Considering a move to KK or MahaSarakham

by **nkstan** » November 13, 2010, 11:16 am

My daughter is applying for acceptance to KK University with a fallback to Mahasarakam Uni as a second choice!
If accepted,I am considering a move from NK to KK or MS!

Will be visiting KK tomorrow for a look around the campus and town and I have already posted on KKmap!

I would appreciate any direction,knowledge and experienced info regarding the community and the University that you might have!Anyone in the area that you know that would be knowledgable and helpful,that you think I should contact?

I would like to find a 2-3BR,2 bath bungalow with A/C for rent in 5 to 6 months where I plan to live at least until her graduation from Uni,so minimum of 4 years !I am interested in what areas would be the best to look about,rental prices etc. etc.

by **wazza** » November 13, 2010, 12:52 pm

Stan,

I lived in KK and its a bigger city obviously, The Uni has a major capture for enrollment and is no doubt the best as far as pecking orders for the Thailand rating for qualifications.

KKU offers the major sciences, Medicine ( teaching Hospital ) , Vet, Nursing , as well as Masters, and PDH, etc, so the final ticket has some clout.

There are literally 000's of students in KK with NE Uni and the other colleges also.

The standard single room with bathroom/toilet attached ( same as Soi Katoey - Udon ) is approx 4000 per month, plus utilities.

The one thing I noticed in KK, is that it doesnt have the same expat community, they are there, but smaller in numbers to Udon, and less expat venues. Mainly a few hobby bars around the Pullman ( sofitel ) and western bar.

Traffic jams are a norm in KK, especially in the city , after Central opened it became worse.

KK has major political clout, thats why u see major government departments and better facilities , TG Gold lounge ! LOL

It does have some gr8 pubs , RAD and music venues, ( i know u love them )

Houses seemed to be a little more expensive to rent, 10000 up Per month and there are some nice estates arond the lake, but even more expensive to rent.

by **UdonExpat** » November 13, 2010, 4:28 pm

For living in the university area you may want to consider the many apartments outside the NW corner of the university. My niece rented an apartment there when she went to school at KKU.

Enter through the main entrance to the university and continue straight for a couple of km. Past the student union complex you take a right turn and exit from the university property into an area of many many small apartment complexs, restaurants, stores, etc. There may be houses for rent in this area also and may be worth a look see.

It would be convenient for school and daily life, but it's on the ourskirts of town, as is KKU.

by **douglas** » November 13, 2010, 5:41 pm

Hi,
Just in case your daughter goes to Mahasarakham. My daughter started there this year. Her fees for the first year are all paid for. Then for the rest of the time she has to pay. The rooms at the Uni are vary good. Shower toilet etc, Plus T.V. a small area to study, cooking area, and A.C. and a balcony. 2 people share these rooms. The uni is inside the town and is very nice. Don't know what the price for houses are. We have our own house in Udon, Don't want to sell that I've been told the course she is taking, for hotel management, lasts for 3 years. Whe you turn of road 2 to head towards Kalasin it is about 80K. Taks less than 3 hours to drive, allowing for the usual pee stops etc.

by **jingjai** » November 13, 2010, 8:18 pm

Perhaps, I am missing something here...?

I always thought you loved living in Nong Khai, Stan?
Why put your life into upheaval by moving to Khon Kaen or wherever?
Stan, I know we share the same views on the Thai education system, IE: lack of teaching the students initiative, problem solving, self-reliance, etc. If you and your wife move to where your daughter is attending college, aren't you enabling your daughter not to grow up?
Aren't you denying your daughter the opportunity to experience life on her own, make her own mistakes, and figure a way out of them?
KK is only 3 hours from here, she can easily you visit you and your wife on the weekends, or you can make the journey to KK on weekends.
Ask yourself this question: how many parents in our country or other countries, uproot their lives, to go to live in the city where they send their kids to college? The college years for a young person is their first opportunity to begin to experience life as an adult. IMO.

I understand the above isn't what you asked in your OP. They are my thoughts from one friend to another.

There are many Issan residents from Khon Kaen & Maharsarakam who post here:
http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/forum/32- ... c0a174bdaa

by **747man** » November 13, 2010, 8:53 pm

Yeah Stan,Agree with Jing,I Know you still like living here in NK,And as JJ says it's only a 3 hour drive to go and visit at the weekends..........Dont Go,Stan we"ll miss you !!!

by **nkstan** » November 13, 2010, 11:13 pm

I don't relish the idea of moving as I do like NK compared to any other place I have been in Thailand,it has served me well and I have been a good neighbor,but I am almost 72 and my life is simpler in need!

My daughter is a young dark skinned Isaan girl that has been raised in MY household,falang oriented w/o extended family and real friends because we don't live in Prakonchai,Burriram, where she was born,plus even if her blood family were supportive,which they are not,they have no social influence to give her economic security or opportunity!

She has not got the greatest education because of my lack of understanding until it was to late.She is not religious and her real interest at the moment is not Thailand,but would like to go outside of Thailand where she feels she would have better opportunity,career wise and relationship wise!She will not be able to do that until she is 20 at the earliest!

Her chosen Major is English,which if she could learn to verbalize as a native speaker of English,and she does migrate,it would serve her well.
Her English,American is ,phonetically,pretty good ,lacking in grammar and an expanded vocabulary.I believe that for it to improve she will need a living environment where her communication is only in English,therefore I feel a need to be there for her!

If she stays in Thailand ,she will not find a suitable husband,because she would have to marry ''out of class'' or marry a falang of reasonable means,Both present little opportunity for a wholesome relationship in an environment that would probably suit her!

If she does stay in Thailand with excellent English skills and a University degree,she could probably be self supporting if she strives, through teaching and tutoring!

by **parrot** » November 14, 2010, 6:43 am

A good Brit friend of ours is in the same boat.......but sent his senior high school daughter to the UK for school. He accompanied her for the first 2 months, got her settled, and then returned. Life was very difficult at first (as could be expected), but she adapted and she's grown amazingly in the time she's been there. She's on skype (webcam) with her dad daily to go over homework assignments.
I agree with the folks who suggest letting her grow on her own.....a difficult thing to do, but in the long run, it'll be the best thing for her.

by **randerson79** » November 14, 2010, 4:47 pm

Nkstan... I am living in Maha Sara kham now. Nice town. But To many students. One of the locals told me 40,000 locals 50,000 students? 80% women. That might sound good but they drive motorcycles. Not good! I was a Paramedic in the States for 20 years. I've seen more dead people here because of motorcylce wreaks than my 20 years as a medic combined! No planning on the roads, no stoplights just a mess!

My grirlfriend finishes school The end of the year. We are moving back to Udon. I will miss Maha Sarakham. It was a nice 2 years. I rent a nice 3 bedroom 2 bath house in a nice neighborhood. 2 minutes from the school. 4500 baht a month. People here are alot nicer than Udon. They have not been damaged by some of the ugly Falang that Udon has. I see maybe 1 other falang a week. People give you a real smile here!

If you want to Talk more about Maha Sarakham give me a inbox. i'll be in Udon Monday and Tuesday. Have an extra room if you need a place to stay while you look around Maha Sarakham. I'll show you around. :razz:

by **trubrit** » November 14, 2010, 7:34 pm

Stan . Presumably your daughter went to test last week same as my wifes neice and two friends. Now I am not at home at the moment to check but I seem to remember the KK uni literature said that all new students are required to stay in campus accomodation for the first year semester, after that they can choose to move out if they wish. I suppose you realise this Uni is reckoned to be far advanced to the one at Maha S so it is not easy to get a pass grade .Of the three girls I took only one seems likely to be accepted first time and the parents of the others were quitely told it might take between 30-50k to pass the retest. :roll:

I have no knowledge of the Maha system but both girls want to go to udon if they can't get KK.Thought you might like to know .

by **nkstan** » November 14, 2010, 10:06 pm

Thanks for the info,TB.I was at KKU today,the dorms are a mess,delapidated to say the best.Even the buildings at the various faculties were not in the best of shape.I was at the student center cafeteria during breakfast time,pretty grubby looking lot from the dorms!

I went down to MSU for a look around,although there were many buildings under construction,it was a cherrier cleaner looking bunch of students and the buildings were more modern and clean looking.Alot of faculties but closer together than KKU!Lots of housing available on and off campus!

We will just take it as it goes.We are thinking ,as a possible option,about just focusing on English and future schooling in America as a degree from any University in Thailand for her ,might not be of great value!

We even talked about her getting involved with the local ''travel to teach'' organization,volunteering and living amongst all the English speaking staff and temp teachers from abroad.In a sense ,immersing herself in the English language by majority association with native speakers of English,rather than hanging out with Thai speaking buddies!We would call it ''living the language'' rather than studying it and then not practicing continiously!

randerson79,I sent you a PM!

by **arjay** » November 15, 2010, 8:25 am

Stan, I've only just read this thread and as I was progressing through it, I must admit the same thoughts crossed my mind as to why you were wanting to move to where your daughter goes to University. She could stay in Uni accommodation, which would help her integrate with her fellow students better. My UK children left home and went to stay in Uni accommodation and from there progressed to sharing accommodation with other student friends and ultimately partners. Understood you may well have other reasons behind your thinking that I/we don't realise.

Maybe unlikely, but if she wanted to change Uni at a later date, you would have to uproot yourself again.

I think that young people (certainly at Uni age level anyway) are more tolerant and less pre-occupied with the sorts of prejudices that their parents get hung up with. I.e. won't be bothered by any variations in her skin colour or background, - but will simply take her as they find her.

I must admit I liked the sound of the smaller and nicer MS Uni & accommodation, however if as seemed to be suggested that the KKU qualification carried a lot more weight, that would "muddy the waters" for me, or would be a strong pull towards KKU..

by **wazza** » November 15, 2010, 9:16 am

Stan

is this proposal of you moving with her a continuation of the issues with being grounded a few months ago etc??

by **maaka** » November 15, 2010, 10:18 am

good one wazza, that did cross my mind too, and then I started wondering if this fellow was a control freak, or just a loving father, no offence Stan..I come from an island with no high school or university, and yes some of the parents move away so their kids can attend school or uni..Some parents just send them off and stay behind..alot of our kids struggle going from a rural setting to a urban environment, some end up back home, so get homesick even if staying on the mainland with extended family..it depends on the kid really.
now when I am in Udon I live in a friends run down bungalow complex that caters for rural kids who come to town to go to high school and university..nice kids most of them, but like any teenager or young adult away from home and the parents, the boys mainly drink it up large every night, night after night. they get drunk and then ride off in a bunch into the city, and most of the time they have sweet little school girls from the same complex on the back for a ride, all with no helmuts..I have seen them come back with busted bikes and skinned knees, and have made the hell trip to the hospital afew times to see them busted up...Now as a parent myself i would not like to see my daughter on the back of one of those bikes... its hard one knowing when to let go of your kids. my son left home at 17yrs because he wanted to join the army, so I sent him off to Australia to join up. his mother worried that he would not cope at such a young age, he was the youngest in the aussie army, an in a foreign land, but he made it thru. sure he got drunk with his mates nearly all the time, got into fights with visiting yankie service personal which seemed to be a game with them all, and he did alot more, but he came thru ok. girls are alittle different, I know of a couple of school girls who got pregnant from school boys staying at the complex in Udon, didnt go down well with mama and papa..so in some ways I can see a guiding hand is needed sometimes, but also on the other hand, a parent needs to let out abit more rope as their kids get older..I certainly wouldnt be giving up nice old Nongkhai from dry old wind blown KK thats for sure.

by **nkstan** » November 15, 2010, 11:26 am

I would say that many might class me as a control freak,especially since I can't or wouldn't air out all the background and reasons on a public forum.

It almost seems that not many have the same fix on Thai culture as I do when it comes to where my daughter and her ambitions lie,especially as she has been raised in a falang oriented home with many values different than Thai values and beliefs!

So I think the maturity level between Thai teenagers and Western teenagers is difficult enough to compare,age wise and planning wise,let alone comparing the needs of her,who is a mix!

As far as moving to the area where she would attend school is concerned.I think I should have said,if that was her desire.Since we have discussed it,with her having the final word on it,we agreed that since her major is English and her desire to excel,she would need English speaking associates versus Thai speakers,to live it and master it.Of course I have influenced that thinking because my position is that fluency in a language can not be attained w/o ''living in the language'',that spending your out of classroom time with only Thai speakers stymies the process!

One of the things we talked about was ,seeking the native English speaking international woman students/teachers that might be interested in sharing accomodations with her and her possibly developing them as friends or at least social after class hang out buddies.

One consideration was us renting a large enough house to help with that idea,maybe providing some cost incentives for the native speakers to help the process.If not ,she would at least have me available to her for practice.

These are all ideas that have and are being discussed with my daughter!If she decides that is not what she wants
,so be it!
If contingency planning,seeking info and advice related to those contigencies,is being a control ''freak'',then I accept the label,especially since I am not a laid back,take life as it presents itself type of personality with the exception of ''some'' of those traits evolving in my personal retired and ageing process! :lol:

Anyway,I am not offended by your thoughts and opinions!I am looking to throw all ideas ,thoughts and advice into the pot,hopefully to come up with the best serving that my daughter can choose to eat or not!

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