aussie mum (2 kids) moving 2 bangkok 4 husband's work

Thailand has so far proven to be a great place to raise kids. I am from the states, and the lower crime rate is good. You will want to choose housing that is close to an International School. That would put you around Nonthaburi. It is a suburb of Bangkok. Read everything you can about Thailand and their culture. Understanding the culture seems to be an ongoing issue for most Westerners. Bamrungrad Hospital is the best place to deliver your baby. It is great! I know quite a few people that live here that are from Austrailia. Making friends is a little hard at first. You learn to tollerate a lot of things. If your husband will be away alot, it is crucial that you find housing in Nonthaburi. It has a HUGE ex pat population. It is more comfortable, for me anyway. They have a lot of clubs and groups that cater to ex pat women in particular. There are a lot of Western grocery stores and restaurants, and most anything is within walking distance, you can also catch a cab. The first few months will be hard, but all in all it will be great. There are a lot of women who take their children off on Holiday while the husbands are off on business. I know I do! It takes some getting used to, but it is nice that everyone eles is in the same boat as you. That is why I like this area. If you have any questions, I'm sure we can all help you. One of my problem is that they do not carry many Western sized clothes here. I am a pretty big girl even by American standards, I wear a size 18, so shoppint here for me has so far been out of the question. I order a lot of things online, and then have my Mom ship them to me.
I hope you have a great time!

Hi to Jacko and GratefulMom:  GratefulMom gave you some excellent advice.  I lived in Thailand in the early 90s, and I have to say that you will never be lonely.  There are all sorts of expat women clubs; there's the International Ladies club, and there is also expat clubs formed for different countries.  They are one large community.  There are writing clubs, sewing clubs, traveling clubs.  Be thankful that your husband is choosing Bangkok.  There are other outlying places that might be more lonely for you. The food is wonderful and inexpensive, the shopping is wonderful in Bangkok as you can have clothes made for you in 24 hours.  I would love for you to contact me by email after you get over there and let me know if it's still as great as it used to be. 

I have written a book called,  A Broad Abroad in Thailand: An Expat's Misadventures in the Land of Smiles (and believe me, it is the land of smiles). The Thai people are wonderful. You can view the book on my website, dodiecross.com, as well as the article: 10 Top Things to Think About Before Visiting Thailand. 

As for clothes for GratefulMom, you'd love the chapter in my book about "The One Sigh Foreigner." I too was a tad overweight but they have the answer for that.
Good luck and please let me know how you're doing.

My husband, 2 kids and I are planning the move to Bangkok for the school year beginning Aug 2014. I've just started the search for international schools for my 5 yr old and for a job for myself.

I'd like to ask if anyone knows whether there are scholarships for your own child or subsidies in fees as part of a potential salary package.

Knowing I needed to be well qualified for the good jobs, I finished my Master in Education in Applied Linguistics to add to my teaching degree - B.Arts in Educ (prim).

I am predominantly an EAL, ESL, EFL teacher as I have taught English to non native speakers of all ages and been in ESL school management since 1997, (including 3yrs in Thailand) but I'm worried that my lack of full time primary teaching experience may count against me. 

Does anyone know how salary packages work? Should I apply for top schools and send her to one that is more affordable or can I hope for reduced fees if I work there too?