For UK families · Southeast Asia
Where will you land?
Thinking about moving the family somewhere warmer, slower, and a long way from the school run you know? We help UK families plan a move to Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, Bali or the Philippines — the exciting bits and the boring bits, sorted.
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.
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.
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.
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 a visa setup that needs an agent and careful planning.
The Philippines
- Monthly family cost
- £1,600–£4,000/mo
- Last verified: Aug 2026
The English-speaking wildcard — no language barrier at all, the most family-oriented culture, and the lowest daily costs, but thinner expat-family infrastructure and long-haul flights with a stop.
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
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.
Step 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.
Step 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.
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 is where families get caught out — the P85 you didn't know you needed, the pension that won't pay into an overseas account, the ISA that stops working the day you're non-resident, the choice between renting out the house and selling it.
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 guideWhat we walk you through
- HMRC and the P85
- Pensions
- Your ISA
- NHS de-registration
- Rent vs sell
Numbers 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
Start reading
Deep, honest guides to the five countries and the move itself.
- Leaving the UK
TODO — Placeholder: Leaving the UK guide
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- Southeast Asia
TODO — Placeholder: Southeast Asia overview
TODO — placeholder entry. Replace with a real Southeast Asia overview guide. No factual content here yet.
- Thailand
TODO — Placeholder: Thailand guide
TODO — placeholder entry. Replace with a real Thailand guide. No factual content here yet.
Get the UK Exit Checklist — free
The one-page rundown of everything you need to sort before you leave the UK: tax, pensions, NHS, your house, and the deadlines that catch people out. We'll send it straight to your inbox, then the occasional honest update as we build SettleHappy out.
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Still deciding if this is even doable?
That's exactly what the quiz is for. Two minutes, no signup, and you'll see which Southeast Asian countries fit your family and roughly what it'd cost.
Take the quiz