For UK families · Moving to Southeast Asia
Where in Southeast Asia will your family land?
Compare Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, Bali and the Philippines through the decisions that shape family life: schools, visas, healthcare, costs, tax and the route out of the UK. Start broad, then narrow the map to 15 family bases.
- 5
- destinations compared
- 15
- family bases researched
- Official
- sources linked and dated
Five countries. One honest comparison.
Every country here is scored the same way — cost, schools, visas, healthcare, English, flight time — so you're comparing like for like, not marketing gloss. Figures are for a family of four including international school, and every one carries the date we last checked it.
Thailand
- Monthly family cost
- £2,000–£4,600/mo
- Last verified: Aug 2026
The established choice — deepest expat-family infrastructure in the region, but the visa system is a genuine maze and Bangkok/Phuket costs climb fast.
Open the destination guideExplore family location guides
Malaysia
- Monthly family cost
- £2,000–£4,700/mo
- Last verified: Aug 2026
The value pick — excellent English, strong British-style schools at a fraction of KL-vs-Singapore prices, and Penang is a genuine family hub. MM2H's cost jump is the catch.
Open the destination guideExplore family location guides
Vietnam
- Monthly family cost
- £2,000–£4,700/mo
- Last verified: Aug 2026
The most affordable comfortable life in the region, and Da Nang is a rising family favourite — but the visa picture is the weakest of the five and English is less common.
Open the destination guideExplore family location guides
Indonesia (Bali)
- Monthly family cost
- £3,100–£5,500/mo
- Last verified: Aug 2026
A ready-made international family community and a lifestyle that sells itself — but no direct flights, rising costs in Canggu, and visa categories that need current-code checks and careful planning.
Open the destination guideExplore family location guides
The Philippines
- Monthly family cost
- £1,600–£4,000/mo
- Last verified: Aug 2026
The English-speaking wildcard — English is widely used, family culture is a major strength and daily costs can be low, but expat-family infrastructure is thinner and UK flights typically involve a stop.
Open the destination guideExplore family location guides
Southeast Asia: which country is right for you?
Not sure which country? Compare all five on cost, schools, visas, healthcare and flight time — and find the right fit for your family.
All figures are indicative, for a family of four including international school, and converted to GBP at approximate Aug 2026 rates. How we score
Research your move
Useful answers, whichever question comes first
Start with a place, a school, a visa or a budget. Our guide hubs join the decisions together so you can research a move to Southeast Asia from home — without pretending one destination fits every family.
Best places in Southeast Asia for families
Compare 15 city and island bases across five destinations, with family trade-offs for schools, healthcare, daily movement and cost.
Explore all 15 family bases- International schoolsCompare fees, curricula, admissions pressure and the neighbourhoods that make the school run workable.
- Family visasUnderstand dependant routes, work rights, renewals and the evidence a family application usually needs.
- Healthcare and insuranceResearch hospital access, insurance choices, exclusions and the real cost of protecting a family.
- Cost of livingBuild a family budget around housing, school, transport, healthcare and the costs that are easy to miss.
- Destination taxLearn how residence, local income, overseas income and UK ties can affect the questions you need to ask.
- Practical relocationSequence schools, documents, healthcare, shipping and arrival admin from home, before the move gets noisy.
Three steps from “maybe” to “moved”
Step 1Compare
Find your fit. Answer a few questions and see which countries and cities actually suit your family, your budget and your kids' schooling — not just the ones with the prettiest beaches.
Find your fitStep 2Plan
Get your checklist. A step-by-step timeline covering visas, schools, healthcare and shipping, sequenced so you always know what to do next and when.
Open the move checklistStep 3Leave the UK properly
Sort the admin. The part nobody else covers — HMRC, pensions, your ISA, the NHS, and what to do with your house — handled in the right order.
Start the UK exit plan
The differentiator
The half nobody else covers
Every other site tells you how to arrive. Almost none tell you how to leave. Yet the UK side can reshape the move: how to report departure to HMRC for your filing position, what non-residence changes for ISA contributions, how pension payments and overseas tax interact, what happens to NHS access and medical records, and whether the family home should be sold or rented.
SettleHappy walks you through the lot, in plain English, in the order it needs doing. Information and organisation — not regulated advice — with clear pointers to a solicitor or adviser for the bits that need one.
See the UK exit guideNumbers you can actually trust
Relocation info goes stale fast — visa rules shift, school fees creep up, currencies move. So we date everything. Every cost range shows when we last checked it, every country grade follows a published method you can read for yourself, and our guides link back to official sources like GOV.UK, HMRC and embassy sites rather than asking you to take our word for it.
Sources cited — official sources, linked, not vibes
Regularly updated — every figure carries a "last verified" date
UK-family focused — written for the school-age, leaving-Britain reality
Free planning resource
Plan the move before it starts planning you
Use our family relocation checklist to work from early research to arrival in a sensible order. It is designed for decisions you can make from home — with a downloadable quick-reference version for the kitchen table.
- Nine-to-twelve-month planning sequence
- Schools, visas, healthcare and housing
- UK departure tasks in the right order
- A printable PDF for quick reference
Straight answers
Moving to Southeast Asia as a family: the big questions
A clear starting point for the decisions that usually shape the move. Each answer opens into a deeper guide in our research library.
Which Southeast Asian country is best for families?
There is no universal winner. Malaysia is a strong all-rounder for English, healthcare and schools; Thailand offers depth and choice; Vietnam can combine value with energetic city or coastal living; Bali has established international communities; and the Philippines offers widespread English and many different city and island lifestyles. The best fit depends on your visa route, school needs, healthcare priorities, budget and preferred pace of life.
How much does a family need to live in Southeast Asia?
Our indicative country ranges currently run from about £1,600 to £5,500 a month for a family of four including international school. The useful figure is your own scenario: city, school tier, housing area, insurance, transport and travel can move the total sharply. Use the country comparisons as a starting range, then build a city-level budget.
Where are the strongest international school options?
Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur have especially broad international-school markets, while other family bases may offer fewer choices or require a more careful home-to-school plan. Curriculum, fees, admissions timing, learning support and commute all matter, so compare the school route before choosing a neighbourhood.
What visas can families use to move to Southeast Asia?
The answer depends on the destination and the family's anchor route, such as employment, investment, retirement, study or a qualifying remote-work programme. A dependant visa does not automatically provide work rights. Always check the current official rules for every family member before making non-refundable plans.
What should a UK family arrange before moving abroad?
Work through HMRC and residence questions, passports and civil documents, schools and records, healthcare and insurance, banking, pensions and investments, property decisions, shipping and the first weeks after arrival. The order matters because school places, visa evidence and notice periods can affect one another.
Still wondering where your family would fit?
That is exactly what the quiz is for. Two minutes, no signup, and you will get a reasoned shortlist of Southeast Asian destinations based on your budget, school needs, healthcare priorities and preferred pace.
Find your family's fit