It's a common question posted on many online forums. I've read several responses between last spring and now but I never felt like I got a straight answer. This is paritally due to the fact that some people have much more lavish lifestyles tha I do, and partially because many failed to provide any form of helpful financial breakdown. If I'm going to plan I need a realistic idea what things will cost! Obviously, there are some things tht I can't predict for others, like rent. I managed to find an apt on the lower end of the price scale. The closer you are to the BTS or MRT the higher your rent. Likewise, the closer you are to central Bangkok, the higher the rent. If you want to live in Sukhumvit the prices go up ... read more

As a vegetarian (well, pescatarian) I find eating in Bangkok to be wonderfully easy. Lots to choose from, few hidden surprises in my food, and everything tastes delicious. Imagine my delight when I learned that every year there's a two week vegetarian festival all over the country! Phukett has the largest festival of all, but special events can be found all over. All over Bangkok are signs of the festival: food courts have special sections, grocery stores stock and display special foods, even 7-11 carries some vegetarian goodies. Chinatown has a festival for a week. All of the food is Kin Jay (Gin-Jai), meaning it's vegan without strong flavors, like garlic and onion. Being a huge garlic and onion fan, I wasn't sure how good the food could possibly be. I shouldn't have worried. The festival ... read more

Over the past five years, I've visited countless temples, most of them Buddhist. I always see people praying and making offerings, but I never quite knew what they were doing. I wanted to know, but had no one to ask. Most of my students and Chinese friends weren't religious and some just considered it superstition. A few knew more, but lacked the English to explain it. And many people I saw at temples were simply tourists, snapping as many photos as they could. Thailand is a very religious country. It's not religious in that people are always talking about their religion or publicly praying each day. But the history of religions--Buddhism and Animism in particular--are woven into the fabric of day to day life. The Land God shine in front of my apartment building (and many ... read more

Back in 2009, when I was traveling my way around Yunnan Province, China, I made friends with several people in my Dali hostel. To this day we're still in touch. One Finnish friend and I have been trying for years to meet up again for a day or tweo. We always manage to travel to the same cities at roughly the same time... I say roughly because we always miss each other by about a week! Finally, this year, he and his girlfriend decided to visit Bangkok. Obviously, this time I'm not passing through, so we were finally able to spend some time together and have some fun. Before they arrived, I asked what they wanted to do. They said they'd done most of the tourist stuff already, so maybe just explore a neighborhood or two. ... read more

Going to immigration is a new experience for me. The five years I was in China, I merely handed over my passport to the designated person and a few weeks later, a shiny new visa was inside. I can't lie, it was pretty nice. Getting the proper visa and work permit is a multi-step process in Thailand. After I arrived with my 60 day visa my boss went to work getting the paperwork and documents for the next step. The process takes several weeks, so a 30 visa isn't enough. I gave my documents (university diploma, CELTA certificate, and passport) to my boss and she filled everything out and took it to the Ministry of Education. They examined everything (since many things can be bought on Khao San Road) for authenticity and gave her some papers ... read more