somtawin must pay annual?

[gasman2]

I was just checking the somtawin website and the "semester" fee and information about enrollment fees have dissapeared to be replaced with only the fee for a whole year - does this mean they'll be demanding parents pay for a whole year now?

[E-Dork]

Makes sense really if that's the case. I mean the kids not gonna be studying for half a year is he/she.

[Frank Hovis]

It looks like it from the website, but the last letter we got from the school said the price was staying the same for the first semester and then increasing by 2.9 or 2.7 percent for the second semester. The price on the website looks to be the same as for the whole of last year. Maybe they think if they get a years money up front they won't need to put the price up ?

[E-Dork]

It's unavoidable that the price will go up sooner or later. I think I remember hearing that the price hadn't even hit the 50,000 a semester mark with only a few hundred kids. Pretty damn cheap as it is comparitive to others but that will change with demand in the area.

Somtawin (International section) has been losing money for years but they're looking at the long term.

[Frank Hovis]

This is copied from the schools letter sent on Feb 25th.

Board Of Directors have approved a motion to maintain the first semester of 2011-2012 tuition fees at the same rate as 2010-2011 and increase by 2.8% in the second semester of 2011-2012.

That suggests to me that the website is wrong and the fees will have to be paid in two semesteral chunks.

[gasman2]

ahh because the website doesn't even reflect the pay rise, sorry my bad

[Aussie_Al]

Can anyone give me an objective comparision beween the school mentioned here, and the Yamsa-ard school please ?......

[E-Dork]

Yaamsa-ard is bilingual, Somtawin is an English program.

Two completely different types of schools with the former being a more traditional Thai way of teaching and the latter being a more international way.

If you want your kid to come out speaking half decent English unfortunately there is only one choice in Hua Hin.

[Takiap]

Yaamsa-ard is bilingual, Somtawin is an English program.

Two completely different types of schools with the former being a more traditional Thai way of teaching and the latter being a more international way.

If you want your kid to come out speaking half decent English unfortunately there is only one choice in Hua Hin.

Wrong I'm afraid. My kids speak English, and both attend a Thai school where almost no English is taught.But, at home, their world is English. I know where you're coming from though, because while we as parents can teach them to speak English, it's not the same as a formal English education.

[Takiap]

Just looked at the Somtawin website and notice they mention something about kids with Thai nationality being entitled to all rights offered to Thai nationals. Does this perhaps mean there are different prices for Thai kids and Farang kids?

[E-Dork]

Takiap said...

Wrong I'm afraid. My kids speak English, and both attend a Thai school where almost no English is taught.But, at home, their world is English.

Wel that's obviously extremely good parenting on your side. You must give your children a lot of time when they come home which is great. Unfortunately I've seen a million cases of the other side of the spectrum where the farang comes home, grabs a beer and bar a bit of broken English to the wife, doesn't alow his child to hear/communicate enough of the language. It can be done but there are variables to consider. If your child is an average or slowish learner, only the English at home will not be enough (Your kids must be quite sharp )

I know where you're coming from though, because while we as parents can teach them to speak English, it's not the same as a formal English education.

[bigideas]

EDork. Without being rude, my guess is that you have never been to Yamsaard School Hua Hin.
At Kindergarten level (K1-3) At Yamsaard School, kids have a native English speaking teacher teaching them all morning. In the afternoon they have a Thai teacher teaching them Thai. From conversations I have held with the headmaster at Somtawin English Program, they do exactly the same.

At yamsaard, there are various other subjects PE, swimming, music, which may be taught by a foreign teacher or a Thai teacher depending on availability. From conversations I have held with the headmaster at Somtawin English Program, they do exactly the same.

At Yamsaard they do extra curricular activities for kindergarten after school, ballet, music, piano, violin, art etc. At Somtawin they don't.

Furthermore, Yamsaard being in the centre of town is far more likely to attract native speaking foreign teachers whom, my guess is, would prefer to live centrally rather than having to commute 14kilometres out of town every day.

As for the mix of kids, you only need check the photo galleries on both websites to see that Yamsaard School has far more foreign and half Thai-foreign kids than Somtawin. Think about it. If you were a foreign parent, would you want your kid stranded 14k out of town, what if they went missing? hospitals for accidents and such like?

Oh and one last thing. My child who has been going to Yamsaard for 2 years speaks almost fluent English (mixes up tenses sometimes), (at 5 years old) can read English (words with more than 2 syllables, phonically, and can multiply and divide in 2s and 3s. Her Thai is also fluent. So there!!

[Aussie_Al]

Think me got the point. step daughter like 10.5 years, English not great, but i\mproviong out of sight with english spoken at home. She possibly mensa material with maths etc. for her age
But like all parents, want the best okay.

[Frank Hovis]

As for the mix of kids, you only need check the photo galleries on both websites to see that Yamsaard School has far more foreign and half Thai-foreign kids than Somtawin.

I'm not too sure that simply checking the photo galleries will give you an accurate estimate of the nationality ratios in the school, in fact I can't see any teachers in either website that would immediately strike me as obviously non-Thai, but I know for sure there the majority of teachers at Somtawin are not Thai and the Yamsaard site states that Maths and Science are taught by native English speakers, so they must have some too. Wouldn't it be nice if these websites listed their teachers and their qualifications?
It also looks like Yamsaard only goes up to Primary 6 (I don't know for sure) but that would sort of rule it out as a long term school option for a 10.5 year old I would think.
I'm sure both schools would be more than happy to have you visit as a potential customer if you contact them.
The Yamsaard swimming pool looks very nice in the pictures compared to the foot bath they have at Somtawin.

[E-Dork]

Big Ideas said..

At Yamsaard School, kids have a native English speaking teacher teaching them all morning. In the afternoon they have a Thai teacher teaching them Thai.

Yes half and half... bilingual!

From conversations I have held with the headmaster at Somtawin English Program, they do exactly the same.

Wrong, so the rest of your words hold no substance. Somtawin has 5 HOURS of Thai lessons a week, to meet the requirements of an English Program with the MOE they must have this amount. The rest is English.

As for the mix of kids, you only need check the photo galleries on both websites to see that Yamsaard School has far more foreign and half Thai-foreign kids than Somtawin

Yaamsa-ard will be the same as any other Thai Bilingual school and show off any farang or half farang kids they have in EVERY picture. Somtawin doesn't need to as it is well known they have a lot more full farang kids. How many English there? How many German there? How many Swiss there? How many American there? Probably could count them all on one hand but they will be in EVERY picture

EDork. Without being rude, my guess is that you have never been to Yamsaard School Hua Hin.

I have been to both the schools on various occasions to decide where the best place for one of my wife's sisters kids would be. The argument on her side was that because she is Thai she would like more Thai lessons so was swinging towards Yaamsa-ard but after looking at the two schools and the style of teaching presented in both she chose Somtawin.

At Yamsaard they do extra curricular activities for kindergarten after school, ballet, music, piano, violin, art etc. At Somtawin they don't.

A plus side for Yaamsa-ard. But this doesn't make it a better school. Only better equipped with Thai teachers willing to do that.

Somtawin and Yaamsa-ard are two very different schools. Both have their plus sides. A lot of the thai kids and some half thai moved from Somtawin to Yaamsa-ard because their parents were worried they weren't being exposed to enough THAI - hence they moved to somewhere where THAI is more dominant.


From prior posts you should know I am no big fan of Somtawin so there is no Biase here. IMHO Somtawin is the better of the schools for a farang kid or half farang kid.