Family (40ish w 5 yo) moving to Thailand. Your thoughts?

[kannot]

Then just go for it and take it from there.

Not much to add really.

You didn't ask how my wife feels! [emoji14]

(She's open to it, enjoyed living there, but not as excited as I am to make it permanent)

Maybe she knows what the Thais are "really" like, how the place "really" works, its run on fear, dont question anything and push to far end up with big problems

[laolover88]

All I can add is: You are crazy!

I have one daughter aged 13 who is a lukhreung ie half european/half Thai. By the luck of family and our family's work She is quadri-lingual in English, Thai, French and Mandarin. But English is her "Mother Tongue" The idea that Thai is of any relevance to her future is pretty much absurd as she is not and never will be "Thai". There is not one school in Thailand that she either wishes to attend or which can provide her with even the modicum of a decent education. So called International Schools are only interested in money. Why would you pay $$$ for what you already can have in Canada? EP Programs in Thai Schools are a farce. The teachers are usually Cameroonian or Philipino. Your child will speak English better than them. She will as I say never be "Thai", nor will you however well you speak/read/write the language. Sure a year in a Thai school will be a "culturally diversifying episode". It is highly unlikely she will make good Thai schoolfriends and be part of a gang of girls. Thai families prefer to disapprove of that kind of thing. My view would be that your dream to live in the tropics is irreconcileable with your daughter's future opportunities. Other posters have pointed out the lunacy of relying on an income from property in Thailand.. Basically it is your fantasy.My daughter is going to school in the UK and much as I like living in Thailand I have to pass up on my tropical dream so that she can spend her teenage years with other girls who are not racist like the Thais and whose families value even what passes for education in the UK

[kannot]

Very helpful, thanks.

Recent inquiries have shown English teacher salaries to be 30-60k B.

Looks like 80k USD can buy a nice 2BR condo in Cha Am. We could pay for that in no time and reap the rental income.

Sorry to hear the consensus on Thai public schools. the cost of 12 years of private school education is likely a deal breaker.

John, the viewpoint of your Thai neighbours... I'll heed that too

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

your rental income in Cha am will be small and intermittent the best place is in BKK and the prices now re capital outlay/rent income are very small....................ask your Thai friends how many send their kids overseas for education then ask them why, anyone here with the money does this.................I dont understand why they come back though.

10 years renting rooms in BKK, own 4, invested 10 years ago £=72 baht ....£ now =50 baht not worth it. Sold the four rooms bought 3 more bigger as Wife in the business of real estate got them "very" cheap and you would not find a deal like this yourself Thai speaking or not.

Thailand is not the place to be with a small income, on top of that I think the country is teetering on the brink, you are under military rule and i think things could well " explode" at some point as the place is going nowhere fast, just read the daily news section of what the " great leader" is saying. Someone will be chosen as a scapegoat and it wont be a Thai.

[geronimo]

Life is all about choices and you only live once, so jump in. All will work itself out.

[Tawan77]

Very helpful, thanks.

Recent inquiries have shown English teacher salaries to be 30-60k B.

Looks like 80k USD can buy a nice 2BR condo in Cha Am. We could pay for that in no time and reap the rental income.

Sorry to hear the consensus on Thai public schools. the cost of 12 years of private school education is likely a deal breaker.

John, the viewpoint of your Thai neighbours... I'll heed that too

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

your rental income in Cha am will be small and intermittent the best place is in BKK and the prices now re capital outlay/rent income are very small....................ask your Thai friends how many send their kids overseas for education then ask them why, anyone here with the money does this.................I dont understand why they come back though.

10 years renting rooms in BKK, own 4, invested 10 years ago £=72 baht ....£ now =50 baht not worth it. Sold the four rooms bought 3 more bigger as Wife in the business of real estate got them "very" cheap and you would not find a deal like this yourself Thai speaking or not.

Thailand is not the place to be with a small income, on top of that I think the country is teetering on the brink, you are under military rule and i think things could well " explode" at some point as the place is going nowhere fast, just read the daily news section of what the " great leader" is saying. Someone will be chosen as a scapegoat and it wont be a Thai.

Thanks kannot. *This* is a helpful post.

[HooHaa]

if u care about your daughter I would never let her set foot in Thailand until shes 18+, I personally find the Thai culture abhorrent, selfish un-caring , engrossed in their religious fantasy indoctrinated with bs throughout

one must wonder where it all went wrong for you.

[kannot]

if u care about your daughter I would never let her set foot in Thailand until shes 18+, I personally find the Thai culture abhorrent, selfish un-caring , engrossed in their religious fantasy indoctrinated with bs throughout

one must wonder where it all went wrong for you.

One must wonder where it all went wrong for Thailand

[loppylugs1]

One must wonder where it all went wrong for Thailand

if u care about your daughter I would never let her set foot in Thailand until shes 18+, I personally find the Thai culture abhorrent, selfish un-caring , engrossed in their religious fantasy indoctrinated with bs throughout

Amen to this,and it gets worse. buried in their stupid 'phones,Previously mentioned spacial awareness is lacking,any awareness is lacking I consider. just got absolutely no time for any of them,totally ignore any and all painful ailments they suffer . Times Ive been out shopping ,a moron in front think he/she has all day to complete,just leave the dumped stuff on conveyor and move on

[otherstuff1957]

I would recommend giving it a try, but don't burn any bridges! If it doesn't work out you need to be able to head back home.

An international school for your daughter is a must. Your income from renting your house back home should cover the cost with a bit left over. Most international schools will have Thai language classes for her and most of her classmates will be Thai, so she will pick up the language naturally.

40k a month from a teaching job is possible, but 14 teaching hours per week is almost unheard of. 20 to 24 teaching hours is more typical. If you can get a job at an EP program, you will generally have better pay, better conditions and better students.

[yellowboat]

Education for your child will be the hard part. If you cannot afford an international school, try home schooling and hire college and graduate students to help out. Thailand sends its artists all of Asia for work. They are far more successful in China and neighboring countries than in Thailand. You can teach art and work as an artist in Asia as well. Do not put all your eggs in junta controlled Thailand

[bitcoinforever]

forget about thai public schools in rural or urban areas. i have two boys international schools Western teachers do great in school love going to school but you have to budget for that. low crime ,low prices but at the end of the day no opportunities for young people so after high school will have to send your child back to Canada. Thai's are very insular will think of you as a person who is here for a short time so they will never invest time in getting to know you sad but true. Visa situation will always be a constant headache. You want my advice try CUBA close to Canada just opened open people are great , many opportunities available. will give permit residence leads to passport. think carefully, take more trips look below the surface. lots of Thai's that can leave are leaving ??why crime is going up . traffic and congestion are building. air quality another problem,

[bitcoinforever]

I forgot , I have a thai friend just so you know deals with all the hospital in Bangkok, number one problem with thai hospital is misdiagnosis. most emergency room cases are digestive problems all that street food with very little heath department oversite. and no running water to clean hands and stuff with.

[SOTIRIOS]

...think again buddy.....

...looks good on paper.....

...but you really have no idea what you are dealing with here.....

....read up on how many people came here with good intentions....

....lost everything...even their lives....

[juehoe]

Publics schools are not very good in Thailand, indeed.

But privat schools are also not (very) expensive. Some public schools have special «English programs» with native-speaker teachers. The cost are around THB 150,000 per year.

[fredge45]

Canadian looney tunes!

[fey]

...think again buddy.....

...looks good on paper.....

...but you really have no idea what you are dealing with here.....

....read up on how many people came here with good intentions....

....lost everything...even their lives....

thailand suits me ok as a single guy, but it would not be an option for me raising a family or recommended for any retirees except for single guys.

there are safety issues, sex tourists issues, a population that cant do basic math or read the paper, everybody drinking, prostitutes everywhere...all in all just not a good scene for family raising.

just being here a couple years my iq and reasoning skills have taken a significant hit. im nowhere near as sharp intellectually as i was at home.

i would stay in a developed country with sidewalks and enforced laws if it came to family.

[Baerboxer]

Very helpful, thanks.

Recent inquiries have shown English teacher salaries to be 30-60k B.

Looks like 80k USD can buy a nice 2BR condo in Cha Am. We could pay for that in no time and reap the rental income.

Sorry to hear the consensus on Thai public schools. the cost of 12 years of private school education is likely a deal breaker.

John, the viewpoint of your Thai neighbours... I'll heed that too

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

On schools. There are some good private Thai owned schools that have links to organizations outside Thailand. My wife, qualified experienced teacher with M.Ed specializing in formative years, checked many before we chose one.

My daughter will move to new school in May. Follows the Manitoba Syllabus with many Canadian and other Western teachers.

These schools are variable so you must check, but some are just as good, if not better, than some of the branded franchise (and that's what they are) international schools that are here.

My son has special needs and goes to a Thai school that has a very good class for children with special needs. Again Mrs. BB monitors very closely. They attend regular training with a relevant Thai association which has ties with the Australian equivalent. He enjoys going, and I've watched his regular classmates all develop over several years.

Employment - several Western teachers I know have left or are in the process of leaving. They were all having their teaching times increased, having to cope with the extra administrative requirements, no salary increases and slowly being replaced with lower cost Filipinos. Many schools seem to be going down this route. The requirements for a foreign teacher are also strict now, but I imagine you have checked and comply.

It would be a good experience, but don't burn your bridges. Don't assume residency is a formality or easily obtained. I seriously recommend you do some more research however the climate and lifestyle appeals. It reads like your raring to come, your wife will give it a go, and your daughter's future need serious consideration.

Good luck.

[Baerboxer]

Very helpful, thanks.

Recent inquiries have shown English teacher salaries to be 30-60k B.

Looks like 80k USD can buy a nice 2BR condo in Cha Am. We could pay for that in no time and reap the rental income.

Sorry to hear the consensus on Thai public schools. the cost of 12 years of private school education is likely a deal breaker.

John, the viewpoint of your Thai neighbours... I'll heed that too

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

On schools. There are some good private Thai owned schools that have links to organizations outside Thailand. My wife, qualified experienced teacher with M.Ed specializing in formative years, checked many before we chose one.

My daughter will move to new school in May. Follows the Manitoba Syllabus with many Canadian and other Western teachers.

These schools are variable so you must check, but some are just as good, if not better, than some of the branded franchise (and that's what they are) international schools that are here.

My son has special needs and goes to a Thai school that has a very good class for children with special needs. Again Mrs. BB monitors very closely. They attend regular training with a relevant Thai association which has ties with the Australian equivalent. He enjoys going, and I've watched his regular classmates all develop over several years.

Employment - several Western teachers I know have left or are in the process of leaving. They were all having their teaching times increased, having to cope with the extra administrative requirements, no salary increases and slowly being replaced with lower cost Filipinos. Many schools seem to be going down this route. The requirements for a foreign teacher are also strict now, but I imagine you have checked and comply.

It would be a good experience, but don't burn your bridges. Don't assume residency is a formality or easily obtained. I seriously recommend you do some more research however the climate and lifestyle appeals. It reads like your raring to come, your wife will give it a go, and your daughter's future need serious consideration.

Good luck.

[quandow]

If you can put your offspring in an International school then they will be better off. I speak from experience - I've seen people put their children in one of the "better" private schools only to take them out, apologizing to the kids.

[bazza40]

The big question is whether the move is for the benefit of the OP and his wife, or his daughter. The negative for the daughter is her education, unless money is spent on an international school.

Personally, I would retain links to Canada. My recent experiences with the Thai medical system make me grateful I have retained private medical insurance in Australia.

[ozyjon]

I stopped reading your post after the first,,,,,I've,,,,

short attention span yada yada yada

but i agree with you 100% go ahead and do it

right now,, great idea.

[blackcab]

There are some good schools, but you will definitely need deep pockets. Take a look at the fees for Bangkok Patana as an example.

You will be paying 500k - 1 million baht a year per child, depending on their age and the extras they want.

https://www.patana.ac.th/Gateway/Notices/Fees%20Announcement%2015-16.v2%2028.1.16.pdf?q=1

Edited April 15, 2016 by blackcab

[captnhoy]

I paid for my niece's private school with the primary goal of her learning English. She was 7 years old when she started. After 2 years i was unable to see any progress. As in any. I requested a meeting or a chance to sit in on the English class. They did not say "no", but they dodged it persistently. I gave up and transferred her to an "advanced" public school. (my own terminology) She is 12 now and can manage a very little bit of English. As a side note, a school friend of my wife is the head of the English program at a public school. She is unable to converse with me. When she leaves she exuberantly says "Bye bye!" much like a 2 year old. I have been here for 11 years and much prefer my annual 6 month rotation back in the US now. In reading your post I end up wondering if you are putting your own dream in front of your wife's and daughter's well being. Have you explored in depth your wife's lack of enthusiasm? People here on TV who do not give Thailand rave reviews do so for good solid reasons in spite of what the apologists will write. Have you considered that the political strife here is actually class warfare? My advice is to not underestimate it's importance.

[rickudon]

Schools - absolute minimum is a private school, although some are state aided so have pretty low fees. Very few students at State schools can speak good English - some will understand English but are unable to reply - not sure if that is due to a lack of confidence or not. My wife is still amazed i can add up in my head without a calculator. My daughter is 4 and goes to a private school, but she could speak English and do the Alphabet before she went - one year later only the drawing has improved ..... none of them as far as i can see read yet, apart from single letters.

University education also an issue - even English language graduates often cannot maintain a conversation in English. As you say you are both educators, i suggest you seriously consider home learning (as an extra to school). Will your wife work? Not sure about this, but if she didn't she may need to qualify for marriage visa herself?

I would also consider how much pension from Canada you would get when you retire and when (bearing in mind that in Thailand you may have to retire at a younger age). Taking into account daughter's education, living costs and health insurance i wouldn't want to do it on less than 60,000 baht a month as a minimum - i struggle on 50,000 and have no vices.

As said, if you do try, have a plan to go back to Canada if you need to.

[Baerboxer]

If you can put your offspring in an International school then they will be better off. I speak from experience - I've seen people put their children in one of the "better" private schools only to take them out, apologizing to the kids.

Yep - and I've seen people take their children out of the very expensive international schools whose academic achievements don't match the fees.

[Tawan77]

Wow, just woke up to a great run of posts. Thanks everyone!

It seems clear that a quality International School is a must. The one question that gets a range of answers, which I also noticed in the education thread, is whether I need to worry more about my daughter's Thai or her English. For me, her learning Thai is of tremendous importance because I fear how outcast she would be without fluency. I can think of nothing more cruel than to take my daughter to Thailand only to insulate her in a bubble of western culture. This would be a miserable childhood. To be attuned to the culture, immersed in it, that can be a great childhood. I hear many of you say that she'll never truly be accepted, even with language fluency, as "that's how Thais are". I know there will be painful bullying as the farang, but like my experience, I'm sure she'd also make great Thai friends. I can see her graduating, fluent in English, Thai and Hebrew (mom is Israeli) and a couple of Mandarin, Japanese, French, Spanish or German. Instead of going to school in Canada all of her childhood and continuing on to a Canadian university, she gets a global experience, and if in an International School, will have friends from around the globe as well as in Thailand. She could go on to study university anywhere; wherever her friendships, her cultural/travel interests, her opportunities take her. Melbourne, Singapore, Vancouver, Tokyo, San Francisco, Berlin... the world's her oyster.

Yeah, I'm a pretty positive person, with a strong dose of idealism. I'm not naive to all that is Thailand though. I have seen some of the darkest and most depressing parts of Thai society. I could take the attitude that they're all a bunch of uneducated lemmings who hate foreigners and will never figure out how to get their country moving forward... but I prefer to look to the positive experiences I've had there. We have Thai friends who will be our friends for a lifetime. When I taught in Korea every message board said don't teach in Korea, they'll cheat you, employers are terrible, they're horribly xenophobic, they'll never accept you. I had a great year, great employer, great friends. Sometimes it's about our own attitude and our ability to live in another culture. It requires both humility--to accept that when living in another culture it's best to embrace it (all of it) rather than fight it--and the determination to make it work; to believe you can't fail. We make our dreams manifest. People said I was nuts: "you're going to marry an Israeli from the other side of the world, who you met at the Full Moon party in Thailand, who has a different culture, different religion, different politics, having never met her family?!" Yup, we did. Celebrated our 11th anniversary yesterday. People said, you're going to give up being a school teacher to go to Toronto and try and make it as a musician? Yup, we did. You're going to take your 5yo out of school for 10 weeks and backpack around SE Asia? Yup, we did.

But I'm not going to take my can't-fail attitude without doing a lot of research and taking time to really think about the implications, particularly for my child. I want to give her the best life possible. I'm not convinced that coasting on our comfort and privilege is best for her, but I'm rebelling against the track of my own upbringing a bit. We value global experiences, believe there's no better education than intercultural experiences. If it isn't working out, we can always go back to Canada or elsewhere.

My concerns are my daughter's education, the political instability, and the uncertainty of "what now?" If we find that it isn't working out for us.

Keep up the great replies. Thanks everyone. I'll keep doing my homework.

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

[Sheryl]

What's private health insurance cost a family for a year?? Thx

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

Get a quote

https://www.bupa.co.th/en/individuals/health-insurance/#.Vw-_W_nQf6M

There are other companies.

Make sure the quote you get is for the Platinum Plan as the others have such low caps that you end up having to pay most costs out of pocket. Platinum 5million preferrably, definitely not less than Platinum 2 million. Outpatient cover is usually not worth it but make sure to include the out of pocket cost of same (and dental!!!) in your budgeting.

[asean]

better start doing some asset planning now because your marriage wont survive Thailand. Thailand also has nothing to offer your daughter. You, maybe yes but not your family.

[1FinickyOne]

My question would be, how far behind might your daughter fall from others who are starting out in an international school? Are you prepared for her to lose a year?

I am in rural Thailand, raising a kid in a good school, but often wonder what and how much they are learning. I am raising a 100% Thai kid, a niece, and for her, it is fine - but she will not go on to an international school...

I have seen another kid come from the West w/o Thai skills and he is learning Thai very quickly and seems to get along well with the kids at school...

[Tawan77]

My daughter is 4 and goes to a private school, but she could speak English and do the Alphabet before she went - one year later only the drawing has improved ..... none of them as far as i can see read yet, apart from single letters.

Ugh.

i suggest you seriously consider home learning (as an extra to school).

Yes, we would

I would also consider how much pension from Canada you would get when you retire and when (bearing in mind that in Thailand you may have to retire at a younger age). Taking into account daughter's education, living costs and health insurance i wouldn't want to do it on less than 60,000 baht a month as a minimum - i struggle on 50,000 and have no vices.

See that's the thing a few replying have missed. We own a home in Toronto that we can rent for over $3000 USD/mo. That's our pension. (Canadian pension is measly if not supported by a corporate pension, which I have none). We'd only need a modest income in Thailand. We could probably make international schools work financially, though we'd prefer to save more for our later years. It's a lot of money, and I'm a believer in public education (though it sounds like I should say public-Canadian education and not necessarily Thai), but we could put our daughter in private school if necessary. (Will international school kids still become fluent in Thai?)

As said, if you do try, have a plan to go back to Canada if you need to.

Exactly... though I couldn't return to my current jobs, which is a little scary...

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

Edited April 15, 2016 by Tawan77