Job Discussion Forums

[Jaime1]

Like hard to get things in Thailand I should bring or things that are expensive that I should get before coming over?

[Master Shake]

Have a look at the "prepare for life in bangkok?" thread.

[Jaime1]

ok thanks

[ThaneKerner]

Toilet paper
Hand sanitizer
Map (with bus routes) of Bangkok
A thorough knowledge of how to get to and from the airport cheaply
Knowledge of how long your tourist visa will last if you get it in different ways
A thorough knowledge of how to do a Thai visa run
Enough cash to get out of here on short notice
A few English books
A few CDs & DVDs

[MaiPenRai]

I would say that most of these items are readily and inexpensively available in Bangkok and other major cities in Thailand. In fact, many would be easier to find once in Thailand (ex. map with bus routes). Good idea to have a safety account with money to help in emergencies. No need to bring DVD's/CD's (unless they are very quite obscure, you will be able to get them here for a couple of bucks). Books, good books that is, are a little harder to come by here, so bring some favorites. Hand sanitizer is everywhere in Bangkok since the dreaded swine flu. Thailand is not Sudan; you can get toilet paper here.

If you are planning on working here, you should bring the following:

1. original degree OR certified/apostilled copy.
2. criminal record check (more and more its becoming a requirement)
3. any other certificates you may have (relevant or not - many Immigration officers/labour officers love paperwork with signatures and fancy seals)
4. Reference letters and/or letters to show evidence of past work. The better schools require evidence or past teaching experience.

Might be a good idea to:

1. give a relative/trusted friend a copy of your passport, birth certificate, bank card, etc. in case you lose them while here. (Also keep a copy of them yourself)

2. Let your bank/credit card provider know that you are travelling long term so there are no problems when they see lots of prolonged activity on your account coming from Thailand.

3. See if you can arrange an account at your bank that offers cheap or free International withdrawls. Those charges can add up.

4. couple sticks of "good deoderant".

5. Shoes, if you are bigger than size 11/12 USA or 45 Euro. Hard to find and usually more expensive because of it.


At the airport:

1. Don't listen to ANYTHING anyone tries to tell you at the airport. There are numerous scams operating there. Many look like airport staff, but aren't. Simply go to the taxi queue and pay the 50 baht surcharge, OR better yet, go to the departures floor and get a taxi that has just dropped someone off to save the 50 baht surcharge and not worry about the scams at the arrivals area. Should cost about 200-400 baht to get to most places from the airport.

Good luck...

[Pauleddy]

Good point about the airport! Scam, scam, scam.

If u r really new, go out to the desk and pay the booking fee for a cab. 50 baht more. Those guys are OK, normally.

Or, as stated, go up a level and take a cab dropping off. This is technically frowned upon, but many do it. There will be no 50 fee BUT if you look a complete newb, some drivers will give you 'all-in price' eg 500b. This is heaps too much. There are two main tolls at booths going to the city from the airport. YOU yes you SHOULD PAY THE TOLLS. maybe 70-90baht in total. Even at the 50b fee desk you will PAY THE TOLL later, at the booths. Beware of drivers who say they will include the toll.

Of course, to pay the tolls you need to change 10 or 20 pounds/usd in the airport, and make sure you get at least some small notes (the 20b note is green, the 50b is blue). At this stage, dont worry about the rate. The exchange booths are similar, and wont rob you too much. Daily rates are shown.

The legit scenario is that driver turns on meter for the trip, but you pay the 2 tolls. For any trip, the driver should turn on the meter when you start to ride. If he doesnt, say "meter" and point to it. Doesnt happen often. Long trips to other cities 200miles away are not meterd. There is a fixed tariff.

Some drivers are very friendly. Few speak good English. If you have a map or the name of your hotel in Thai, better. Some drivers are more grumpy but will not rob you. One old trick is "no change". If you proffer 300b for a 250b fare (The normal meter price to the city centre WITHOUT TOLLS is 220-250b)---then he may say "no change".

Most people tip cabs, because they are cheap here. I would give 20b-30b more for the 220b airport trip. If I make a local trip which costs 53b, I would give 60b. Some Thais don't.

The yellow and green cabs are owner-driven. The pink, blue blue-red, yellow, orange etc and others are leased from a taxi company, and the guy has to find his daily fees and fuel before he can earn. Some of these guys take only 10 dollars a day home. 98% of the cabs are Toyota Corollas (I think)--medium size saloons. many run on butane or methane type gas.

Another point to watch---some taxis are real old jalopies. Not many but some. If you see a cab from about 1978 with its back axle drooping low and pieces falling off, avoid it unless you wanna sore ass. New cabs look like new and drive like new. Old cabs may even smell bad inside, too.

The Tuk-Tuk (motorised rickshaw) is not normally found at the airport because they can't go on the big freeways or tollways. Tuk-Tuk culture is another topic!

P Eddy

[sigmoid]

Bring MONEY. You'll need it, especially if you're teaching there.

[meeshmogee]

Is a criminal record check necessary? If so, can it be one of the free one's online? Does it need to be notorized? Any recommendations where to get from? I don't want to spend 50$ and then it not be the right one.

Thanks,

[ThaneKerner]

Well, there is only ONE that is the 'right one', and that is one from your state's public safety office or whatever that office is labeled in your state.

You get the record and take it to your state's department of state and get it apostilled. This is an internationally-recognized notary.

That's the 'right one'.

[Jeepers]

What planet is ThaneKerner on?

The Thai people had a vibrant civilisation 1000 years before my ancestors (English) had advanced beyond wode and animal skins. It is good to approach another culture with respect and humility.

In all major centres you will have no problems with all the trappings of the West - just look for the 7 eleven on the corner. Thailand has a significant pharmaceutical and cosmetic industry, makes Ford cars and one of NZ'S most successfull whiteware manufacturers has just moved to Rayong.

I was advised before my first trip to Thailand to go there with an open mind and remember that you are going to proud country that has never been occupied by "Farangs". You will see dirt and poverty and will probably get "crook guts" - "Delhi Belly" (beer glasses my prime suspect). You will be viewed as an ATM in the tourist areas but escape to the areas tourists do not frequent and you will find polite and courtious people who will go out of their way to help you.

If you want Mc Donalds and KFC stay home but if you want the best Tom Yung Gung in the world try the last restaurant at the end of the beach at Nai Harn beach Phuket.

A good guide to Thai culture is Culture Shock by Robert and Nanthapa Cooper (check out abebooks.com)


Go there and enjoy a different culture, you will return home with a new perpective.

[adventuramust]

[Pauleddy]

Some odd answers on the thread.

Toilet paper is on sale everywhere (although many poorer Thais, and not-so -poor, use a pressure water gun which you can find in many toilet cubicles-so dont expect paper everywhere you go). Soap and everything else is everywhere. This is not Sudan. There are Tesco Lotus, Carrefour, Big C and other places in every town--and a 7-11 supermarket in almost every street. In Bangkok there are more ATMs than New York, and even small towns and wee-wee towns have ATMs, although they may not all suit your bank card and you may pay different fees.

Thailand has indeed never been invaded by westerners (apart from the usual beaver hounds), although the Japanese "virtually invaded" in WW2, and even built the famous death railway. They were tolerated because they wanted to get down to Singapore and other places, in return for least crap--and the Thais were too scared/peaceloving/militarily useless to fight them.

Because Thais have never been invaded, the result is a certain inward-looking cultural slant (reams have been written, and I am not gonna start on this now).

Different foreigners need different stuff for the Criminal Check thing. I'm a lousy limey, and we don't need anythg now. MOD EDIT may still need something from the state police (etc.) although check it out cos a lot of that stuff has gone now. same as a Dr's cert.--we used to pay 3 dollars for a cert which said I dont have HIV or leprosy or swollen feet--but that has gone now too.

There are some great bookshops in BKK, but only small ones in most other places, or zilch. My boyfriend comes from Udon Thani, a big northern town---and there are no English bookshops AFAIK,.. I have looked.

You should bring money! This is not like arriving in Amsterdam in 1974 and getting free rooms and free food and free smoke and free lurve. You will need to pay hotels or rent condos. you will need to eat, and you will want to enjoy the place. Nowhere in the world can you spend 3 dollars a day to live. Everything went up here since the money crisis thing. A can of beer used to be 20b and is now 30b, nearly a dollar, for the mid-range stuff. Today I bought a small Flora margarine, and it was 84b. Thats over 1.50 gbp, about 2 bucks (?). A beer in a western type bar in town can be up to 200b, 6 dollars (?)--and even more in a girly show bar joint. You always spend more here than u thought---and u shd also keep enough to fly home if you get tired or sick. Bring enough for changes of plan: you may get a job and quit, or you may move on somewhere. Thailand is quite expensive IF you want to "enjoy" it well. There was a thread where people "proved" they could live for 30,000b a month but jeez, what a life.

I will repeat myself again (yawn, sorry)--many people think they will teach near-naked girls in a school made of coconut leaves right on a beach and spend 50 cents a day. Dream on! It's hot, humid, poor, gritty in the city, and many people will try and part u from yr dollars, even while smiling.

Buiying?? Real Armani and real Versace (for example) is more expensive here than Malaysia or Spain. Sure u can get fake polos and fake watches but some of the bad fake is bad.

Basically, u can get anything here in BKK. French wine, Italian pasta, Armani, Rolls Royce, Lambos, Hummers, Trek bikes, Guinness, Cheddar...anything. But sometimes you will pay a lot.

P eddy

[MaiPenRai]

As far as the criminal check and other "requirements" go for obtaining a Non-Imm B and work permit, it often varies much more depending on the province and the school/company rather than your nationality. I work with people from about 7-8 different nationalities and we all required the same documents to obtain our visa and wp (including a criminal record check and doctor's certificate done in Thailand). I have also worked in many different provinces and heard different "stories" in each province (although now it is done in regions).

For all new teachers to Thailand, my advice is to get a CRC before coming to Thailand. It doesn't cost that much, is usually relatively easy to get, and if it is required where you work...great, if not, no harm done.

The work permit requires a medical check-up done in Thailand. It is more in depth than in the past ("Are you breathing?"), but still a joke (now you get checked for syphillis and need a chest x-ray). It costs about 500 baht now (but if you are at a good school, they will pay for any work permit related documents).

Once again, the "requirements" for teaching in Thailand are never balck and white and often differ between provinces, schools and sometimes even nationalities. Best to be prepared to keep your options open.

[Pauleddy]

I work at one of the "big 3" unis here and I never needed a police check or a doc check when I was appointed 4 yrs ago.

MPR's comment about SCHOOLS may well be right because of the kiddy thing.

talking about the WP and visas---I am about to retire early, extend my visa by retirement--and I have checked whether I need police or doctor papers--NO and NO, same as when I arrived here and started my visa. Limeys certainly do not need a police check FOR THEIR VISA, but the school may ask for one because of the swirly-faced man.

I advise anyone to check on requirements for their own situation. It may well be that the employer will influence more than any national requirement.

Eddy

[Jaime1]

thanks everybody