My DH and I have been seriously considering a move to Thailand, particularly Koh Samui. We absolutely love Thailand, we know it well and actually lived there before having children. We’ve just had a baby, and we have an 8yo.
There are several reasons why we’re considering it:
- We both have a huge amount of flexibility with work and aren’t tied down geographically.
- Financially, we’re fortunate enough that we wouldn’t need to work while living there if we chose not to.
- We genuinely love Thailand and could absolutely see ourselves living there as a family. We’d love our children to experience a different way of life and culture.
- The weather is obviously a big draw, especially coming from the UK!
- Our parents are still independent and at an age where they don’t need us nearby or daily, and that won’t be forever.
- Our DC are also at good ages for a move. Younger kids are so resilient and adaptable, and I think I’d worry more about making such a move when our eldest is older.
Our concerns:
- Our 8yo currently attends an amazing school, and she would need to reapply if we returned to the UK. There’s no guarantee she’d get back in - this is probably our main worry.
- We have an amazing group of family and friends here, which would obviously be hard to leave behind.
We wouldn’t be planning to move forever, but it’s a huge life decision. We haven’t really spoken to friends or family about it yet because I think most people would think we were completely mad!
Has anyone done something similar? Any advice or experience would be really appreciated. Not really sure what my AIBU is… maybe if you think we’re mad you can put in being unreasonable!