Education & family
Relocating with children: the first three months
Documents to carry, settling-in steps and the small practicalities that turn a new city into home.
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5 min read · Reviewed October 2026
In short
- Get the school place confirmed in writing before you travel.
- Carry translated medical and school records with you, not in a shipment.
- Routine, clubs and school buses do more for settling in than any checklist.
Before you fly
- A school place confirmed in writing, with the start date and any support arrangements agreed.
- Vaccination records, health summaries and any ongoing prescriptions, translated where possible.
- Guardianship or custody documents if one parent travels ahead or alone with the children.
- A Thai address you can give at immigration and to the school.
First weeks
Register your address, sort a local phone number and a bank account, and get the children into a routine quickly. For most families the fastest route to feeling settled is the school run, a couple of after-school clubs, and knowing where the nearest good hospital and supermarket are.
Language
Children usually pick up Thai faster than adults, so it is the parents who may feel the gap. Thai lessons pay off quickly in daily life, and bilingual schools and tutors are widely available. A few words of Thai also change how you are treated in shops, taxis and offices.
Health, safety and the home
- Choose a hospital with a paediatric department near home, not just the one with the best reputation across town.
- Keep insurance cards and the insurer’s helpline number in your phone; know the emergency number for an ambulance.
- Check pool safety, balcony heights and mosquito precautions at the property before the children arrive.