Moving to Asia?

L

lseiter

New member
Hello everyone--

I am new to GeoBaby...the mom of three little boys ages 3.5 and 15 mos. (twins). We currently live in Chicago but are considering a move to Asia. My husband has been asked to interview for a job with his current company which would allow him to live in either Hong Kong or Bangkok (or Delhi, but we have ruled that out). A great opportunity career-wise and appealing to us as we have always wanted to live internationally. However, we have never traveled to Asia and the decision to move forward, as well as to select a city to live in, seems quite overwhelming.

This board has been a great source of information so far. Any thoughts you have on what to consider when moving internationally? For those of you who have been to/lived in Bangkok vs. Hong Kong...any thoughts? On the surface, HK seems as though it would be an easier adjustment culturally, as well as potentially safer, etc. but we have heard Thailand is beautiful, friendly and cheap. I would love feedback if you would like to share!

Thanks, Libby
 
Libby,

Hong Kong and Bangkok are quite different. We love going to Thailand on holiday but I can't imagine living there.

1. The language: You have to learn Thai. In HK you can survive with English only. Mind you Thai is an easy language to learn. Family members who have moved there have picked it up in 4-5mths.

2. The heat. BKK heat can be unbearable. You'll probably drive/ or take a taxi. Btw, traffic does come to a standstill during rush hour.

3. Pollution in BKK is worse than here

4. The cost of living in BKK is far less than here. Food is cheap and accomodation is a lot more reasonable.

5. Education- Not sure about schools. I would think the Intl schools are just as expensive as HK.
 
Hi Libby - I actually grew up in Chicago too! Great city! Assuming your husband's job is the same rgd of which city to live, I would say Hong Kong is a better fit in terms of raising family and career move. I echo all the reasons stated by Rani, here are few more:

China - HK is still an easy gateway to mainland China, the BIG business market

Mandarin - Your kids can also pick up some mandarin in HK, an invaluable skill to have when you return to the US.

Standard of living - HK has high standard of living but the city also comes with more sophisticated infrastructure such:
- friendly business environment (i.e. simple taxation, matured legal system)
-world class tranist (MTR and Airport are one the best in the world, clean and efficient)

Pollution is a concern but the gov is launching a clean air campaign recently so we hope things will improve in the future.
 
Thanks, Rani. We just learned that BKK is the only option for living...and just as we were getting excited about HK! Big decisions ahead...thank you for the input.

Libby
 
Thanks msmslau! As I replied to Rani, we have recently learend that BKK is the only option for living, so there is much to think about. Pollution is a big concern as one of our boys has some upper respiratory issues.

I appreciate the feedback!

Libby
 
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