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City guide

Bangkok

Thailand

Bangkok is disorienting at first: huge, frantic, humid. Then it wins you over fast, because the city is surprisingly gentle with families: smiles everywhere, easy daily life and a well-established French-speaking community. Here is the essential picture.

Currency
Thai baht (฿)
Languages
Thai (English in expat areas)
Time vs Paris
5 to 6h ahead (5h in summer)
Emergencies
191 (police), 1669 (ambulance)

FIAFE network

The Accueil for French-speaking families

In each city, a volunteer-run association from the FIAFE network welcomes, informs and helps French-speaking families settling in.

Bangkok Accueil

Since 2001

Since 2001, Bangkok Accueil has been welcoming French-speaking families to the Thai capital: neighbourhood buddies ("parrains et marraines"), coffee meetups, discovery outings and big festive or charity gatherings.

Where to meet them

No fixed drop-in at the moment: email [email protected] and the team will point you to the next neighbourhood coffee or apéro.

Visit the association's website Email the association See the FIAFE page

What they offer

  • Neighbourhood buddies (Sukhumvit, Sathorn...)
  • Chit-Chat coffees and regular activities
  • Bangkok discovery outings (Chinatown, Thai craft workshops)
  • Charity projects and the Tuk-Tuk magazine

Other support networks

Two large national networks also support the French abroad, each with its local chapter.

  • UFE

    UFE Thaïlande

    The Thai chapter of the Union des Français de l'Étranger: welcome, mutual aid and social events for the French in Thailand, including the large Bangkok community.

    Visit the website
  • Français du monde – ADFE

    Français du monde – ADFE Thaïlande

    The Thai section of Français du monde - ADFE informs French residents in Thailand, helps with their paperwork and relays their concerns to the consular authorities.

    Visit the website Facebook page

The French business network

The local French chamber of commerce (CCI France International network) is a real asset for work: networking, job offers and help to restart a career or start a business locally.

CCI France International

Franco-Thai Chamber of Commerce (FTCC)

The Franco-Thai chamber, based in Bangkok, runs over 60 events a year: networking, a job board and support to settle in professionally make the move easier for a spouse and the family.

Visit the website CCI country page

AEFE network

Accredited French schools

Schools accredited by the French Ministry of Education follow the French curriculum: your child can continue their schooling seamlessly, abroad and back in France.

💰 Compare school fees

Source: official AEFE directory, verified June 2026. aefe.gouv.fr

Tutoring and private lessons

To support your children's schooling across two systems, two solutions designed for expat families.

  • Axiom Academic

    Private lessons and tutoring for expat families: French curriculum, IB and British curriculum, at home or online, with teachers who know the schools in your city.

    Discover Axiom Academic

  • IB Tutor

    Tutors specialised in the International Baccalaureate: online lessons in every IB subject, to aim for top grades from MYP to the diploma.

    Discover IB Tutor

Schools and education

The Lycée français international de Bangkok (LFIB), AEFE-affiliated, teaches around a thousand pupils from nursery to the French baccalaureate. Over in Sathorn and Sukhumvit, three accredited French preschools complete the picture for little ones.

Good to know

  • The LFIB sits in Ramkhamhaeng, east of the city: most families use the school bus, so factor the commute into your choice of neighbourhood.
  • For ages 2 to 6, La Petite École (Yen Akat) and the Acacia preschools (Sathorn, Ekkamai) offer French nursery right in the expat areas.
  • Apply early: admissions are handled online and the youngest classes fill up fast.
  • The international offering (British, American, IB curricula) is vast, but fees climb quickly: negotiate them into the expat package.

Children's healthcare

Bangkok's big private hospitals rank among the best in Asia, with a level of comfort that surprises newcomers. But everything is billed: international health insurance is the first thing to sort out before you arrive.

Good to know

  • Get insurance covering hospitalisation before departure: even emergency care is paid.
  • Samitivej, Bumrungrad and Bangkok Hospital are the expat family references, with full paediatric departments.
  • Dengue circulates all year round: mosquito repellent for children, especially in the rainy season.
  • 1669 is the medical emergency number; in practice, many families drive straight to the nearest private hospital ER.

French-speaking community

Thailand counts over 12,000 French citizens registered at the consulate, most of them in Bangkok. The community is warm and organised: you find your circle fast.

Good to know

  • Bangkok Accueil (FIAFE network) has welcomed newcomers since 2001, with neighbourhood buddies across the city.
  • Sukhumvit (Phrom Phong, Thonglor, Ekkamai) and Sathorn are home to most French-speaking families.
  • UFE Thaïlande and Français du monde - ADFE complete the support network.
  • The Alliance Française de Bangkok, in Sathorn, offers a media library and activities in French for children.

Family outings and events

Bangkok with kids is a permanent adventure: city parks with their easy-going monitor lizards, colourful markets, river boats and beaches two hours away.

Good to know

  • Lumpini and the Benjakitti forest park are the green lungs of the centre: bikes, playgrounds and the famous monitor lizards.
  • The Children's Discovery Museum, opposite Chatuchak market, is free and designed for little ones.
  • A boat ride across the Chao Phraya beats any theme park: temples, canals and stilt houses.
  • Hua Hin, Khao Yai or Kanchanaburi: the family weekend escapes are 2 to 3 hours away by road.

These landmarks change fast: the MumExpat community will keep them up to date.

Coming soon: the full Bangkok guide.

Verified addresses, paediatricians recommended by mums, a family agenda updated every week. Join the waitlist to discover the Bangkok page first.

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