Thailand Forum - Moving Family to Pattaya???
|
Author
|
|
PiercedOzzy
View Profile
Login to Contact
From: Australia
9/8/2006 05:30
My husband has been working in and out of thailand for the past 3 years. We are now considering moving there.
I myself have a few concerns. $$$ wise, we can afford to live in Thailand, my concerns are more for my children (11yrs and 7 yrs).
We are possibly looking at living near Pattaya, is it safe enough?
Are houses reasonable to rent? (sorry cant live in a complex with other ppl, i need my space!)
Are there any good schools there and are they good?
My youngest has speech problems and is autistic (slightly) is this an issue in schools etc?
Can you bring pets?
Wow i have 101 questions but i cant think of them all. My main concerns are really my children. I think this would be a wonder experience for them BUT i also have concerns about taking them away from family and friends and how they would cope.
Also what would i do with myself? Im not a stay at home person, im more then willing to do volunteer work, any ideas?
Any information is very much appreciated! Im sure as things pop up i will have more questions, im still trying to work out the pros and cons of moving etc.....
Cheers...
|
QP
View Profile
Login to Contact
From: Australia
9/10/2006 23:51
Hi. Our family is also planning on moving to Pattaya. We will possibly be arriving in January.
I'd also like to find out about pets etc. So far from what I've been told we won't be able to bring our dog - she's a staffie.
These are the schools I've found - They're all quite expensive. I think the best priced ones are St. Andrews International School in Rayong and the other one that I think is very reasonably priced and interesting (it's bi-lingual) is the Burapha English Programme School of Thailand (sometimes called B.E.S.T.)
Garden International School,
Rayong 188/25 Moo 4, Pala-Ban Chang Rd., Amphur Ban Chang, Rayong 21130 Thailand
T: (6638) 880 3600/3
F: (6638) 630 735 www.gisthailand.net
gisrayon@loxinfo.co.th
International School Eastern Seaboard
P.O. Box 6 Banglamung, Chonburi 20150 Thailand
T: (6638) 345 556/9
F: (6638) 345 156 www.ise.ac.th
ise@loxinfo.co.th
International School of Pattaya
386 Moo 6, Sukhumvit Rd., Chon Buri Pattaya 20150 Thailand
T: (6638) 726 457-8
F: (6638) 726 459 www.isspattaya.com
isp@loxinfo.co.th
St. Andrews International School,
Rayong Campus 1 Moo 7, Banchang-Makham Koo Road, Banchang, Rayong 21130
T. 0 3889 3716-8
F. 0 3889 3720 www.st-andrews.ac.th
rayong@st-andrews.ac.th Rayong 23 Moo 7, Banchang-Makham Rd., Rayong 21330 Thailand
T: (6638) 893 716
F: (6638) 893 720 www.st-andrews.ac
information@st-andrews.ac
The Regent's School-Pattaya
33/3 Moo 1 Pong Banglamung, Chonburi 20150 Thailand
T: (6638) 734 777
F: (6638) 734 777 www.regents.ac.th
enquiry@regents.ac.th
Burapha English Programme School of Thailand
253/13 Moo 13 Nongprue
Banglamung, Pattaya City,
Chonburi,
Thailand 20260 Phone: +66 (0) 38 420848
Fax: +66 (0) 38 376288
http://www.best-burapha.com
Email: info@best-burapha.com
Keep in touch. I'd love to know when you are going there.
QP
|
Bonnies
View Profile
Login to Contact
From: Thailand
10/30/2006 09:06
WARNING. Avoid INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL EASTERN SEABOARD (ISE).
It is very expensive, looks very pretty, it is all ICING with NO CAKE!!! mostly ESL but the ESL program is a scam, they keep the ESL kids at a low level so they have to pay that extra fee for ESL, but it drags all of the other non ESL kids down.
They looked me in the eye and promised everything I wanted to hear (IB,AP, progressive elementary programs, but delivered very little. After a very disappointng year I pulled my kids (elementary and secondary) from the school, along with several other parents, went to the Garden School.
|
whitespider
View Profile
Login to Contact
From: Thailand
1/17/2007 08:20
We chose BEST Burapha on the basis of cost and what we perceived to be the edeucation "level". However this school is a nightmare and we are pulling our daughter out after just 2 months.
This decision is (obviously) not taken lightly as no-one wants to disrupt a kid twice in such a short space of time.
The school's admninstration is a shambles and we have had to resort to serious (police) complaints regarding the conduct of one teacher.
I cannot go into details of that but here are a few examples of the admin' shambles.
1. When she first joined she was left all alone in a classroon for two days because no-one knew where to place her. NOT ONE attempt to welcome her or give any assistance.
2. She recently took the schools exams despite the fact that she had only been in Thailand a few weeks. That was not a problem as they did say they did not expect her to do well in Thai based lessons as she does not speak Thai. We had no response from them re the exams so we enquired oursleves. We were told by the teacher who answered the phone that we had not been sent her results becaise we had not paid the correct fee. I wrote a letter stating that i was not "psychic" and had received no notification that a fee was due. I received no reply. I asked my daughter to ask her form teacher who sent her home with the instructions that it was up to US to request the notification and that they did not send out notificatios or request for payment.
How can we pay if we don't know we have to, or how much.
The final problem is of a sensitive nature and because it involves police and legal action cannot be published here - sorry, i wish I could.
I would suggest to anyone considering this place to think long and hard before doing so. It SEEMS attractive as it is so much cheaper than comparable schools in the area but maybe you really do get what you pay for.
|
QP
View Profile
Login to Contact
From: Australia
1/19/2007 06:02
The information posted here has been very helpful. Thanx.
After talking to a friend I decided to look for a school with the American curriculim and that means that Garden International is it. Easy!
We are finally moving to Pattaya. I will arrive on the 14 Feb. My husband arrived this week and has been organising accommodation.
If you want to contact me my email is pamisnow@hotmail.com and maybe we can get together over coffee in Pattaya.
I have 4 sons (25 down to 16) The youngest is making the move to Pattaya with us. The others are all doing other things.
|
sombat
View Profile
Login to Contact
From: Thailand
5/15/2007 22:03
Keep a close eye on the 16 year old boy there in Pattaya. It is the sex capital of the world. Things can be a huge temptation for a 16 year old boy. I say this because I have a friend who lived there as a teen while his father worked in the area and he is now HIV+ due to his dalliances with the working women there. Drugs can also be a problem there, as Pattaya is know for high use of drugs like yaa baa (methamphetamine). Yaa baa literally means 'crazy drug'.
Just a warning to keep an eye on the youngest son while there. He's around the same age my friend was when he moved there. Pattaya is probably the most dangerous city in Thailand in my opinion, and it rightly deserves the moniker bestowed 'the Brothel of the World'. Night time especially can be hazardous for a young male.
Sombat
|
|
|
|
|
|
