Teach English in Thailand in 10 Days

If are a native English speaker with a college degree in ANY subject you can easily find work teaching in Bangkok within 10 days, just follow the steps below.

Before You Leave:

There are several things you’ll want to have in order before you leave to make your job search easier once you arrive in Thailand.

1. Make several copies of your college degree and pack them along with the original in a protective case.

2. Some employers in Thailand will ask for University transcripts so get several copies to bring along with you.

3. Create a resume specific to teaching abroad before you leave. Make sure it emphasizes any teaching, training or travel experience that you have. Save your resume to either CD or flash drive before you go so you can print it at an internet shop in Bangkok.

4. Most employers will ask for references so make sure to get 2-3 letters of reference from employers, co-workers or teachers.

5. Send contact emails to the big English schools in Bangkok before you leave. You should summarize your qualifications, let them know when you’re arriving in Thailand and ask for an interview.

6. Pack 2-3 nice outfits for interviewing. This means suit and tie for men and business attire for women, either skirt or pants is fine, but I think a skirt is viewed more positively by the Thai’s.

Day 1: Arrival in Thailand

Hopefully you booked a hotel before you arrived, but if not don’t worry. There are hundreds of hotels in Bangkok with prices starting under $10 a night. Do some internet research before you go or simply head right to Khao San Road when you arrive.

Day 2: Get Your Bearings

Sleep in late and let your body start to adjust. No job searching today, instead just wander about and start to take in your new surroundings. Back at your room unpack your resume, transcripts, degree etc. Unpack one set of interview clothes. If they are wrinkled take them to the hotel or guest house laundry and get them ironed. Have a good dinner and get to bed early.

Day 3: Get a Mobile Phone

You’ll need a number for prospective employers to call you at. Don’t give them the number to your hotel or guest house and ask them to leave a message. This is both unprofessional and unreliable. Many messages will go astray or be delivered late. Mobile phones are cheap and easily available in Bangkok. Go to one of the large shopping centers such as Central Pinklao (close to Khao San Road) or Mah Boon Krong – MBK (close to Silom, take the BTS and get off at the National Stadium station) and you’ll find many shops selling both new and used mobile phones. Expect to pay 2000 baht (around $60) or upwards for a decent phone. Try to buy new if you can afford it. You can get used phones cheaper, but I don’t recommend it. The used phones will generally only last anywhere from 2 months to 2 days and there is no return policy. Save yourself some hassle and buy new, it’s still inexpensive.

Day 4: Hit the Computer

Get your resume CD (or the flash drive) and head out to one of the internet cafes. Open your resume and add your new phone number to it and then print out 20 copies. The cheaper internet cafes will charge just 5 baht a copy. Keep your resumes in a thick folder to keep them safe and unwrinkled.

Next, fire up the browser and head over to TEFL Asia where you’ll find one of the best lists of available teaching jobs in Thailand. Take a look through and copy any that seem promising to you. Send an email to each of the promising one’s and paste your resume directly into the body of the email rather than attaching a file. In the email tell the school that you’re in Bangkok and are looking to start immediately. Ask them to review your resume and ask for an interview. Close the letter with your phone number and email address.

By now you could probably use a break to clear your head, stretch your legs and get something to eat. Head out to get some great and cheap Thai food.

Now back to the internet cafe and fire up your browser again to visit Dave’s ESL Cafe. This site isn’t specific to teaching English in Thailand, but there are usually some Thai jobs listed. Browse through the list and send emails to any of the jobs that look good to you. Just like before, tell the school that you are in Bangkok and are looking to start immediately. Ask them to review your resume and ask for an interview. Close the letter with your phone number and email address.

Finally, send follow up emails to the big English schools that you contacted previously, if you haven’t heard back from them yet. Refer to the previous email and let them know that you are now in Bangkok and ready to start working immediately. Close the letter with your phone number and ask for an interview again.

Day 5: Hit the Pavement

Time to actually get yourself out there in front of some employers, so put on your business clothes, grab your resumes, diploma and transcript copies and copies of your reference letters and get moving. The first place you want to go is a photo shop to get some passport type photos. Most of the schools in Bangkok will ask for a photo as part of your application package. You can find numerous photo shops around the Khao San Road area where you can get passport sized photos for around 100 baht for four. Get 12 or more.

Next go check your email since you might have responses from yesterday’s inquiries. Immediately call and/or email any schools that have shown an interest to schedule an interview. Make sure to get directions to the school.

The rest of your day will be spent visiting schools. It’s not the most efficient way of conducting a job search due to the traffic in Bangkok, but it is good to get some face to face exposure and practice interviewing. The top thing to keep in mind when interviewing is to smile and show enthusiasm.

When looking for walk-in interviews the best place to start is Siam Square because of the large number of English schools. Get a taxi and tell the driver “Siam Square”. He’ll get you there and once you arrive take some time to walk around. You’ll find that there are branches for Siam Computer, ECC, The British Council, English First and Go Chula in or around the Siam Square area. Visit them all and drop off a resume and get an appointment if possible.

After you’re done at Siam Square get on the BTS and take it to the Ratchidamri station. Once you arrive at Ratchidamri station walk south towards Lumpini Park about 5 minutes to get to AUA, which is one of the larger and most well known English schools in Bangkok. Drop off a resume and try to schedule an interview.

Don’t be discouraged if nothing happens. Remember, the purpose of walk-ins is to grow more comfortable talking to employers.

You’ve very likely had a long, hot and tiring day. Head back to your hotel and take a long relaxing shower and go get some dinner. Head back to bed early because your next day should be just as busy.

Day 6: Searching The Bangkok Post and The Nation

After you have breakfast head straight to a coffee shop or bookstore and pick up copies of The Bangkok Post and The Nation. These are the top two English language newspapers in Bangkok and are a decent source of job ads, although not as good as they have been in the past. Scan through the classifieds circling any promising looking advertisements. Immediately call those with a phone number to schedule an interview. Make sure to mention that you meet their qualifications and are looking for work immediately.

Now go to the internet cafe to check for any email responses to the inquires you’ve been sending out. Respond to them immediately by phone if possible and schedule an interview. Also, send emails to contacts from The Bangkok Post and The Nation that did not have phone numbers listed or couldn’t be reached by phone.

By now you should have a good sized list of interviews scheduled so you’ll spend the rest of the day heading off to interviews. Remember to dress your best, smile, be enthusiastic and polite.

Day 7: More Interviews

After a good breakfast check you email again and call to schedule more interviews with any schools that have responded. You should still have a decent list of interviews and the rest of today will be another interview day.

Day 8: Relax

You’ve had three very busy days so unless you have a very promising interview scheduled take the day off and relax. Sleep late, get a massage, do some sightseeing, but relax. Do check your email and follow up with inquiries, but try to take it easy today.
Day 9 & 10: Interviews and Contracts

Both days start by checking your email and responding to any inquires. By this time you should have at least one job offer, but do not accept the first offer. Make sure you examine the contract first carefully.

Check your prospective school at TEFLWatch before you accept a position. TEFLWatch has a pretty good list of Bangkok schools with comments from current and past teachers about the working conditions.

Ask questions about the contract and the job. How many hours a week are you required to teach (anything over 25 is too much)? Will the school sponsor a work visa (they should)? Will the school help you to find an apartment? What is the pay (less than 35,000 baht a month is too low)? If you can talk to other teachers at the school and see if they are satisfied with the job. Are they treated well? Are they paid on time? Once you are satisfied go ahead and sign the contract.

By following the steps above anyone with a college degree can easily find a job teaching English in Thailand in 10 days or less. Keep in mind that TESL/ESL jobs in Thailand do not pay very well by western standards, but the cost of living in Thailand is quite low. If you are able to live simply you will be able to cover your expenses and save a few hundred dollars a month. And there are a huge number of jobs available for English teachers. With a nice appearance and some organizations finding a job and becoming an English teacher in Thailand in 10 days is virtually assured.

Enjoy The Beauty of Thai Wildlife at the Samphran Elephant Ground & Zoo

The Samphran Elephant Ground & Zoo is an attraction consisting of a 60-acre park, reserved exclusively for wildlife conservation. Located in Samphran district, which is about one hour’s drive from Bangkok, the Samphran Elephant Ground & Zoo puts on elaborate themed shows presenting acrobatic and entertaining elephants, as well as a popular crocodile wrestling show. These shows take up the morning hours at the zoo, so you can visit the buffet afterwards, to enjoy a scrumptious spread.

The elephant show at Samphran Elephant Ground & Zoo includes dancing baby elephants, elephant football, a re-enactment of the Yutha Hathi historical elephant-back battle during the Ayuthaya period, acrobatic entertainment and much more. More than 10,000 crocodiles live at the Samphran Elephant Ground & Zoo, and the majority of them participate in the crocodile wrestling show, which includes a great performance of a master and crocodile battling each other. Other than the shows, visitors can also enjoy elephant-back rides, photography sessions with the animals, feeding and petting the animals and water bike rides along the stream to see catfish. The zoo has been accredited by CITES as one of the cleanest and most impressive public wildlife displays in the world.

Besides the entertainment and wildlife preservation sections, the Samphran Elephant Ground & Zoo hosts a massive international cuisine buffet everyday from 11:30 to 14:30 in the afternoon served with traditional Thai hospitality.

The Samphran Elephant Ground & Zoo hosts the Jumbo Banquet Ceremony on an annual basis. Held on 1st May between 3:00 pm and 4:30pm, the ceremony features elephants feeding on 6 tons of vegetables and fruits. The ceremony is organized as a means of showing appreciation to the elephants for their efforts throughout the past year.

The zoo also hosts a special Children’s Day, where the grounds are reserved for kids’ entertainment throughout the day. From 9:00 am to 15:00 pm, the Samphran Elephant Ground & Zoo provides special shows, free games and activities for children.

Since visiting and enjoying the Samphran Elephant Ground & Zoo can take up a whole day or more, you should consider spending the night at a nearby Bangkok serviced residence. These Bangkok serviced apartments provide comfortable accommodation with modern conveniences at affordable rates.

The Shadow Puppets Plays

Nang Talung is the indigenous performing art in the south of Thailand. It is a kind of the Thai Shadow puppet theatre that formerly spread from southern Thailand to other regions. It has much influence on the lives of the rustic people of Thailand.

As in the past there were no movies, one of the most popular entertainments always enjoyed by a multitude of Thai people was “Nang” or share puppet play. This was subsequently called “Nang Yai” (literally meaning “grand puppet”) and “Nang Lek” (literally meaning “small puppet”) which was later called “Nang Talung.” These two genres of traditional performances can still be evident up to the present days in some precincts of Thailand. But it is not clear whether Nang Yai or Nang Talung arose first.

Nang Talung is the indigenous performing art in the south of Thailand. It is a kind of the Thai shadow puppet theatre that formerly spread from southern Thailand to other regions. It has much influence on the lives of the rustic people of Thailand. Nang Talung uses the shadow of puppets in operating. Since antiquity this type of play has ever been held in many civilized countries such as Egypt, Greek, Turkey, India, Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand especially in every part of the nation. When the time went by, it is found only in southern Thailand. The provinces of Pattalung and Nakhon Sri Thammarat are the perfect places to see Nang Talung.

It is believed that Nang Talung originated in the reign of King Rama V and appeared in the village of Baan Don Maprao in Pattalung. So the southerners called it “Nang Don” after the district in which it initiated. It is assumed that it is now called “Nang Talung” becaused when it was performed in Bangkok, the people of Bangkok realized that it was from Pattalung and continued to call it “Nang Pattalung”, Afterwards, the name was abbreviated to “Nang Thalung” and finally it was abbreviated again to “Nang Talung”. Even today, the people of Bangkok still call it this, but the southerners abbreviate it as “Nang Lung” or simply “Nang”.

This regional performance of southern Thailand was previously depicted from the episode of the Ramayana epic in India. It was gradually modified to suit the time and preference of the spectators such as its content, hero, heroine and musical instrument while the joker becomes a favorite performer amongst the spectators. The chief of Nang Talung will sit behind a brilliantly backlit white screen made of cloth. His duty is to provide dialogues for every puppet and also narrate the story while the play is proceeding. Nang Talung is nowadays very famous at village festivals, temple fairs and celebrations like marriages and ordination ceremonies.

Each shadow play figure is made of good quality cowhide which has been dried and perforated into different shapes. The figures are elaborately painted with natural and water-resistant colorings. They are held up by bamboo sticks with the mouth and hads movable in tune with the narration. The Nang Talung hall has a thatched roof and three walls. Every piece of Nang Talung is manipulated with rods in order to control their movements and given life by the chief. He will express his feelings on the puppets by the prose or verse during the play. The puppets emerge only in shadow against a white screen with the light shining through from behind.

A Nan Talung troop is composed of two main parts. One is “Nai Nang”, the group leader who pilots the performance with simultaneous singing an story telling. Another is the musicians who accompany the leaders’s action. Performances may be a religious theme or the story from the Ramayana. They may also be particularly composed to include trendy reflections, songs and poems about local events and matters of current interest in the country. Presently, the Nang Talung troop comprises many members and more music than in the past as each troop is trying to modernize Nang Talung and make their group so unique amongst other troops.

Quite similar to Nang Talung is Nang Yai or the grand Shadow puppet play. Nang Yai is conceived as one of Thailand’s traditional dramatic art forms that mingles various artistic creations into astounding one. In terms of visual arts, the detailed and elaborate traditional design of the puppets is first drawn by a master artist. Then the design is applied onto a piece of leather and scrupulously etched into almost lace-like proportion. The pieces are mounted onto sticks and they are given life by the master puppeteer in a classical drama performance complete with a live Thai musical ensemble and a singer to provide the narration.

Should you Buy a Property in Thailand?

South East Asia has always had a special appeal for me. I first began spending time there about 5 years ago. I love the organised chaos of the roads in Bangkok, the food that is cooked right in front of you, and the haggling at the markets. Amazing.

Altogether I have spent over 3 months in Thailand and I have so many fond memories, add to that the fact that it is halfway to Australia and QANTAS offers a stopover of only 45 minutes which gets you to Oz quicker. It’s a great destination.

I usually spend a week stopover on the way back to the UK. It gives me a break after 2 gruelling weeks with the family and friends and the 2 hour massages for around £7. What more could you want?

So naturally l thought if I’m spending so much time here l might as well buy a property. Then naturally if I am prepared to buy and have done extensive research why wouldn’t my investors also buy as well?

Having looked into Phuket property before the tsunami, I thought I would check out Pattaya (pronounced “Pat-e-ya”) which is only around 1 hour 20 minutes drive from the new international airport in Bangkok (the capital).

Pattaya is a seaside town (tick-These ticks and crosses are my due diligence) with a new highway which will mean it will only take around 45 minutes to get to and from the airport. (tick).

Pattaya has 3 distinct property markets.

The first is the local market. The properties are priced between 1 and 3 million Baht (70 Baht to £1) So £15,000 – £45,000. Sounds good right. Well maybe not. Unless you are a local it’s unlikely you would buy at this level.

You could only rent to locals and the investment returns I don’t feel would be great enough. (Cross)

The second and most interesting market is the 20 to 30 million Baht. £285,000 – £430,000. Incredible you say? Well thats what I thought too. In fact forget incredible — l was downright shocked. But this is the market of the off plan speculators. In my books, another word for ’speculator’ is ‘gambler’ and hopefully you know by now what I think of gamblers.

I do believe you can make money on these, but only by ‘flipping’ before completion but obviously there are no guarantees with prices already so high. Incidentally, this market has seen an incredible amount of growth so that waterfront apartments are as expensive as central London, Sydney or New York. (Cross)

I feel that this market has been driven by paper gains rather than underlying fundamentals. I see this happen quite often, and it’s one of the reasons I deal in properties 99% of people would rent.

The final level is the 5 to 9 million Baht. So £70,000 – £130,000. This is the retirees’ and expats’ market. You would be more than happy with these houses. 3-4 Bedrooms, large open spaces, ensuites, parking and best of all – air conditioning.

These I feel would be ideal for investment and present your best opportunities. (Tick)

Rentals are great as a lot of major multinationals have offices in Bangkok and the expats are happy to commute up daily or it’s cheap enough to rent a place in Bangkok during the week while spending the weekend home in Pattaya. (Tick)

As an investor in Thailand the first thing you have to realise is that you cannot own land (Cross) so at present you have two choices: either buy in the name of a Thai company and have Thai nationals who own it (but you have a signed deed saying you can replace the Thai nationals at any time). It’s a reasonably secure way of buying.

The other way and the way that is becoming more accepted is a freehold/leasehold similar to what we are use to in the UK. A lot of new builders are structuring ownership this way.

BUT… The Thai government has an unfortunate habit of changing laws so you may find yourself at the wrong end of a change. They made a decision early in 2006 that effectively stopped or severely curtailed foreign ownership (Cross) and the stock market began to spiral downwards so rapidly that they changed the law back by day’s end. This sort of government back peddling is a potential warning sign. (Cross)

The country has had 18 coups since 1932, although the past 15 years have seen none until 2006. Whilst they have all been peaceful coups, they still create political instability. (Cross) On the other hand a coup to a Thai person is probably like on of our Labour politicians voting with the Lib-Dems so it’s not that big a deal in reality.

Most coups have been backed by the King. Thai people have an amazing allegiance to their king, wherever you go in Thailand you will see him, and as long as the King has backed the coup everything is alright. (Tick)

The King is the real power in Thailand, he has been an active participant and a representative of the people, and is a stable force in a thriving country. (Tick)

The problem Thailand faces is that the King is getting old and may one day pass the throne onto his young son who is renowned for irresponsible antics. So no one really knows just how he will take to the position of King or whether the people will take to him. This could cause an instability in the investment market. (Cross)

One of the biggest things overlooked when inexperienced investors seek out exotic new investment regions is how to get your money back. Oftentimes the capital growth is fantastic, so your £20,000 investment doubles and doubles again (so you now have £80,000). This is a paper profit until you actually sell it or remortgage it.

So the essential question is not often will I make money? but how will I get paid? or who will sell it for me?, who will buy it from me?, how much tax will l pay?, how much will I have leftover? Or if you don’t want to sell it how will l make the equity work for me?.

Often the answer is you won’t. You won’t remortgage it and you won’t sell it, or if you do you’ll need to accept considerably less than you want for it.

In Thailand mortgages are very tight. The Asian economic crisis hit Thailand particularly hard, and in fact they’ve only just now started continuing a number of concrete highways which stood unfinished and vacant above the ground level. These massive highways stretch for miles with no entrance and no exits and are amazing to see.

The bottom line is Thai banks don’t trust farang (foreigners) so you might be made to jump through hoops just to get a 50% mortgage. And if you thought getting a mortgage was hard, try remortgaging. So that kind of leaves selling as the option which kind of goes against our entire philosophy.

All in all, I decided that it would be better to rent out a 5 star hotel or villa on the beach for 2 weeks a year than to own a property which has so many variables.

If you are interested in buying in Thailand, you can definitely make some money but as always ‘Do your due diligence?’ I am happy to give you the research that we undertook before I went if you are interested.

Live with passion,

Brett

PS. I love Thailand and if you get to go make sure you hire a bike and get out into the real Thailand rather than just around the cities and tourist places. The people are lovely and the food is soooo good.

Thai US Free Trade Agreement, Examining the Hurdles Both Countries are Facing

A long road still lies ahead for the Thai-US trade talks. But there are still a few very sensitive unsolved issues on the table that need to be resolved, as nether side wants to expose some key domestic industries to their competitors.

On the other hand, the United Auto Workers Union is afraid of opening up their sector to Thailand, as the US faces pressure to drop its tax on imported pickup trucks. Thailand, building more than 500,000 pickups a year, is the worlds second largest pickup manufacturer, but none of these cars are exported to the United States at the moment.

Thailand has already a FTA with Japan, taking effect later in 2006, and is also negotiating with several other nations regarding similar arrangements.

Peter Kopitz is currently living in Bangkok, Thailand after graduating with Honors from the University Of Chicago Graduate School Of Business with a Masters Degree in Business Administration. He is actively involved in researching economic and political development in Thailand, focusing primarily on property development, security analysis and investment banking. Hawaii Home Loans | Honolulu Realtor | Hawaii Rentals

Five Reasons To Go Overseas For Medical Care

It certainly does not come naturally, to think of going overseas when we are told that we need major surgery or involved healthcare or dental work, or even when we would like cosmetic procedures done. After all, trips overseas are for holidays and happy times, they take a lot of planning and they are for fun, not medical duty…right? The answers are yes, they are for holidays and happy times, but they do not necessarily need excessive planning, and they can definitely combine fun with medical duty. We explore the top five reasons why medical tourism is exploding in popularity.

Price
This is the top reason cited for people to travel overseas for medical care. For example, if you need dental work done, you could be paying a tenth of what you would at home, for the same standard of work, at a hospital in Bangkok or hospitals elsewhere in Thailand, or at some of the excellent Indian facilities. India is currently the lowest priced option for which most Westerners will be satisfied with the quality of treatment, and at hospitals in Bangkok Thailand, or in South America, prices are slightly higher for extra services like help with passports, liaison with doctors in your home countries, and translators to make things easy for you.

Service
If you have ever been in hospital, you know how busy and stressed many of the staff are, simply because of low staffing levels, long hours that must be worked and a general reluctance to ’serve’ others. Hospitals in Asian countries like Bangkok hospitals, Mumbai hospitals and Brazilian hospitals often don’t face these challenges. Registered nurses are much more plentiful in these countries, as there is less aversion to personal contact with people. You can often expect to be escorted around hospital grounds to find other departments, and be treated with extreme courtesy. Rooms in Bangkok Hospital Medical Centre at the highest level include extras like flat panel TVs, a large living room, two complete bathrooms and a city view, as well as Wifi and meals for three included in the price.

Quality
We tend to assume that if something is cheaper that it must be of a lesser grade. This is simply not so, with some of Bangkok’s best hospitals, like Bumrungrad and Bangkok Hospital having the majority of staff trained outside Thailand. In India, many doctors are trained in Europe and the US and speak flawless English – the care for medical tourism is only cheaper due to a much lower cost of living in these countries.

Availability
Every different country has different procedural restrictions – where laws may prevent you having stem cell therapy or IVF treatment in your home country, this is often not so if you choose medical tourism. Even common, legal-in-all-countries procedures often have enormous waiting lists in Western countries. Essential surgery can take a year to be performed in Canada, whereas in the best hospitals in Bangkok it can be arranged almost immediately.

Tourism
This is one of the most compelling reasons to go overseas for many! Recuperation can only be aided by having a gorgeous seaside view, and no housework to do, when you have just had major surgery. The savings that you will make in the cost of care usually more than cover a stay in luxury hotels in medical tourism countries – and you have a ‘free’ holiday.

Ways To Suvarnabhumi Airport – New Thailand International Airport

Suvarnabhumi Airport is a new international airport of Thailand opening since September 2006. The word “Suvarnabhumi” means the land of gold. Since the old international airport of Thailand named Don Muang Airport is very old and small. It cannot be expanded to build more buildings and runways. Also, it is located in the city where many people live around, and the traffic is very bad in rush hours. The new international airport, Suvarnabhumi, serves all needs and solves those problems at Don Muang Airport. The new airport is located around 50 kilometers away from the center of Bangkok metropolitan area. Currently, the sky train is being built to transport passengers from the center of Bangkok to the airport. It is very fast and convenient.

Before the sky train will be used in few years, there are currently five ways to get to Suvarnabhumi International Airport. In the south of the airport, there is a big four-lane road connecting to Bangna-Trad road and Burapawitee express way. People can get to the airport terminal using this way by Service Road, passing Long-term parking lots, Public Transportation Center, and turn to the road to the terminal. This is one of the main ways to get to the international airport especially those automobiles which come from Chalerm Mahanakorn express way (first Bangkok express way) or from Bang Plee, Pak Nam or Sam Rong areas.

In the northeast of the airport, another big four-lane road is connected to On-Nuch road. People can get to the airport from this road and use airport road to Service Road. Then pass the Long-term parking lots and Public Transportation Center, and turn to the road to the airport terminal. For people who come from Srinakarin road, they can also use this way.

In the west of airport, there is a big four-lane road connecting to King Kaew road. It is one of the ways from Teparak road. People can use this way from Bangplee-Ladkrabang road and turn to King Kaew road. This road is under construction.

In the northwest of the airport, a big six-lane road is connected to escalated Rom Klao road and King Kaew road. People can use this way by passing Duty Free Area and turning to the road to the terminal. This is the main way for the automobiles from On-nuch road, Suvintawong road and Chalongkrung road. Trucks from Ladkrabang industrial area and ICD on Chao Khun Taharn road can also use this way to the new airport.

In the north of the airport, an escalated wide eight-lane road is connected to Motorway. This road brings people to the front of the terminal directly. The road will expand to ten lanes when getting to the airport area. This is the biggest and main way to the international airport. It is very convenient for people who would like to park their own vehicles coming from the northern area of Bangkok including Rangsit, Ram intra and Ramkamhang. People can drive to the Motorway from the outer ring road, Rama 9 road and Srirach express way.

You can read more about new Suvarnabhumi international airport at my web blog at http://suvarnabhumi-bangkok.blogspot.com/

Where to get the best value vacation for your money

I lived in Thailand for 2 years, it’s fantastic.

Flights are not expensive, you can find accomodation in Bangkok ranging from 500TBHT (approx. $12) per night for a room that is basic but clean with aircon to around $150 per night for a luxury hotel. Forget about the seedy image of Bangkok, it’s not true. There are a few isolated hotspots for prostitutes but it’s a huge city and these places are easily avoided.

Food is riduculously cheap. Decent Thai restaurant? $15 for 2 including drinks if you know where to go. Try street food, it’s great. I never got sick in 2 years there. The cost? small change.

Transport in Bangkok is small change, too.

Outside ‘The Big Mango’ there are countless places to choose from. Beaches on the islands, I recommend Ko Chang, still relatively unspoiled. You can also travel north and visit the hill tribes around Chiang Mai/Chiang Rai.

Travel around Thailand is also cheap. They have an excellent inter-provincial bus system. One important tip here, go to one of the main bus stations in Bangkok and buy your ticket there from a government run bus operator. DON’T buy bus tickets from shady travel agents around the tourist hotspots. You might get an unpleasant surprise. I left Thailand 18 months ago and I still miss it like crazy.

Holidays – Thailand, an Introduction

With its breathtaking natural beauty, exotic temples, unparalleled hospitality and cuisine it’s no surprise that Thailand draws in more tourists that any other Southeast Asian country.

Thailand’s popularity owes a lot to its geographic size and the sheer breadth of opportunity’s that this can offer.

The northern region of the country is very mountainous, ripe with thick forests. It is here that nomadic hill-tribe communities coexist with main stream society and travellers.

Thailand’s second largest city, Chiang Mai is an excellent starting point for exploring the north, with elephant treks proving particularly popular. The city itself was built in 1296 and is dotted with beautiful ancient temples that are still in use today.

The South, known as the Kra Peninsula consists of hilly rainforests outlined by 1,500 miles of exotic white beaches. It is here that you will find some of the most beautiful beaches in the world, lapped by warm, turquoise waters; Thailand’s costal resorts are the ultimate in tropical paradise.

In between these two regions lie the fertile, rice growing, central plains. The main attraction here is the country’s ever expanding capital – Bangkok.

In short, Bangkok is a chaotic, almost carnal city, in which it is impossible to get bored. Even though the city does suffer from considerable pollution and over crowding and has become considerably westernised, it has still managed to retain its true Asian flavour whilst easily being one of Asia’s most exciting cities.

There are all manner of activities going on throughout the city, 24 hours a day, with Khao San road proving considerably popular over recent years.

The vibrant road has been described as “a short road that has the longest dream in the world.” With its cheap accommodation, lively bars, large variety of cuisine, market stalls offering a wide spectrum of goods – it’s a road that, like the rest of Bangkok and Thailand easily lives up to its reputation.

Bangkok is also an excellent part of Thailand in which to arrange holidays to other parts of Asia, with many agents offering cheap holidays to many popular destinations. To ensure you’re getting the best deal then looking for holidays online is an excellent option.

“Experiences from ‘The Flow’ (8) Living Well? Farangs and Finance: The Reality, Stupidity, and Hard Knocks.”

“Prosperity: The eternal flow of all that’s good in life…”

By Carl “J.C.” Pantejo, Copyright January 2008

(Author “My Friend Yu – The Prosperity Mentor,” Copyright August 2007. Pantejo – Y.N. Vurce Publishing.)

*Below is the eighth episode in a series of real life events experienced by the author. The only deviations from the truth may be the names of people and places. These stories are also incorporated in “My Friend Yu – the Prosperity Mentor: Book II,” Pantejo – Y.N. Vurce Publishing. Release Date: 2008.

In “Experiences from ‘The Flow’ (7) – Living Well? Farangs and Finance: The Myth,” I explained that most Thai people believe that “ALL FARANGS (Thai: foreigners) ARE RICH.” The reasons for this? Free-spending tourists, currency power, and, by Thai standards, “luxurious” living.

In this article, I will describe the reality for most Farangs’ living in Thailand.

After reading about the “real deal” – the financial life and cultural pressures bestowed upon most Farangs in Thailand, I hope you begin to understand that life in “Paradise” has its challenges.

- Reality -

Most Farangs living in Thailand, especially Farang teachers, barely make ends meet. By the time normal living expenses are accounted for, there’s little (if any) leftover from their meager monthly salaries.

In fact, they usually suffer from the “too much month leftover after the money” crisis.

Additionally, Farangs must pay for their visas and work permits. If they should absently let their visas expire, they must pay 500 baht per day of over-stay.

Those Farangs who have not obtained their work permits are forced to make monthly trips outside of Thailand to one of the neighboring countries (e.g., Laos, Cambodia, or Vietnam) before their 30-day visa expires – an expense that Thai people do not have to deal with.

Granted, some Farangs piss away their money on booze and women (a convenient pastime to be found everywhere). But in my experience, many Farangs simply fall short financially because they cannot enjoy all the money-saving benefits of being Thai (e.g., living rent-free with their parents, local Thai prices, a huge safety network of friends and family to rely on during emergencies, etc.).

Furthermore, Farangs are pressured by their Thai friends and Thai society to appear richer than they actually are.

I have a Farang friend who didn’t need (or even want) a car. But, according to local Thai culture, “All Farangs, especially old, stable, and married Farang teachers, should drive a car.” If they didn’t have a car, something must be “wrong” with him.

Maybe he had a few “Mia Noi’s” (translated: minor wife or wives, concubine or mistresses) that took the better part of his salary to maintain? Maybe he was a drunk or drug addict? Believe me, Thai’s can come up with some imaginative scenarios; scenarios that actually are played out in many Thai households.

Since he needed to “look the part” of a rich, old Farang English teacher, he and his wife ended up purchasing a vehicle. Not doing so would have doomed them both to public and private shame. Life for them would have been unbearable in the Mubon (Thai: village) and Soi (Street).

But, of course, now they must deal with a 5-year, monthly “mortgage” for their vehicle; a vehicle they probably will never drive often because of the stifling traffic jams in and around Bangkok.

Fortunately, since I am single and younger, I can get away with simply driving my motorcycle.

And personally, I couldn’t justify paying a large car note over many years just to satisfy societal expectations – especially for a car I neither needed, nor wanted!

I’d rather keep my age, status, and profession a secret from all but my closest friends – or simply move to another Mubon or Soi.

It doesn’t end there.

Thai culture also lends itself toward putting young Thais at an advantage (financially) over older Farangs.

Many times, after being invited to dinner at a restaurant or BBQ by my Thai friends, colleagues, or students, I still ended up footing the bill. Why? 1) Because I’m a Farang and 2) I’m usually the oldest person in the group. In Thai culture, with the exception of non-working parents/grandparents, the oldest person normally pays for the whole group.

Another big expense that most Farangs are not used to is the expense of relationships.

A Farang boyfriend is normally obligated to support not just his partner, but also the family of his partner. If he doesn’t acquiesce to this accepted social norm, it sends a clear message to all: This Farang is stingy, a “Cheap Charlie,” “Kee Nee Ow” – translated: “sticky shit,” you can’t squeeze anything out of it! Therefore; since he’s so cheap with her, he really doesn’t love his girlfriend.

In fact, as distasteful as it may sound to most foreigners, a Thai woman will not consider ANY relationship or ANY suitor as being serious unless she receives something of substantial monetary value first (e.g., jewelry, a mobile phone, motorcycle, ATM account, car, etc.).

I’m lucky to enjoy an ex-pat, military monthly pension and don’t have to rely solely on my English teacher salary for my living expenses. Several times during my two-year stay in Thailand, I have lent out money to many Farang teachers because they didn’t have enough money to eat.

Money is REGARDED IN TOTALLY DIFFERENT TERMS in Asia than it is in the West. In Western countries, money is a tool to be used to enjoy life. Furthermore, Money issues and Love are separated in the West.

In Asia, money means LIFE, LOVE – EVERYTHING. Since the majority of Asian people are poverty stricken, money can mean the difference between life and death; happiness and sadness, hate and love, bachelorhood and marriage, etc.

Want an example?

About three years ago, while living in a remote part of Asia, I witnessed dozens of totally preventable deaths (usually from common illnesses or infections) simply because the people were too poor to make the trip to the next town’s hospital, pay for a doctor, or pay for medicine (common, over-the-counter antibiotics). Of course, the hospital didn’t have an ambulance and medical insurance was unheard of.

- Stupidity and Hard Knocks -

Needless to say, I watched my new girlfriend’s spending habits closely…

…and was delightfully surprised.

After two years of living in Thailand, and especially these last few months living with Nueng (Thai: Number One), I realized how dumb I was (monetarily and otherwise) with the ex-girlfriend.

I now know just how expensive and wasteful my ex-girlfriend really was.

The magnitude of my stupidity?

Well, to begin with, I used to give her (the ex) the equivalent of a normal Thai working man’s daily wage in the morning JUST FOR HER BREAKFAST. Then I would come home and give her the same amount JUST FOR OUR DINNER!

She also enjoyed an exorbitant monthly allowance (allegedly for her living expenses and aging mother). The amount easily surpassed the monthly salary for a college educated, 60+ hours a week, Thai teacher!

Lastly, twice a month, I would give her “toiletry” money. Supposedly, the money was for shampoo, lotion, soap, etc.

I now know that the amount of money I gave her every two weeks for her hygiene needs was enough money to spend a full day at the mall shopping, entertaining her friends, eating at a restaurant, and sometimes, even watching a movie!

What did she use the money for? Who knows? What I do know is that she never saved ANY money I gave her. By the time I came home from work everyday, she was always flat broke.

In contrast, Nueng and I live nicely (and happily) on a fraction of the ex-girlfriend’s expenses alone!

Nueng saves almost every baht that I give her.

When she spends any money (her money or mine) she gives me the receipt. She does this to show me that she’s not wasting our money AND to make it clear that she isn’t hiding anything from me.

Since she just ended a long relationship of lies, infidelity, and abuse; honesty is very, very important to her.

And as a veteran of a recent abusive relationship, it’s a central issue for me too…

…Continued in “Experiences from ‘The Flow’ (9) ”

“Until next time, find ‘The Flow’ and jump in!”

Your Friend in this Intrepid Journey called Life,

Carl “J.C.” Pantejo

Note: If you want to read more about overcoming heartbreak, unconditional love, exorcising past personal demons, and the Illusive Secret of Happiness, please read the following articles:

“Experiences from ‘The Flow’: From Heartbreak to Happiness”

“Experiences from ‘The Flow’ (2): Coincidence or Synchronicity: FROM RELAPSE TO MIRACLES…”

“Experiences from ‘The Flow’ (3): LOST AND FOUND – Kindred Spirits and Mistakes made in Haste.”

“Experiences from ‘The Flow’ (4): LOST AND FOUND – Meant to Be?”

“Experiences from ‘The Flow’ (5): “The Stray”

“Experiences from ‘The Flow’ (6): “New Beginnings, Old Endings”

“Experiences from ‘The Flow’ (7) – Living Well? Farangs and Finance: The Myth”

“How Dare She! Out of Desperation I Learned How to Forgive”

“Remember Who You Are!”

“Need to Heal Your Broken Heart? Read on. Overcome Heartbreak and Learn the Illusive Secret of Happiness.”

(By Carl “J.C.” Pantejo and published internet-wide, keyword: [title of article] or “Carl Pantejo”)

Pantejo@ynvurcepublishing.com

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