Playschool requirements

[panama hat]

I posted this on the other forum - I should know better - and I received a few replies, but none really addressing the issue. Any comments on it?

My wife wants to open an English-language playschool for children 3- to 5 or 2 to 5 year olds. Does anyone know of the requirements for starting such a venture?

Neither of us are Thai, but I do have a work permit and my own company.

[ChiangMai noon]

^
I'll see what I can find out this evening.
I know someone that has one and I'll be seeing her tomight.
will get back to you tomorrow afternoon.

[Marmite the Dog]

Anywhere in Thailand do you?

[panama hat]

Thank you, CMN.

Sorry, Marmite, I didn't understand your question.

[Marmite the Dog]

Sorry, Marmite, I didn't understand your question.

That's because I didn't read the OP properly.

Jeez! Some people...

[ChiangMai noon]

^
I have tried to comprehend your misinterpretation and failed Marmite.

[Marmite the Dog]

I thought he was looking for a playschool.

[panama hat]

I'm too old for playschool, I'm afraid

[kingwilly]

i thought the market was fairly saturated anyway.....

[panama hat]

saturated in certain areas, I'm sure - Bangkok,Pattaya etc . . .

We live in Chantanburi and there are lots of wealthy people here from the gem, fruit and rubber industries and one bilingual school - but nothing for the little ones. We have had quite a bit of encouragement from both expats and locals for this.

[hillbilly]

I posted this on the other forum - I should know better - and I received a few replies, but none really addressing the issue. Any comments on it?

My wife wants to open an English-language playschool for children 3- to 5 or 2 to 5 year olds. Does anyone know of the requirements for starting such a venture?

Neither of us are Thai, but I do have a work permit and my own company.

MOE says for a kindergarden at least 1 rai is required.

MOE says for an international school at least 5 rai is required.

For a playschool? Well this is Thailand.

However, this is Thailand...

[panama hat]

Thanks, Hillbilly . . . I think.

We were thinking of renting a bungalow and covering the grassy area with a type of awning so the kids can play outside as well . . . on the grass!

[mad_dog]

One of you would need a degree if you open and educationally minded venture... Thais who do need to have a degree anyway I know more than one of more than one person who tried opening a language school and registering in the low-low-low class wife's name and were denied.

[WhiteLotusLane]

Whereabouts in Thailand?

If Chiang Mai then I'm interested.

Priority #1 : A SAFE environment, in absolutely every respect.
Priority #2 : Professional staff who like kids. And enough of them
Priority #3 : Affordable. Anything over 5000 baht / month is out, preferably (lots) cheaper. Also a daily rate of around 200/300 baht would be nice. Even nicer a half-day rate of 150-200 baht.
Priority #4 : South of town in Chiang Mai
Priority #5 : Opening hours to start at 8am, until 6pm.

That's about it.

[hillbilly]

Actually, according to MOE, the owner now needs to have a degree in education.

Once again TIT. Will try to find a link.

[panama hat]

One of you would need a degree if you open and educationally minded venture... Thais who do need to have a degree anyway I know more than one of more than one person who tried opening a language school and registering in the low-low-low class wife's name and were denied.

My wife has a Law degree and an MBA from Canterbury, NZ - but nothing in the teaching field (she is not Thai).

Nice requirements WLL, but we live in Chantaburi and don't intend on making it a daycare centre, more along the lines of Montessori, i.e. hands-on learning for the littlies.

[mad_dog]

One of you would need a degree if you open and educationally minded venture... Thais who do need to have a degree anyway I know more than one of more than one person who tried opening a language school and registering in the low-low-low class wife's name and were denied.

My wife has a Law degree and an MBA from Canterbury, NZ - but nothing in the teaching field (she is not Thai).

Nice requirements WLL, but we live in Chantaburi and don't intend on making it a daycare centre, mor any degree is fine but I think you need to show that you are educated if you want to open e along the lines of Montessori, i.e. hands-on learning for the littlies.

I think any kind of degree is ok Ops I didn't read HB's posts. If the playschool is going to act as a guardian to children you will need to get registered by the MoE as well. I

t sounds like a great idea. I teach slightly older children and am a master at macrame, cut out finger puppets, mother's day cards and the like

[kingwilly]

Priority #3 : Affordable. Anything over 5000 baht / month is out, preferably (lots) cheaper. Also a daily rate of around 200/300 baht would be nice. Even nicer a half-day rate of 150-200 baht.

really?

most of the international schools / kindergardens around BBK charge in the order of 50,000 per term!

** the above post in no way suggests that I agree wiv said pricing structure **

[Ban Saray]

Common knowledge that all international schools charge way in excess of what they spend on their clients.

WLL is correct if you want them queing at the door.

Has anyone mentioned the need for someone on the premises with First Aid experience, and some form of insurance wouldn't hurt.

I am also a bit amazed that there is no kinder/playschool.
We have one in our little village, it is part of a Thai primary school, but they teach English as well.
They were not cheap either about 5000 baht a term with add ons for every conceivable thing you can think off.

[dirtydog]

Common knowledge that all international schools charge way in excess of what they spend on their clients.

This is a totally nonsensical statement, this can be applied to any service industry as a business, security companies charge way in excess of what they spend on their clients, but wharehouses etc still use security companies.

[Ban Saray]

Fail to see how it is nonsensical when you in fact re-affirm my observation.
I never said people do not pay the price, I just said the providers are a bunch of crooks.
Even state run schools in Thailand try to charge for things that they should not.
Education in my mind is something the state should pay for, for the countries future.
Australia is not free, but with an election looming there is talk of making nursery and child care fees fully tax deductable.
It's just the culture I was bought up in, education was free for me, when they started to charge i.e. to go to university; I went to work.

When I went to uni years later, I was sponsored after winning a scholarship.

I'm not a socialist, I just don't like people ripping other people off. That's probably while I'm still working for a living, I don't have that killer capitalistic attitude.

[Hootad Binky]

Great idea!

A successful children's program is the bedrock of a successful language school; most successful English-language enterprises have them, as they pay the bills!

Get thee to a bookstore that sells childrens' English language-learning texts like Ready Set Go!, etc.

Visit a successful children's program like the one at Chulalongkorn's Continuing Education Center, 19th Floor, British Council Bldg, Siam Square. Pretend your a prospective parent; ask for a tour.

Look at schools on the top floors of malls; notice the walls painted in primary colors, the huge dice, hoola-hoops, etc.

Research, research, research!

[kingwilly]

Common knowledge that all international schools charge way in excess of what they spend on their clients.

really? how do you figure that?

I know for a fact that the top 3 international schools in thailand are non-profit ventures.

thus every bladdy cent that the parents and students pay goes straight back into the students education!

[panama hat]

Great idea!

A successful children's program is the bedrock of a successful language school; most successful English-language enterprises have them, as they pay the bills!

Get thee to a bookstore that sells childrens' English language-learning texts like Ready Set Go!, etc.

Visit a successful children's program like the one at Chulalongkorn's Continuing Education Center, 19th Floor, British Council Bldg, Siam Square. Pretend your a prospective parent; ask for a tour.

Look at schools on the top floors of malls; notice the walls painted in primary colors, the huge dice, hoola-hoops, etc.

Research, research, research!

Thanks, HB and others. Excellent ideas, we'll do that, considering we have two kids I doubt they'd think we're not for real.

Of course we are profit-oriented, how else are we going to pay for costs, salaries etc . . .

Mad Dog:

If the playschool is going to act as a guardian to children you will need to get registered by the MoE as well. I

t sounds like a great idea. I teach slightly older children and am a master at macrame, cut out finger puppets, mother's day cards and the like

Funny that, Mr hat and I were talking about the need for a macrame expert last night!
Can you explain the 'guardian' bit - do you mean that the children will be in the care of the playschool from 08.00 to 12.00 and therefore are their guardians?

One thing we wanted to avoid was for the kids to be 'dropped off' at dawn and picked up at dusk - we believe that children need to be woth their parents/parent and let's face it, people who can afford to pay XXbaht/month won't have the wife working - well, not generally.

[Whiteshiva]

I know for a fact that the top 3 international schools in thailand are non-profit ventures.

Names - please?