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clock
Joined: 31 Oct 2005
Posts: 38
Location: Thailand
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 Posted: Fri Nov 04, 2005 8:55 am Post subject: Vietnam vs Thailand |
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Hello there,
I'm currently teaching in Bangkok and I've had a great time, plus have a decent position: 50000 a month, 12 weeks paid holiday etc, but Bangkok (noise, pollution, crowds, general filth) is starting to get to me. I'm considering relocating to Vietnam and am wondering if any of you have experienced living and teaching in both countries. I've never been to Vietnam but have heard lots of great things about it. What would you recommend? I can't decide whether to just hold on a bit longer or move East. I'm particularly interested in what Vietnamese children are like academically because I've found that the (generally very rich) Thai kids I teach are completely disinterested in learning English and often behave really badly. I was quite shocked after teaching Korean kids who I found were highly bmotivated and very studious.
Any comments appreciated |
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Snaff
Joined: 20 Feb 2005
Posts: 142
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| Posted: Fri Nov 04, 2005 2:29 pm Post subject: Re: Vietnam vs Thailand |
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| clock wrote: |
Hello there,
I'm currently teaching in Bangkok and I've had a great time, plus have a decent position: 50000 a month, 12 weeks paid holiday etc, but Bangkok (noise, pollution, crowds, general filth) is starting to get to me. I'm considering relocating to Vietnam and am wondering if any of you have experienced living and teaching in both countries. I've never been to Vietnam but have heard lots of great things about it. What would you recommend? |
Everyone is different in their expectations, likes, and dislikes.
I would come here for to visit for at least a few days and check it out.
50,000 with 12 paid holiday if good, by Thailand (BKK) standards.
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| I can't decide whether to just hold on a bit longer or move East. |
You can do all of the research you want, but coming to visit and see things for yourself is probably the best option. It's an up-and-down flight. |
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sigmoid
Joined: 21 Jan 2003
Posts: 1276
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| Posted: Fri Nov 04, 2005 5:24 pm Post subject: |
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Go for it! Saigon rocks and kicks Bangkok's ass!!  |
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Volodiya
Joined: 03 May 2004
Posts: 1025
Location: Somewhere, out there
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| Posted: Mon Nov 07, 2005 9:09 am Post subject: |
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The noise of the constant honking from every vehicle in the street simultaneously, starting around 6 AM (which I've never seen in any other country), would get to me in no time.... I don't know how you guys who live there can take it.
Thai drivers use their horns judiciously, by contrast. |
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sigmoid
Joined: 21 Jan 2003
Posts: 1276
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| Posted: Mon Nov 07, 2005 2:47 pm Post subject: |
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| The noise of the constant honking from every vehicle in the street simultaneously, starting around 6 AM |
That's only a problem if you live right on a main road which most long-term people don't. |
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laconic
Joined: 23 May 2005
Posts: 198
Location: "When the Lord made me he made a ramblin man."
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| Posted: Mon Nov 07, 2005 11:40 pm Post subject: Horns |
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| sigmoid wrote: |
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| The noise of the constant honking from every vehicle in the street simultaneously, starting around 6 AM |
That's only a problem if you live right on a main road which most long-term people don't. |
Got that right.
I rarely ever see a car on the street that I live. As a result, I rarely ever hear a horn.
This is very much a complaint brought on by one's choice of lodging location.
If your experience in Vietnam is that of a tourist, it will often result in the kind of complaint written above. Said complaint is easily overcome by people who intend to live here long-term and who rarely live where tourists live.
As an example, it's around 6:30 am as I write. I have not heard a single horn since I woke up 1.5 hours ago. If I hear one or two horns being blared a day where I live, it is unusual.
There's something else.
Bangkok is not all of Thailand. Saigon is not all of Vietnam.
Really. |
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Volodiya
Joined: 03 May 2004
Posts: 1025
Location: Somewhere, out there
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| Posted: Wed Nov 09, 2005 6:36 am Post subject: |
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| That [the noise of honking] is only a problem if you live right on a main road which most long-term people don't. |
That's reassuring. I found the honking to be my major annoyance, during a two week stay. But, it wasn't the only thing. I was so glad to get back to Thailand to, 1) eat with a fork and spoon, again; and, 2) sit on chairs of "normal" height, instead of stools that seem to have been made for children.
Do these things bother you guys, who live there? |
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laconic
Joined: 23 May 2005
Posts: 198
Location: "When the Lord made me he made a ramblin man."
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| Posted: Wed Nov 09, 2005 11:00 am Post subject: No |
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| Volodiya wrote: |
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| That [the noise of honking] is only a problem if you live right on a main road which most long-term people don't. |
That's reassuring. I found the honking to be my major annoyance, during a two week stay. But, it wasn't the only thing. I was so glad to get back to Thailand to, 1) eat with a fork and spoon, again; and, 2) sit on chairs of "normal" height, instead of stools that seem to have been made for children.
Do these things bother you guys, who live there? |
No.
I rarely have occasion to do either. In fact, in every place I choose to eat, you have to request something other than a fork, knife or spoon.
Exactly where were you during your two week stay here? |
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Volodiya
Joined: 03 May 2004
Posts: 1025
Location: Somewhere, out there
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| Posted: Wed Nov 09, 2005 11:29 am Post subject: |
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| Eating in all the wrong places, it looks like. |
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Cyan
Joined: 26 Mar 2004
Posts: 59
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| Posted: Mon Nov 14, 2005 8:44 am Post subject: |
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I live a fair way from the street but I do still hear the continuous beeping/hooting. In fact seated one sunny afternoon, my girlfriend and I were happily listening to the stereo cacophony and we began to see patterns.
These patterns give me such joy that I've decided to rush back home to participate in a Masters in Philology . I have no doubt that Beepese has a strong chance of becoming a second official language.
So BeepBeep Beep BeepBeepBeep BeepBeepBeepBeepBeep Beep BeepBeep. |
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MrTudo
Joined: 24 Feb 2006
Posts: 2
Location: Florida USA-Saigon Vietnam
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| Posted: Sun Feb 26, 2006 6:58 am Post subject: |
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Lived on Samui ( Santi Thani). Beautiful. Breathtaking view in fact from every room in our house. We were in the 3rd house up the mountain on the right side ( know it?)
The Thai's were downright rude to my Wife ( Vietnamese) and once I had to go as far as putting someone down on the driveway and had my foot on his throat while his buddy ran behind my jeep and hid. Before that, our telephone lines would get cut almost every night at around 5PM ( quitting time) thereby preventing us from working quite often. Of course for around 500bht, the lines would somehow be fixed rather quickly.
Water? LOL, that's really a problem there. Net connection then was better than the connections outside of Saigon, but again, when they get cut or TOT gets turned off every month, who cares?
After a year on that island I grew to really miss Vietnam. Anywhere in Vietnam and that Vietnamese can do attitude and let's not forget that smile.
Mr T  |
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