Long Read: Learning to ‘Take It Slow’ in Thailand

Parents who have joined the surging ranks of Chinese expats in the city of Chiang Mai are discovering the rewards of raising their children away from China’s fiercely competitive education system

Coco Wu (center), who went to Chiang Mai at sixth grade and is now a high school sophomore, celebrates with friends on Christmas Eve in 2024. Photo: Zhang Ruixue/Caixin

On the outskirts of Chiang Mai in northern Thailand, it’s now easy to find an authentic Chinese restaurant. If you are in the market, you can also find Chinese-speaking nannies, car mechanics and gardeners.

It all shows how the area has changed as communities of predominantly Chinese have sprung up in the city.

China’s families have been drawn to the area by its abundance of international schools catering to the growing expatriate community. In recent years, the number of Chinese students in Chiang Mai’s international schools has ballooned, with some parents estimating that nearly half of their children’s classmates are Chinese. In some cases, Chinese students make up over 85% of classes, Caixin learned.