What are some important considerations for expat families relocating to Thailand?

some reality check: air pollution (you can download air quality app.to check daily) can.be quite serious, water quality (local people do.not drink from tap water), public drainage system is poor (avoid living in high risk big flood area), low world ranking in public road safety, also avoid living too near sky train station (noise level high) or too far away (too hot to walk long distance), ALL THESE CAN BE VERIFIED BY GOOGLE SEARCH

Many europeans taking their kids out of thai schools and coming home.thai

schooling is way below par to say the least.up to you

Cha Am.

"You won't be in Kansas any more" - is a reference to the Wizard of Oz. Although it is applicable.

I came to Thailand 8 years ago with a plan of staying maybe 6 months. I love there (currently I outside of Thailand for a few weeks).

All of Thailand is safe. Far more safe then US. Thai people are a little nutty.. Don't worry about the characterization,, they think the same way about us. Once you get used to Thailand, Thai people I think you will find it is a great place to be.

Phuket (pronounced foo-ket) is more expensive then other places but it's prettier. There are more Farang (western people) which makes it easier for you to get what you need. Isan (any place in the country), is 100% Thai culture, which is nice until you need something. It taken me 5 years to discover they do sell bleach.

Chang Mai is popular with Farang, but I have only been once. Its cooler in the summer months, but there is a smoke season (they burn the old crops) and several people find some other place to be during that season.

Pattaya is popular with the Farang who want to die a slow alcoholic death and enjoy themselves. I do not recommend it for the family.

Bangkok is great but its difficult to avail of all it has to offer without speaking Thai. You can get around ok, taxis, subway etc. But if you need directions to the local store or any other thing you will be limited.

Some people speak English but not many.

If you have the time and the money I would recommend renting a place in Bangkok for a few months and make trips to different locations to get an idea of what each place has to offer. Bangkok is safe, all of Thailand is safe. It's really a matter of what you are doing.

Condos (they dont really have apartments here), are more expensive near subways but they are good for transportation. The signs are in English, mostly. "Mind your head" means "caution low ceiling", but you will come to appreciate that as well.

Best of luck - you wont regret coming to Thailand.

Before you come you should get yourself a google voice number. This will allow you to make/receive calls from/to the US, just like a number call. People can call you without international charges and visa-versa.

Also, I went back to the US to change my residence to a tax free state. Something you may want to consider before you leave.

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Wait for Pandemic to burn out.

Then visit, travel for a couple of months to city, north islands, mountains, Isaan.

Then decide. If you haven't been here ( beyond holiday ) rethink.

If you have young child, you're young, and won't find work

You will need a lot of money to live in Thailand it's not cheap anymore. If have money it's possible if not much money it will be hell

Lots of people are definitely not happy that the unlimited 90 day border runs are no longer an option...

Chiang Mai. Slower pace.

I forgot about Section 112 of the Thai Criminal Code, and Slander/ Defamation of Character. Both are felonies in Thailand

Read



About Section 112 and



For Slander/ Defamation of Character.

Remember:

"But the truth is not a defense for private matters that is not a benefit to the public "

And it'll be on you to provide it's a public matter (in front of a judge), after spending time in a Thai prison.

64/prisons-buckle-under-overcrowding

"With only half a square metre of space to accommodate each inmate crammed in a cell, many end up sleeping sitting up."

Another thing to think about as well before moving here.

Thailand in general (outside of Bangkok) is safe and culturally people are much kinder and community oriented than westerners. One time I dropped my iphone while we were driving around and the locals held on to it for me and helped me get it back. I personally prefer island life to city life though.

Chiang Mai. Good schools, good expat community, good supermarkets for foreigners/expats, nice restaurants, beautiful mountains and good coffee. I settled here because it was the best place to raise my child. People are very trustworthy up here, crime rate is very very low!

There's a magical place for people just like you....

No really.

It's an exclusive area of Bangkok/nontaburi called Nichada Thani - it's a "Hollywood movie picture perfect" little America. EVERYONE is American, it's an American school with American teachers, everything is total luxury. EVERYONE drives golf-buggies, they have their own little council thing that ensures all your streets, yards, pools (inside and out) are cleaned constantly, daily, all the street cleaners wave and say Hello as you pass them. Every house has their personal maids/slaves.

(If anyone thinks I'm joking, I'm not. I spent 6 months last year working as a personal full-time English tutor for an American family living in this area - even though the kids probably had better English than mine and they obviously only spoke English at home. Both their parents were working here Orthodontists in American-based Thai clinics. In fact, you can't even Google Street View this region as somehow they seem to have stopped Google ever being allowed in there (for safety?) I dunno how that part happened. But the place is real though.

About education: If you're interested in homeschooling your children, most American school districts offer free remote learning. Ask your school district for more information, or check out

Have you lived in Thailand? Culture is the seen and unseen activities. How would you react if you get into a traffic accident, and the person who hit your car gets out with a big smile on your face? How would you react at the bank if you are trying to open a bank account on your tourist visa (which IS legal) and the manager smiles and says no? How would you react if you go to an immigration office to get an extension of stay, you submit the paperwork required that you found online, and the immigration officer smiles and says “no” and tells you to get another document that’s not listed and you never heard of? For Americans, this usually trigger frustration and anger, which usually results in the Thai person smiling bigger. Expect those things to happen.

Here’s my advice. IF you want to have a taste of living in Thailand, you and your husband should both acquire a Special Tourist Visa. This visa is a single entry visa, that allows a person to stay for 90 days, and can be extended in 90 day increments twice at the local immigration office, letting you stay for 270 days. You can open a bank account on this visa, you *SHOULD* be able to get a drivers license, of course you can see a doctor (there’s no nationalized healthcare for tourists).

Your child can enter on a Special Tourist Visa, but can go on overstay. There is no punishments for overstaying for children under 15 years old.

Find a region to stay in Thailand and stay there. See if you actually enjoy living in Thailand. See if you can manage the culture. If you enjoy living here, look into a long term visa.

If you have 20M THB for each person, talk to the Board of Investment about getting an investment visa. This visa allows you to stay in Thailand as an investor, and can be extended each year. You can also get a work permit (if you can find a company that’ll sponsor you for a work permit), and after three years of holding a work permit with this visa, you should be apply for Permanent Residency, so you no longer have to worry about visas.

I highly recommend being very careful about advice given in Facebook groups, lawyers, agents, etc. A lot of advice is either flat out wrong, confusing, or outdated. I’ve seen bad advice posted in these types of groups, people follow the advice, they get in (BIG!) trouble, and then they run to me to work magic, which I’m unable to do. Ask people to provide their sources.

About your background in the military: The military culture is rule driven, and a person can successfully argue the rules. That approach will result in trouble and resistance in Thailand, since rule enforcement are based on circumstances. Thailand is great for people who are diplomatic, able to stay calm during pressure, able to read people’s emotions, and able to have a sense of humor. Thailand is not good for people who are bound to the rules, who are not flexible, who can not negotiate, and who aren’t culturally curious.

Good luck! As a parent with a young child myself, if you need any specific advice, send me a message.

Living long term in Thailand is much more different than staying a few weeks in vacation. Firstly, I suggest to come in Thailand with a tourist visa, and stay at least 10-15 days in a house or a condo in different cities/province to explore the areas and having everyday life habits (going in markets/supermarkets, get use to local transport, locate different neighborhood and schools, etc..). I traveled twice in Thailand before staying 3 months and there is so many thing that you discover when you stay longer et live like a local, some are well surprising, others are exaspiring 🤷🏻‍♀️

Koh Lanta ❤️

Lots of good wisdom in these replies. Your visa platform is key. Volunteer visas can be a good way to sustain longer term, but that doesn't bring in an income. An education visa generally doesn't provide longevity (that one's complicated for a family). Do either of you have plans to find employment, or have leads on jobs? That's obviously another route. All that's to say, my wife and I made the decision last year to permanently relocate to Chiang Mai given we're recently retired. BEST decision ever! Even with all the covid "fun", we absolutely love it here. No regrets whatsoever. Thailand has its quirks, but that's part of the character of living here. We know so many families that are thriving here too. They either home-school or have their kids in an international school. So, don't be discouraged, but definitely do your homework. Praying for clarity in what lies ahead for y'all! (P.S., I've been to Kansas lots of times. I'm GLAD I'm not there anymore 🙂 )

My suggestion is to come over to Thailand for a couple of months look at different areas do your homework on how much it will cost to live there food, rent, buying a vehicle or renting one. School for your child as they will have to go to an international school.

A major point is how are you going to support yourself.

i live in hua hin and think its a lovely place to live..3 hours south of bangkok.

a lot of " ex pats" and families here.

nice beaches along the coast, plenty of good restaurants, coffee shops, bars, shops (two malls) , etc..

many nice places to live ..villas and condos.

at least a couple of international schools.

worth considering....

A decision to "relocate" to Thailand without having spent a considerable amount of time there is a decision that needs to be reconsidered.....You won't be in Kansas any more ....

My son grew up in Phuket/Singapore and i know many kids who have grown up in Phuket. But its not cheap but great place for kids.

I think Benjamin’s #2 point is most pertinent. It’s not necessarily an easy task to be able to find a way to stay here long term, doesn’t mean it can’t be done..Also, I would say Thailand is “generally safe”. That doesn’t mean it’s free from crime and general issues you would find anywhere else. The roads are however, statistically some of the most dangerous in the world. That is always a consideration when looking at a new place to live..

1. What part of Thailand. Besides the Deep South, all parts of Thailand are safe.

2. How old are you two? How are you going to stay in Thailand legally?

3. Education is terrible in Thailand, unless you'll put the child through international school. How are you going to educate your child?

4. How long will you stay in Thailand?