NIST Parents Advice

On how to raise children in Bangkok

Comments from 109 NIST Parents September 2012

Content:
1. 2. 3. 4. Greatest benefits of raising children in Bangkok Greatest concerns/struggles when it comes to raising children in Bangkok Experiences, tips, and strategies that can help you raise your child in Bangkok Feedback from parents who have moved to Bangkok from another country a. The most significant changes that affected them and their children b. How they adjusted to these changes

What is the greatest benefit of raising kids in Bangkok?

They are surrounded by the rich culture of the Thai people. Thais have great respect for their elders and good manner too NIST, IB, friends from many countries Great schools, fantastic weather, local and regional travel, the sheer number and affordability of activities. Higher standard of education. Exposing him to different cultures. Becoming more independent. Being in a multicultural society, having more time with the children, lots to do and see. To acknowledge of diversity. Chance to meet people from all over the world, having different culture or back ground. Great school, learning Thai language, and great communities to plug in to. Exposure to other cultures. There are lots, including: building confidence, some "street smarts," and empathy for those less fortunate who feel obliged to resort to the sex (or other) trade to survive or beg for money on the streets. Also, lots of multi-cultural exposure and savvy about public transportation and general navigation in a big city. Diversity of people, home help, swimming pools, excursions relatively inexpensive. The excellent schools, hospitals and opportunity to participate in extracurricular activities. The only reason I have remained in Bangkok for as long as I have (3 years) is because I think that NIST is an outstanding school and I feel hesitate to move my child from the school. One suggestion that I would make is to allow children to be able to access the school grounds more freely after school hours. It is comforting for parents to be able to give their children some freedom in a controlled and safe environment. (Not referring to ECA's) but rather use of the library, playground, etc. Family friendly environment for such a very large city; Thais still nurture a traditional sense of family i.e. respect for elders and the like and i enjoy my child being surrounded and influenced by that kind of a culture much of which has been lost in the "western world", great food, lots of things to do from sports to languages to eating; most importantly, the children enjoy it because of all of the above i.e. friendly Thai culture, activities, food, friends, relative safety for such a large city at least in the Sukhumit area Different cultures - exposed to many things and many people. Lots to do, safer city than most. Different opportunities: hearing new languages and easier access to swimming. Most developed city in Thailand. Various education choices Expanding their understanding of the world. Safety relative to many other cities. Good educational opportunities. They are experiencing a new culture, we have home help and more time to spend with them. Understanding other cultures when moving with classmates and adopting to the environment.
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Domestic help and good international schools with teachers from all over the world. The kids get to attend international school, whereas back home, they were attending national school with national syllabus. Good food, nice people and flexible lifestyle. We are originally from south Asia so used to the weather. Also many different nationalities here. The kids growing up in a multicultural environment. Also very close to home. Kids can visit their grandparents quite easily. Acquire an way of international thinking, different languages from his own and protecting himself from danger. To be able to meet so many cultures in one place and that you can do so many different things (like water sports, tennis, golf, basketball), to travel to different places and the variety to eat NIST is a great help! What could the children do without school in Bangkok?! For us is a benefit to be able to start school so early here, back home, we start at age of 7 but anyway the school is not too much school - in our opinion children should be able to be children as long as possible and it seems that in NIST they have opportunity to play but they still learn every time something. Multi-cultural city, easy to get around the city, lots of things to do for children, healthier environment than our last posting. Since my entire family is here, i get help from them once in a while to keep an eye on her and make sure she is safe while we are not around. Bangkok has everything that the big city can offer. Cultural Diversity. Multilingual. Being exposed to such a diverse environment and enriching cultures is a great benefit. They meet children from all over the world and are very excepting of their sameness and differences. The international children are very welcoming of each other and it is a very good base for later on in life especially as the world become more international. The children also understand the changes in their life and a very understanding of the good and bad times that sometime happen. I guess developing street smarts at a young age. Exposure to an Asian way of life. Exposure to such a wide range of cultures in an overall friendly and safe large city. Living in central Bangkok, near BTS/MRT in a comfortable home, is very convenient for dayto-day cosmopolitan lifestyle. It's also convenient for travel to other places in Thailand and internationally - especially to visit neighbouring countries in the region. Many things/services, apart from school fees, are inexpensive in BKK compared with home country. The general quality of life. Friendly people, diverse, multi-cultural and with a great climate. Having home help, being in such an amazing multi-cultural environment, Asian travel opportunities.
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Multiple cultural experience. Studying at international school. Experiencing diverse persons and their cultures. More hi-tech appliances being used in daily life. More chance to get in touch with international lifestyle and culture. Thai culture; food; people - exposure to a different way of life and mentality. Many wonderful things like access to beaches etc. The calibre of the schools. That our children are NOT RACISTS!!!! 1. Accepting others as for who/what they are/what they look like/what they believe in.... very important - 2. being able to speak/practice many languages 3. Even when there are challenges sometimes in Bangkok, being flexible. Ability to travel as we are close to many different countries. Experiencing different cultures and learning so many new things. Diversity. The education my boys are getting at NIST is perhaps the greatest benefit that I know my boys will one day appreciate. Personally, I feel that the fact our kids won't drive a car while we live here gives me tremendous peace of mind and better night sleep! Multicultural. The greatest benefit is that kids can learn how to live in a big city with mixed cultures from different part of the world. It has both pros and cons that kids must learn how to make use of the pros and avoid or reduce the negative impacts of the cons in order to enjoy life in Bangkok. All the opportunities that are offered. And, an education like NIST! An education like this would be unaffordable in our home country. Being able to go away for nice weekends to great places like Dolphin Bay etc. Perhaps that they can be more independent because of the BTS. From the real estate agent we heard that Bangkok is considered safe. Not like Manila where the fear of kidnapping is acute. Lovely weather, good school, nice country Multi-cultural environment where kids still can experience Thai culture. Exposure to many different cultures. My kids have been exposed to so many different people, places, and ideas. Our family has grown so much from this experience! Diversity of cultures and languages. Overall sense of safety and freedom not to mention exposure to a myriad of activities and cultures. Having teenagers here, There is some freedom they wouldn't have at home, they can go by public transport, not at night, but they are able to travel on it during the day. I don't see any benefit to raising kids exclusively in Bangkok. I believe that some years in Bangkok, however, would greatly complement education in a mix of countries. In a few years I'd like to move somewhere completely different (1st world with 4 distinct seasons) to give them a fuller view of the world. Mix of Asian cultures and energy of the people in the city. Speed of growth in the developing country.
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Gosh, so many benefits, it's hard to say briefly. The city is full of life. It's fun and entertaining. The streets are filled with valuable lessons for children. There are the street vendors selling many different foods and other items. There's the motorbike and tuk tuk culture. There are the lonely hearts bars and massage parlours. There are the disabled and child beggars. The street life provides so many opportunities to talk with children about important social issues. These opportunities would not present themselves back home. We believe the discussions we have with our son about what he sees on the streets provide invaluable lessons for him as he grows into a person. Being so close to beaches, which is great encounter with nature. Community, having relatives around. Convenience of city living at its best. Also its safe compared to most major Asian cities. Great opportunity to be exposed to Thai culture, language, people. Exposure to other kinds of families, nationalities etc. The demeanour of Thai people. In general they are very nice and polite. Many opportunities for exciting after school activities. Access to a diversity of food, music, sports, educational opportunities Living amid the Thai culture and seeing and meeting people from all over the world. The great schools available and the fact that the children grow up in an international environment where they learn to respect other cultures and religions and "being different" is normal. They gain a much wider horizon of experiences by living abroad. International, variety & independent. The multi-cultural aspect and the many influences he can grasp. He learns so many things he never would have learned at home. Good school like NIST. Exposure to another way of life and a variety of cultures. The greatest benefit of raising kids in Bangkok is that they are studying in an IB atmosphere which moulds your child's all-round performance and makes them prepare for future challenges in Universities all over the world. They become more westernised, open minded, adjustable, not sentimentally bound, daring, and practicable. Relatively safe. No sexual harassment of girls In Bangkok we can see all walks of life in a place where differences are accepted. It is an opportunity for them to see what is possible, and if they are really thinking, they will also see how privileged they are and the opportunities that are open to them to prosper and to help others. You can find everything in Bangkok, both good as bad... Multi-cultural society, has a good mix of east and west. It is a progressive society and finally this city has a character and lives on the edge - a healthy mix Access to excellent (though expensive) education and opportunities to interact with international community. Maids, who can run after them from A to B and back all day long. Everything! Nice people, international environment, everything is on offer!
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Most Thai people love kids and this means they are not treated with hostility in restaurants or shops and there is usually someone who will lend a helping hand with children if needed. Exposure to other cultures. Lots of opportunities for activities that fit a child's need or interest. Support/counseling available if needed (not just at school). International/getting to know many cultures/understanding different opinions and beliefs. Cosmopolitan city, good international school and community. Bigger exposure to the world, seeing different cultures and races, better view of the society and finding the balance among all the differences. Multi-cultural, cosmopolitan view of the world. Great public transport. Lots for them to do. Experiencing the rich culture of the country. Best of east and west. NIST giving the opportunity to meet children from around the world, exposure to different cultures, ideas, visions. Bigger space accommodation, a good choice of schools, a safe city for her to go out alone. There are excellent schools. Excellent medical care. It is very safe (personal safety) and the public transportation to main shopping areas is good. Teens can get around easily on their own. Bangkok is very centrally located, making it easy to travel anywhere.

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What is your greatest concern/struggle when it comes to raising your children in Bangkok?
I am concerned that they will get lost emotionally, not knowing who they are because they (and we) constantly need to adapt and fit in. I also feel that the children have very few significant others (grandparents, other relatives etc) close to us and they are difficult to replace in Bangkok. I am also worried about what values they acquire, because they do notice that Thailand (and within the international community) have a pronounced social differentiation and that not all are treated respectfully or equally. Less opportunity of outdoor activity due to hot weather, rain, accessibility. Daily traffic in/out of NIST (if we knew in advance how bad it is we probably wouldn't have selected NIST), Pollution, Poverty (awareness and understanding), Multi-cultural awareness, Thai class system/structure. Exposure to drugs and too much, too soon. Living in a condo and having access to other children outside of school hours. Lack of access to green space; too hot for outdoor activities. Lack of access to English language cultural events Absence from family. Friends leaving to go back home. A lot of "rich kids" spoiled kids, get everything kids. Main concern: child protection/images around the city that are not really helpful or suitable for children to see. As a working parent, it's hard for me to manage to provide the right amount of quality time with the kid after work. While I try my best to leave office at 5.30pm, it takes more than an hour to reach home. So I will have less than an hour, sometimes none, to discuss his life at school or homework. Wondering if the school can offer homework helps for the both parent working family? Engaging them in Thailand culturally and linguistically. I have very few concerns, amount of time they spend getting to and from school makes their day very long. Getting out of the apartment is also something that we try to do, No garden makes it a very different experience. We are trying not to make them feel that they have lost their independence due to insecurities. I've observed that children tend to compare themselves in materialistic things. Like if their friends have cell phone, even they want it. Would like them to be independent, with good attitude & behaviour. Traffic, a lot of activity but not relate to nature, Obviously the main concern is the abundant nightlife that is very obvious in this city (even walking in the Sukhumvit area with the kids becomes arduous) His personal safety. Medical treatment. Education. Friends. Too much play. Living in a complex like condominiums. Lack of exercise. Bad & dangerous traffic on the way to school is our biggest concern; too much cars and motorbikes on the road and many small children walking there.
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Striking a balance between keeping the children safe and allowing them independence. The greatest concern is in the conflict of thinking, while we are teaching her to be independent, (sometimes) there's a clash with the cultural aspect of our teaching. Embedding social culture or religious teachings sometimes goes contrary to the independent behaviour that children have. Another struggle is in giving her enough time, to be able to sit and read with / to her and do other activities on weekend or weekdays. My greatest concern is how to allow these children to exercise, be outdoor and have fun without having to spend money all the time. Keeping my daughter interested and occupied when it is so hot outside and not many outdoor places to go to. We avoid shopping malls etc. Traffic that reduces mobility and opportunities. Overprotection and overindulgence. Fresh Air; proper outdoor activities Health & safety. Balance between computer/internet time and time spent on actual social, intellectual and physical activities. Learning to manage the negative aspects of peer group pressure - especially in the international school environment. Biggest concern: lack of a green environment and the lack of contact with nature. Keeping in touch with school and managing my child's social life with 2 working parents. I realise we are in the minority as usually there is only one working parent in a family. Bangkok has 2 obvious scenes that are not common back home. The overtly night life at Sukhumvit area and the display of Buddhisms in many places. We respect other people's culture and religion and we hope our son also do the same. The struggle how to teach our son our believe / faith / value but not to send a wrong message so the child become disrespect other culture / believe / value. Eating habits. There are too many nice restaurants around. Once he tastes it, he does not want to eat plain home cooking or side walk food. That he gets enough outdoor physical activity; bonds with nature and animals; gets a sense that he is privileged and not everyone grows up with nannies/helpers/drivers. Lack of culture activities such as access to good museums, musical performances etc. Not enough outdoor play because of the heat, or it's too hard to get to parks, or the park equipment is unsafe. Heat, limited outdoor activities, pollution. To be independent. I believe living here makes their lives much easier because of the nannies, drivers, etc. Thus, they tend to be very spoiled due to these luxuries. They need to be more independent and do more things for themselves and not depend on others. We try to convey this to our son constantly, but it is easier said than done sometimes because they know that they have be "privileged". My biggest struggle, is that I think she (and her friends) are "over scheduled." Between all the activities offered and living in an apartment building, as a 4 year old, she is socializing and "active" all day. She wants to do what everyone else is doing. I think it is important for children this age to still have "down time" and alone time at home.
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Lack of social life. We recently moved from another Asian country where the expat community was much smaller and most lived very close together. "Everybody knew everybody" which meant that it was easy to organise play dates, confident that you knew the family to where your kid was going. Also, the ease of travel meant that it was possible for kids to have play dates after school and there easily be time to pick them up afterwards. Travel logistics make that much more complicated here. My son really misses play dates and sleepovers and I think it's a real shame because he used to have so much exposure to other people's families, siblings, culture etc. Increased competitiveness in the school environment and outside. There are many explanations put forward for this but the environment in which my son finds himself is definitely more competitive and not always as enjoyable. An example is Saturday Soccer. My son did Saturday Soccer at his old school. Volunteer parents were the coaches, there was loads of playing field space at the school so all age groups took place at the same time, the school laid on sausages, coffee etc. The whole event became one big social event with many people coming even if their kids weren't playing! The football itself was entirely inclusive with kids of all ages and abilities being involved. I'm not complaining about the Saturday soccer set up here - it's clearly very different and is much better for a lot of kids, But that whole push to categorise young children as being good at certain sports etc. is something which we struggled with. Our son always loved soccer but now wants to stop. I don't care if he's good at it or not - I want him to enjoy being part of a team and leading a healthy and active lifestyle. - Mother's guilt! I can't help but feel guilty, though, that my second son will not have the kind of idyllic preschool years that our first son had. No space for activities near the house, e.g. biking. No close friends nearby to have an easy play date. Social life with peers. I was raised in a farming community, and I thought it was the best place to be raised. Obviously, Bangkok is far from that setting, so we have had to change our activities and perspective. My greatest concern is the immediate availability of emergency aides (ambulance, fire brigade etc.) when the need arises. The other day, an ambulance was trying to make its way through a very narrow road. The road itself was a very short one on Soi 11, however it took the ambulance more than half an hour to get past traffic. This is very alarming when you have little ones. Opportunities to contribute to the community and being able to explore nature. Lack of access to nature, art galleries, museums. The level of corruption here that they get used to if they read the paper etc...Its hard to discuss politics with them here because its so different from home. Finding a safe and convenient place to run around. When we visit people outside of Bangkok and in other countries, his favourite part is always: Having a yard or park to run around in at his front door. Little to no time spent outdoors due to the constant hot sun! Finding activities to do with our children that we consider safe and fun.
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My son was born in Bangkok and will spend many more years here. The greatest concerns includes, not being in touch with nature all around, not being independent because they cannot go anywhere without being accompanied, being not down to earth about life Healthy eating. Constantly being offered candy from relatives and strangers. Safety. While I want my son to be independent, I am concern about his safety I.e. on the street, in department store or around the neighbourhood. Biggest struggle is he cannot just go out in the streets and play. Unlike when we lived in another Asian country where my son interacts daily with playmates outside. That she would not get an education that is sufficient so that she would have to struggle if we change countries and she's behind in her new school. Traffic, crime, heat, nowhere much to go except shopping malls. Difficulty finding outdoor activities, and safe venues for children to play without adult guidance My greatest fear is political upheaval/death that could disrupt the school, possibly for a long period. Not enough time is spend outdoors. It is because of the heat and also because of the lack of green areas or them being too far to just go for an hour. Lack of free play in outdoor public areas ... riding a bike or scooter and kicking a ball - 2 things that are banned at Benjasiri our closest city park. Fresh air. Also seeing poverty and corruption on the streets daily. Loss of values.... - Materialistic thinking Consumerism/competitiveness/conformity to norms of privileged community. No major issues, as my child like to stay home and use the computer. The main issue is acces to nature, and related activities like biking, go swimming etc. My biggest concern to rear my children in this city is the sheer openness and blatancy of this society. Everything is so open and in your face (prostitution, same sex partnership, the not so clean districts of the city etc.) that it's a bit worrying and concerting on what they'll learn - is it too early and too open for them to understand what this is all about? Children don't have any freedom, they can't go anywhere just by themselves. How will they learn to be independent or 'street wise? The biggest challenge is to maintain a healthy lifestyle. It is difficult to fit in spontaneous movement and exercise. You cannot just jump on a bike or run into a big garden. At the same time there is junk food and sugary things available everywhere. Having independence as a child and the effect of constant changing of friends because they move to another country. Difficulty in children being able walk safely even within neighbourhoods due to lack of sidewalks and traffic lights that would allow cars to stop and children/grownups to cross. Bicycle riding is also not safe for the same conflicts
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with traffic and lack of respect as for pedestrians. Long school days and lack of non-competitive reasonably priced sport activities for the children. (i.e. many sports at NIST are team oriented - soccer, baseball, etc.)

Please share any experiences, tips, or strategies that have helped you raise your child in Bangkok.
Getting out of the city as often as possible and utilizing the few parks/green spaces available. Get connected with neighbours: it is easier for the children if they have friends living close Bangkok traffic is slow. There is a lot to do, we have a rotating program of zoo, aquarium, safari world, water park, Funariaum, and of course games at Emporium. There is a lot to do in Bangkok and we have taken advantage of the opportunity to do a lot with the kids--strategy, think like a kid and be excited about all this great stuff to do together. Many sleepovers on the weekends, so kids spend a lot of time with their friends. Travel and expose our children to slower ways of being. For me personally we live close to my work, NIST, shops, transport, and a park. We have tried to minimize time spent in traffic and travel to ensure that we have more quality time together. We are trying to encourage involvement in chores at home (we are still working out how to do this best as it is a different challenge because we have help at home in Bangkok!) by building habits like clearing plates, and cleaning shoes. Currently, most of my catch up with my child has been done in the car, while sending him to school. Not healthy though. Keep them busy. Sign them up for lots of activities; don't let them sit around the house. Set aside time for Skyping and calling friends and family back home. Kids can quickly lose touch (especially younger) if it is not planned. On the other hand, they can be up all night Skyping with friends if not controlled. Great book called Victor and Vera discover Thailand. Having their own things around them as soon as possible. Spending lots of time with them as they regain independence, and investing in friendships with play dates etc. Simply talk to them calmly and nicely when they are in a good mood to listen to us. That is what we have found as a solution to talk, talk and solve. I think we should stick to our culture and also respect the other cultures and also welcome changes and modernism. We just spend more time with them.
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I let him taking care a dog and play with dog to make feeling of empathy, and go out to next city on weekend. We stay away from downtown in more family friendly area to begin with. It helps a lot. Rama park has a better safe and cleanness. To find a lot of sports opportunities in your immediate proximity (Tennis, Golf range, Sports at school) to keep kids occupied since they otherwise lack of movements (no walking, no bicycle) We have been talking a lot every day after school days, give her opportunity to say all nice and less nice things as well and then discussed why something is different now etc. We let her time to play herself after school days - she seems to need time just for her as well and likes to play with her own toys. We are encouraging her every time she has told she has learnt some new Thai word, got new friend, tasted new food etc. Focusing on strong family ties by spending lots of time together. Skyping with old friends. Following up. Caring with love. Making friends who live not far from home helps us a lot. For the outdoor feeling, we try to go to the park or to leave Bangkok at least once in the weekend. Trying to get a big network of friends however can be difficult as you get to know/love people and then they move on. Hard to keep making new friends Also NIST parents seemed to be used their tight groups and are not open to new people , compared to the last small school we were at in Bangkok. Bike riding in the parks, going to the driving range, leaving BKK at least once per month to get fresh air and do outside activities. Encourage children to pursue their interests and become involved in ECAs and sports. Family weekend activities in and out of Bangkok to experience Thailand and its culture. When possible, arrange outings/activities with friends (e.g. from school). Bangkok is nice however : get out of it - regularly. Bangkok can also be tiresome - noisy, cramped. Getting back to nature for a (long) weekend helps. We signed up for annual membership at Siam Water World and Safari World. The annual membership fee is affordable and allows us to take the kids to visit those place in any time. We normally bring him out of Bangkok nearly every weekend. He learnt to eat more local food. We take them upcountry on weekends. Joining a few temple activities which nourishes kids mind. Create plans for weekends and time off school. No sense of neighbourhood so things don't just happen by themselves.... BAMBI organization when they are young-for playgroups, mom support stuff. I have met good friends through this group. Keeping them busy with activities-ballet at Rising Star Dance Studio, swimming lessons at Bangkok Dolphins, Kiddy Kicks soccer, Little Gym at Emporium. Getting out of the city once a month, if possible. Skype with family at home. Introducing the kids to how blessed they are as expat kids by buying and giving out food to street children, making friends with the street vendors, taking public transportation...

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Do new activities/sights once a month - this keeps everyone interested and then we don't get bored of doing the same things in the weekends and we are continually learning and experiencing new things. We just tried to raise him the best we can. Be as "normal" as "normal" is. Set a good example for our children, listen, and pay attention to details. Try to make them understand the value of community service and encourage them for participation. -It does get easier! We have only been here nine months but we are gradually getting used to it. We make up for the lack of play dates in the week by being super social at the weekend! But it's tiring sometimes! Make Bangkok your own home with a social life. If you are happy here, big chance that you kid will be happy. Meeting other parents and kids at or after school. The beauty of Bangkok is that if you have an interest for yourself or your family, most likely you can find it. It might take some time and asking around, but there are loads of different experiences available. Having an open mind and stepping out of your comfort zone always helps too! Embrace all levels of society, talk about the differences in people and things. Get out of town every holiday period - and go somewhere where they can experience nature. Try to get out of town at least one weekend per month. On weekends you cannot, then go to the park. I'm not sure we've raised him any differently here than we would back home. Except, we believe, our lives here are much richer than back home. Bangkok is a great city and we love living here. Spend significant time in home countries to immerse him into environment surrounded by nature and activities. Just explore and enjoy what the city has to offer. It definitely broadens our cultural outlook in terms of being immersed in a modern society mixed with some traditional Thai way of living. We made sure that we lived in a family friendly place where the kids could freely associate with other kids in an environment that was as close to "home" as we could get... a house in a small compound. This also provided some semblance of social support Try to do indoor things instead. A lot of good books plenty of active afterschool activities Play dates. When we moved our child was not even 2 and we visited many playgroups offered by preschools to make friends. We use the local park a lot as an outdoor venue although it's a shame that bikes are not allowed there. It also helps to get away every couple of months to the country side or beach. Working with Kumon, independent & so confident. Spending time with and being supportive. Make friends within school community and encourage play dates. My role is to love and protect my children. I have taken my focus away from competing with others in raising super-children. Just want them to enjoy being a child before they get older and concerned with adult things. Living the life of an expatriate does make you come closer to your immediate family. I guess its because you are away from your home country, therefore, one clings on to what you have.
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Sitting and spending quality time (even more) with our children was and is one good way of rearing them and which has helped them adjust to the new surroundings. Giving them the freedom to think outside the box and treating them as friends also works (even more when you're living out of your home country). Organize play dates and let children take a lift 'all by themselves' in the shopping mall. (Meet them next floor...) Let them go alone to cinema (take them there and pick them up when finished...) Ask them to order the food in a restaurant. Go to places like K Village or Rainhill where kids can run around a bit by themselves. Making use of all the opportunities that are available here; sport clubs, cinemas, closeness to the beach, etc. Letting my oldest daughter take the sky train by herself (one stop) to her taekwondoclass, that made her grow enormously. Be willing to try new things, welcome friendliness with friendliness and don't expect cars to stop for you if you are walking or biking. Raise them in a Christian environment, including church and the youth group from the church. I encouraged them to be engaged in different school/social activities so they do not spend too much time in the malls. It is a struggle.

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Survey Responses from Parents who have moved in to Bangkok from another Country

If you have moved to Bangkok from another country, what was the most significant change that affected you and your children? How did you adjust to this change?
1. The lack of green space and outdoor activities. We joined an athletic club. My family seems OK with it, but for me it is a poor substitute. 2. Safety, we appreciate this change. 3. Bus to school goes very early because of the combination of busy traffic and early start at school. Had to bring bed time forward and learn as a family to get organised the night before and get up early to get dressed, eat etc. The heat was also a big issue - we came from UK. Sun hat, sun cream and plenty of water helps! 4. The heat, size of the city, the noise, getting from A to B. Take time to get to know BKK. Go exploring on the weekends as a family. Ask for help when needed 5. Not being able to be outdoor as much as we would like to (too hot), not being able to let the children play outdoor without supervision and to let them explore nature. Language: Not being able to play with friends in a language they know. It is difficult to play with friends; you always have to make an appointment, take your child to and from their friends and it is difficult to be spontaneous. In Bangkok it is difficult just to walk on the sidewalk because you always have to tell the children to watch out for motorbikes etc. It is also quite hard for the children always trying being touched, pinched, kissed and hugged by strangers on the street. We are using a lot more of "don't" and "no", for instance "don't touch that!" ;-) The children are quite happy to play indoor as well. We have a pool and we take them swimming and we also have a small sports hall where we can play ball. We go to the park in the weekends and leave Bangkok as much as we can to go to the beach. 6. Language. Children study in English at school. They also need to study their home language at home. 7. People touch my children on the streets. Its a very kind touchy/feely culture as it regards children but my kids don't like it. 8. Long days for the kids due to the use of the school bus (2 hours a day). Less time to relax and do homework. 9. Biggest change was frequent exposure to unsavoury activities and ease of moving around city on their own; also, the fact that restaurants/bars/7-11s allow purchase/consumption of alcohol by underage kids. We have adjusted by talking about all potential risks, and requiring cell phone to be on at all times, and communication about with whom and generally (but not always specifically) where they are going when going out at night. 10. My children are extremely materialistic and very brand conscious. We are still adjusting to these changes.

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11. Access to other families. Bangkok for its lively scene is quite limited for families and social activities. Getting access to information is not easily available. Getting around is not easy and I think this results in less social engagements. 12. I was no longer working and could spend more time with the children i.e. taxing to extracurricular activities, spend time helping with homework. I adjusted by throwing myself into other interest areas i.e. learning a language, playing sport and assisting my children with their education. My children pretty much hit the ground running (so to speak) travelling and starting anew was not foreign to them but there was a 2 month transition period for them in terms of learning the ropes at school and making new friends. I helped by talking a lot with the children on their concerns and discussing how other people overcome new environs. 13. The travel time and early mornings, when teenagers generally don't function so well. Bed time has become much earlier. 14. Change: being away from our community of friends/family and home routine. We are adjusting by building friendships here and encouraging children to Skype grandparents. 15. Y11 - Teenager missing her friends and life in home country. Y11 and Y6 Both loved acting but the opportunities here for anything above and beyond school based programs are limited. They had to find new pursuits, but frustrating that we cannot support them developing these talents. 16. Thank goodness we have all settled in well. We have focused on establishing new friendships and leaving behind old ones has been hard. I have allowed children as much time as they want on the computer to talk to friends and family and they now need it less and less. 17. The prominent change for us is the weather. But we have adjusted to it now. 18. Significant change: environment, language, food, housing. We took some time adjust & adapt to it. 19. Education and housing environment 20. Can`t use bike to visit friends Adjustment: SKYPE and Sport at school 21. The lack of friends who speak our language and much bigger school were challenging but she has survived pretty well. NIST is big school and perhaps it was also easy for her to find and make new friends - big size can be advantage as well! 22. Waking up earlier! Making new friends in a larger school - previous school had 300 students. 23. We never lived in a capital and such a big city before. Transportation is a significant change for us. We just had to fit that in our schedule and learn how to do fewer things in one day. 24. The lack of nature and outside activities. We try to do active things e.g. ice skating, bike riding 25. The most significant change is the size of the City and what it has to offer for youth in the way of activates. We adjusted by doing things through the school. 26. Making new friends and learning the local customs. The language barrier appears insurmountable. We are still learning and adjusting. 27. # 1 factor is traffic and time wasted in traffic.

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28. Leaving close friends behind and moving into a densely populated area with few public open spaces. Children use Skype to stay in touch with friends in other country. We take breaks out of Bangkok - usually to the seaside. Encourage children to make new friends. 29. A complete cultural difference. Adjusted with an open mind and a curious attitude. 30. Diverse and multi-cultural nature of the city. This is a positive change. 31. The most significant change was the change in our life style. We used to go to park for our family time or to catch up with friend, but in Bangkok we spend our time at Shopping Malls. Back home, our kids played at the park or our yard, but over here in Bangkok they have to stay in door due to the heat. Back home, there are parks in every residential estate and within walking distance. In Bangkok we have to travel a distance to get to a park or travel outside Bangkok. 32. Different language and strange relationship Studying foreign language and make easy relationship 33. No seasons and little time to spend outdoors. My son always comments he thinks it is so dirty and smelly - not sure if that is a significant change.... more chaotic and less feeling of security and order. 34. My kids have only lived here in Thailand, so there have been no changes for them. For me, it has been having household help (it was a good change! i didn't have family close by before moving here.) I adjusted easily to this! I was lucky, though, because I have not had any problems whatsoever with our helper, and she has become a part of the family. It has made me have more time with my kids. 35. Climate, pollution, limited outdoor activities. We adjusted by slowly getting used to the heat so we could be outside a bit more, and finding where the kid friendly air conditioned places are! 36. The most significant change was a positive one: the safety of living here when it comes to pick-pocketing or car-jacking unlike where we lived before, leaving the house meant always looking over your shoulders and hoping to get back home safely

37. I presumed that it might be making new friends and try our best to understand the lifestyles and cultures that we live in. 38. Having domestic help:) It has been a positive change, as I am able to spend more quality time with each of my children. 39. We really felt the change because we left such a tight community in our previous location. We were surrounded by other workers with whom we had loads in common. The other thing which I found difficult was the lack of working Mums although I am meeting a few more now. Most families seem to have only one working parent, This has also not helped with our son's social life! Our nanny at our previous location had a network of nanny friends and all the kids used to play together - but that doesn't seem to be the case here. 40. Lost of friends - until now no solution. Try to make new friendship, but not so easy. Esp. girls are difficult.

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41. City versus nature. We choose a compound with garden and make trips outside of Bangkok in the weekend 42. Congestion (traffic and people), we had always lived in smaller communities, so this was very different. We adjusted by having the mind-set that it was a wonderful adventure, with many differences that we would not have experienced otherwise. It's all in the attitude!!! 43. Pollution and Congestion. Still trying to adjust. 44. Exposure to different ethnicities and cultures. Embraces it and learned more about people and where they come from. Additionally, the level of poverty is another drastic change. We talk about the differences in people in society regarding wealth and opportunities. 45. Their father was away a lot travelling once we arrived here. No public libraries and community childrens events. No walking or riding bikes like we had done before. 46. Less freedom for son to move around the city by himself alone. As gradually settle down, shall try to take BTS or Taxi. 47. The change in weather and lack of outdoor play and activities continue to be a challenge. So, now we just have all our fun indoors and it works out fine. 48. We (mum, dad, one kid) moved from living in a small comfortable home in our home country to a big home shared with relatives. It was a good change having community and people to help with the kid. However it meant having less control over what went into my child's mouth. 49. A lot of our recreational activities must be planned in advance. Living in Bangkok, we learned to deal with the traffic and the communication barrier. 50. The lack of easily accessible parks and the heat. 51. There were a few tears at the start because she missed her former friends but she settled quickly and made new friends. Our life-style changed dramatically, living in a crowded foreign city. The school's activities are great. We see the biggest advantage is that our daughter is being 'internationalised." She is meeting kids from Thailand and other nationalities. She is seeing a different world and culture. 52. Too much time wasted in traffic and it is too hot to walk for more than 10 minutes. We had to just get used to the unchangeable facts and try to see the positives. 53. The language was the most significant challenge but also the culture of how things are handled. Since our child didn't speak any English before moving here this demanded a lot of him in the first year. Another aspect is the "rich kid" syndrome as our child wants to have everything from iPhone over wee and other gadgets just simply because a lot of kids in the class have it. 54. As above - free play outdoors and being active in public outdoor spaces. 55. When we moved to Bangkok the most significant change that affected me and my children are technology usage. Back home, there were course material for every subject and written works in notebooks were more whereas here the online usage of laptops are more significant. We adjusted fast enough with the help of teachers and friends. They have become more broadminded and practical. 56. The pace of school and life in general. We make sure we take time together as a family and allow each other time to be alone
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57. Language and food would be the two main points for us. I guess its basic but yes those were the two that kind of affected my children the most. That said, the next was friends and family (the lack of it!) 58. We moved to Bangkok in 2005. All the teething problems in settling down were addressed in the first 6 months. 59. Loss of freedom, when you can get on your bike and go to see your friends, go swimming, to park, to shop etc. all by yourself. Here in BKK we live in our little gated community. Move in a car from A to B. 60. Moving from a very small school to a very big one. We met sure to a meet a school friend with the same nationality before starting school. But in the end time was needed to adjust and particularly finding friends. 61. The heat and lack of outdoor space to play. Adjustment via choosing an apartment with plenty of outdoor area to run in. 62. We were not affected as she and us have adapted to the city, school and friends easily. 63. Living here since 10 years. Biggest change was dealing with pervasive corruption at all levels (traffic, public places, police) 64. Students out at such a late hour (1am is considered 'too early') I stick to an 11pm curfew but have to entertain frequent discussions about it. Bargaining too. 65. The langguage. They almost forgot their native tongue. They dont have the time to learn the Thai language properly. As a result they/we do not have the same interaction with the locals. We are still adjusting. 66. We have just moved to Bangkok. Everything is different. Here you have access to everything, god and bad. In our previous location, there is too little to do for a teenager. Luckily he got some good friends, that are responsible, and we trust they do not go somewhere not allowed. For us as adults, the living in BK is much intense but is also harder to get in touch with people. The last school, they did a lot to get parents together. I feel when I come to NIST at pick up times, nobody talks, and if they do it is in small "closed" groups. I now it's not the schools job to take care of us, and you have done an amazing job with my son.. He has settled very well already! Thank You! 67. -It took a long time for my son to be 'accepted' at NIST. I still can't get used to the street vendors, telephone boxes, electrical posts on the pavement; walking is not a pleasure anymore 68. Meeting new friends & being comfortable in new school/living surroundings. Fortunately the NIST student population was warm & receptive which made the adjustment a lot easier 69. We found it a very easy and happy move.

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