand's birth rate is actually lower than many of the richest, most developed Western nations in the world, including lower than Finland (and much lower than the US and UK, of course).

It used to be that middle class and higher middle class Thais went to government schools, back when those were the best around. My wife is a bit older and went to school with kids from some of the richest Chiang Mai families... at Yupparaj. And then CMU. Both of which were -at the time- the top tier, and they cost very little money.

Parents now feel forced to pay for Prince Royal, Montfort, Regina, Varee, etc.

Probably worth a separate topic, though it's not a topic that would get a lot of interesting debate.

[AnotherOneAmerican]

I don't think it's helpful in any way to encourage someone to send their child to a public/government school in Thailand. Even the poorest of Thais I know have their kids in some level of private education. Everyone wants their kids to have the best possible chance in life.

Many of the poorest Thais I know have a brand new truck/car as well, everyone wants to show off.

Not about wanting best for their kids, all about boasting to everyone else.

[elektrified]

I don't think it's helpful in any way to encourage someone to send their child to a public/government school in Thailand. Even the poorest of Thais I know have their kids in some level of private education. Everyone wants their kids to have the best possible chance in life.

Many of the poorest Thais I know have a brand new truck/car as well, everyone wants to show off.

Not about wanting best for their kids, all about boasting to everyone else.

It's about getting a good eduction so they can get a decent job.

[WinnieTheKhwai]

Many of the poorest Thais I know have a brand new truck/car as well, everyone wants to show off.

Not about wanting best for their kids, all about boasting to everyone else.

And some of the richest too. That's when they do get outrageous wheels or other silly options for their new Merc.... but no child safety seat.

[Johpa]

Many of the poorest Thais I know have a brand new truck/car as well, everyone wants to show off.

Not about wanting best for their kids, all about boasting to everyone else.

You clearly have not gotten around Thailand much if the poorest people you know still have any trucks or cars.

[Paangjang]

My girlfriend studied in International schools from the age of 4 to 21. She now holds the position of F&B Director in a 5* resort bringing home over 80,000฿ per month (not including SC.)

Obviously she reads and writes fluent Thai, she is Thai. She taught me to read Thai. Futhermore, she didnt use any family connections to get this job. They all live in Satun. International schools are miles ahead of the local schools here.

[AnotherOneAmerican]

My girlfriend studied in International schools from the age of 4 to 21. She now holds the position of F&B Director in a 5* resort bringing home over 80,000฿ per month (not including SC.)

Obviously she reads and writes fluent Thai, she is Thai. She taught me to read Thai. Futhermore, she didnt use any family connections to get this job. They all live in Satun. International schools are miles ahead of the local schools here.

Most of us have pensions that pay more than that!

[Chicog]

My girlfriend studied in International schools from the age of 4 to 21. She now holds the position of F&B Director in a 5* resort bringing home over 80,000฿ per month (not including SC.)

Obviously she reads and writes fluent Thai, she is Thai. She taught me to read Thai. Futhermore, she didnt use any family connections to get this job. They all live in Satun. International schools are miles ahead of the local schools here.

Most of us have pensions that pay more than that!

I bet "most of us" don't.

[elektrified]

My girlfriend studied in International schools from the age of 4 to 21. She now holds the position of F&B Director in a 5* resort bringing home over 80,000฿ per month (not including SC.)

Obviously she reads and writes fluent Thai, she is Thai. She taught me to read Thai. Futhermore, she didnt use any family connections to get this job. They all live in Satun. International schools are miles ahead of the local schools here.

Most of us have pensions that pay more than that!

I bet "most of us" don't.

+1

[heybruce]

Contrary to popular opinion, there are some good public schools in Thailand, Yupparat being one of them (one of their students recently scored a 780 on the SAT Math Subject Test and a 790 on the Physics Subject Test. These are very difficult tests and very impressive scores, this young man now has his choice of any science and engineering school in the U.S.). However, there are also some terrible schools in Thailand, so you need to get your child into a good school, public or private, and you need to be a good parent and take a daily interest in your childs performance in school.

[Paangjang]

My girlfriend studied in International schools from the age of 4 to 21. She now holds the position of F&B Director in a 5* resort bringing home over 80,000฿ per month (not including SC.)

Obviously she reads and writes fluent Thai, she is Thai. She taught me to read Thai. Futhermore, she didnt use any family connections to get this job. They all live in Satun. International schools are miles ahead of the local schools here.

Most of us have pensions that pay more than that!

What's your point? Are you drunk or just old? You think that's not a good salary for a 24 year old Thai lady? You think if you went to a government school she would have more career opportunities and she could land a managerial job at 24 years old in a 5* resort? Most Thai's aren't sure whether England is a state in the US or a whole different country!

[wolf5370]

My girlfriend studied in International schools from the age of 4 to 21. She now holds the position of F&B Director in a 5* resort bringing home over 80,000฿ per month (not including SC.)

Obviously she reads and writes fluent Thai, she is Thai. She taught me to read Thai. Futhermore, she didnt use any family connections to get this job. They all live in Satun. International schools are miles ahead of the local schools here.

Most of us have pensions that pay more than that!

What's your point? Are you drunk or just old? You think that's not a good salary for a 24 year old Thai lady? You think if you went to a government school she would have more career opportunities and she could land a managerial job at 24 years old in a 5* resort? Most Thai's aren't sure whether England is a state in the US or a whole different country!

Sometimes us Brits feel that way too

[Johpa]

My girlfriend studied in International schools from the age of 4 to 21. She now holds the position of F&B Director in a 5* resort bringing home over 80,000฿ per month (not including SC.)

Obviously she reads and writes fluent Thai, she is Thai. She taught me to read Thai. Futhermore, she didnt use any family connections to get this job. They all live in Satun. International schools are miles ahead of the local schools here.

Most of us have pensions that pay more than that!

Yea, mostly former American public sector pukes feeding at the trough of the government. Most of us have no pensions at all. But one can see here why so many America retirees fit in so well to the Thai urban society where constant comparison to others is the raison d'être.

[aldrm]

My girlfriend studied in International schools from the age of 4 to 21. She now holds the position of F&B Director in a 5* resort bringing home over 80,000฿ per month (not including SC.)

Obviously she reads and writes fluent Thai, she is Thai. She taught me to read Thai. Futhermore, she didnt use any family connections to get this job. They all live in Satun. International schools are miles ahead of the local schools here.

Most of us have pensions that pay more than that!

Yea, mostly former American public sector pukes feeding at the trough of the government. Most of us have no pensions at all. But one can see here why so many America retirees fit in so well to the Thai urban society where constant comparison to others is the raison d'être.

Brilliant!