Cannot afford International Fees for Third child

[ArranP]

Hello,

Currently 2 of my children goto BIS in Phuket,

I have a third child who is 10 months but cannot afford the BIS fees for a third child.

kids are 6 years 7 months, 4 years 9 months, and 10 months.

What to do? go back to UK or find cheaper education, ie headstart or kajonkiet international ?

I have no job here, only reason I stay is so my first 2 kids are near their Thai mother (who lives nakhon sawan).

Thai mother of my third child will follow me.

Regards

Arran

[Patong2]

And why did you decide to father this child?

[zeichen]

"And why did you decide to father this child?"

stupid question and a bit too late.

Ultimately there are 4 reasonable options for you.

1. Find an English program at a good private school that would be a lot less than International school

2. Get a job teaching at an International school and get free tuition or reduced for all 3.

3. Go back to your home country and get as good of an education for free.

4. Home school for the first 5-6 years of school and then send them to International school. The tuition money, you save and then pay for their middle and high school in the International school

Really depends on how you want your kids to live. If you want your kids still to remain in Thailand after school and have their life here, then a good Thai school might be best.

If you really want them to have more options for life in the UK, then head back home.

We have 1 kid just to keep things simple for us. My wife just laughs when people ask us why we don't have more.

I don't envy your situation.

good luck

[naboo]

International schools in Chiang Mai are (excluding PTIS) around 150,000B a year for younger kids and around 200,000B a year for high school. I don't know what the fees are in Phuket, but these are considerably lower than Bangkok. These still have fully qualified teachers (on the whole). The cost of living in Chiang Mai is lower as well, and its closer to Nakhon Sawan (5hrs drive).

[DDuval]

Hello its a simple as this

Go back to the UK, once there like myself with 1 kid you will think how easy is the UK in comparison to jumping hurdles in Thailand.

To add a 20K salary in the UK stretches very far when there are no school fees or the after school lessons.

[beano2274]

Will your wife be going with you?

IF she goes with you to settle, do you have the required amount saved?

[Peterocket]

To add a 20K salary in the UK stretches very far when there are no school fees or the after school lessons.

20k you'll be living a life of poverty in the UK...lol

[Bung]

The best thing you can do for your kids is to get them educated out of Thailand. If you cant afford a good school for your 3rd child in thailand your options are limited. There are many other expenses to consider for kids other than schooling. Either you get a job that allows you time back in thailand or take them all back to the uk. Either way it sounds like you need to work to provide for them all ove rthe next 15 years or more.

[DDuval]

To add a 20K salary in the UK stretches very far when there are no school fees or the after school lessons.

20k you'll be living a life of poverty in the UK...lYou have lived in the Uk recently then.

You haven't lived in the UK recently then have you. Don't forget in the UK no hospital bills, no school fees. No expensive eating out. No dcoters or dentists ripping you off!!!

Take these 4 big hitters out of your monthly bill and 20K take home pay stretches a long way in the UK

Example

3 bedroom Bungalow = £700 per month

Brand New For Focus = £200 per month

Utilities = £300 per month

My costs are down 50% in comparision to living a western style life in Thailand...

[jadee]

Hi, I'm British and I'd definitely recommend that you take your third child and second wife to settle in the UK. It's definitely better for you and your family, now and in the long term. Costs will rise exponentially if you try to finance three kids in Thailand, especially if you'd like them to attend university! You've kind of framed your post negatively 'Cannot afford...' when really you're blessed that your second wife will follow you, make the most of it and good luck!

[Peterocket]

To add a 20K salary in the UK stretches very far when there are no school fees or the after school lessons.

20k you'll be living a life of poverty in the UK...lYou have lived in the Uk recently then.

You haven't lived in the UK recently then have you. Don't forget in the UK no hospital bills, no school fees. No expensive eating out. No dcoters or dentists ripping you off!!!

Take these 4 big hitters out of your monthly bill and 20K take home pay stretches a long way in the UK

Example

3 bedroom Bungalow = £700 per month

Brand New For Focus = £200 per month

Utilities = £300 per month

My costs are down 50% in comparision to living a western style life in Thailand...

A 20k wage is 25% below the national average and 45% below the London average wage. After the UK government has extracted every single penny of tax possible from you to pay for your "free" hospitals and schools your take home pay would be £1391

Minus 3 bedroom Bungalow = £700 per month

Minus Brand New For Focus = £200 per month

Minus Utilities = £300 per month

Leaves you with £191 for fuel and food for the entire family. Think I'll give it a miss and stay here.

Gross Wage £20,000 Taxable Wage £9,400 Tax Paid £1,880 Tax Free Allowance £10,600 National Insurance £1,433 Take-home pay £16,687

[DavisH]

To add a 20K salary in the UK stretches very far when there are no school fees or the after school lessons.

20k you'll be living a life of poverty in the UK...lYou have lived in the Uk recently then.

You haven't lived in the UK recently then have you. Don't forget in the UK no hospital bills, no school fees. No expensive eating out. No dcoters or dentists ripping you off!!!

Take these 4 big hitters out of your monthly bill and 20K take home pay stretches a long way in the UK

Example

3 bedroom Bungalow = £700 per month

Brand New For Focus = £200 per month

Utilities = £300 per month

My costs are down 50% in comparision to living a western style life in Thailand...

A 20k wage is 25% below the national average and 45% below the London average wage. After the UK government has extracted every single penny of tax possible from you to pay for your "free" hospitals and schools your take home pay would be £1391

Minus 3 bedroom Bungalow = £700 per month

Minus Brand New For Focus = £200 per month

Minus Utilities = £300 per month

Leaves you with £191 for fuel and food for the entire family. Think I'll give it a miss and stay here.

Gross Wage £20,000 Taxable Wage £9,400 Tax Paid £1,880 Tax Free Allowance £10,600 National Insurance £1,433 Take-home pay £16,687

That works out to about 880K baht take home pay a year. Doesn't sound like a lot to me and it not a lot more than my gross in LoS and I pay about 7% tax. How much is a 4 bedroom house in the UK? I assume more than 100K pounds. Can you even get a bedsit for that? Then there is the cost of food and electricity and hot water on top of that. The UK, especially London, is cheap by no stretch of the imagination.

[Bannoi]

I don't understand where the 20k came from as far as I can see the OP hasn't stated what his actual financial situation is.

To the OP I was in the same situation and came back to the UK with my three boys they are now all doing well and are happy here. They don't miss Thailand at all.

I know there will be others that disagree with me on this but I believe the UK is a far better healthier and more stable country for children to grow up and be educated in.

We live on the south coast and have a better lifestyle than we did in Thailand.

Their Thai language is taught to them by their mother and we go back once a year for a holiday.

With dual nationality they will be free to decide for themselves where they want to live when they are older and have completed their education.

If I didn't have any children I would still be in Thailand however I feel with children comes a responsibility to give them the best start in life that I can and that for me was in the UK.

[nithisa78]

"And why did you decide to father this child?"

stupid question and a bit too late.

Ultimately there are 4 reasonable options for you.

1. Find an English program at a good private school that would be a lot less than International school

2. Get a job teaching at an International school and get free tuition or reduced for all 3.

3. Go back to your home country and get as good of an education for free.

4. Home school for the first 5-6 years of school and then send them to International school. The tuition money, you save and then pay for their middle and high school in the International school

Really depends on how you want your kids to live. If you want your kids still to remain in Thailand after school and have their life here, then a good Thai school might be best.

If you really want them to have more options for life in the UK, then head back home.

We have 1 kid just to keep things simple for us. My wife just laughs when people ask us why we don't have more.

I don't envy your situation.

good luck

What you say here is good. However, it was the first question that popped into my mind too. . .and the second one.

Our children went to private schools. Though I see now as they are all adults, it didn't matter where they went to school. They are multi lingual and all doing well for themselves. One is doing extraordinary. Though we all measure that in different ways.

[ArranP]

"And why did you decide to father this child?"

stupid question and a bit too late.

Ultimately there are 4 reasonable options for you.

1. Find an English program at a good private school that would be a lot less than International school

2. Get a job teaching at an International school and get free tuition or reduced for all 3.

3. Go back to your home country and get as good of an education for free.

4. Home school for the first 5-6 years of school and then send them to International school. The tuition money, you save and then pay for their middle and high school in the International school

Really depends on how you want your kids to live. If you want your kids still to remain in Thailand after school and have their life here, then a good Thai school might be best.

If you really want them to have more options for life in the UK, then head back home.

We have 1 kid just to keep things simple for us. My wife just laughs when people ask us why we don't have more.

I don't envy your situation.

good luck

At the moment they are to young to choose where they want to live when they are older, and I do not want to choose for them ?

[ArranP]

"And why did you decide to father this child?"

stupid question and a bit too late.

Ultimately there are 4 reasonable options for you.

1. Find an English program at a good private school that would be a lot less than International school

2. Get a job teaching at an International school and get free tuition or reduced for all 3.

3. Go back to your home country and get as good of an education for free.

4. Home school for the first 5-6 years of school and then send them to International school. The tuition money, you save and then pay for their middle and high school in the International school

Really depends on how you want your kids to live. If you want your kids still to remain in Thailand after school and have their life here, then a good Thai school might be best.

If you really want them to have more options for life in the UK, then head back home.

We have 1 kid just to keep things simple for us. My wife just laughs when people ask us why we don't have more.

I don't envy your situation.

good luck

What you say here is good. However, it was the first question that popped into my mind too. . .and the second one.

Our children went to private schools. Though I see now as they are all adults, it didn't matter where they went to school. They are multi lingual and all doing well for themselves. One is doing extraordinary. Though we all measure that in different ways.

Thank you for the reply, may I ask you why it did not matter where your children went went to school ?

[gandalf12]

Get a better paid job

[peterb17]

What is this obsession with having children- you make them- you pay for them . The OP has two kids already -he should focus on them.

Oh dear- seems not to live with their mother anymore.

Let's have another one.

Totally irresponsible , it's very easy to generate children- it's very difficult to give your children the best start in life.

[little mary sunshine]

You must be kidding...Go back to the UK work like every

Other RESPONSIBLE man and support your CHILDERN .

If your first two remain in Thailand send at least $600 per

Month, EVERY MONTH to their mother. You can't care

For two children for less.( Even in Thailand if you are a

RESPONSIBLE MAN and you want YOUR children to have

A decent life and education

[peterb17]

You must be kidding...Go back to the UK work like every

Other RESPONSIBLE man and support your CHILDERN .

If your first two remain in Thailand send at least $600 per

Month, EVERY MONTH to their mother. You can't care

For two children for less.( Even in Thailand if you are a

RESPONSIBLE MAN and you want YOUR children to have

A decent life and education

Little Mary Sunshine- wow you actually spelt out in stronger terms exactly what I was saying.

I think it's really weird that ( if the OP is real ) someone should come onto social media - (which is what TV really is) to sort out their problems .

To decide to bring a child into the world - is a huge responsibility ( and don't give me all that it was a mistake crap)

It's all me, me, me -a responsibity for a child lasts for your whole life.

[Gracas]

If you want to remain in Thailand then you need to find a suitable school (both education and fee wise) even if it means re-locating from Phuket.

You said you are not working, so invest some of that spare time into the kids education, you can teach them a lot. If you are only in Thailand part time and you work in the UK maybe you should consider taking them back.

[yash555cj]

send them to Darjeeling india. cheap fees and british education system .i know few international boarding schools ,Many thais study there . http://www.himalischool.org/fee_structure_fees_for_general_students.php

[snowbak]

stop having kids and find a job if you want to stay. if not move back to UK. easy

[joshstiles]

10 MONTHS!?!?!?

What 10 month old goes to school?????

let him finish his breast milk first

wow the world has gone mad

[nontabury]

BIS did have a good reputation up to a few years back,not anymore, take a closer look at Headstart, you may think it's worth the move.

[Fab5BKK]

To add a 20K salary in the UK stretches very far when there are no school fees or the after school lessons.

20k you'll be living a life of poverty in the UK...lYou have lived in the Uk recently then.

You haven't lived in the UK recently then have you. Don't forget in the UK no hospital bills, no school fees. No expensive eating out. No dcoters or dentists ripping you off!!!

Take these 4 big hitters out of your monthly bill and 20K take home pay stretches a long way in the UK

Example

3 bedroom Bungalow = £700 per month

Brand New For Focus = £200 per month

Utilities = £300 per month

My costs are down 50% in comparision to living a western style life in Thailand...

Depends on where in the UK and lifestyle...

I've a tenant who montlhy pays me GBP2,000...

I remember about dentists. When I compare implants prices in the UK 8 years ago against Thailand 2 years ago, UK prices were 4 times more...

I guess to get decent education in the UK you'll have to pay, a lot...

Food shopping is, as well, more expensive in the UK...

Restaurants are much more expensive in the UK as well...

OK, I can say that I just paid GBP500 monthly for my 911... because I put a big deposit upfront!!!

When single in the UK, a decent salary was GBP150K, before tax, minimum.

I can't imagine living in the UK with saying monthly GBP1,000 after taxes.

[NickJ]

Have more kids!......Why Not?......Plan ahead.......

[Gillyflower]

I have been reading with mouth open......You have been given some good advice, but until JOSHSTILES nobody mentioned what came first into my mind. The kid is only TEN MONTHS old. You have another 3-4 years to solve the matter!!!!!! You certainly like to be beforehand with the world.

[magicwheel]

Try google LDLC phuket, it is a couple Km's past BIS, they have an expat English programme with very reasonable rates per month. British English staff they have international children only 6 per class

Know people who's kids go there. They say they are amazing with the kids - it's worth checking them out!

[DDuval]

To add a 20K salary in the UK stretches very far when there are no school fees or the after school lessons.

20k you'll be living a life of poverty in the UK...lYou have lived in the Uk recently then.

You haven't lived in the UK recently then have you. Don't forget in the UK no hospital bills, no school fees. No expensive eating out. No dcoters or dentists ripping you off!!!

Take these 4 big hitters out of your monthly bill and 20K take home pay stretches a long way in the UK

Example

3 bedroom Bungalow = £700 per month

Brand New For Focus = £200 per month

Utilities = £300 per month

My costs are down 50% in comparision to living a western style life in Thailand...

A 20k wage is 25% below the national average and 45% below the London average wage. After the UK government has extracted every single penny of tax possible from you to pay for your "free" hospitals and schools your take home pay would be £1391

Minus 3 bedroom Bungalow = £700 per month

Minus Brand New For Focus = £200 per month

Minus Utilities = £300 per month

Leaves you with £191 for fuel and food for the entire family. Think I'll give it a miss and stay here.

Gross Wage £20,000 Taxable Wage £9,400 Tax Paid £1,880 Tax Free Allowance £10,600 National Insurance £1,433 Take-home pay £16,687

I said Take home pay not gross!!!!