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Singaporean mama of two and her Swiss husband went on holiday to Chiang Mai, Thailand and loved it so much they moved their whole family there.
Singaporean Eunice Chua-Sandri lives in Chiang Mai with her Swiss husband and two kids who are 9 and 7. She runs a boutique Marketing & PR consultancy, and travels back and forth to Singapore for work. Eunice shares the highs of living in one of our favourite travel destinations, Chiang Mai (the food, the beautiful lush green mountain) and the lows. When asked if she’d return to Singapore and how would the kids fit back into the education system Eunice says ‘I highly doubt they’d be able to catch up with the SG education system. I think my kids are very behind on Math and English…I recognise that my kids are probably not typically book smart, but I hope their creativity, insightfulness and independence will carry them through.’ Read on for our July edition of Overseas Mama!
Click here to read about other Overseas Singaporean mamas!
What brought you to Chiang Mai? How long have you been living overseas?
Chiang Mai was the first destination we went on holiday after Covid, and we spent a week here and absolutely loved it. That same trip we thought it would be a great place to live and by the next month I had booked a trip to look at school options for our children – I was only comfortable with moving if we found a suitable school for the kids.
I have been in Chiang Mai since March 2023, and it is my first time living overseas. My husband has not lived in his home country (Switzerland) for the past 20 years and has lived in a few other countries, so it was good to have one of us familiar with the drill (and stress) of moving.
Favourite aspect about living in Chiang Mai?
The nature – mountains, waterfalls, a lot of green spaces.
And the worst part?
The bad air that comes every year, between Feb-Apr. We refer to it as the “smoky” season, where air purifiers stay on, masks on and as little outdoor activities as possible.
How do you think parenting (and schools) in Thailand differ from Singapore? What do you appreciate most about it?
I think it is tough for me to make a comparison, because our kids go to an international school in Thailand, and from what I see, the local system in Thailand is actually quite similar to Singapore’s! In the context of our school, the parents seem to generally be more relaxed about academics and the school we’re in is definitely more well-rounded, with more focus on meeting the kids where they are at individually. The children are split into different groups based on how good their understanding is of each core subject, and we have this across English, Math and languages (Thai and Mandarin). I especially love the IPC (International Primary Curriculum) programme as our kids are immersed in different thematic enquiry-based topics every term.
Top five places in or around Chiang Mai you would recommend to parents travelling with kids and why.
Ginger Farm: A local farm with activities for the kids (rice planting, feeding animals, playground, sandbox etc). Huge space to just while away your time – my kids get here and disappear for hours. There’s also great food and drinks for the parents to relax.
Buatong Waterfall, also known as the Sticky Waterfall. Great for Avenger-lovers. Climb up the waterfall like spiderman. Great for a little exercise that’s easy for the whole family. Kids can play and soak in the water.
Siam Insect Zoo. My kids absolutely love this place – touching (and holding) all kinds of insects (and reptiles too). Stick insects, beetles, spiders, bearded dragons and various exotic insects are exhibited throughout the year. Before or after visiting the Insect Zoo, suggest a stop at Ai Nara Cafe for a drink and to look at the beautiful flowers. (Totally insta-worthy too).
Early Owls. No visit to the North of Thailand is legit without a visit to one of the many cafes. I highly recommend this one for its big open space, and delicious coffee and food. There are no fixed tables here, just pick a portable table and camping chairs, and sit wherever you like.
Chiang Dao Caves: A limestone cave about 1.5 hours away from Chiang Mai with stalagmites and stalactites. There are four caves here with local guides to take you through. There are many legends surrounding this cave and is said to have been a place for worship and resting since the 14th Century. If time is not of the essence, then I would highly recommend a night stay in Chiang Dao (think waterfalls, hotsprings, and stargazing at night).
What is the local cuisine like and do you eat out a lot or cook at home (and who does the cooking if so?)
The local cuisine is quite different from food in Bangkok. For example, we’re far from the ocean, so seafood is not usually the normal protein of choice. Northern Thai food also has more herbs, and my absolute favourite is Sai Oua, a Northern Thai sausage. Ground pork with a lot of herbs and spices – absolutely the best.
Sticky Rice (Khao Ngiao) is also a staple in the Northern Thai diet – my Thai friends have sticky rice + moo-ping (pork sticks) for breakfast! Each pork stick is 5 baht, bought from a roadside vendor who barbeques it in the morning. Everything goes with sticky rice, even Som Tam (Papaya Salad), and Sai Oua, of course.
We’re extremely spoiled for choice though, with options for a variety of cuisines here in Chiang Mai, and great restaurants everywhere. We generally eat out for lunch, but always at home for dinner. The cooking is split between my husband and I, so we have a variety of Western and Asian food on rotation.
Is there something that you do to keep your children in touch with their Singaporean roots?
Since we’re a short 3 hour flight away, we’ve been back to Singapore with the kids about 3 times since we moved. I think being Singaporean is very much part of their identity. And we have Yakun Kaya Toast here, so having a taste of home always helps!
Best souvenir one could bring back from Chiang Mai for a mama friend
One of the many hand-made accessories or bags. There are so many beautiful handmade items made by the local Thais – Chiang Mai is known as the centre of Thai handicrafts, and also has a thriving contemporary art scene.
What do you find is the hardest part of being a mother living in a foreign country?
Having to find a new support system – that includes babysitters/ nannies and friends, especially when people around you all have a different background and different experiences in life, sometimes it takes a lot more to connect. I am also quite introverted, so it’s not natural for me to make new friends, and it takes me a lot to ask for help.
How do you and your partner juggle work and dividing up family roles?
I would say we’re at 50/50. We both work, so sometimes he does more, sometimes I do more. It really depends on how busy each of us are with work, and we make compromises for each other based on our work schedule.
On raising multilingual children …
Our kids are currently learning four languages (English, Chinese, German and Thai) and honestly not great at most! We try to speak Chinese and German at home but we (my husband and I) are not very good at sticking to it. So we’re all trying our best as we go along!
The kids take extra Chinese and German lessons outside of school, and I am also currently learning how to speak, read and write Thai – the kids see that I am on my own learning journey too!
What do you always bring back from Singapore for yourself and for your children?
Books! The selection of English books is not great (or maybe I’ve not found the right bookstore), and ordering takes a long time, so when I am in Singapore I always pick up some books for myself and the kids.
And my mum always sends a bunch of snacks for us to take back with us, e.g. Pineapple Tarts.
Tell us about your go-to recipe for your family.
Tomato Tripe Stew. It was particularly difficult to find tripe in the supermarkets in Singapore, but here in Chiang Mai it is very readily available (so is every other part of the animal).
Years ago, before we had kids, we had a delicious tripe stew at L’operetta on Tanjong Katong, cooked by Chef Yohhei Sasaki and it was unbelievably delicious. The restaurant changed chefs and the menu after and we never had a tripe dish that was this good ever again. We always wanted to cook it at home, but it wasn’t easy to get tripe.
When we saw the tripe in the supermarket here in Chiang Mai, we decided to buy it and cook it at home. Basically it’s just tripe, tomato paste, tomatoes, carrots, onions, garlic, bay leaf, salt, then pressure cooked. Serve with bread or rice. Garnish with parmesan cheese. The whole family loves it, even my picky eater!
What’s the one thing you would miss about Chiang Mai if you moved away?
Looking up and seeing a beautiful lush green mountain, no matter where you are.
What is the first thing you do each time you come back to Singapore?
See my mum!
What do you dread and look forward to most if you are moving back to Singapore?
Look forward: The convenience, structure and efficiency of everything.
Dread: Paying the price of an iced latte (65 baht/ SG$2.40 here with oat milk at our favourite coffee shop, Minimal Coffee).
Thoughts on your child moving back and joining Singapore’s education system?
I highly doubt they’d be able to catch up with the SG education system. I think my kids are very behind in Math and English compared to friends in Singapore, and I don’t think they’d be able to adapt to the intensity of the Singapore education. I recognise that my kids are probably not typically booksmart, but I hope their creativity, insightfulness and independence will carry them through.
But who knows? Children are more adaptable than we think and maybe they’d be able to work their way through the initial work of getting used to a new environment and system of learning.
How do you think Singaporeans can benefit from living overseas?
Singapore is very safe, orderly and organised, and sometimes a little chaos is good for life.
