Best Place in Asia with Kids

[runningsloth]

We are going recruiting next year and are eyeing SE Asia or east Asia for our next move. What would be the best places for young kids in the region? (4 and 2)

[Overhere]

As long as you have access to good health care, and everything else being equal, I don't think you can go wrong in SE Asia with small children. From my experience small children open up doors that may not necessarily be open to others and will make your experience much richer.

I would probably not take small children to China, I would worry about the impact of pollution on their developing bodies.

[shadowjack]

Lots of people with small kids in Shanghai!

[nikkor]

Shadowjack is correct. Tons of couples choose to have babies in shanghai. Google "redleaf hospital shanghai" if you want an idea of what the care can be like. It is much nicer than the hospital you would go to in the USA. I have a friend here who told me that there were 18 babies born at her school this year. Can anyone top that?

As to the question of best places in Asia for kids, Kyoto, Japan would be my top choice.

[sciteach]

Asia has lots of positives and negatives depending on where you live and what school you work at. I've tried to include some general information below. Most is second hand so take it as a grain of salt.

Indonesia: Fantastic people, great food and the cost of living is low. However, Jakarta is heavily polluted and the traffic is some of the busiest in the whole of SE Asia. There is also a 5 year minimum teaching needed for visas. To the best of my knowledge, life is meant to be reasonable to good but I've heard whispers about the government making it harder to international schools to be open (note that Jakarta International School is now Jakarta Intercultural School).

Philippines: Friendly people and good food - like many places in Asia. However, poverty can be a real problem here but the cost of living is very low. Some schools outside of Manila pay very low wages but allow a good standard of living due to low living costs. Note that many people have mixed things to say about Manila - but the Filipino's are meant to love their shopping.

Thailand: This is one of the more stable countries in the region but a lot of people want to live here and costs have increased as a result. Bangkok allows a good expat lifestyle as long as you land at one of the better international schools. Do note that there are sometimes problems with the government and protests.

Vietnam: Good people and fantastic food (again). The culture is quite interesting but it's not as western as Thailand and is probably cheaper as a result. There is not a great number of international schools which are of fantastic quality in the country (apart from UNIS).

Cambodia: This country has an interesting history but can be a challenging place to live as a result. It's one of the poorer countries in the general vicinity and has a lot of poverty as a result. It's also been noted that locals who work for you have an expectation that you will look after them (such as if they need to go to hospital you will pay for it) but this is second hand information. This may not be the best first Asian location to move too. The same is true probably for Laos and Myanmar (which is even more traditional than Cambodia).

Korea - there are some good schools in Korea and I've heard that it can be a good place for teachers to work in as it's clean for asia and is quite modern as a result. However, I'd probably not see this country as a first choice due to the age of your kids. I've heard very mixed things about very young Korean kids mixing with students of other nationalities. I'd say that this problem is much less a problem once you hit middle school. Note than this is not true at all schools, but more the ones which will cater for a more local clientele which seems to be most of the schools in Korea.

Japan - this can be a great place to live but can become quite expensive. This is because even though schools may pay for tuition, it's now a taxable part of your income so it costs you a bit to send your kids to school in Japan. I have however heard great things about young kids going to Japanese elementary schools as it allows them to pick up the language and it's not as 'subject heavy' as middle schools and high schools in Japan. I'd send my kids to a Japanese elementary but not a MS or HS in Japan unless it's an international school.

Malaysia - probably one of the easiest places to live in asia. You get a reasonable wage, amenities are good and the food is good and has a good amount of variety due to the melting pot the country is (Chinese, Malay and Indian). There are some reasonable schools but I'd say there is a dearth of fantastic schools in Malaysia. Personally, I find KL a boring city but others love the place.

China - it's a big country and has a lot of choices as a result. Due to pollution, I'd probably not move up to the NE (Beijing) but Shanghai, Suzhou or other major cities in the south east may be a possibility. My knowledge of China is limited due to there being so many schools and cities.

India & Bangladesh - this can be a challenging place for parents with kids to live. I've however heard that some schools really look after families which may be a positive.

I hope this helps...

[runningsloth]

Thanks for the detailed response! It's definitely helpful. Where would Taiwan rank up there?

[sciteach]

Taiwan is quite nice and does not have the pollution of China, but it can still get pretty bad. There are however a limited number of schools which I would highly suggest. Having kids at a school which is mainly speak Chinese would be hard on your kids though. But it would allow them to learn the language eventually. Do note that Kaohsiung can be quite polluted (but getting much better) and Taipei is known for it's two types of weather. Raining or about to rain.

[PsyGuy]

My list is much shorter there are only two regions that minimize concerns regarding small children, and thats Japan and Singapore. Extremely safe and comfortable regions with little to no crime, 1st world quality healthcare, availability of English and and other western conveniences, that offer plenty of entertainment and education opportunities for children with out any real environmental health issues.

[jbiersteker]

As far as safety goes, Korea would rank up there with the best...integration in schools with high Korean student populations however can be problematic (and that's most of them as was already mentioned). Local kids are great to teach, but don't mix well with others, something which influenced our choice to go to YISS (the most international other than SFS).

[migratingbird]

I thought I posted a comment here already, but can't find it so must have been having a particularly dozy day. Was going to sing the praises of Singapore with kids. Having lived in several countries in the region, this one stands out a mile to me for ease. Even on days where my 2 year old does "nothing", that means she's been swimming, gone to the playground, had scooter races with her buddies, been for play dates...all without leaving the condo. Yes, SIngapore is expensive - I am the only earner in our house right now and we are very careful with our money. Having said that, we still employ a live-in helper, which makes life so much easier. There are free playgrounds all over - wet/dry, indoor/outdoor, aimed at all ages of children. There's also a plethora of paid activities and groups to go to. Restaurants, I find, are very family friendly, always providing appropriate cutlery, high chairs, etc, and there are many with play areas. Transport can be difficult with a stroller, but that's my only real gripe. I'm happy to provide more info if you have questions.