SBF Happiness Series: Family moved to Thailand, away from Singapore’s education rat-race, yet she scored the “highest mark in the world” for Maths

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Her family moved to Thailand, away from Singapore’s education “arms race”, yet she scored the “highest mark in the world” for mathematics
https://saltandlight.sg/family/her-...the-highest-mark-in-the-world-for-mathematics

During COVID-19, Corrine Ang, a former tutor chose to stop giving tuition lessons. Corinne, 45, is married to Joash Liang, 47 and they have two daughters. Elise is 18 this year and Eleora, 14. Elise found the transition from her primary school – South View – to a top-tier secondary school – Methodist Girls’ School – especially stressful.

“Growing up in such a competitive schooling environment where we are constantly sorted by grades since young, I began placing high expectations on myself and constantly chased the next ‘A’ in a never-ending cycle,” said Elise.

Meanwhile, Corrine felt conflicted about seeing her children rushing to finish their homework at the last minute every day before going to bed.

Several times she tried corralling all of them together to do family devotion together at night, but they were too tired.

The Liang family enjoying a hike on Doi Inthanol – the highest mountain in Thailand.

 

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Elise did not know it then, but just a few months later, she would be taken out of school and her family would uproot and leave Singapore.

In early 2022, Corrine and her husband were having a casual conversation when the topic of relocation came up. The couple had discussed relocation before, but conversations would end with the conclusion that they did not want to give up their current creature comforts to venture into a foreign land where language barrier may be a real issue. They had always wanted to retire in Singapore.

In her two decades of working as a tuition teacher, she saw anxiety and depression in high-achieving students who struggle to do even better. She also encountered parents egging her to put more pressure on their children so that they would perform better academically.

“I feel that there is very little joy in student life in Singapore,” said Corrine, whose daughters ended up self-studying on their own in Thailand.

A typical day where the children self-study at home.

 

[eatshitndie]

they need to close their mouths more often instead of showing off their bunny teeth. moreover, open mouth leads to more pollutants and bacteria getting into their bodies.

 

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The family, however, experienced another level of stress from the process of relocation.

At the last minute, their visa application ran into problems and they had to move after a brief stay in Chiang Rai to settle in Chiang Mai.

The girls found the language barrier challenging, and the relocation costs exceeded their monthly budget of S$3,000 several times.

However, they chanced upon a two-storey, 265 sqm house in the San Sai suburb near Chiang Mai for 20,000 baht (S$790) a month. As part of the residential community there, they had access to a swimming pool, gym and a garden, where they grew vegetables.

“Our standard of living was upgraded as previously we lived in a five-room flat,” said Corrine.

Their house in Thailand.

 

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The family also joined a homeschooling community of Singaporeans in Chiang Mai. The girls self-study with the help of YouTube videos and textbooks. They follow the Cambridge International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE) syllabus, an internationally recognised qualification similar to the ‘O’ levels.

Their days are free-flowing.

On leisurely days like this one, the children lie on the floor playing chess.

 

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Eleora studies one or two hours a day, and usually spends the rest of the day playing the violin as it is her passion.

The first cafe that the family went to in Chiang Mai where Eleora, then 10, learned about sheep first-hand.

The family’s homeschooling life prioritises life skills such as cooking.

 

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Elise played the guitar while her father song-led at worship sessions at home. Elise sometimes heads out to study at a café or she plays the piano and watches shows on YouTube when at home. She also likes to bake and cook.

 

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The Liangs’ days in Thailand are largely unstructured.

Often, it is only on the day itself that the family decides to take a road trip or hike somewhere. There were times when their road trips turned into 12-hour journeys, and they traversed attractions like the Tham Lod cave in northern Mae Hong Son province and the Bua Tong “sticky” waterfall in Chiang Mai known for its non-slip surface that allows visitors to climb it.

 

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“We are creating memories together. Instead of waiting until you retire, you can enjoy life with your spouse and children now,” Corrine pointed out.

They were a middle-income family in Singapore, but in Thailand, they have been learning to live simply, having had to dip into their savings at times and receiving no active income apart from the rental of their flat.

“We do not have enough savings to tide us for life, but we do not worry. One day, the family travelling season will be over and we may need to clear trays in our old age, but we have no regrets,” shared Corrine.

 

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Corrine happened to meet a friend who was a pickleball addict. During their conversation, it entered Corrine’s mind to sell pickleball bats. At that time, Eleora already had a small stationary business (as part of her homeschooling project to learn life skills) called A Little Ripple but it was not doing well.

After getting a new business idea from her mother, she started selling pickleball paddles through her online store and sales unexpectedly soared.

 

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In 2023, the family move from Thailand to Ipoh, where they have lived since. They visit Singapore whenever they need to, but have since taken a further step of selling their flat in Singapore instead of renting it out.

The Liangs in their HDB flat on Elise’s 10th bday. Elise was delivered naturally on National Day, so leaving Singapore was hard for them.

 

[Sustanon]

yea happy visa run every 3 months and renew visa EVERY YEAR.....

 

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In 2024, Elise sat for six IGCSE exams as a private candidate. She earned a perfect score in mathematics, winning her an Outstanding Cambridge Learner Award from examination body Cambridge International Education. The certificate indicated that she had “the highest mark in the world” for Cambridge IGCSE Mathematics (Without Coursework) for the June 2024 exam. The lowest mark she obtained was 91 for English.

The award has since opened doors for Elise to teach other children, some of whom are older than her. In turn, it ignited her passion in teaching.

“I might want to continue tutoring for a living, while also continuing tutoring at children’s homes,” she said. All the Liangs currently serve as volunteer teachers every week at a children’s home in Ipoh.

 

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In 2025, The Sunday Times ran a feature article on how the Liangs chose to step away from Singapore’s education race. The article went viral and became top news when it was released. It attracted various comments from readers, some of whom wondered whether they were financially privileged to lead such a life, and others who supported or objected to their decision to move.