| Welshman Andy has been living in Thailand for ten years now and enjoying every minute of it. After working for some years as an English teacher, he now operates within the IT industry. Here he shares some aspects of his expat life in Bangkok, his observations on the cost of living and the people, and some tips on adjusting to Thai life. |
 Andy |
-Where were you born?
Wales, in the UK
-In which country and city are you living now?
Bangkok, Thailand
-Are you living alone or with your family?
I live alone :( :P
-How long have you been living in Thailand?
A total of ten years
-What is your age?
37
-When did you come up with the idea of living in Thailand?
I used to be a teacher in Japan... I was on the Japan Exchange and Teaching Programme (JET). The contract limit for that is three years, afterwards I moved to Nagasaki to work in a 'Juku', but hated it! The stifling, restrictive atmosphere was just too much after the friendly, laid back attitudes of the teachers and people in the more rural areas I was in before so I decided to make a break for another country.
I had a friend in Phuket who helped me get a place and get settled, but mainly it was the fact that there was so much teaching work available in Thailand, the first steps for which (interviews, etc), were easily sorted out via email, so this made it very easy to make the transition from Japan to Thailand.
So, in August, 1998 I landed in Phuket, was met by my mate on his motor bike and then got soaked in a fierce tropical rainstorm 3 minutes later! Taking refuge in the nearest bar, of course. Great fun. That was the start of a decade here in Thailand.
-Was it hard to get a visa or a working permit?
Not at all. Teaching is a great way to get a foot in Thailand's door. But you should be qualified, long gone are the days of bluffing your way through an interview and being a 'teacher' simply because you are a native speaker. The Thai gov't has rightly cracked down on that for some time and the level of TEFL treaching in Thailand in the better schools especially is as good as anywhere in the world in my opinion.
I am not a teacher anymore, though. I have been in the IT industry for several years and again, it's not that hard to get a work permit as long as you can show that your skills are unique. This often involves the whole native speaker thing again, especially if you can get a job in a foreign owned co. that deals with foreign clients.
-Was it difficult for you to get medical insurance before you went there or when you first arrived?
Yes. If you are not able to get into a decent school or other company it may be hard for you to get this.
-How do you make your living in Thailand? Do you have any type of income generated?
I arranged all interviews through the internet; www.ajarn.com was a great source of information, as was 'Dave's ESL Cafe'. Once you have been here a while and meet people then changing jobs is not all that hard. jobsDB is good too for all employment areas.
-Do you speak Thai and do you think it's important to speak the local language?
Now I can speak Thai but not when I arrived. As in Japan, it definitely helps, but is not essential, and there are definitely times when it is best to pretend you cannot speak the language! Such as dealing with cops, office gossip, etc!
-Do you miss home and family sometimes?
Of course. I miss Wales a lot, and my old friends, but Thailand is a very popular place and to be honest, I have probably seen more of them as they come through here or come to Thailand on holiday than I would have if I lived in London or something! I see various friends once, twice a year from back home on average.
-Do you have other plans for the future?
I am pretty sure I will stay here, although I have a brother in Australia and that's tempting... Thailand is so much fun though!
I am currently setting up my own venture www.crmasiasolutions.com - implementation of CRM (Customer Relationship Management) systems in Small-Medium Businesses, in addition to website deisgn, SEO and email marketing. Take a look at the site.
-What about housing, have you bought, or are you renting a home? How much do you pay for it?
Renting. I am planning to buy but not yet.
-What is the cost of living in Thailand?
Cheap, but getting more expensive. Gone are the days of 1$ bottles of beer. Bangkok can be as expensive as London in some places and the average costs of living have gone up obviously. However, if you can live like local people it is still extremely cheap compared to the West.
-What do you think about the Thai people?
Generally, Thais are great people. After 10 years here however, I must admit I do see a different side to them as I did a decade ago. It's like anywhere, there are good and bad people I guess. These cheezy guide books that keep referring to the 'Thai smile' and how Thais are so cool hearted and never lose their temper, etc... are so wrong!
Thais in my opinion are the 'Italians of Asia', they definitely have a very strong fiery streak in them, which is of course why they are so affable in other ways.
Educated Thais will treat you very differently than those who you may meet in bars or who are less fortunate, although they can be surprisingly shy even though they may have studied abroad for many years. The poorer sector of people all seem to think foreigners are incredibly wealthy and have no idea that our countries too have poverty issues. Not their fault though, all they see is foreigners coming here spending unbelievable amounts of cash, so what can you expect.
You should never joke or make insults about religion or the king here. The consequences could be very dire. I have a mate who did this, he even kicked a Buddha when he was drunk. He lost an eye in a resulting fight with a Thai guy. Harsh by our standards, yes, but he was a long-timer who should have known better. Don't mess with things that people (whose country you live in and are after all, a 'guest' in) find sacred.
Generally though, I must say Thai people treat me better than I have ever been treated by strangers in my own country. They are polite, courteous, generous, extremely friendly and easy to get on with and they have a great sense of humour. It's why a lot of people come here for 2 weeks and end up staying years!
-What are the positive and negative aspects of living in Thailand?
To be honest, as a foreigner, you will never have any real rights living in Thailand. I have had several painful experiences in work - job one day, not the next, and in my personal life too whereby you would be afforded some rights in the UK and even compensation, by law. Not here. Or, good luck to you in trying. Labour law is in effect, but takes so long that unless you can support yourself while you are fighting your battle you are in big trouble.
That's where the generosity of Thais I know though, kept me going. They really stuck their necks out for me and I will bever forget it.
-Do you have any tips for our readers about living in Thailand?
"When in Rome..." - do not try and fight their ways - if you do not like it, do not stay. There is no point trying to make Thais anything else - like Brits, Americans or whatever. They're Thai and that's that. They do things their way, so accept it, accept the good with the bad and try and learn their language and history and culture. That way, some of the more 'annoying' or strange aspects of their ways may be more understandable.
-Do you have any favorite Web sites or blogs about Thailand?
My site: www.crmasiasolutions.com
My partner: www.dpuniverse.com
Another business I am involved in: www.myasianvilla.com
