Moving in the summer, family friendly neighborhoods?

honestly, if you're at Mahidol Salaya campus, living near the BTS isn't as important as having a car. that area is pretty spread out and the BTS skytrain doesn't reach there. Bangkok U's main campus is near Rangsit which is also car territory. for family space, look around Lak Si or Don Mueang, you can get a decent 3br townhouse for 15-20k baht and it's closer to Wang Thonglang than Salaya is.

for the visa stuff, your spouse can get a dependent visa based on your student visa, pretty straightforward. takes about 2-3 weeks at immigration, cost is around 1900 baht per person per year. just need your student visa first, then bring marriage cert and kids' birth certs translated and legalized.

if you really want BTS access for the city side of things, On Nut is prob your best bet. it's on the Sukhumvit line so you can get downtown easy, but it's still got a neighborhood feel with big parks and family-friendly malls like Century. you'll get less space for your money tho, a 2br condo there runs 25k+ baht

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honestly with two small kids and your parents in wang thonglang i'd lean toward the quieter option with more space. the bts/mrt are great but dragging a 1yo and 2.5yo up and down stairs at asok or siam every day gets old fast. look at places near ramkhamhaeng or bang kapi instead, you can get a decent 2-3 bedroom for like 15-20k baht and still be a 10 minute songthaew ride to your parents or a big c.

visa process for spouse and kids is straightforward but slow, budget about 3 months and maybe 5-10k baht in fees per person depending on the agent you use. if you're on a student visa they'll likely get dependent visas which let them stay but not work. the american passport might get you slightly faster processing at immigration but don't count on it.

daycares in wang thonglang are plentiful and cheap, expect maybe 8-12k baht per month for a decent one with cameras and english lessons. the international ones near bangkok u are more like 25-40k if that matters.

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wang thonglang area itself is pretty family friendly and has decent bus access to both universities tbh. for bangkok u you'd be near rama 9 which has the mrt and some new condos with parks, for mahidol you'd be closer to the bts at wongwian yai or talat phlu. with two little ones i'd lean towards being near the skytrain even if it means a smaller place, the heat and traffic with strollers is brutal and you'll appreciate being able to just walk to the bts. the visa process for spouse and kids on a student visa is pretty straightforward but expect a few months and maybe 10-15k baht in fees per person if you use an agent, your university's international office can usually handle it

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Krua Dok Mai Kao is solid but I've always found their som tam a bit tame on the pla ra. If you want the real funky version, try the shophouse spots along Soi Udomsuk 26, near the night market end. They pound it fresh with fermented fish that'll clear your sinuses, and it's like 60 baht. Different style from the On Nut places, more Lao-leaning.

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for som tam specifically i'd say the Isaan spots in Chatuchak are underrated, weekdays only though since the weekend crowd ruins the vibe. there's a stall near gate 2 that does tam pa with fermented bamboo shoots, super sour and funky, not something you see much in On Nut. if you're already heading north for Or Tor Kor anyway its worth the detour.

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honestly the som tam at Krua Dok Mai Kao is good but what got me hooked is their nam prik pla raa dip with the raw veggies, that funk hits way harder than the papaya does. think most people sleep on it cuz they just order the som tam and gai yang. also pro tip, go before noon on weekdays, after that teh pla ra gets milder cuz they batch it for the lunch rush

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