[Micky]

i was just wondering if any one could share any of their experiences as a student in bangkok?? i really want to go to bangkok to study next year, but i don't really know why, lol, um i was just wanting to know some good things about living in bangkok
i always hear about bad things and good things are never very focused on =[..
thank you =]

[Gordon]

Micky, on 07 December 2010 - 06:54 PM, said:

i was just wondering if any one could share any of their experiences as a student in bangkok?? i really want to go to bangkok to study next year, but i don't really know why, lol, um i was just wanting to know some good things about living in bangkok
i always hear about bad things and good things are never very focused on =[..
thank you =]

Cheap to live as a student, culture, people, beaches, countryside, history, food, music, nightlife, language,.....and plenty of sexy Thai girl students in short skirts (oops, did I really type that last one?). Seriously, it is a great experience. Songkran in mid April is 5 days of constant water fights, running around with water pistols, no make that BIG guns, firing ice cold water at strangers and getting a smile in return (after the shock of the icy water, lol), and just a couple of weeks ago was Loy Kratom where Thais celebrate by sending floats on the water and firey ballons into the sky, and the list goes on and on and on.

I love Thailand, even after 10 years, five of those living here, I still find great things about it that I never knew about or saw before. It is FUN. To borrow a sportsware phrase.... Just Do It!

Gordon.

[Micky]

Gordon, on 08 December 2010 - 09:17 PM, said:

Cheap to live as a student, culture, people, beaches, countryside, history, food, music, nightlife, language,.....and plenty of sexy Thai girl students in short skirts (oops, did I really type that last one?). Seriously, it is a great experience. Songkran in mid April is 5 days of constant water fights, running around with water pistols, no make that BIG guns, firing ice cold water at strangers and getting a smile in return (after the shock of the icy water, lol), and just a couple of weeks ago was Loy Kratom where Thais celebrate by sending floats on the water and firey ballons into the sky, and the list goes on and on and on.

I love Thailand, even after 10 years, five of those living here, I still find great things about it that I never knew about or saw before. It is FUN. To borrow a sportsware phrase.... Just Do It!

Gordon.

thank you.. i was debating taking the easy way and studying in my home country, or doing it the hard way and borrowing heaps of money and going overseas XP but i know now the second one'll be so much better x] thankyou

[Gordon]

Micky, on 09 December 2010 - 04:02 AM, said:

thank you.. i was debating taking the easy way and studying in my home country, or doing it the hard way and borrowing heaps of money and going overseas XP but i know now the second one'll be so much better x] thankyou

If you want the degree purely for the academic learning then you might be better (depending on the uni) doing it at home.

If you want to make the degree a life experience with the same qualification at the end (content debatable) then an international experience is extremely valuable, and Thailand is a great place to open your eyes to life experiences.

One disadvantage of doing it in Thailand that many are unawere of is that it is (in 99% of cases) not legal to work here part-time to suppliment your income whilst on an ED (student) visa. Although some students have been known to flout this rule and run the risks of being caught and deported/blacklisted from re-entering Thailand, it is not advisable to be dependent on any Thai-derived income whilst you are here. Just something to consider when making your choice.

Good luck whichever way you decide.

Gordon.

[Uli]

You answer is factually and politically correct, Gordon. :D

I just wonder whether you ever heard about anybody 'caught' for teaching English part-time, or doing any other serious job part-time (other than criminal jobs, of course). I didn't.

[Micky]

i don't even care about getting a degree really, it's just i really want to be a student in asia xp and for some unknown reason it MUST be thailand lol especially bangkok, ever since i watched 4BIA and listened to nologo i can't get bangkok out of my head o.O it's crazy..

but in reference to the teaching.. i don't think i'd rely on it but it'd make life in bangkok a bit more fun XP and also i'd tutor not teach (not sure of the difference really) but at least if i tutor it's not like i'm actually teaching, just a couple of people talking.. about english x]

[Gordon]

Uli, on 09 December 2010 - 02:58 PM, said:

You answer is factually and politically correct, Gordon. :D

I just wonder whether you ever heard about anybody 'caught' for teaching English part-time, or doing any other serious job part-time (other than criminal jobs, of course). I didn't.

"Heard", yes. 3 "teachers". Not people I knew first-hand though.

Tutoring or teaching, either for money or not, are both illegal technically. Tutoring a fellow student free, or in exchange for Thai lessons, I agree is very unlikely to lead to any legal consequences. Once money starts changing hands then the stakes are raised a little. Add in a jealous observer who makes a complaint and you might find a problem more likely to arise. Yes, Uli, it is very uncommon, but if you love Thailand the consequences of being blacklisted by immigration are severe. Personal choices, and careful assessment of where and when you do work (if you decide it is worth the risk) are involved.

My statement stands though. I would not advise anyone to come to Thailand if they are "to be dependent on any Thai-derived income whilst you [they] are here". Other countries can offer similar experiences and DO allow students to work [legally] to support themselves whilst studying. If you "need" to work to earn an income whilst studying then it would be preferable to choose one of those countries. Thailand will still be here after your studies are complete and you can come and work, and stay, here legally.

.

[Uli]

Without any joking, I defintitely agree to your conclusion that nobody should come to Thailand without the financial means to live - at least - a simple Thai life. That really doesn't cost much. Many caprices, such as hanging out at Khaosan Road, only prevent one from understanding reality. This country doesn't need more people to come who just want to get their own biases confirmed.

Whether one loves living in Thailand or not is, however, a decision that seriously comes up much later, usually only after understanding the realities in this country.

There are dreamers galore who apply their biases to what they see and get them confirmed at every corner, as it is always with people carrying blinders. If they get kicked out ... is that bad?

To cut it short: This country has a culture different to any other country on the world, as any other country than your home country has. If you are open to learn, understand, and adjust first, you will have a chance to earn your bread. But such understanding needs time - certainly much more than spending three months on Khaosan Road or any other 'backpacker venue'.

[Hudson11]

I'm going to study at Ramkhamhaeng University in Bangkok, Thailand in June. I was wondering if anyone knows anything good or bad about the school? What my cost of living will be? && how hard is it to learn Thia?