What would you do with a 14 year old TG?

[Guest]

Thinking caps on guys! Although i appreciate that I am probably well into the realms of wishful thinking on a lot of this. Anyway..............

 

The wife has a relative who is a 14 yo TG, averagely bright and a nice and sensible person. Her parents are effectively out of the picture for many many years (usual story). The rest of the Family is not very big and has not got a great deal of money between them, but between them they have done a good job in raising her so far, particularly in regard to her education which they already realise is her way out of a dismal future and it seems that between them they will manage to get her to school until she is 18, rather than making her leave at 15.

 

I have NOT been approached to put my hand in my pocket, but given the history of some of her family (especially her parents, who are mercifully out of the picture) it is by no means impossible that within a few years ?friends? and circumstances will influence her lifestyle / career choice into dancing round a pole at Nana to feed a drug habit. I do not really want this for her. As I said, she is nice kid.

 

Money for me is however not unlimited, but for a good cause a few quid (or so) can always be found.

 

What I am after is some ideas from folk here to help her not only stay in Education, but more importantly to end up with a usable education / get her started or into a skilled career at the end of her education.

 

She would like to go to University (The family do not need her to be working ASAP and would be happy that her future earning power is higher - but this I believe would be beyond the family to cope with moneywise on their own). Any broad ideas on what a Thai University Education would cost, at a reasonable Uni? (NOT the equivalent of Oxbridge or Yale!). Whilst I am asking I may as well scare myself silly by asking what a UK Uni education would cost for a Thai!!! (and would their be any future working Visa benefits in her getting a UK Uni education?)

 

Also any ideas as to what sort of Degree would be most useful for a TG in Thailand? (I would prefer her to study something I know is useful, like Accountancy or something Computer mumbo jumbo wise, rather than say ?History of Thai Dancing? etc etc)

 

Although this is perhaps heading towards the realms of wishful thinking for me financially (at the moment) in an ideal world I would like her to be 100% fluent in spoken and written English (it is the language of international business!) and to achieve this I reckon she would need to be in an English speaking country. I am thinking either of Summer School, say in NZ (for cost reasons), for a few years or even perhaps her doing her last 3 years of School Education abroad (this WOULD be a stretch for me, but maybe not impossible) ? but I have no idea how likely she would be get a Study Visa for either of these options in an English speaking country.(Say NZ or even England) ? anyone sent a Thai child abroad for education? Are they a bit more relaxed with Children?, once they are satisfied that she is not being trafficked!!

 

In an ideal world at the end of all this I would like her to be able to work internationally (it is where the money is!) especially as I am 95% certain that (given my contacts) that if she could speak fluent English and had a recognised education that I could get her into either a major Accountancy firm to learn her trade or even a Financial Institution in the UK. Of course all this would depend on her getting a visa ? but I figure that if I ask now whilst she is still a child that I MAY get some ideas which would help her (and therefore the family) down the line. Would her having received an Education outside Thailand help her with a working Visa when she is an adult?

 

Just to mention that I do run my own business in the Financial Services sector albeit at the moment it is pretty much a one man band (and will never be more than 3 or 4 folk in size), it is not impossible that down the road I could find a need for an Accountant or similar, although I suspect that she would not immediately qualify for a visa ? the UK is not exactly short of folk in this field.

 

Finally although the above does head towards the ?exciting? world of Accountancy and Financial Services ? this is only because it is the area I know (and could help with), so ANY other ideas for what sort of Education / Career path I should guide her down / pay towards would be welcome, particularly those areas of Skills which are in demand and therefore would have a reasonable chance of getting a working visa, especially in the UK.

[whosyourdaddy]

It all depends on where she is located

 

If she is in a poor school there is a good change that she would not be accepted to a government university, but of course a private university would accept her cash.

 

Also it depends on how motivated she is. No sence of throwing money away. Some people just dont have it, some do.

 

So to start with get her into a good high school, that would mean bangkok based or a good amphur school. Set a goal that she needs at least a 3.5 (75%) average. If she gets that then then look at university programs. There are always Ratchabat ( community college) programs such as teaching or polytech course.

[Nervous_Dog]

I am sending my neice to a technical school, more narrow choice but better education in what she wants to do, 15000 a year.

 

Uni's are cheap if she gets in here, figures in baht

[shygye]

Would not the unis in Oz or Kiwi land be cheaper, in general, than in the UK?

[gummigut]

There's still a few years yet before she gets to college. Lots of time.

 

I'd make sure she's in a decent school in her neck of the woods. Support additional tutoring.

 

Hold out the carrot. Tell her if she does well in school, and gets to a decent government University, you'll pay for her expenses.

 

The whole cost will probably be cheaper than a summer in New Zealand.

 

If she does not live in Bangkok and has top grades, she may have a better shot at the best government universities because the universities have to take a certain minimum number from each province.

 

I wouldn't push her towards a major. I'd just steer her away from something like Marketing (way to many here and 98% of them no jack shit). She'll be best off in the long run studying something she likes.

 

<<burp>>

[Guest]

Cheers, given me a bit to think about.

 

Govt Uni seems the way forward, plus some extra tuition over the next few years -especially on the languages front.

 

As she is not my kid (honest!) of course cost does come into the mix, but the family have already taken on board that education is her way forward which makes me more prepared to help out - but the family (including the wife) are sh#t scared that she will go down the route of some of her other family members (including the wife). And ironically whilst I will probably chip in financially to try and help to avoid this, it is about far more than money which I cannot really help with, I am conscious that my mere presence "in the family" (LOL) with the wife now doing fairly ok (after her "career") is potentially a problem as it may lead her to think in a few years that "catching a Mr Farang" is her way forward. Sometimes I guess it is best not to think too mutt

 

I fully take on board what has been said about a Marketing degree! - and that she has to be interested in a subject, but I think like all 14 yo's she does need some guidance so she ends up with something worthwhile at the end of the process.

 

I do like the idea of linking future help to grades. I am also very conscious of not making wild promises that may not turn out to be fulfilable by me - bad enough to do this to an adult, but cannnot do this to a kid.

 

Of course I could always get a divorce in a few years atime nd remarry, but I doubt if I have the energy nowadays to keep up with an 18 yo 24/7!!

 

As I said, have given me a bit to think about.

[Tasman]

You might want to consider Singapore as an option for university. I cannot quote costs but they are probably cheaper than Europe or Aus/NZ when you consider the cost of living and travel. The education standard is good, it's English speaking and culturally easier to live in than other options.

 

There are scholarships available and I know personally that students from Vietnam, Cambodia and India are selected for these if they show really high standards.

 

It is also a fairly safe environment compared to other places too as well being only a 2 hour flight from home.

 

Cheers,

Tas

[whosyourdaddy]

The problem with Singapore, Taiwan, and Hong Kong is that there is huge competittions for students to enter university. Thai students have an uphill battle to gain entrance

[Tasman]

Agreed - but the polytechnics also offer a reasonable option as well and are perhaps less competitive than the two universities there - certainly in Singapore.

 

Cheers,

Tas

[FAT_AUSSIE]

Teach her to clean, cook, speak English and about western culture. try and push her towards marrying a Farang once she is out of school. I gather by working in the finance sector you will have some quality aquaintances. associate her in society in you country of origin and encourage her to settle with a good man. She will do better than most girls fresh out of uni.