DMK Don Muang To Bangkok

Posted on May 7, 2013 by koomatzu

Don Muang Train

How to get from Don Muang airport to Bangkok city? The train from Bangkok to Don Muang airport generally takes about 40 minutes and costs around 20 baht each way with trains departing from Bangkok city between roughly every 30 and 60 minutes apart. Trains can be unreliable at times though, so it is best to plan ahead with a little leeway when taking the train to Don Muang from Bangkok city.

You can catch trains from Hualumpong in Bangkok to Don Muang DMK, or vice versa from Don Muang to Hualumpong. It is not hard to miss the Don Muang airport stop when taking the train, but just FYI anyway, it is the stop after Lak Si train station and it has it’s own flyover to get directly to and from the Don Muang airport to the train station also. Trains don’t run all through the night from Bangkok though – you can check the train timetable for more info here.

Don Muang Bus

There are Bangkok airport shuttle buses very clearly signposted outside Don Muang airport – these stop at Phayathai, Mo Chit (Chatuchak) and Suvarnabhumi airport.

Alternatively, you can follow signs for ‘bus’ instead of the airport shuttle bus. Signs take you out to the flyover and will lead you down some steps to a busy carriageway – this can be a little bewildering but if you keep walking for a few minutes along the path, you will eventually come to a bus stop. Buses go from Don Muang to Silom (29), Phayathai, Hualumpong (54) and Chatuchak and cost around 10 baht depending on your stop. For more info on which bus to take to/ from Don Muang Airport to Bangkok, you can visit the official website for more details.

Not Don Muang airport? Click here for more information on how to get to Suvarnabhumi Airport from Bangkok instead.

What To Do In Pai

Posted on May 3, 2013 by koomatzu

What Is Pai?!

Pai (pronounced more like ‘Bai’) is a tiny, chilled out town situated in the mountains near Chiang mai in Thailand, popular among backpackers and the more bohemian crowd. What to do in Pai… there is not actually much activity-wise in Pai in the way of attractions or typical Thai sights. Though, Pai is a great place to travel in Thailand for a peaceful, creative or meditative Thai getaway… or simply a hangout for younger groups of friends in the many bars and cafes. Pai is not really a place to stay in Thailand for a family holiday though and it also does not usually require more than a day or two to explore when on holiday in Thailand.

Pai is relatively overpopulated by travellers these days and I think has possibly lost some of it’s past Thai charm for some. The town of Pai itself is pretty small and cute – probably about a 10 minute walk from one side to the other, with it’s own daily walking street where you can pick up some very creative and quirky Pai postcards, paintings and souvenirs. However clothing is kind of limited to tie-dyed clothing styles.

How to get to Pai

You can travel by bus from Chiang mai to Pai from Arcade bus station for around 100 baht. This would involve catching an overpriced tuktuk or songtaew out of the centre of Chiang mai though, so in my opinion it may well be just as cheap but more convenient to travel via the hourly minibus to Pai for around 190 baht. This involves hotel pickup and most Chiang mai guesthouses or the many travel agents can arrange this for you.The journey to Pai takes 3 hours and be warned, it is quite unpleasantly stomache churning on the windy Thai mountain roads, even when broken up by the 20 minute break in the middle.

It is best to rent a scooter in Pai to travel and explore the surrounding scenery. AYA is not hard to miss in the centre of town and charge as little as 100 baht for a scooter with a voluntary charge of 80 baht for insurance. If you can’t think what to do in Pai, a scooter gives you the flexibility to travel outside of town.

If you wish to drive yourself to Chiangmai from Pai, you can pay AYA 500 baht so you can drop it there instead and have your luggage transported back to Chiangmai separately. AYA also provide travel services outside of Pai and charge 150 baht for a minibus trip to Chiangmai.

Where To Stay in Pai

As a guide, you can stay in Pai in a hostel for as little as 200 baht per night, in particular Mae Yen is a great choice for travellers on a budget. Otherwise you can find some very good value luxury accommodation to stay in the most idealic Thai settings. Baan Tawaan Guesthouse is a good choice of mid range accommodation within easy walking distance to shops and bars of Pai town. Alternatively, you can camp in the peaceful setting outside of town at Pai Tree House from 300 baht per night or stay in a quirky Thai treehouse from 500 baht per night… or rent a luxurious family sized villa within the beautiful grounds there. Be sure to visit their unusual cafe, Love Pai Strawberry too.

What To Do In Pai

Pai is most renowned for it’s white water rafting during the season of June to February, so this would probably be at the top of the guide of what to do in pai. Rafting packages take from 1 to 3 days and costs start from 1600 baht with Thairafting.com.

Train at a Muay Thai camp – there is a particularly good, farang-friendly Muay Thai training camp called Charn Chai. Be prepared though, Muay Thai is tough; it is not for the feint hearted but this team in Pai have a reputation for being particularly welcoming and kind.

Go trekking in the untouched Mae Hong Son forests or take a hill tribe guided tour.

Try the many yoga and meditation lessons in Pai.

If you can’t decide what to do in town, explore the mountainous surroundings of Pai – Hire a scooter and travel to the attractions like Pai Canyon, Memorial Bridge, Hot spings and waterfalls while admiring the tropical Pai scenery along the way.

Bangkok To Chiang Mai

Posted on May 3, 2013 by koomatzu

About Chiang mai

Chiang mai is situated in the North of Thailand and is it’s second largest city after Bangkok. It can be much cheaper than the South of Thailand and the food is not only healthier but also tastier and more vegetarian friendly in my opinion. The old city in the centre of Chiang mai can feel almost like being in a tourist bubble – while Chiang mai retains it’s beauty and history it has greatly succumbed to tourism, the eastern side in particular being heavily laiden with Thai guesthouses, tuktuks and farang restaurants and bars.

While the old city is full of temples, scenic sois and the Chiang mai night market walking street, outside the Chiang mai old city is more modern and local. For the average person from Bangkok to Chiang mai, three days would probably be a suitable amount of time to spend about Chiang mai but it also depends on how many activities each individual wants to take part in.

Wat Phra Singh, the largest temple within the walled city

Bangkok to Chiang mai

You can generally travel by bus from Bangkok to Chiang mai for around 500 baht or take a train, a first class sleeper costing around 1300 baht. You may want to book in advance to be safe though. The train takes roughly half a day from Bangkok to Chiang mai and the bus is similar also. Planes tend to cost around 1500 baht each way but can vary in price – Nok airways and Air Asia are the cheapest airlines for this route from Bangkok to Chiang mai and take only 1 hour 15 minutes; domestic flights often leave from Don Muang airport in Bangkok.

How to get from Chiang mai airport to the city

Make sure to get a ticket from the taxi counter once about Chiang mai airport – it allows you to get a taxi for the fixed price of 120 baht to anywhere in the old city of Chiang mai. It is very clearly marked.

Travel Map Of Chiang Mai

Key areas of Chiang mai for tourists

Thapae gate, at the eastern end of Chiang mai old city, is the most convenient area for tourists to stay about Chiangmai; it’s brimming with both cheap and luxury accommodations alike, packed with charming and delicious restaurants, bars and ‘van’ bars that pop up on the sidewalks at night. You won’t struggle to find what to do in Chiang mai if you stay around Thapae gate. It’s easy to arrange tours and transport as there are plenty of travel agents; it is also in very easy walking distance to the Chiang mai night markets and famous Loi Kroh road.

For pure comfort and luxury, De Naga Hotel is perfectly situated in the heart of the old city at Thapae gate. A cheap nearby alternative to stay around Thapae gate is Pepper House costing from only 350 baht per room. There are many other cheap places along the road of Pepper House to choose from though.

Chiang mai old city is actually quite small and compact, being around 1.5km in length each way so it is perfectly feasible to explore the area by foot. Transport is actually a little lame about Chiang mai old city if I am honest – something to do with the mafia so I have read – so you will not find taxis around, only tuktuks and Songtaews left to wreak havoc on tourists and charge whatever they feel like.

Most Chiang mai guesthouses offer bicycle or scooter rent though – you really don’t need to look hard to find some place renting them out otherwise. Scooters cost from 200 baht while bikes start from 50 baht. The roads are relatively tame and not too busy within Chiang mai old city, however surrounding the walls is a super busy, multi-laned, heavily trafficked system which may be quite terrifying for some people.

What to do in Chiangmai

Rent a bicycle and cycle the pretty sois to explore the old city of Chiang mai at your own pace. Stop at souvenir or clothes shops, characterful cafes and the many temples that scatter the old city. See above for info on bike hire about Chiang mai.

Wat Jet Lin, one of Chiang mai’s lesser known temples that are dotted around the old city

There are many guided trekking tours available. Treks vary in the number of days they take and usually involve a waterfall visit, rafting and an overnight stay with a hilltribe. Check Travelhub in Chiang mai for a good selection of activities.

Horse riding with Thai Horse Farm. Explore the natural beauty of Chiang mai on the back of a horse by day and camp in the wilderness by night.

Drive a trail bike or ATV through the jungle, go bungee jumping or try your hand at xorbing with Xcentre or many of the other companies offering extreme sports activities in Chiang mai.

Stuff with elephants! Riding an elephant is a must for most tourists in Thailand… however without sounding too preachy, it is important to bare in mind the ethics and treatment of the animals by each particular company when partaking in elephant related activities. You can read more about elephant cruelty in tourism here. Patara Elephant Farm are a good company and their programme allows people to own and take care of an elephant for the day in Chiang mai. It’s not cheap, but you get what you pay for (i.e. good karma and a clean conscience!). I also do not recommend Tiger Kingdom in Chiang mai as the morality and animal friendliness of this is questionable.

Visit Pai. Pai is a popular mountain village amongst Thai tourists and young travellers. It is a peaceful and colourful retreat with a creative spirit ideal for a place to just simply hangout. Buses in Chiang mai leave hourly for only 190 baht bookable through most travel agents and hotels.

Visit the historical, ex-capital city Sukhothai and it’s vast ruins in the Thailand countryside.

Do a cookery class – not very original but still easy, fun and great to meet people nonetheless. Generally, the price (average 800 baht) includes a trip to a market, a recipe book and the making/eating of around five Thai meals (depending on the school). Basil and Thai Cottage are good schools about Chiang mai but there are many others to choose from.

Eat! Dining out is so much cheaper in Chiang mai than it is in the South of Thailand and in my opinion, way tastier. Dada cafe, on Ratmakka Road near Thapae gate road, do very good vegetarian and healthy food as well as great smoothies. ‘Gat Glang Wiang’ is a very pretty, hidden courtyard of restaurants and cafes sometimes with live jazz music on an evening. It is located smack bang in the centre of the old city, on Ratchadamnoen Road, with a Wawee Coffee shop at the front of it. For authentic and cheap Thai cuisine in Chiang mai, make sure to stop by the infamous Aroon Rai restaurant between Thapae gate and Loi Khor road.

Hot Chilli at the Gat Glang Wiang courtyard

Relax in Queen Sirikit gardens or the Doi Suthep national park and temple grounds. Picnic in Huay Tung Tao lake a few km north outside of the old city, either by scooter or pushbike – for more cycle routes and info visit chiangmaicycling.org

Take a two hour cruise on the Mae Ping river tour

Zipwire through the Thai jungle with flight of the gibbon

Umong temple, an unusual and somewhat unorthodox temple situated in the forests outside of Chiang mai, offer weekly meditation classes and talks in English every sunday at 3pm.

What to do in Chiang mai at night

See the performances at the night bazaar’s food court

Visit the Chiang mai Night Market Bazaar on a weeknight. Sample the food, be entertained by the free shows, marvel at the lights and spend all your hard earned money on the silks, wooden carvings and jewellery.

Chiang mai night bazaar

On the weekend make sure to check out the Walking Street (Chiang mai night market) – it seems to go on forever (in a good way) and has some really unique items for sale including loads of paintings and artwork. There are many people giving performances and playing live music in the middle of the roads too. On Saturdays you can find the Chiang mai night market walking street on Wualai Road just at the southern gate of the old city, on Sundays it is on Ratchadamnoen Road which starts at the eastern Thapae gate.

Drink. Loi Kroh road is the most popular road for nightlife among tourists in Chiang mai, however despite the immense number of bars it can be a little samey and also more geared towards men. There are mainly ‘bar girl bars’ along here but you can still find other bars if you look for them and it’s worth a gander anyway even if you do find it to be a tad sleazy. Chiang mai is really quite relaxed and mellow in comparison with the South of Thailand – meaning tuktuk drivers arent so pushy and Loi Kroh road is more subtle and chilled out without any hassle like say, Patpong in Bangkok.

Random cocktail car on south Ratpakinai Road – the south eastern side of the city.

For a different scene, grab a Songthaew out of Chiang mai old city to Nimmanhaemin Road, a much more modern and fresh area of the city where the young locals and Thai students hangout.

Quirky accessories/ furniture shop nearby Nimmanhaemin Road

From Bangkok to Chiang mai… Looking for more travel ideas for what to do in Thailand? End your holiday with a relaxing visit to the beach for some island hopping.

Thai Hospital – Bitten By A Dog

Posted on May 2, 2013 by koomatzu

If you get bitten by a pet dog in Thailand and are even slightly unsure of the dog’s health, then it is recommended to go to hospital just to be safe – You may still need a tetanus or rabies jab. Most dog owners in Thailand give their pets annual rabies innoculations but unless you know the owner personally, this is a slightly grey area. If you have had a preventary rabies vaccination in the past, you still need to have a rabies jab after being bitten – many vaccinations only delay the effects of rabies, they do not completely protect against it.

So many freakin dogs in Thailand

Accident #2 – Dog Bite In Thailand

Recently me and my boyfriend were on holiday in Pai, we were staying at a pretty nice hotel too; it was our treat after slumming it during our travels in Chiangmai. But damn there was this annoying dog that barked incessantly all day and all morning. One day it was yelping and whining outside so Happy went out to investigate it. The barking stopped and he returned to our room 10 minutes later squealing and bouncing around about how cute it was – even though it had apparently spooked him enough at one point to make him nervously scramble up a wall like a little girl.

We figured it was the Thai hotel’s dog. It had a collar and looked in quite good condition, quite young. We later sat outside on the pavillion as the dusk started to peacefully fall and the dog innocently frolicked around the gardens. We were playing around with my camera and when we got bored we headed back to our hotel room, dog following behind entertaining himself in the bushes. Happy was distracted by something in the garden and crouched down to take a photo, the camera strap dangling in front of his body.

10 seconds before going schizo

For some reason, this seemed to awaken something in the dog and it excitedly jumped at Happy while becoming increasingly more enthusiastic and bitey until it was simply just gnawing at his legs as he helplessly tried to get away. Happy then passed the camera to me… along with the dogs attention with it. The dog jumped at me and bit at my dress as I edged backwards and dodged it’s advances. By this stage I was getting pretty freaked out and began to use my camera and it’s strap to keep the dog at bay and tangle him up. At one point though, this completely backfired, my £500 camera slipped from my hands, crashed to the floor and as I tried to grab it back, the dog misconstrued this as me merely playing with him.

Action shot!

The dog darted off mischievously, my camera still caught around his neck clunking and scraping along the walkway until he clumsily tumbled over into a flower bed, legs kicking in the air. I quickly snatched my camera back and my boyfriend distracted the dog with a metal pole lying on the grass nearby. When we got back to our room his ankle was bleeding – not a lot but nonetheless the dog bite had broken the skin. We told the Thai woman at reception who apologised and gave us chemicals to clean the wound, but her english was not great. I asked about rabies and she looked at me kind of nervously and said ‘no’, very unconfidently. It almost felt like she was picking an answer to keep me happy without actually understanding my question.

But, I couldn’t help plaguing myself with thoughts and images of my boyfriend dying of rabies in Thailand! I figured it’s always best to be safe and be sure than to regret not doing something so simple like going to the hospital two minutes down the road. So despite his reluctance, I managed to convince him to simply just ask for advice at the hospital. You don’t need to have treatment there, we can just ask their opinion to be sure. Happy was bitten by a pet dog and I wasn’t sure how it works with being bitten by pet dogs in Thailand. He’d also fortunately already been vaccinated so we we weren’t sure how that worked either, whether he’d even need any rabies treatment.

Pai hospital

We arrived at the hospital reception of accident and emergency later that evening, it was eerily quiet and devoid of patients. I approached the receptionist and tried to explain in my best thai that ‘he’d been bitten by a dog. But a pet dog. Is it a problem?’ I can speak much better thai than I can actually understand back, so she replied with a few wordy sentences and I stared blankly at her. She then walked us over to a small ward with about three nurses behind the desk.

I tried my best to explain the situation in Thai as the nurses came and went interchangeably. ‘He’s been bitten by a pet dog. Do we need to do anything?’ There was a lot of Thai discussion amongst themselves and they didn’t really ask much after I said this. Their english didn’t seem to be a great deal better than my Thai either. There was some more chattering between the nurses. Happy started to rummage through his pockets for his vaccination card when one of them silently slinked her way towards his side, trigger happily squirting away on her syringe. We interrupted and tried to point out that he’d actually already been vaccinated before so weren’t sure if he’d maybe require a different shot. The nurse at this point stared blankly at us and turned to her colleague.

There was more confused, misunderstood clacking amongst the nurses in the hospital and more enthusiastic attempts to inject Happy. They finally appeared to understand and decided to inject him anyway. I guess we were just being a little paranoid and nervous of the language barrier.

This hospital visit cost 590 baht altogether, complete with yet another goodie bag of drugs. Thai hospitals certainly seem to like chucking around antibiotics and painkillers whenever they get the chance. We left the hospital feeling slightly dishevelled – entering on the expectation of a calm, short discussion of whether he actually even needed treatment, and leaving after being pounced on by an overly-eager, needle wielding nurse, seemingly disinterested of any relevant details or medical history.

And after all that, when we finally returned to our hotel later that night, we found the fluent english speaking owner waiting desperately for us. He apologised profusely and informed us that his dog didn’t have rabies afterall as it had indeed been vaccinated…

Thai Hospital – Two Visits In Five Days

Posted on May 2, 2013 by koomatzu

Thailand accident #1 – Trail biking

I’ve always been pretty bad on a motorbike, I even had to sell my 125cc because I was just so crap on it. So why the hell I decided to go trail biking through the jungle in Thailand, I do not know. In fact, I was so terrible that I fell off the motorbike so much so that it later malfunctioned and the brakes became stuck on the road journey back. The bike skidded and flew me to the tarmac where this time I was not so lucky. My wrist hurt like hell but basically, as nice as the Thai staff were at the bike centre, after earlier surprised remarks and jokes at the sight of a girl doing trail biking I felt like I had something to prove.

So I sucked it up and we continued along the road back to the centre until the pain in my left hand became so much that I couldn’t even grip the handle let alone pull in the clutch, so I surrendered to the pain. They called somebody to pick me up and when I jumped into the truck I eagerly and curiously removed my glove to sneak a glance at the damage. And there it was, a lump the size of half a golf ball sticking out the top of my wrist. I cringed at the thought of it being my bone sticking out… And that was how I had my little accident in Thailand.

Chiang mai Maharaj Hospital

A few hours later we arrived at Chiangmai Maharaj hospital, a large government run hospital located outside of the old city. I found my way to the hospital registration desk to sign myself up and the lady pointed me in the direction of the department to go to. I wandered inside the busy Thai hospital ward and a staff member waved me over to his desk as another man crept up behind me and took my form from me. He then roughly grabbed my arm, completely unobservant of the large misshapen lump on top, and proceeded to slap a blood pressure monitor over the top of my shirt. I whinced and pulled back slightly as he roughed my arm up as if it had wronged him in some way. Then the other hospital staff member questioned me, glanced at my arm and pointed me over to the emergency room.

I actually found the Thai doctors in accident and emergency to be very warm and helpful – most of them seemed to be students at the hospital and they all spoke relatively good english. They rushed me over to a stretcher and made me lie down. I felt pretty stupid considering I’d only hurt my wrist – a stretcher seemed a little overkill when there was a patient opposite, unconscious and looking pretty messed up. My boyfriend, with his slightly irrational fear of dirt and hospitals, shuffled nervously at the sight of the grubby floor behind me. They were good at keeping me up to date on what was going on – probably better service than the hospitals in England in fact. At the same time though, they didn’t really seem like they knew much about what was going on with my injury. I had about a team of five Thai student doctors alternating between investigating and prodding away at me and then gathering around for a group discussion on what it could be.

They sent me for an x-ray after only an hour of arriving at the hospital – a porter wheeled me away on my stretcher and I couldn’t help but feel slightly embarrassed at being unnecessarily pushed around and on display for a wrist injury. When I arrived back at the hospital ward, another foreigner had arrived and she was tearfully led out on a stretcher while her male friend and the group of doctors lingered around her bed. One of the non-student doctors appeared beside me and excitedly explained that they were from Brazil; it was almost as if he was reuniting me with a long lost sister. He then went on, “she had a dog bite her!’ He then grinned jollily and made bitey impressions to which I felt a bit mean giggling at.

The girl next to me ended up having to pay a total of 7000 baht for her hospital treatment and a rabies shot – apparently it was a more expensive kind ‘made from human’ as they had run out of the kind ‘made from horse’. One of the doctors informed me that my wrist wasn’t broken, but was probably a torn ligament or muscle and that I shouldn’t use it and should keep it bandaged up. She didn’t seem particularly confident to be honest but I guess stuff like that can be hard to diagnose when it’s still so swollen. And I certainly can’t fault her customer service after she kept me updated practically every 10 minutes.

All in all my Thailand hospital visit was not a bad experience at all (ignoring the overly aggressive blood pressure guy). For two hours worth of attention from the team of Thai scrubs, two bandages, an x-ray and a goodie bag of drugs it only cost me 691 baht. That’s not even £15 or $20….

Whatever! At least now I have an excuse to wear a cool ninja glove-looking splint…

Read about my Thailand hospital experience #2 here

Yoga In Bangkok

Posted on April 26, 2013 by koomatzu

If you want to practise yoga in Bangkok, you’re just in luck! Bangkok has a great range of yoga schools and yoga classes, many of which offer monthly rates for unlimited yoga classes. The cheapest yoga class in Bangkok that I have found so far is Yoga Elements, however Iyengar hot yoga has a great reputation as being a hardcore workout among expats in Bangkok.

Directory of Yoga classes and prices in Bangkok

Yoga Elements Bangkok

Where: Chit lom
Drop-in price: 500 baht
Monthly price: From 2000 baht for 15 x 90 minute sessions
Website: www.yogaelements.com
Review

The Yoga Place Bangkok

Where: Thong Lo
Drop-in price: 350 baht
Monthly price: 3000 baht for 10 x 90 minute classes
Website: www.theyogaplace.in.th

Iyengar Yoga Studio Bangkok

Where: Thong Lo
Drop-in price: 500 baht
Monthly price: 3400 baht unlimited use
Website: www.iyengar-yoga-bangkok.com

Yoga Sutra Thai Bangkok

Where: Chong Nonsi
Drop-in price: 500
Monthly price: From 9000 baht for 3 months unlimited use
Website: www.yogasutrathai.com

Lullaby Yoga Bangkok

Where: Ploenchit & Lumphini
Drop-in price: 550 (200 for first timer)
Monthly price: Around 3500 baht for 15 sessions
Website: www.lullaby-yoga.com

Absolute Yoga Bangkok

Where: Amarin Plaza, Silom Road (BTS Saladaeng), Prom phong, Nonthaburi, Lad phrao (MRT Pha Ho Yothin), Pinklao, Crystal Park
Drop-in price: 650 baht
Monthly price: 4900 baht for 10 classes
Website: www.absoluteyogabangkok.com

YogaFly Bangkok

Where: Pilates Station Prom Phong
Drop-in price: 550 baht
Monthly price: –
Website: www.pilatesstation.co.th

Not interested in yoga in Bangkok? For gyms and their prices in Bangkok, see my Bangkok Fitness Club directory here.

Jobs In Thailand – Acting

Posted on April 19, 2013 by koomatzu

As I have whined about enough in my recent posts, lately I have been low on work and am struggling to find ways to earn a living in bangkok. When I was out a few nights ago, I received a phone call from a Bangkok agent I had applied for Extra work with a few months back. As this was the first time I’d heard from this agent yet, I wanted to keep them sweet, and so agreed to go to a casting for an acting job in Bangkok – I normally decline attending castings as I am well aware that there are plenty of other professional actors kicking around… and me – I’m completely clueless and uncharismatic with that sort of thing… Not to mention I hate being the centre of attention.

To be honest, I wasn’t just doing it to get on the good side of this new agent… life in Bangkok has been kind of uneventful recently and I’ve been starting to go a little stir crazy. I also decided to investigate acting as a career in Thailand and take one for the team, for the all-of-about five people that ever actually read my blog. Or anybody who happens to want to know what they shoud expect at a casting in Bangkok. I’ve got nothing better to do anyway, I’d just waste my time mincing around eating fried chicken and bubble teas otherwise.

Acting work in Bangkok

There are many acting and extras groups you can join on facebook that advertise this kind of work in Thailand. You can just search ‘casting thailand’ and there will be loads to join up to. Agents are also quite keen to send whoever they can to castings because it simply increases the probability of one of their clients being picked, and them getting their commission from the job. You can find a list of agents to contact under my tips for extra work in Bangkok. It’s difficult to get parts, especially with no experience, but although it can seem time consuming and not worth the effort, the pay can actually be very rewarding. If I had actually gotten this particular part, I would have been paid a minimum of 20,000 baht (about $700 or £450) minus the agency fees – 15,000 baht. Minimum. For one day’s acting work.

There is a lot more pressure than when just doing extra work in Bangkok though. Although you get treated much better (e.g. you get your own umbrella-and-fan man and you get to eat the nice food), it is basically all down to you when they are shooting. If you can’t get it right, then all the extras and all the film crew – they all have to work longer because of you! It’s all your fault! Man, that would seriously stress me out, the thought of that… and all those people watching you try to act. At least when you work as an extra, it doesnt really matter what you’re doing – nobody really cares, you’re just a minion picking your nose in the background. I like it that way though, being the invisible minion with no responsibility…

But most people aren’t insecure wrecks like me, so if you are a confident, outgoing person you may consider giving acting work in Thailand a try and perservering simply because the pay is so good. A lot of other people at the casting I spoke too were not actually experienced actors either. It’s much easier than normal to obtain acting work in Thailand as the community of foreigners is small and the demand for ‘farang’ high. There are many acting workshops you can attend and I have personally heard from people who have been to them that they are very useful and helpful. Which actually surprises me. These can cost from 6000 baht to 10,000 baht for a few weekends of workshops. When you think about the potential amount you could be paid from a typical acting part in Thailand though, it seems easily worth a try to improve your acting skills.

My first – and my last – casting in Bangkok

To start with, the details I was sent about the casting itself were not particularly clear. I was told to dress like a young, affluent and successful world traveller. To dress upscale but casual as if staying at a five star hotel. To dress uniquely with style, but to not look like a model.. and no suits either! I was pretty confused by these conflicting descriptions but nonetheless I interpreted this as dressing like a gnarly, hardcore traveller with lots of money. I opted for some ethnic, leather jewellery and a casual outfit with a funky, smart suit jacket. I know, it said no suits – but I do not own ‘upscale clothing’ so it was all I could think of.

When I arrived at the hotel that the casting was arranged at in Bangkok, I got to the floor of the casting and found about three or four other male actors dressed quite smart and fashionably. I took a seat with them and then one of the Thai crew members came out and gave me a form to fill in with my measurements and contact details. I remained sat, waiting for about 40 minutes… -_- Some of the other people were taken off to a sitting area behind me and had their photos taken in various positions and situations. I heard the photographer behind saying ‘Ok now laugh, someone just did something very funny… HAHAHAHA’… then I heard the model let out an awkward, fake laugh and agonized myself over how douchey I was gonna feel when it was my turn.

Ok, I thought, no problem, this is a piece of cake, I got this job in the bag! All I’ve got to do is pretend I’m doing whatever they say – it’s easy. And I don’t have to be embarassed because everybodies in the same boat here. I think this was more to pump myself up than out of arrogance but I figured – how hard can it be? Anybody can act. Eventually, I got called into the room for the castings and took a seat on a prepared set. Two other girls entered dressed much more glamourously than me and took a seat either side of me.

Basically, I misinterpreted the prior description of the job. We were meant to play three best friends staying in a hotel who were basically rich and went on holiday all the time – not hardcore world travellers. After explaining the setting to us and telling us we would need to improvise (!) a scene of ‘three besties hanging out together and teasing eachother’, the casting woman took a look at me up and down and let out a displeased groan. ‘Take off you jacket so you look comfortable inside your hotel room…’ she asked. Then she took another scrutinising glance at me and continued ‘ok take off you shoes’. ..I was feeling a little unloved at this point.

This was when it got awkward though. I’ve never acted before let alone improvised, so I just could not think what to say. Considering my inexperience though, I think I did pretty well really. It lasted maybe 15 or 20 minutes where they took a few takes of us socialising and laughing together. At the end, the casting woman laughed hard and said to the the girl to my right ‘I feel so sorry for you, you are trying so hard and the others act so… lazy’. She carried on laughing at us while the girl kindly denied what she said and tried to defend us. And I thought I was acting quite cheerful! How wrong I was… I guess if I could pass on anything I’ve learned from this experience, it would be to just make sure to overact and exagerrate everything.

The two girls were both very nice; the other bad one turned out to not be so good at english, so she had a better excuse than me for being bad at improvising. When I left the room after being laughed at by a professional, I felt a little discouraged to say the least. Before I had a chance to recollect myself and remotivate myself, I was called upon by the photographer. This went equally as bad. He would tell me to smile and laugh… it’s actually surprisingly hard to laugh on demand when the pressure is on you. He told me to pretend I was watching funny cartoons on the TV and then said ‘oh, the cartoons aren’t funny enough for you… Ok, show your teeth when you smile’. I don’t even want to see those photographs… it must have looked so creepy watching my feeble attempt to push out an unnatural smile. I’m surprised the poor man didn’t smear grease over his viewfinder to protect his eyes… It’s painful to think about.

I was glad to be out of there… The casting took 90 minutes altogether and during that time alone I saw about nine other applicants. Castings ran all week and all day, so it must be pretty difficult and competitive to actually get the part for something like that. Another extra friend of mine (also new to the industry) once told me about how she attempted to go to a casting in Thailand and how horribly embarrassing it was. So with my non-existent acting skills and this prior warning, I was not so naïve that I actually thought it would go smoothly. As with my other past Thailand career attempts, I think it’s safe to say I did not get the job…

Lonely In Thailand

Posted on April 16, 2013 by koomatzu

Social Networking In Thailand

The expat community in Thailand is surprisingly small and cosy but I also believe that just living in another country instantly equips you with many common interests to meet and connect with other like-minded expats. Most people who have moved to Thailand will not only tend to share a similar attitude and outlook on life but will also usually be open minded enough to posess an interesting array of alike hobbies. There are many useful social networking websites kicking around to help you to meet other expats if you do get lonely in Thailand. In some people’s cases it can be hard to connect and meet with others and make friends in Thailand otherwise.

Social networking websites in Thailand

I have personally tried and tested some of these social networking sites myself and have found them to be very friendly and welcoming in Bangkok. It’s definitely worth a try to network with other expats in Thailand – there is nothing to lose from trying if you start to feel lonely in Thailand at least. Personally, when I am being anti-social in Bangkok, it makes me considerably more homesick also.

Meetup has an unbelievably wide selection of different groups for people to meet and either help out in the community, get some exercise or brush up on their language skills. Meetup groups in Thailand vary in size from about 5 to 30 people and include volunteer groups, beach volleyball groups, language groups, motorcyle touring, jam sessions, web developers and naturist groups! And many more! There is something there for everyone…

Chickynet is a women-only social networking site in Thailand. Personally, I think it can sometimes be quite difficult and lonely in Thailand for women, as a large proportion of expats seem to be men. Chickynet is great for socialising, hanging out and meeting with other women in Thailand. It also hosts numerous events, has a classified section and forums for help and expat advice. I highly recommend joining this community if you don’t yet have many aquaintances in Thailand.

For the fitness and beer enthusiasts, there are many Hash groups which exist around Thailand both for cyclists and runners. If you like running and biking, mixed up with some heavy drinking then give it a try. The Bangkok Hash House Bikers host many cycling events and meetups around Bangkok, or there is a runner’s Hash in Bangkok that meet Mondays, The Hash Pub in Chiangmai, Pattaya Hash in Pattaya… There are absolutely tonnes of other Hash websites to choose from in Thailand depending on your area…

Shared workspaces

For people who are self employed or similar, there are a selection of rentable shared office spaces around Bangkok which are ideal for meeting likeminded people.. or simply for those who are becoming lonely and bored of sitting at their desk in their y-fronts, scratching at their balls eating cheetos.

Hubba is located in Ekkamai in Bangkok and costs from 100 baht per day depending on which package you purchase with them. They offer a free trial so there is no pressure to join up at least. Some snacks and beverages are included in this price such as cakes from their pantry. The atmosphere is very friendly and relaxed and they can arrange meals for you very cheaply to eat and socialise with the rest of the staff.

Launchpad is another share workspace in Bangkok, Sathorn – you can read more about Launchpad here.

Expat Pubs in Thailand

Another great way to meet expats in Thailand are the western style pubs – there are many people who network and make friends more casually in this way. In Bangkok for example, you can find Irish and English style pubs along most of the main stretches of activity – Silom has many to choose from along the whole of Silom Road, Nana is also a particularly pub-filled part of the city. Phrom Pong and Ekkamai also have good selections. Check out Durty Nellys, The Robin Hood and The Black Swan. In Silom near BTS Sala Deng, The Roadhouse is a particularly social pub amongst Bangkok expats. None of these places are cheap, but then foreign luxuries in Thailand never are.

If nightclubs are more your scene, try the expat rich Levels on Soi 11 in Nana, Bangkok. For the more creative crowd I would recommend a visit to the small and cosy Jam Cafe in Sathorn (the end nearest BTS Surasak Bangkok). The Jam Cafe often hosts cult movie nights and other interesting events to get people meeting and socialising. They also make some good fish and chips, burgers and veggie meals for only 100 – 150 baht.

Homesickness

Posted on April 1, 2013 by koomatzu

Four months ago, after much deliberation I finally got off my ass, took action and moved to Thailand… and now I feel homesick already -_-. The first three months living in Thailand I didn’t feel even the slightest bit homesick, possibly from being distracted by the novelty of being in a new country. But then the homesickness kicked in and when it did, it hit hard. For a month now I miss England, and the homesickness seems to be so unrelenting that I even started to question… is it actually homesickness or am I simply ‘done in Thailand’ already?

I’ve adapted to the hectic environment of Bangkok and learned a lot too. But at the same time… I miss home – I miss the music… food.. I miss snow and wrapping up in the cold weather (and not being sweaty!) and I miss having a stable job and income! I find it difficult to get a proper job in Thailand and am gradually eating away through my life savings. To put it simply: Should I really be wasting my hard earned money mooching around in the sun when I’m not gaining much else from it?

So grey and Englandy!

Living in Thailand has made me learn not to take my home for granted, to appreciate it when I do get home. This insight alone has made my trip to Thailand worth everything already. The grass is always greener on the other side and as much as Thailand has always had a romantic and paradisal association in my mind, it still has it’s imperfections just like every other country. People can still be unfriendly… or even annoying! Just as much so as in my own country. I love Thailand but in reality it has many positives and it also has it’s weaknesses just like anywhere else…

You can search and search for that part missing in your life but moving to the other side of the world does not necessarily automatically cure the naturally miserable, grumbly bastards like me…. some us just need to learn that for ourselves. I think that all the discontentedness some of us feel is inside our heads and if we want to be truly happy, we need to examine inside our minds rather than the world outside. Otherwise we will never be happy no matter where we live.

…It’s still badass to move to a tropical country though!

So I try not to let my homesickness delude me, it’s important to appreciate and make the most of the opportunity to live within such an interesting and lively culture. Living in another country, as opposed to travelling, can teach you a lot more and provide you with some much more realistic and unique experiences. Bangkok is an awesome city to live in… So I will suck it up, get me a nice roast dinner from the pub and listen to some Red hot chili peppers until I am cured once again.

A good cure to homesickness? Socialize and meet people in Thailand.

Update! Turns out homesickness and culture shock hits you a lot harder in reverse, when you actually return back to your rather uneventful hometown… if you’re feeling homesick and in need of some positive thinking or appreciation of all things Thai, read about my return to England here.

Trains In Thailand

Posted on April 1, 2013 by koomatzu

Do trains in Thailand get fully booked?

Do I need to book the train in advance in Thailand? In my opinion it is best to book ahead when travelling by train in Thailand just to be sure to avoid disappointment. I especially recommend it around new year and before the dates of the full moon party if travelling South. It’s not easy to book trains in thailand though… it’s a real ball ache actually. You can’t book Thailand trains online through the official Thai railways website – either you have to do it through a travel agency or make an extra trip to the train station itself before hand. If you are very lazy like myself though, you may find www.thailandtrainticket.com a useful website to book Thailand trains online.

Hualumpong Train Station Scam

I did not book the train ahead when I took a trip to Koh Samui this weekend in Thailand. The trains and buses to the islands and beaches of Thailand get pretty full up what with them being one of the biggest attractions for foreigners. However, having the prematurely anti-social spirit of a grumpy, elderly woman, I also did not realise that I was travelling around the busiest time of the full moon party. I had my hotels sorted, transport planned by the exact memorized Thailand train timetable… We arrived at Hualumpong train station one hour early before the 19.30 train was supposed to leave Bangkok for Surat Thani and nonchalantly approached the man on the tourist information counter for a timetable.

After asking a colleague about our train, the Thailand tourist information guy then informed us that the trains to Surat Thani were actually all fully booked that day. At this point I was starting to panic that I had screwed up our plans. But it wasn’t a problem – he explained to us that there was also a bus that went there… only it was due to leave in 10 minutes time. He bought us to another Thailand tourist information office and handed us over to the travel agent. Again, the new man reasserted that there was a bus about to leave in 10 minutes but it may be fully booked. My panic bar crept up slightly more… He phoned someone up to check for us and eventually turned back to us. “They have last two seats left. But they cost this much:” He got his calculator out and punched the numbers into it – 1300 baht each.

Now, from my experience living in Thailand so far, it’s never a good sign when people get out the calculator. People normally expect you to haggle when they get out the calculator, so obviously they type in some ridiculously over priced figure to start off. I did not expect to haggle over a bus ticket in an official-looking booth in a train station though. I enthusiastically nodded my head with relief. Yayy we got the last two tickets! So lucky!

…. 50 minutes went by after we bought out train tickets. Not only did the bus not leave 10 minutes after we had been told it would, but about 15 people entered the office after us and bought tickets for the very same journey. He’d just lied to us to panic us into paying more for our tickets -_-

I don’t think joint bus and ferry tickets from Bangkok to Samui should cost any more than 1000 baht. Maybe they can cost even less than this I am not 100% sure as maybe I was ripped off the 2^nd time I bought tickets also! Who knows? Either way, I’m not sure what happened. It is a possibility that the trains were not fully booked and the overly helpful Thailand tourist information guy just got paid commission from bringing tourists to book bus tickets. On the other hand though, it was four days before the full moon party and it’s a very popular route for tourists in Thailand afterall.. Being ripped off though, particularly on the very first day of a trip in Thailand, can be really demoralizing and frustrating.

Be warned and do not make the same mistake. Try booking the train in Thailand in advance and don’t let people panic you into paying more than you should. Hopefully someone else can gain something from this experience and some good may come from my gullibility. 😉