How much to raise a child?

[Pdavies99]

So age 66, limited income, nil pension and now you are thinking about the future?

What happens if you pass away?

Back to the village, your child will be treated as a low class mixed blood by virtually everyone, surely you don't want that.

Rethink what you want and why?

(I really sometimes wonder!)

Edited June 23, 2015 by Pdavies99

[MyFriend You]

You not say where you live or what your stile of living is so it is difficult to answer you

...............especially when he says "I have no pension" what will they live on?? and what about 10-15years from now, what will thefamly live on when he may be gone..............there's gotta be more to this that the poster has said - I can't wait for the explanations to come about........

[MyFriend You]

"Wife would love a baby."

"the affordableness of her desire."

Do you have a say in the matter? Do you even want a child?

Here I go again with the "I have a friend..........story" Indeed, once he even hinted he was thinking about breaking up the relationship because she was harping that she wanted a child, her mother wanted to be a grandmother etc etc etc - she stopped taking the birth control pills and didn't tell him............out pops a baby..........he has been taking care of the baby & mother now for about elevem years, has since married, now she won't let him see the kid, demands 50,000a month to 'take care' of a baby he didn't want, but loves more than anything in the world. one posted put it right - they will trick you, rob you, and basically break your bank and heart and move on to the next one.

Beware of what others "Want" be sure you "Want" this as well - if you wan this then I say go with Gusto!!!

[wvavin]

You do not want your kid's classmate or friends asking why he/she is always with his/her grandparents.

[stbkk]

Hi there,

If you are not going to be happy with the normal government education, then the simple answer is going to be A LOT.

Some of the replies indicate they have found good affordable options, but I was not so lucky when searching around my part of Bangkok. Maybe you will be able to find something near where you live, though.

If you have to consider international schools, then they vary in cost and quality. You pretty much get what you pay for, but the cheaper ones in Bangkok are still likely to be hundreds of thousands of Baht a year per kid.

Only you can decide what you can afford, and then you need to research the options accordingly.

As a number of the other posters have mentioned, the cost is of course only one part of the decision.

Good luck whichever way you go!

[KamalaRider]

What the hell is wrong with some people?

[offset]

You do not want your kid's classmate or friends asking why he/she is always with his/her grandparents.

They will not be asked that because a lot of them will be looked after by their grandparents it is the Thai way of life the grandparents look after the children while the parents go find work where ever they can

[asdecas]

Consider a ladyboy.

[thai006]

25 year old and got 2 thai childreen , it cost a lot of money yeah but lot of happiness , tomorow my second child birthday 3 year old

but at 66 year old , i think not a good idea really ,

[whiteman]

Do not do it full stop

[YeahSiam]

I was 64 when I had my only baby he is 6 years old now just started at a government school only had to pay for his uniform. He get free food and inoculations and I have not been asked for any money for any books or trips that he as done with the school

The biggest expense while the baby is young is nappies and maybe milk

When people ask me if it fair on my son that I might die when he is young I just answer by saying that my son has seen more of me in 6 years than I ever see of my Father till the day he die due to him having to work all the hours he could to pay to bring me up

I must say that I am able to leave my son enough money to live on till he get older and he also has land in his name for his university fees when required

Stunning! You actually sound

proud of yourself. Putting your

son through the Thai system is

tantamount to giving tacit

approval for him to emerge a

complete moron.

Great achievement, Dad, and

all you had to do was cough

up for a uniform.

What kind of father measures

his kid's upbringing today

against the lowest common

denominator 50-60 years

ago? Answers on a postcard

and mind your language,

please

Given your age of 66, I'd have

thought you'd have the presence

of mind to determine whether or

not she harboured a desire for

children before you got married.

Seriously selfish to bring a child

into the world at your age. You

ain't got a pension so what

happens if you croak? A child

ain't a puppy, mate - tell the wife

you're too old. If it's a

deal-breaker, consider cutting

her loose.

But it's not selfish, if you're an alcoholic womanizer under 30?

555+

Spoken like a narrow minded Farang...

Even if I was an alcoholic

womaniser under 30, if I was

single, who the hell would I

be hurting other than myself?

The OP's selfishness would

seriously impact upon his

child if he died.

Try using your brain before

cueing up your cakehole

[offset]

Stunning! You actually sound

proud of yourself. Putting your

son through the Thai system is

tantamount to giving tacit

approval for him to emerge a

complete moron.

Great achievement, Dad, and

all you had to do was cough

up for a uniform.

What kind of father measures

his kid's upbringing today

against the lowest common

denominator 50-60 years

ago? Answers on a postcard

and mind your language,

please

I had him in an international school but all they seem to do is work on his English his Thai was not good so I decided for HIS good to send him to a school that would teach him Thai, what school I will send him to later in his life I will decide which is best for HIM at the time

Why do people think that a westerner must send there children to an international school they are not all good

[Bangel72]

Have you had any kids before?

This is quite an important question in my view, I was in my forties when I had my first kid, even though I sort of wanted kids I also felt I'd been quite content without them. Now though I realize that I would have missed out on so many laughs and joys of having a kid so if you are healthy, of good heart and mind and as you importantly highlight of reasonable financial stability then I would not be so quick as many others here to rule the idea out.

At your age I'd expect you have more time to spend with any child than working parents, you hopefully also have stability so no upping sticks and moving to a new country with job market changes etc, a bi-lingual child in Thailand has advantages even if you still send them to a local lower cost school with an English language curriculum.

Bump up your life insurance and consider what would happen if your wife died and you are left holding the baby?

I actually think there are a few other older geezers perhaps not quite as old as yourself though that should consider the kids options, there's is a lot of life fulfilling aspects alongside a lot of challenges.

For me though it still comes back to the consideration of being healthy, of good heart and mind and having financial stability.

Kids are fast little blighters so you should also be hitting the gym if you want to keep up.

One interesting food for thought side comment, there have been a few other discussions on how much people should give their ex to support their children, those numbers given potentially by the same people seem to carry significant disparity from the numbers here.

[offset]

YeahSiam said

Stunning! You actually sound

proud of yourself. Putting your

son through the Thai system is

tantamount to giving tacit

approval for him to emerge a

complete moron.

Great achievement, Dad, and

all you had to do was cough

up for a uniform.

What kind of father measures

his kid's upbringing today

against the lowest common

denominator 50-60 years

ago? Answers on a postcard

and mind your language,

please

What right have you got to call me a moron I think it is stupid people like you that make comments on here without finding out the facts first

I had him in an international school but all they seem to do is work on his English his Thai was not good so I decided for HIS good to send him to a school that would teach him Thai, what school I will send him to later in his life I will decide which is best for HIM at the time

Why do people think that a westerner must send there children to an international school they are not all good

Edited June 23, 2015 by offset

[Brer Fox]

Think of it in a positive way. Someone extra to spoon feed you in your wheelchair in later years should something happen to your wife. Or go on a short holiday and have a secret vasectomy then blame your age for your lack of fertility. Or go on a short holiday and don't come back. Desperate situations call for desperate measures.

[MaeJoMTB]

So by the time the child is 4 years old you start the kindergarten and that is 20,000 a semester for a good one where he will learn Thai social skills and maybe some English exposure.

I'm in MaeJo, as I posted earlier kindergarten 1,800/semester, aircon classrooms, swimming pool and a great playground.

Tell me again what you are getting for 20k that I'm not getting for 1k8?

[YeahSiam]

Stunning! You actually sound

proud of yourself. Putting your

son through the Thai system is

tantamount to giving tacit

approval for him to emerge a

complete moron.

Great achievement, Dad, and

all you had to do was cough

up for a uniform.

What kind of father measures

his kid's upbringing today

against the lowest common

denominator 50-60 years

ago? Answers on a postcard

and mind your language,

please

What right have you got to call me a moron I think it is stupid people like you that make comments on here without finding out the facts first

I had him in an international school but all they seem to do is work on his English his Thai was not good so I decided for HIS good to send him to a school that would teach him Thai, what school I will send him to later in his life I will decide which is best for HIM at the time

Why do people think that a westerner must send there children to an international school they are not all good

I didn't call you a moron

Read what I wrote carefully

before calling me stupid. I

said that putting your son

through the Thai state

education system would

almost certainly ensure he

came out a moron.

[offset]

Stunning! You actually sound

proud of yourself. Putting your

son through the Thai system is

tantamount to giving tacit

approval for him to emerge a

complete moron.

Great achievement, Dad, and

all you had to do was cough

up for a uniform.

What kind of father measures

his kid's upbringing today

against the lowest common

denominator 50-60 years

ago? Answers on a postcard

and mind your language,

please

What right have you got to call me a moron I think it is stupid people like you that make comments on here without finding out the facts first

I had him in an international school but all they seem to do is work on his English his Thai was not good so I decided for HIS good to send him to a school that would teach him Thai, what school I will send him to later in his life I will decide which is best for HIM at the time

Why do people think that a westerner must send there children to an international school they are not all good

I didn't call you a moron

Read what I wrote carefully

before calling me stupid. I

said that putting your son

through the Thai state

education system would

almost certainly ensure he

came out a moron.

Sorry I miss read you but I do not believe that most Thais that go to a government schools end up as a moron I believe if a child wants to learn they will find away to do that no matter what school they goes to and that all I can do is guide him to that end whether it be in a Government or International school

[zeichen]

"I'm in MaeJo, as I posted earlier kindergarten 1,800/semester, aircon classrooms, swimming pool and a great playground."

please tell the name of this miracle school. No school in Thailand is 1,800 a semester. 18k a semester I would believe.

On average look at a min. of 50k baht a year for lower end but adequate school But for the better private ones closer to 80k a year including summer term.

On the low end your kids education will cost 1.5 million baht from Nursery school through local universities. Health care, hospital bills and the like figure another 200k.

If you have at least 2-3 million baht in a trust for the child's entire life, then you have nothing to worry about.

If your wife doesn't work and cannot support herself or the child after you go, then don't have a child period.

[tancred]

The hardest and most unpleasant thing in life is to face FACTS,or put another way" reality",sorry....

[MaeJoMTB]

"I'm in MaeJo, as I posted earlier kindergarten 1,800/semester, aircon classrooms, swimming pool and a great playground."

please tell the name of this miracle school. No school in Thailand is 1,800 a semester. 18k a semester I would believe.

On average look at a min. of 50k baht a year for lower end but adequate school But for the better private ones closer to 80k a year including summer term.

On the low end your kids education will cost 1.5 million baht from Nursery school through local universities. Health care, hospital bills and the like figure another 200k.

If you have at least 2-3 million baht in a trust for the child's entire life, then you have nothing to worry about.

If your wife doesn't work and cannot support herself or the child after you go, then don't have a child period.

MaeJo Tessabaan Kindergarten, on the corner of the 1001, opposite 'BeLive'.

2k joining fee (includes sleeping mat, rucksack, 4 uniforms) then 1,800bht/semester (including meals and milk).

They did stitch me up for another 150bht for accident insurance for the year, and I had to buy shoes and underwear myself.

The teens education so far (age 16 now, so 12 years worth) around 35,000bht in total.

(She's in her first year of what would be 6th form in the UK)

Thais get free health care, why are you adding unnecessary fees?

I've found the child care from Thai government hospitals to be better than the same care in the UK.

Why are you posting so much utter rubbish in this thread?

Edited June 23, 2015 by MaeJoMTB

[elgordo38]

Given your age of 66, I'd have

thought you'd have the presence

of mind to determine whether or

not she harboured a desire for

children before you got married.

Seriously selfish to bring a child

into the world at your age. You

ain't got a pension so what

happens if you croak? A child

ain't a puppy, mate - tell the wife

you're too old. If it's a

deal-breaker, consider cutting

her loose.

Make an appointment for a secret vasectomy (you should have had one by now anyways) come home and tell the wife you will try twice as hard to full fill her wishes. Yes your to old to be a father and yes children are not like puppies. Yes while making love males have the urge to re-procreate even at your age and mine. Its all part of the lovemaking process to get the juices flowing. Sex starts and finishes in the brain but do not let your wife brain wash you. As the poster above states consider it a real deal breaker. She is seeking the ultimate prize a status symbol here in Thailand. If you give in your looking for a world of hurt.

Edited June 23, 2015 by elgordo38

[elgenon]

I think all you guys saying what happens if he croaks are thinking about raising the kid as a farang. It is much cheaper to raise it the Thai way with the extended family and no International school. Yes, there advantages with farang money but Thais have been raised the Thai way for a long time. Give up the prejudice. She wants a baby. Are you saying she is stupid? It sounds a bit condescending to me. Like you know what is right for her and she doesn't. I know you are worried about the child but give the woman some slack.

Give her a dog? Soloman you ain't. Sounds like a cruel colonialist to me.

[sickwaterbuffalo2]

I think all you guys saying what happens if he croaks are thinking about raising the kid as a farang. It is much cheaper to raise it the Thai way with the extended family and no International school. Yes, there advantages with farang money but Thais have been raised the Thai way for a long time. Give up the prejudice. She wants a baby. Are you saying she is stupid? It sounds a bit condescending to me. Like you know what is right for her and she doesn't. I know you are worried about the child but give the woman some slack.

Give her a dog? Soloman you ain't. Sounds like a cruel colonialist to me.

If responsible parenting is anything to go by in Thailand she should have married a partner similar to her own age a kid growing up needs a dad around ,i cant imagine pushing a pram around at that age but as they say up to you.

[MaeJoMTB]

,i cant imagine pushing a pram around at that age but as they say up to you.

I've done it, and I enjoyed it.

[Linzz]

Am 74 and have a 9-year old girl. Nothing makes me happier than her smiles and hugs.

I'm separated from the mother, but we share the girl about 50-50. She's completely bi-lingual and often serves as my translator when she's not being shy.

There is a cost, but the added payments Social Security makes for my little munchkin pretty much covers most of it. I pay the "big" expenses: medical and tuition. It's a burden, but she's worth a million times more. When she's here with me, one of her favorite activities -- besides playing Minecraft with her old brothers -- is going to the bookstore, sitting on the floor, reading, and coming home with a slew of books to read in bed.

I have a friend a few years older than me with a Thai/American daughter 13, also fully bi-lingual. His wife divorced him about 4 years ago and he got custody. He and his daughter moved back to the states where he moans about the cost of living. But his daughter, like mine, is the apple of his eye.

Great to see dad encouraging reading! How do you manage to tear them away from the Thai soaps and games shows?? Have you thrown the TV out? Well done. I'm 68 and my youngest is 13. That's enough of a gap for me. But like you say about yours, mine is a delight too. Practicably the OP has to count the cost of education and if he has very little then the future for the child will be limited. But I will not judge.

Edited June 23, 2015 by Linzz

[Linzz]

Stunning! You actually sound

proud of yourself. Putting your

son through the Thai system is

tantamount to giving tacit

approval for him to emerge a

complete moron.

Great achievement, Dad, and

all you had to do was cough

up for a uniform.

What kind of father measures

his kid's upbringing today

against the lowest common

denominator 50-60 years

ago? Answers on a postcard

and mind your language,

please

What right have you got to call me a moron I think it is stupid people like you that make comments on here without finding out the facts first

I had him in an international school but all they seem to do is work on his English his Thai was not good so I decided for HIS good to send him to a school that would teach him Thai, what school I will send him to later in his life I will decide which is best for HIM at the time

Why do people think that a westerner must send there children to an international school they are not all good

I didn't call you a moron

Read what I wrote carefully

before calling me stupid. I

said that putting your son

through the Thai state

education system would

almost certainly ensure he

came out a moron.

Sorry I miss read you but I do not believe that most Thais that go to a government schools end up as a moron I believe if a child wants to learn they will find away to do that no matter what school they goes to and that all I can do is guide him to that end whether it be in a Government or International school

If you've got the wherewithall take your kids back to your country of origin, they will thank you in the end when and if they come back with great English skills and can get excellent jobs. I am and my Thai kids would never want to return to Thai schools which they say are very authoritarian and uncaring. Their view, not mine.

[little mary sunshine]

I don't understand why Soc Sec should pay increased benefits

Because they want to have a child,in their 60's and 70's. No

Wonder the system is in financial difficulties . Looks like the

American taxpayer is getting screwed, again. It should be

For retirement and disability, not to support some old geezers

Baby!!

[offset]

Linzz said

If you've got the wherewithall take your kids back to your country of origin, they will thank you in the end when and if they come back with great English skills and can get excellent jobs. I am and my Thai kids would never want to return to Thai schools which they say are very authoritarian and uncaring. Their view, not mine.

Why should I go back to a country that I left because it was to authuoritarian and uncaring my son is Thai and if he decides when he is older to go to the UK it will be his decision

To be honest I am not sure that many of the schools in the UK are that good any more

Edited June 23, 2015 by offset

[FritsSikkink]

Wife would love a baby.

Given my age of 66.....therefore limited ability to adapt by increasing earnings........I want to have a rational discussion about the affordableness of her desire.

How much to bring up a child all the way?

Given my OK but not endless funds and no pension it would probably be a value-for-money education but I wouldn't be happy with the normal public system.

Thanks

you could well be dead before your child finishes school