Tokyo, Shanghai, or Bangkok?

[Scott Jensen]

I'm right now in the initial conversations with an American boarding school
about setting up an admissions office in a foreign mega city. The school
thinking it would be a good idea to focus its international enrollment
efforts on one foreign mega city, establish an admissions office there, and
work to become part of the right social circles. I myself am a long-time
marketing consultant who has done marketing work for the school in the past
and thus why they're talking to me about doing this. As I would be running
the office, the school has given me a good deal of control over where it
would be located. Tentatively, I'm thinking either Shanghai, Tokyo, or
Bangkok. What I'm wondering is:

1) Will the national governments of each of these cities allow parents to
send their teenage children to a foreign boarding school? I'm pretty sure
Japanese and Thai parents can, but I'm not sure about Chinese parents.

2) The school will set me up in a nice office suite at a respectable address
with a local staff as well as a nice apartment with a maid. So saying the
answer to #1 is "yes" for all cities and putting the school issue aside,
which would be the most fun and receptive city for a single white American
male (6'3", 245 pounds, fit, 41 years old, no children, only knows English)
to live in?

I would especially like to hear from those that have lived in two or all of
the cities.

Thanks in advance!

Scott Jensen

[Declan Murphy]

Post by Scott Jensen
1) Will the national governments of each of these cities allow parents to
send their teenage children to a foreign boarding school? I'm pretty sure
Japanese and Thai parents can, but I'm not sure about Chinese parents.

Yes for all 3 countries.

Post by Scott Jensen
2) The school will set me up in a nice office suite at a respectable address
with a local staff as well as a nice apartment with a maid. So saying the
answer to #1 is "yes" for all cities and putting the school issue aside,
which would be the most fun and receptive city for a single white American
male (6'3", 245 pounds, fit, 41 years old, no children, only knows English)
to live in?

For "fun and receptive" - Shanghai. Apart from the market size etc,
Shanghai will also provide you with the highest disposable income of the
3. Especially if you would like a nice apartment with a maid. You can
get the later with Bangkok. Forget about living in Tokyo and visiting
Shanghai, just live in Shanghai and visit Tokyo for business trips. Good
flight connections. I'm not sure about Shanghai-Bangkok connections, but
if there weren't enough direct flights to suit your schedule you could
always use Hong Kong.

Post by Scott Jensen
I would especially like to hear from those that have lived in two or all of
the cities.

Only lived in Tokyo and Shanghai. Have visited Bangkok several times on
business but haven't lived there.

Regards Declan,
Okazaki, Japan

[Scott Jensen]

Thanks for your reply!

Scott Jensen