Posted by
notyou
16 yrs ago
Does anyone in Hong Kong know much about living in Bangkok with children? Is it fairly safe? How is the pollution compared to HK? Are the schools as good as the international schools in Hong Kong? I went on the Bangkok site, but they don't seem to respond as well as the Hong Kongers do! I'd appreciate any help you could give me!
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Ed
16 yrs ago
I lived in Bangkok for about 6 months - pollution situation has improved dramatically - HK is far worse....
It's a safe place although of course there are issues with the politics from time to time...
As for kids there are plenty of clubs with great facilities - families I knew there preferred it over HK...
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/23/world/asia/23iht-bangkok.html?_r=1
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That's very helpful. Thank you very much!!:)
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Hi again! Thanks again. Do you think the families may prefer Bangkok over HK because because they were able to have larger living spaces and better air quality? Could you please be so kind as to tell me if there are other reasons? Compared to HK, are there about the same percentage of expats? I guess there are about 5% expats in HK?
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A lot depends on the sort of employment package you will be on. You could live a more luxurious life in Bangkok, more space, better amenities, etc, on a similar package.
Thailand generally has more charm than Hong Kong, the Thai people can be very pleasant to work and play with - there is nowhere near the same work pressure generally speaking. Hong Kong does not have much soul, Thailand does.
I would guess that there is a higher proportion of expats in Hong Kong, certainly a lot of the expats in Thailand are retired - whereas the vast majority of expats in Hong Kong are still working.
There are pluses and minuses, but if you are on a good package you can certainly have a very nice life in Bangkok.
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Thanks! Do you know if there are any clubs in BKK, like golf and country type clubs? If so, can you please tell me their names? Thanks!
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I mean, do they have clubs there like HK's clubs, which would have swimming, restaurants, etc.?
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My knowledge is a bit out of date - you should visit some Thai expat forums - but there was nothing like the range and availability of clubs in Thailand, as there was in Hong Kong.
There is a British Club in the centre of the CBD. There is a Country Club, but it is very expensive and difficult to get into.
There are lots of golf courses, easy to get a game.
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I lived in Bangkok for 4 years, although would point out I did not have a family at the time. I thoroughly enjoyed the experience, and agree with many of the previous comments - ie pollution is not as bad as HK, pace of life is generally much more relaxed, you get much more bang for your buck in terms of accommodation, entertainment, eating out etc.
On the downside, Thailand can be a bit more of an expat ghetto experience for foreigners. Bangkok is nowhere near as cosmopolitan as HK, and although the Thais are extremely friendly people, it is relatively unusual to develop deep friendships with lots of Thais, primarily because of language and cultural factors. Of course there are exceptions, but as a general comment that was my experience and that of those who were there at the same time as me.
I know lots of expats who live there happily with kids. There is now quite a good range of options for schooling - many international schools have established branches in Bangkok and indeed other parts of Thailand. You can live in a good size house with garden etc. at a fraction of the cost of the equivalent in HK. You would certainly benefit from having a car in my experience, but they are not outrageously expensive, and many with cars choose to employ a driver although I drove myself and got on fine.
All in all, I would strongly encourage you to take the plunge. Thailand is a magical place and I will always treasure the memories of my time there.
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