Yoga Elements Bangkok

Posted on January 19, 2013 by koomatzu

I’ve tried yoga on and off over the years back in my hometown but never really stuck to a yoga class for too long… the last couple of years I mainly followed a Rodney Yee yoga dvd once a week every week to subsidise my other exercise regimes. When I moved to Bangkok, I found Yoga Elements on google – apparently they are rated as the 11th best yoga studio in the world! And as you pay for a set amount of yoga classes per month, it seems you’re much more likely to improve and take part in it a little more seriously and regularly.

About Yoga Elements Bangkok

Yoga Elements is situated in Bangkok, just a 5 minute walk from BTS Chitlom in the Vanissa building just down the road from Central Chitlom shopping mall. The studio itself is very impressive – it’s clean, nicely decorated with amazing views over the city of Bangkok from the actual yoga studio itself – which is definitely a cool environment to do exercise. You are provided with towels and a locker with free use of the showers too which really comes in handy if you want to do some exercise before work or uni etc.

Yoga Elements Review

As for the actual yoga classes, I found them to be a little hit and miss. I found some of the yoga classes to be a little too focused on breathing and relaxation – not particularly much of a workout. Now, I know breath and relaxation are fundamental to yoga but in all honesty, I’m much more interested in the physical side of it, so the classes at Yoga Elements Bangkok just didn’t keep my motivation up.

Cerissa’s classes were very good, and if she taught more lessons there I would have definitely considered sticking with Yoga Elements… I ached the next day after her yoga classes. Don’t get me wrong though, I don’t rate Yoga Elements badly, as I think it is more to do with my own taste that I did not gel with it… but I would recommend that you try elsewhere if you’re just after a more rigorous workout. If you are serious about yoga or the more spiritual side of it, then this Bangkok yoga studio will likely be most awesome for you!

You can purchase your first month of 15 x 90 minute yoga lessons for just 2000 baht which is the cheapest yoga studio in Bangkok I have found so far. You don’t need to book either, just drop in to one of the beginner ‘Elements’ yoga classes 15 minutes before the start – you can check out their website or Facebook page for a schedule or take a look at my guide on yoga in Bangkok.

Where can I buy a yoga mat in Bangkok?

You can pick up a cheap yoga mat in Bangkok for about 300 or 400 baht from most Watsons pharmacies –usually in a container near the till. Otherwise Sports World on Silom Road just off the Saladaeng BTS has a selection of yoga mats between 300 and 1500 baht. For a better quality yoga mat in Bangkok, try Siam Paragon sports section on level 2 – the ones for 960 baht are much better quality and less slippy than the cheaper yoga mats mentioned above… although you can buy budget yoga mats here too.

Shopping Guide: Prices In Thailand

Posted on January 19, 2013 by koomatzu

Thailand Shopping Price Guide

Haggling and bargaining for prices in Thailand is standard shopping practice but it’s not always so easy for a foreigner shopping in Thai markets when, for example, you don’t know how much clothing typically costs; Not to mention when you are buying something in an foreign currency as well. Some of the street vendors in Thailand can be… a little untrustworthy and sneaky when it comes to giving prices to a ‘farang’…

They may well act charming and generous, offering you discount and ‘special prices’, but in reality some of them will take advantage and you may well end up paying as much as five times the actual price. So for anybody new to shopping in Thailand, wondering how the hell much stuff is supposed to cost and worrying if they’re being scammed or not… here is a rough Thailand shopping price guide for you!

Please note that these prices are rough… they are merely the cheapest prices I have found so far in Thailand and individual products may differ in quality and value:

Average prices in Thailand

Small pineapple or melon chopped fruit bag 10 baht
Whole dragon fruit chopped 15 baht
Corn on the cob 15 baht
Pack of 5 pomelo segments 20 baht
Large rose apple or pineapple fruit bag 20 baht
Small bottle of pomegranate juice 40 baht

Ipod cover 100 baht
Knockoff Beats By Dr Dre earbuds 80 baht
Knockoff Beats By Dr Dre Headpones (Medium)150 baht
Knockoff Beats By Dr Dre Headpones (Large) 300 baht
Fake Samsung Galaxy S3 3500 baht
Large suitcase 1500 baht
Fake knockoff sunglasses – Rayban, Oakley 100 baht

Standard T-shirt 200 baht
Fake knockoff SuperDry T-shirt 350 baht
Ladies Denim Jacket 390 baht
Ladies Jeans Shorts/ Hotpants 80 baht
Embroidered Handbag 100 baht

Thin (faux) Leather Belt 50 baht
Chunky Leather Belt 150 baht
Sarong or pashmina 50 – 199 baht
Crochet Cropped Cardigan (bolero) 250 baht
Ladies Vest 35 baht
Plain Leggings 100 – 150 baht
Flip Flops From 40 baht
Fake Havaiana Flip Flops 150 baht
Ladies Rope Thonged Sandals 250 baht

Thailand shopping tip:

Never pay more than 300 baht for a low quality pair of shoes in Thailand. If the price is more than 500 baht, then they should be decent quality shoes… even some of the fancier malls in Thailand price some good shoes from 390 baht – so bare this in mind. And for a price of more than 800 baht, you can some very nice quality shoes. I will add more when I can, but anybody: please feel free to contribute more Thailand prices (or correct)!

Applying for a Non-Immigrant Thai Visa from Kuala Lumpur Embassy

Posted on January 18, 2013 by koomatzu

How much does a Thai Visa application Run to Kuala Lumpur Cost?

A three day Thai visa trip to Kuala Lumpur on a budget – 8000 baht. Easy.

If you fancy seeing a little bit of Malaysia while doing your Thai Visa application, you can do so relatively cheaply and easily. You can get two trains from Hua Lamphong station to Kuala Lumpur, first to Penang (where you can check out George Town for some sightseeing) or Butterworth, then changing over to Kuala Lumpur. This does, however, take about two days of travelling time I believe, and costs not much less than a cheap flight. If you are flexible with dates, you can get a return flight to Kuala Lumpur from Bangkok for about 5000 baht – not too bad.

From the airport, you can catch the KLIA train to the centre of Kuala Lumpur for 35 RM (£7) and find a decent youth hostel for 35 RM (£7) per night – Explorers Guesthouse is a particularly good one for this price. Also, food is cheap in Kuala Lumpur – you can get a meal from 4 RM and catch the metro from just 1 RM. So you can get by on a small amount of pocket money if you’re on a budget.

How to apply for your Non-Immigrant Thai Visa and what to expect

It’s important to make sure that your stay in Kuala Lumpur is no shorter than two working days. You will need to make sure you bring a photocopy of your passport, 2 x recent passport photos, 220 RM fee and all the necessary documentation. Then get to the Thai embassy in the Ampang area for 9.15am (as it gets busy). There is a metro station (Ampang Park) very close by.

Once you’ve filled out the visa form and got your receipt, you can spend the day sight seeing! Yay! But… there is not that much in the actual city to do or see in my opinion so you do not need more than a few days in Kuala Lumpur for sightseeing… unless you have the cash to go on some excursions out of the city.

You won’t be able to collect your passport and visa until 2.30pm the next working day. I’ve seen people at the embassy completely screwed because they were expecting it all to be done on the day… so they booked the flight the same day and everything 🙁

You can only get a single entry visa from Kuala Lumpur, but as a single entry visa is considerably cheaper than a multiple one, I personally think it’s much better to apply for one of these anyway. If you ever need to leave the country or go on a holiday, you can simply apply for Re-entry at an embassy in Thailand for a small fee.

Batu Caves In Kuala Lumpur

Thailand Visa

Posted on January 18, 2013 by koomatzu

Which Visa Do I Need To Live In Thailand?

Unless you’re fortunate enough to already have any special plans, for example a job in Thailand or a Thai wife, then before you leave for Thailand, you will most likely need to apply in advance for a tourist Thailand visa. Usually, if vacationing to Thailand then there is no need to worry about visas before leaving… a 30 day tourist stamp can be obtained on arrival in Thailand under these circumstances. However, if you are moving there for the unforeseeable future, then it is quite likely you will be entering Thailand on a one-way ticket and this can cause problems at immigration – or more so with the airlines anyway.

See, officially, if you do not have a Thailand visa beforehand, then you need proof (i.e. a return ticket or train ticket) that you will be departing Thailand. Therefore if you are planning on moving to Thailand, it is advisable to apply for a visa at least a month before leaving just to be safe. The easiest visa to apply for is a tourist Thailand visa – available as single, double and multiple entry – it is possible to stay in Thailand for up to six months on this visa just as long as you exit and re-enter every 60 days (apparently you can even stay for a year at the discretion of the embassy you apply at – apparently the Hull consulate can arrange this for you).

However, if you are planning on changing your visa (see visas listed below) shortly after you get to Thailand, then a single entry visa will suffice. I have found the most uselful source of information for this to be the Hull consulate:

www.thaiconsul-uk.com

Alternatively, instead of applying for the tourist Thailand visa, you can apply for the exact visa that you require before travelling to Thailand. Or, after you have obtained your tourist visa in your home country and arrived in Thailand you can then apply for one of the following visa types:

Non-Immigrant Category B Thailand Visa

Conducting business in Thailand as an employee of a non Thai company
Taking up employment in Thailand with a company located in Thailand
Undertaking a vocational training course (teaching, diving, boxing, etc)

Non-Immigrant Category ED Thailand Visa

Studying in Thailand
Taking part in a work study/observation tour in Thailand
Participating in a project or seminar in Thailand
Attending a business conference or trade fairin Thailand
Attending as an official at a recognised event in Thailand
Studying as a Buddhist Monk in Thailand

Non-Immigrant Category O Thailand Visa

Married to a Thai national
Visiting family working/living in Thailand
Volunteer work in Thailand
Visiting Thailand as Pensioner
Visiting Thailand as retired person aged 50 years and over

I don’t have a job and I don’t have a Thai wife! So which visa is best to live in Thailand for as long as possible?

Option 1: In my opinion, for those like myself, who have no particular skills to get a permitted job in Thailand, and aren’t particularly interested in teaching English, then the educational visa is probably the easiest option for staying in Thailand long-term. Also, once you have obtained the Ed Thailand visa, you don’t need to cross the border to do visa runs, which may get irritating. For this visa, you have two options – you can either apply for a tourist Thailand visa before you leave for Thailand, then find a school to join once you get there. The school will sort your paperwork out for you within a few weeks, after which you will need to leave the country (just a neighbouring country such as Laos) to change your Thailand visa to Non-immigrant ED at a Thai embassy.

Alternatively, you can join a school online from your home country before travelling to Thailand; they will post you the necessary paperwork within about a month and sort everything out for you so you won’t need to leave Thailand once you get there. Basically you have to apply for an ED visa outside of Thailand – whether it’s your home country or crossing into a neighbouring country.

If the ED Thailand visa issued is multiple entry, there would be a requirement to exit and re-enter Thailand every 9o days. If the visa issued is single entry, you can stay for a year without having to do any visa runs. You can always apply for permission to leave and re-enter at the Thai Embassy for a small fee. For anybody who wishes to stay in Thailand for the long-term, most language schools will be able to allow you to study for up to 3 years on an ED Thailand visa. After living in Thailand for three years, it is possible to apply for permanent residency.

Joining a school in Thailand will generally cost between 18000 and 40000 baht for a year. The cheapest I have found so far is www.sandee.ac.th at a cost of 18000 baht.

Option 2: Can’t be bothered with all this boring Thailand visa stuff? Some people will opt to stay in Thailand illegally, without a visa. If you are caught doing this then you can be sent to prison and fined, maybe even banned from the country in extreme cases. However in many cases, as long as you hand yourself in with your passport at immigration first, you will get away with just paying a fee. The maximum that they can charge you is 20,000 baht so whenever you are ready to leave Thailand, be it maybe 2 years say, just admit your ‘Overstay’ and have the cash ready to hand over. Easy really (depending on how laid back you are), just not so good if you get caught first…

N.B. Immigration rules are constantly changing. Even though I know people who have stayed in Thailand this way, rules can always change and punishments can always become harsher!

Learn more about Thailand Visa Extensions with my guide and checklist here

From Suvarnabhumi Airport To Bangkok

Posted on January 9, 2013 by Happy

How to get to Suvarnabhumi Airport from Bangkok?

There are ~~two~~ three types of airport link train from Suvarnabhumi airport to Bangkok – two different express trains which only take 15 minutes, and a city link train which takes just under 30 minutes. The first express train from Suvarnabhumi airport makes no stops and goes straight to the Bangkok Makkasan Station and back again. The second express train goes from Phayathai to Suvarnabhumi airport and back again. Phayathai is the most convenient stop for interchanging with the Bangkok city skytrain (BTS).

Either express airport link train to Suvarnabhumi airport costs 90 baht, while the Bangkok City train costs 45 Baht. The City train from Suvarnabhumi airport Bangkok takes longer as it makes a few stops. These stops are Lat Krabang, Ban Thup Chang, Hua Mak, Ratchaprarop, Phaya Thai and of course Makkasan.

Both of these airport link trains run every day between 6AM and midnight. They are clean and air conditioned and really take the hassle out of getting to and from Suvarnabhumi airport in Bangkok, especially at high traffic times. The downside is, you have to carry your luggage slightly further if you have a lot of luggage with you. That being said, there are plenty of people on the airport link trains from Suvarnabhumi airport with their luggage, so you won’t feel out of place.

Does the BTS Skytrain go all the way to Suvarnabhumi Airport?

No. However, if you are staying in Bangkok near a BTS stop then you can get to the Suvarnabhumi airport link very easily. Catch the airport link train at the BTS Phayathai station to get from Bangkok to Suvarnabhumi airport – just follow signs to the airport link from there. It’s only a couple of minutes walk and much cheaper and reliable than catching a taxi.

If you’re travelling to Bangkok alone or in just a small group, taking the Express airport link trains or City train to Suvarnabhumi airport will save you hundreds of baht and time sitting in traffic.

Click here if you need to know how to get from Don Muang Airport to Bangkok instead of Suvarnabhumi airport.

Language Express Bangkok – A Review

Posted on January 6, 2013 by Happy

A Review of Language Express School Bangkok

In an earlier post I wrote about joining a language school whilst you stay in Thailand and mention that myself and my girlfriend joined Language Express and warned of a pending review, well here it is.

We’ve been at the school at the time of writing this for two months, so I may update this post at later date if my opinion changes.

How many Stars out of five?

I wanted to add a star rating for Language Express but as I’ve only ever studied with one Thai language school this seems a little unfair, so I have decided to skip the star rating as I have nothing to compare it to, except for the education system in England where I spent my school and college days.

First Impressions

Language Express have Education Consultant’s to assist you in the enrolling process and ED VISA process (where applicable), in essence, they are sales-people and there main aim seems to be to get you signed up. They are not the slippery, suited, snake-oil sales-people we have in England, it’s nothing like buying a car – they seem to be friendly, helpful, polite and not at all pushy.

Their spoken English is good and although you probably pay for the privilege, they are a useful contact. They are always around to answer your questions pre-enrollment and seem to be available to help with things after you enroll, if you do.

The main part of the Language Express building is nice, clean and air conditioned. The class rooms too. The place is literally right on the steps of the BTS in Phloen Chit, a pleasant and busy part of town, walking distance from Siam. Language Express have their own small cafe, which is very affordable and a good place to sit around chatting or making the most of the free wifi.

Welcome Pack

When you enroll you get a Language Express bag with your school books (included in the price) and some vouchers to give to friends for a free week and a coffee card allowing you to have five free coffee’s in their cafe. You also get access to the school’s wifi.

On the Language Express website, as well as on the marketing information we were shown prior to joining there were some other goodies promised, such as a Language Express Notebook, a 100 Baht BTS voucher and some other little things I forget now. We never got this. Not a big deal as their value are questionable, even with that in mind, you do feel a little let down when you miss out on something you are previously promised. No doubt we could ask for the missing items and be given them, we chose to write about it online instead because the pen is mightier than the sword (we’re too lazy to ask).

You also get a study ID that you can use to log in to their online booking system to book your Thai lessons, this is actually quite a neat feature of Language Express.

How much does Language Express Cost?

We both signed up for a Thai course consisting of 200 lessons within a year. This includes help and paperwork to get an ED VISA. There are cheaper schools, there are more expensive too – In my experience this is one of the mid-high range prices, but we’re happy paying it for a clean, friendly and helpful place to learn.

They have shorter courses too which are cheaper however do not cover a ED VISA. They also offer various other things such as teaching qualifications and private tuition.

How Busy are the Classes?

We generally go in the day time on a week, I’m on level one and the classes usually consist of 3-7 people. Plenty of room. My girlfriend is on level two and classes there at this time are usually 1-3 people.

From speaking to other people, evening classes tend to get much busier, seeing 12 or more people in a class. Apparently these classes are much more interactive yet harder to get personalised teaching. Preference I guess.

Is the Course Material and Structure Good?

The material is O.K. There are better books to learn from on the market I believe. The books have quite a few errors ~~apparently, not that I have spotted any myself~~ since writing this review I’ve started to notice these mistakes more and more. In fact, I have become a little disheartened by the written material, every page is the same – Different words of course, but other than that, every page is the same and it gets a little tiresome.

The source structure is a tricky one. Because the school doesn’t run strict terms, you may be joining a class where people have been studying for months – The first handful of lessons I sat there confused at what was going on, I could have used an “introduction to Thai” of some kind and even more useful would of been an introduction to how the classes are taught. I went home and tried to work a few things out that confused me and then settled in nicely. Now I’ve been there a while I see the same puzzled look on almost everyone that starts, for at least a few weeks.

This is especially true with the writing classes. My first few lessons we opened book one half way through and starting drawing letters. I could draw a letter a million times, but if no one explains why I’m doing it or what it means, it’s useless. I had to do quite a lot of study on writing at home to catch up and understand. You can buy some pretty decent flash cards in any of the bigger book stores for a couple hundred baht that really help with this.

This is actually quite a problem and I think without studying outside of the class, you may really struggle to learn Thai well here. I guess you should be studying outside of school anyway?

Are the Teachers Good?

Yes, awesome. I’ve had three different teachers so far and think they were all good, very friendly and if you had questions, they are happy to answer.

Teaching styles and the personalities of each teacher are obviously difference, so explore as many teachers as you can and try and follow their schedule.

Taking Tests to Track your Progress

Apparently you can take a test every 8 weeks to track your progress and see if you need to move up a class. This has never been explained to me, and most other students I have spoken to who have been going to the school for months are in the same situation – all confused or entirely ignorant of any tests. When you feel you are ready, you need to go and arrange the test for yourself, no one will approach you about it (unless you get an awesome teacher that really thinks you should go up a class and takes you to reception to book a test – I’ve seen this happen, that’s cool.

Some people really do not like tests, so maybe Language Express’s approach explained above is actually genius, maybe not – It’s down to preference again I guess. I’m happy with how it works, but then I’l do everything I can to avoid any type of test.

Summary of learning Thai with Language Express in Bangkok

PROS

Friendly staff, nice building, good atmosphere, online booking system for classes.

CONS

Hard as a beginner to settle in to classes as the rest of the class may be somewhat ahead, course literature not the best.

This school seems much more focus on learning English rather than Thai. They hold activity days every Friday, where games are played or workshops are held. Some times I see a cooking class or something, which is a nice idea but I’ve not attended any, they really seem geared the English learners so I’ve never felt that welcome to attend.

Overall, I’m happy enrolling at Language Express and would recommend it – But only to people who are happy putting some effort it themselves to get moving in Thai.

Try It Out, Let Us Know

They offer free trail lessons so try one out to see what you think for yourself and if you have comments on Language Express or any other Thai language school in Thailand, post your experiences below or contact me to write a full post on here about it!

Cheers,

Happy

Cost Of Living In Thailand

Posted on January 1, 2013 by koomatzu

How much is the cost of living for 1 month in Bangkok?

Before I actually moved to Thailand, I did a little bit of research, organised my savings and figured I could probably get by on a cost of living of £250 – £300 budget per month… This includes fitness classes, food, bills, rent and a little bit of spending money. So I figured saving £5000 for expenses will be enough to get me by living a year in Thailand.

Well, after my first month of living in Thailand I’ve managed to plough through roughly 27000 baht (£540), although I am sure it will take a little bit of experience and time before I can make bigger savings on my cost of living in Thailand…. but at the same time I will always have a weakness for spending money on pretty things, eating in decent eateries, buying fancy shakes and getting the BTS just about everywhere possible… I just don’t have it in me to live on that tight a budget.

In all fairness, we have spent a lot of money eating out at nice restaurants, sightseeing and doing a fair bit of drinking what with it being Christmas and new year. Everybody ends up splurging and spending loads more money than usual around Christmas time right? I do still stand by my earlier calculations though, and I believe it is actually possible to achieve a cost of living in Thailand of 15000 baht if you live very frugally...

Guide To Monthly Living Expenses In Thailand

Cost of food and drink in Bangkok: 8700 baht (£175) each

You can actually buy street food in Thailand very cheaply from about 25 baht for a meal… although the language barrier can prove off-putting with the lack of menus, as well as the fact that these vendors consist of an unrefrigerated cart with five hour old ingredients left in 40 degree heat. So there’s always the fear of food poisoning or any other dreaded parasites like tapeworm (shout out to the Siriat Forensic Museum for freaking us out about parasites in Thai street food… thanks for that). On top of that, although it tastes pretty good, the portions are really quite small and I personally can’t live on two or three of these meals in a day (and I am not exactly overweight either)…

So, although I’ve spent considerably more than this, I think maybe a more dedicated person could get by in Bangkok on 100 baht per day (£60 per month) for food expenses. Just as a rough idea, you can also eat out in a decent Bangkok restaurant for about 100-200 baht per person and you can eat at a really nice restaurant for 500 baht. Also, I tend to spend money on a lot of bubble teas, smoothies and shakes costing from about 30 – 90 baht, doughnuts or waffles between 12 and 26 baht, and fancy cakes for 90 – 125 baht… I’m gonna get so fat living in Thailand…

Cost of Transport in Bangkok: 1780 baht

As for transport in Thailand… I am a very sweaty, pig-like trogladite lady and so I have grown quite a distaste for walking too far or exerting myself even slightly in the hot weather of Thailand. Therefore over time I have used the BTS increasingly more and more for shorter and shorter distances. My body just isn’t built for this hot Bangkok weather. A journey on the BTS or MRT in Bangkok will cost you between 15 and 50 baht per journey, a ferry up the Chao Praya river – between 3 and 20 baht, and a taxi will typically cost between 35 and 150 baht to get around the city.

However, if you were on a really tight budget, you can easily buy a decent second hand bike for maybe 2000 baht and cycle most places. In Thailand, the pavement is actually also a cycle lane, so you could even use the path if you’re not too comfortable in the heavy Bangkok traffic – although I’ve personally not done this and am not really sure how easy it would be to weave in and out of the pedestrian traffic on the pavements in some areas!

Cost of Bills and Rent in Bangkok: 5525 baht each

It is possible to rent an apartment from 3000 baht per month in Bangkok; ours is a serviced studio in a central location and costs 10000 baht per month and that’s split between two of us. The bills in Thailand are very low, even though our apartment overcharges and profits from us for the utilities, the water bill is extremely cheap and only costs us 50 baht per month, so is pretty much negligable. Electricity bills cost us around 1000 baht per month, which runs our TV, fridgefreezer, microwave and air conditioner which we run half the day, everyday. So the cost of utility bills in Thailand work out very cheap.

Cost of Yoga classes in Bangkok: 2500 baht

Gyms aren’t cheap in Thailand, and most of them require you to sign a contract for 6 months or a year. Although I think the cheapest we’ve found so far in Bangkok worked out to about 1800 baht per month, but don’t quote me on that – we’re still looking into finding a decent gym. And of course there’s always the outdoor gym at lumpini park in Bangkok which costs something like 35 baht a go… if you’re not the type easily intimidated by super huge Thai dudes chest pressing tyres-on-a-bar then give it a go. Currently, I pay monthly for yoga classes instead which gave me 15 x 90-minute sessions of yoga for the month. Fair price I say.

Cost of recreation in Bangkok: 240 baht. This includes going to the cinema and museums.

Cost of shopping in Bangkok: 4700 baht. I wouldn’t normally spend this much in a month I don’t think. I had to spend a fair bit of money at the pharmacy and also bought myself a yoga mat for 1300 baht too. Then I guess I must have spent about 2000 baht on clothes :/ But in all fairness, I have bought a decent amount of new clothes for this amount!

Sneaky thieves: 3500 baht. Maybe I’m unlucky, or maybe (probably more likely) I am not too smart, but the amount I’ve been short changed, overcharged and stolen from has added up to about 3500 baht for my first month living in Thailand, so maybe the less street wise might need to account for this early learning curve too!

I will keep making records of my cost of living in Thailand every month, hopefully it will be less, and a more realistic figure for the expenses of an expat in Bangkok.. in all honesty, at the moment we are living as tourists in Thailand more than expats… easily distracted and lured in by Thai novelties and attractions and more vulnerable to being scammed and robbed!

Update: For more information on the cost of living in Thailand, you can check out Month 2 and Month 3 of my expenses in Bangkok.

Apartments In Bangkok

Posted on December 15, 2012 by koomatzu

Renting apartments in Bangkok can be very affordable and extremely good value. Although slightly more expensive than others, there are many apartments in Bangkok around that will allow monthly contracts for those who are maybe unable to sign a contract for a whole 6 months or year. And likewise, there are many hotels that will encourage long stay visitors and offer some decent discounts for monthly stays. It can actually cost as little as 2500 baht a month to rent an apartment in Bangkok – that roughly works out to $80, or £50.

Renting an apartment in Bangkok on a budget

I can’t personally vouch for the quality of the types of apartment in Bangkok which start at 2500 baht and to be honest, I can assume that one should use common sense and be prepared for some very basic accommodation at best. If you really are a carefree and unperturbed individual who doesn’t mind roughing it, then I’m sure that’s fine. It’s just a place to sleep after all. I tip my hat to you.

It’s the kind of price most of the working class locals will pay for rent in Bangkok and is actually quite the norm I believe. But for this price, these cheaper apartments in Bangkok are usually very small bed sits. I’m sure there are plenty of clean, cockroach free apartments in Bangkok to choose from though!

For those willing to pay a little bit more rent in Bangkok, serviced apartments can be quite a good option. Serviced apartments in bangkok arrange bills, cleaning and sometimes laundry for you too, however they do tend to charge about double for your water and electricity bills. You can find some decent serviced apartments in Bangkok which start from 8000 baht per month ($250). Some good value serviced apartments in Bangkok are:

http://www.nonsiresidence.com/

http://sathornsaintview.com/index.php – Review of Sathorn Saint View

http://bosstower.com/contact.html

Renting an apartment in Bangkok with money to burn

If you can afford to spend maybe 15000 or 20000 baht/month on rent, you will have absolutely no problem in finding plenty of luxury studios and bedroom apartments for rent in Bangkok. And of course for more than this, you can find some magnificent apartments in Bangkok in excellent locations.

For both budget and luxury apartments in Bangkok, please take a look at any of these sites. I myself have found them to be very useful; they have a huge range of short stay and long stay apartments to rent in Bangkok.

http://en.9apartment.com

http://www.tee-pak.com/en/index.html

http://www.companyvauban.com

http://www.bigmangoproperties.com

http://www.bangkokcondofinder.com

www.ddproperty.com

Renting an apartment in Bangkok. For more information on areas, apartments and where to live in Bangkok, click here.

Tuk Tuk Suit Shop Scam

Posted on December 15, 2012 by koomatzu

In Bangkok, Tuk Tuks are an awesome novelty. Blinged up with neon lights and all sorts of dangling decorations, bouncing around the bumpy roads like cheerful and carefree Mario Karts, and a reputation for being a particularly cheap means of transportation around the city; it’s definitely a must to grab a ride in a tuk tuk in Bangkok… or is it a scam?

A few years ago, we vacationed in Bangkok for about a week. The very first day, we were approached by a very lovely and helpful stranger in the street. He explained to us that it was something like ‘Happy Buddha Day’ and then continued to make notes for us on our map as to where all the temples were located which we could visit in Bangkok for free today, and only today.

Also, he mentioned, you could grab a special blue government Bangkok tuk tuk for only 25 baht and it would takes us to all of these sights. Oh how lucky were we! Oh and double good fortune there just happened to be a blue tuk tuk pull up beside us! The tuk tuk driver took us to these Bangkok temples and he also took us to a suit shop which seemed a bit random. And it was a bit awkward considering we had absolutely no interest in buying a suit in Bangkok.

Tuk Tukking around Khaosan Road

After maybe an hour of sightseeing, we left the last temple for our Bangkok tuk tuk to take us home. We returned to where the tuk tuk had dropped us but he was nowhere to be seen. Where is he? We didn’t pay him his 25 baht! There were a couple of other tuk tuks waiting up the road, but our tuk tuk driver was nowhere to be seen. “Tuk tuk! Tuk tuk!” they all started shouting to us. We asked them if they’d seen our tuk tuk driver, to which they replied ‘he was ill! He had to go home’. So we were generally sad and concerned for our driver and that we’d had a free tuk tuk ride around Bangkok and not paid him…

Well, later throughout our holiday in Bangkok, both from observation of other tourists and through our own experience, a pattern of tuk tuk scams emerged. Everyday was ‘Happy Buddha Day’. If you were to tell an enthusiastic tuk tuk driver that you already had plans and didn’t want a ride, he would respond with “The Bangkok Grand Palace, it’s closed today, you can’t go there”, “No, that road is closed now, there is nothing there”. Sometimes a stranger would approach a tourist and talk with them while a tuk tuk would be conveniently waiting around the corner to appear in perfect timing to scam them.

We later spoke with a tuk tuk driver when we had no choice but to use him during Bangkok rush hour when all the taxis refused us a ride. We offered the tuk tuk driver 300 baht rather than the usual 25 baht, to take us to where we wanted to go – no bullshit. He refused. He explained to us that the government paid him a very generous amount of money and petrol coupons to take tourists to the suit shops in Bangkok. That was the awkward day when we had to fein interest in suits in a suit shop and deal with a very pissed off indian for wasting his time.

So, frustratingly, despite seeing locals using tuk tuks in Bangkok all the time, it seems that if you are western, it is impossible to simply use a tuk tuk for normal transportation. Or maybe we have just been unlucky. To this very day, we still get pestered from time to time by tuk tuk men in Bangkok asking what we’re up to and then following up with ‘oh, no no it’s closed today’. Although they now also dive straight in and ask straight out if we want to go to a gay massage parlour or a ping pong show. That’s a new one. But… yeah… apparently everything in Bangkok was closed today at 3pm in the afternoon. Yep a whole chunk of Bangkok just went and closed up.

Seriously tuk tuk scam men… just back off…

Eating Out In Bangkok

Posted on December 14, 2012 by koomatzu

It’s quite hard going in Thailand when it comes to food. I say that because I am a bit a of a health freak. I have a preference for vegetables, whole grains, low-fat, low-sugar, low-salt foods. Food and health is important to me. So, after just a few weeks in Thailand I will admit I am struggling – food is not particularly healthy; so far at least. Lots of deep-fried, non-vegetable, sugary dishes. And in Thailand, they put sugar in everything. In the 7/11, if you’re feeling hungry wanting some snacks… well you’ve got a choice of sugary buns, cakes, steamed buns, sugary yogurts… not to mention the neon coloured drinks. Order a smoothie and usually you will get syrup added to it. At first I was loving all the sweet stuff, but now I am just hungering for some healthy, sugar free food and drinks.

The local eateries on the street sides are probably the healthiest option but even then things are fried. You can get a meal from 20 baht (65 cents or 40 pence) upwards which is way cheaper even than cooking at home yourself; it really is a bargain. The locals are very friendly and welcoming too, as it can sometimes be intimidating among locals in a foreign country. It’s really quite tasty, with simple ingredients and I think it can more often than not, be tastier than eating in a restaurant and paying triple the price. The problem in Thailand I find though, is the portion sizes. They’re more like child portions and I yearn to feel full up! For this reason, I do have a tendency to treat myself quite regularly to a 100 baht (about $3, or £2) steak/ burger and chips.

As for the fried meat and unidentifiable meat balls on the streets… The street meat guys have got me, my tastebuds have adapted and I now love the meat skewers. You can buy sticks of meat including sausages, meatballs and deep fried chicken from the streets for 10 baht a piece, granted some of it is weird and over processed… but it grows on you. Especially when you have it smothered with the chilli sauce which I have also now acclimatised to (although it is actually reasonably mild anyway). You can also, although quite rarely seen, purchase cooked insects from some of these vendors.

One time I picked out some skewers from a street vendor in Bangkok.. thought they looked nice and meaty.. Well, one of them was barbequed livers and the other, which I thought was pieces of chicken – I took a nice, big mouthful and… crunch. It turned out to be something like baby birds on a stick… I don’t have a clue. They had boney spines along the middles and some kind of yellow, inardy substance inside. For the more adventurous though… sure give it a bash!

I did, however, manage to finish them – I do hate to waste food… or anything for that matter – but it was not a very pleasant experience.