Moving To Bangkok - Advice Needed

[IrishTexasAggie]

Hello Everyone! I am a teacher who is trying to decide between three jobs that will start in August. One of my chioces is an International school in Bangkok, and that's the one I am leaning towards at the moment. Let me start by saying that I have never been to Bangkok before (or anywhere in SE Asia for that matter). This would be something completely new and different for me. I am looking for some advice as I make my decision in the next few days. The school is called Keerapat and the address is 58 Moo 9 Soi Ramintra 34, Ramintra Road, Bangkok 10230. I know it is located in the NE Suburbs. The principal told me that some teachers live close to the school while others live downtown and taxi to work in the morning. What would you guys recommend? I would likely be looking at spending 10,000 baht on an apartment (maybe a little more if I find something I can't pass up). I know that is would make more sense to live by the school, but part of me would really like to live closer to downtown and closer to the expat community. It may help with the transition.

I also would like to know what kind of lifestyle I would be able to live on about 70,000 baht a month. This is not one of the top paying schools, like ISB, but it does not seem to be horrible either. I am not someone that goes out and partys every night but I would like to be able to entertain myslef and travel around the region during breaks. Will that be possible on this salary?

Any advice or tips for a newcomer would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

[StreetCowboy]

If you have modest tastes and no dependents, then I think 70,000 should see you comfortable. Your tax on that will be quite modest; The 30% band starts at THB 1 million per annum, if memory serves me well, and there are sliding scales below that. The allowances are not big.

If you reckon on spending 30,000 during the day each month you'll have money left over. That used to cover me for two meals out, and two long taxi journeys every day, with enough left over for the first beer as well.

If I was you I would stay closer to school, because you'll be going there every day, but when you go out in the evening, you might go different places each night, and you might stay in from time to time. On the other hand, it can be nice to have a commute - but then if you can get a twenty or thirty minute walk, that's good enough.

You can spend as much as you want to on your nights out

SC

EDIT: Having said that, I don't know the area, but last time I was anywhere nearby I thought the traffic was pretty hellish, while at the same time I thought it didn't look like a good area if you were walking or cycling. Big roads, moving slowly... There'll be plenty others on the forum who will know the area better than I do, though. I would recommend you talk 'off the record' to other teachers before you take the job, if you can, wherever you go...

Edited February 27, 2012 by StreetCowboy

[Petesear]

Do it, you can live on that money easily, don't worry about all the guys on here that will tell you it is not enough, you are not doing it to get rich but it seems everyone on here already is and they do like to look down on teachers..

It will be a great experience.

But do listen to the posters about the whores out fleece you.. Both male and female, whichever tickles your fancy..

Edited February 27, 2012 by Petesear

[HardenedSoul]

70 large is more than enough to live comfortably month to month in Bangers.

Like you, I'd never been here before deciding to set up camp and I never got knocked by any girls.

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[bobo42]

If you do it, make sure you are prepared to live like the locals. On 70k/m you'll likely have to give up a lot of the comforts that you may typically enjoy in the west. You can still "live like a Thai" pretty cheap, but living a more western lifestyle is much more expensive here than it is back home. You are not going to be well-off on that salary, its very do-able, but make sure you are ok with living a very modest life for a while. I think it'll be a helluva thing to get used-to if you've never lived in Asia before.

A few other words of advice: watch your back when travelling in the "expat community" - while there are lots of great people living here, there are a lot of dodgy ones as well. And, as others pointed out, the "night-life" here (re: bar girls) is like no other place on earth, I've seen rich foreigners get chewed-up and spit-out by young girls who probably have never had more than $100 at one time in their whole lives. Keep to your budget, never lose sight of that, no matter how pretty the girl is. I know it sounds silly, you'll never believe me, but seriously watch out for the night life, it's probably the most likely way to mess up your life if you come here.

[StreetCowboy]

If you do it, make sure you are prepared to live like the locals. On 70k/m you'll likely have to give up a lot of the comforts that you may typically enjoy in the west. You can still "live like a Thai" pretty cheap, but living a more western lifestyle is much more expensive here than it is back home. You are not going to be well-off on that salary, its very do-able, but make sure you are ok with living a very modest life for a while. I think it'll be a helluva thing to get used-to if you've never lived in Asia before.

...

I really don't think 70K is a tight budget for a single bloke who can limit his drinking and whoring to a couple of big nights a month. He'll be able to restrict himself to eating in places with mains running water, he'll be able to afford potatoes. Even if that's before tax and rent, he should be able to manage just fine.

Of course, he'll be well advised to do without a car and stay away from ethnic European restaurants that don't serve Thai dishes...

SC

[DP25]

70k is plenty, especially as you say you're not a big drinker. If you wanted you could easily bank half that and live ok. It's enough to be comfortable and you can easily afford to travel and do stuff on your days off. You should live by the school, honestly a lot of the 'expat area' in Suhkumvit is a dump and an very overpriced one at that, and commuting would be a huge pain the ass. Go there on the weekend if you wanted to drink or eat in an expat place, but live closer to work

[Lite Beer]

Some less than helpful posts have been deleted.

IrishTexasAggie make sure you have a Work Permit before starting work.

[farang000999]

wow the responses have been abysmal

1. 70k is plenty for a single guy in thailand

2. i would recommend living close to your work. it is much easier to commute to the expat community when needed then to commute to work. you will save a bunch on rent. remember, traffic here is terrible, it will get old quickly to travel to and from work at a distance.

3. you look like a young guy, educated obviously based on that salary offered. dont worry about all the negatively on here. you ask a question and people start talking to you about "whoring"/etc... Thailand is a great place, 70k is a lot of money that will go very far... I am jealous as I just left Thailand.

4. BAngkok is super westernized. you will not have any trouble living in the area you mentioned. this is a very easy and accesible city.

[jackdawson]

(Unless one has a woman/women/automobile who are in for, say, a third of it) 70,000 is more than enough to live a really decent lifestyle here in Bangkok. My friend Cal does it on two-thirds of that.

Living by the school will be both and good and bad. It's a little off the beaten farang track so it'll be really cheap. But you'll have to take a taxi (or a bus if you're really adventurous) to get to the BTS to get to any farang-friendly fun spots. The Morchit BTS Station is close.

Brings lots of summer clothes. This place is about as it hot as it can be.

None of my business but what are the other two offers. Either of them near/on the BTS or subway (MRT)?

[StreetCowboy]

Don't feel worried about people saying "get a taxi here or there" - taxis are very cheap and plentiful. However, it will be worth checking where you would get one when you look at apartments - you don't want to be walking five minutes to the main road when its pouring rain or you've got luggage

SC

[Beechboy]

Surely you have to ask yourself why you have come to Bkk in the first place. Just how genuine is your stance of virtuosity?

We all know what the attractions are and they don't include the furtherence of a teaching career and your pension outlook will be bleak indeed if you fail to make some provision for that. Or will you eventually inherit something?

I know a teacher friend who lives in the outers, presumably near his school, but likes to travel to the Suk. many times a week. He has to limit his beer intake for sure, but he gets what he came here for. Get it?

Seventy thousand is quite a lot for a language teacher isn't it?

Edited February 28, 2012 by Beechboy

[StreetCowboy]

Surely you have to ask yourself why you have come to Bkk in the first place. Just how genuine is your stance of virtuosity?

We all know what the attractions are and they don't include the furtherence of a teaching career and your pension outlook will be bleak indeed if you fail to make some provision for that. Or will you eventually inherit something?

I know a teacher friend who lives in the outers, presumably near his school, but likes to travel to the Suk. many times a week. He has to limit his beer intake for sure, but he gets what he came here for. Get it?

Seventy thousand is quite a lot for a language teacher isn't it?

He never actually said he was a language teacher.

Some people like to work overseas for the opportunity to broaden their horizons and try something new. When I first went overseas, apart from the drinking, I didn't get involved in drinking and whoring at all ,and one of my colleagues ran off with a white woman.

I expect the school is paying a good salary to get good staff, rather than deadbeats who would do anything so long as they can live in Bangkok. We always paid good salaries for expat staff, even though we could get them cheap, as the cheap fellas are probably more trouble than they're worth, in Bangkok. I'd rather have someone that would only work for a good salary than someone who would rather live here than work here.

SC

EDIT: He also never mentioned if the other two job offers were in Bangkok, or Thailand, or overseas.

Edited February 28, 2012 by StreetCowboy

[Beechboy]

My apologies, it was my assumptions getting the better of me.

To have money concerns from the outset is a pretty difficult route in order to broaden the horizons. Perhaps I am the over-cautious kind.

I will add that I first came to Bkk. unintentinally really, being given a job there by my agency.

It didn't take me long to get hooked and I remember, on a day off, sitting in that open air fish restaurant in Suk. 7 just people-watching in the warm with a cheap beer and a cheap meal infront of me and thinking, "I could happily live here."

I for one decided to live/work here for the place and not the work.

In the end I have compromised a bit by keeping a pad in England for visiting couple of months to keep on top of affairs and watch some cricket. I like a drink, am not overly concerned about the whoring anymore, it's the package. It suits me.

Edited February 28, 2012 by Beechboy

[dick turpin]

Of all the perils and pitfalls you may encounter in Bangkok, may I help

prepare you with three words of warning......girl student uniforms.

[Furbie]

The OP seems like a young guy and it seems it’s a legitimate teaching position. Though it was 17 years ago, my first job out of university paid a paltry $21,000 a year and I had to live in one of the most expensive cities in the US. The ability to be a young professional in Bangkok on 70k THB a month is pretty good. He won’t have an extravagant life, but it’s much cheaper in Bangkok than NYC, DC or Dallas – and he’ll get to do a lot more.

OP - It’s always better to live near work – you’ll be going there five+ days a week and BKK traffic is the pits.

[SteveLynch]

hey buddy

i live in the Ramintra area ,you should live in the area close to the school the traffic is a nightmare between 7 am and 10 am and then from 5 -8 espically on a friday ,waste of time commuting as it will be only taxis ,there is no skytrain etc..

taxi from the Ramintra in to the city is approx 140 bht including the toll way ,and bout 30 mins when the traffic is good ,

you can rent here cheaper i have a 3 bedroom house ,in a nice moo baan ,security,pool,etc i pay 22k a month ,

the bars in this area are far classier than the ones in the city ,not everybodys cup of tea but plenty of choice

when you have time google

Crystal Design Center to get a idea of the style of the ramintra restaurent areas ,

70 k a month is enough to get by here you might be able to do some private tuition,to supplement that income ,

come to bangkok ,see how it is ,i love it ,

i have had many friends who hated it after living here ,you will need to adjust a bit but i been here nearly 7 yrs ,i dont speak a peck of Thai ,i dont eat Thai food im a healthy 100kg and i dont get lost on the way home !,there is some great advice on this webpage but a lot of bitter souls too, be wary which advice you take to heart ,

im guessing your Irish ........Cead Mile Failte !!

also before anyone pokes at the lack of fullstops,commas,etcin my reply.i have a stinking hang over and i dont rely care save your words and good morning

[arthurwait]

Yes you will definitely have to live like a local even though you earn more than 10 times than most.

Just remember to put money away for hospitals, pensions, flights home etc.

As others have said live near work not the nghtlife. If your into sport at all live near a park, a cheap way to pass the evening and meet people instead of paying farang prices in a bar.

You will always get farangs over here that have to make themselves feel important by belittling others, it's another reason to not live in the ex-pat areas.

Before you get a taxi learn how to say your address in Thai. " Bpai ......address in Thai..... kup" and you won't get ripped off.

[Huayrat]

hey buddy

i live in the Ramintra area ,you should live in the area close to the school the traffic is a nightmare between 7 am and 10 am and then from 5 -8 espically on a friday ,waste of time commuting as it will be only taxis ,there is no skytrain etc..

taxi from the Ramintra in to the city is approx 140 bht including the toll way ,and bout 30 mins when the traffic is good ,

you can rent here cheaper i have a 3 bedroom house ,in a nice moo baan ,security,pool,etc i pay 22k a month ,

the bars in this area are far classier than the ones in the city ,not everybodys cup of tea but plenty of choice

when you have time google

Crystal Design Center to get a idea of the style of the ramintra restaurent areas ,

70 k a month is enough to get by here you might be able to do some private tuition,to supplement that income ,

come to bangkok ,see how it is ,i love it ,

i have had many friends who hated it after living here ,you will need to adjust a bit but i been here nearly 7 yrs ,i dont speak a peck of Thai ,i dont eat Thai food im a healthy 100kg and i dont get lost on the way home !,there is some great advice on this webpage but a lot of bitter souls too, be wary which advice you take to heart ,

im guessing your Irish ........Cead Mile Failte !!

also before anyone pokes at the lack of fullstops,commas,etcin my reply.i have a stinking hang over and i dont rely care save your words and good morning

I have some words for you,, just a few though.... You have lived here for 7 years and dont know Thai.. You should practise what you preach

[HardenedSoul]

Bit off-topic but it's been mentioned a few times in this thread so indulge me.

Is it safe to say that if there was no naughty nightlife in BKK, most of you suckas wouldn't be here?

I only ask because quite a few repsondents have obviously assumed that the OP fits into the "can't get pussy if I don't pay cash for it" sub-category of the TV member demographic that spends a greater than average amount of their time chasing mercenary women.

[SteveLynch]

Practice what i preach, .you might need to expand ,im giving the man some advice on living close to where is future job might be ,

the point is you dont need to live in "expat areas" in bangkok you can venture out futher and not be over swampped by not having an idea of the language

If i dont speaking is a Thai big deal,everyone of my friends speak English perfectly ,and me mashing around in a language i cant get control of ,after numerous attempts,has become boring for all concerned.

Been able to speak Thai is a much discussed topic on this forum, and not that i can judge anybody ,but been able to say hello and can i have a lighter or what is your name does not qualify one as a Thai speaker.

[SteveLynch]

blooper ...if i dont speak Thai big deal it should have read

[craigt3365]

ITA: Welcome to Thaivisa.com. Don't be put off by some of these posts. We do the best to clean them up, and quite a few have been removed from view. The General forum is one of the toughest. I recommend you spend your time in the various subforums. Much higher quality responses there.

So...I'm going to move this over to the Teaching In Thailand forum. I'll keep an eye on this thread also.

FWIW: I lived in Bangkok for quite some time. Easy to live on your salary. You'll have a fantastic time. Lots to do, plenty of great people to meet, great restaurants, great clubs. Fantastic city. As was mentioned above, I think living near your school is better. And as mentioned above, the "expat" community in and around Suk can be a very dodgy place. IMHO. Fun for a bit, then old after that.

Best of luck with your decision.

[Scott]

An inflammatory post has been deleted.

[samran]

I may have missed it, but does the package include medical insurance? It should otherwise I'd be wary. Some sort of accomodation allowance too, even if not huge. Other things like flights to/from your home either annually or bi-annually should be something to ask for, if not already offered.

My wife is a teacher and started off like you on her first international posting. Over time, getting into the bigger internatoinal schools was easier...and much better pay.

[StreetCowboy]

I may have missed it, but does the package include medical insurance? It should otherwise I'd be wary. Some sort of accomodation allowance too, even if not huge. Other things like flights to/from your home either annually or bi-annually should be something to ask for, if not already offered.

My wife is a teacher and started off like you on her first international posting. Over time, getting into the bigger internatoinal schools was easier...and much better pay.

It might be worth negotiating on the medical cover, because the school will probably get it cheaper than you do, if they have a lot of teachers to cover; though if it is not in their basic offer, they probably don't have a lot of people to cover... Its not expensive for a healthy young man, and you'll probably take better cover than they would offer you. But its worth getting round to getting the cover before you need it...

Housing benefit is not worth the money; try to get the cash instead. its still taxable, so why bother ear-marking it?

SC

[samran]

I may have missed it, but does the package include medical insurance? It should otherwise I'd be wary. Some sort of accomodation allowance too, even if not huge. Other things like flights to/from your home either annually or bi-annually should be something to ask for, if not already offered.

My wife is a teacher and started off like you on her first international posting. Over time, getting into the bigger internatoinal schools was easier...and much better pay.

It might be worth negotiating on the medical cover, because the school will probably get it cheaper than you do, if they have a lot of teachers to cover; though if it is not in their basic offer, they probably don't have a lot of people to cover... Its not expensive for a healthy young man, and you'll probably take better cover than they would offer you. But its worth getting round to getting the cover before you need it...

Housing benefit is not worth the money; try to get the cash instead. its still taxable, so why bother ear-marking it?

SC

Was never sure if the housing was taxable, though was under the impression it wasn't (though don't quote me on it!!)

But for me, Medical being included is more a barmoeter to see if the school thinks about looking after their workers. Flights home shows that at least they are trying to be a serious school in attracting and retaining teachers.

[StreetCowboy]

I may have missed it, but does the package include medical insurance? It should otherwise I'd be wary. Some sort of accomodation allowance too, even if not huge. Other things like flights to/from your home either annually or bi-annually should be something to ask for, if not already offered.

My wife is a teacher and started off like you on her first international posting. Over time, getting into the bigger internatoinal schools was easier...and much better pay.

It might be worth negotiating on the medical cover, because the school will probably get it cheaper than you do, if they have a lot of teachers to cover; though if it is not in their basic offer, they probably don't have a lot of people to cover... Its not expensive for a healthy young man, and you'll probably take better cover than they would offer you. But its worth getting round to getting the cover before you need it...

Housing benefit is not worth the money; try to get the cash instead. its still taxable, so why bother ear-marking it?

SC

Was never sure if the housing was taxable, though was under the impression it wasn't (though don't quote me on it!!)

But for me, Medical being included is more a barmoeter to see if the school thinks about looking after their workers. Flights home shows that at least they are trying to be a serious school in attracting and retaining teachers.

Again, flights fully taxable, so unless the school gets some benefit from sending you home, or unless they can get the flights cheaper than you can, better to have the money and sort it out yourself.

Now having said all that... when I was a little younger than I am today, I was running an office with several expat staff. Someone asked me if they could pocket their housing allowance instead of spending it all on housing

"No. We give you an ample housing allowance so that you can live in town, close to the office, and you don't have to shop around, you don't have to live in the villages out in the New Territories, and you won't have run-ins (runs-in?) with gangsters, like your mate X who had to do a moonlight flit from somewhere beyond Saikung."

SC

[IrishTexasAggie]

Thanks for the tips everyone. Just to clear up a couple of things:

1. I will not be an english teacher. I will be teaching primary school at an International School. I've been teaching for six years.

2. I understand why some people come to Bangkok, but that's not the appeal for me at all (although I do like to go out from time to time and have drinks). I'm actually trying to decide between this job offer, a school in Mexico City, and a school in Nicaragua. Right now I am leaning towards Bangkok and need to make a decision in the next week.

[gregb]

Stay at a serviced apartment near the school for at least the first month while you are here. It will probably cost you 30k, but it is well worth the money to get exposure to the city before you commit to anything. You may even decide to take 2 or 3 months before deciding where you want to end up.

For me, I would never want to stay downtown if i was working at Ram Intra. The commute would drive me insane. Much easier to take a taxi into the city at night when you really want to.

I would say a 70k salary is more than enough to live comfortably, but not enough that you can ignore the cost of things. You will definitely need to stay on a budget with that kind of income. You will likely take home around 63k of that after taxes are deducted.

I think your budget for housing of 10k is much, much too low however. Don't be surprised if you eventually wind up paying in the 20k range. Not that you can't find apartments for 4000 baht if you are willing to live Thai style, but likely you won't find those very appealing. In any case, that is why you should stay at a serviced apartment first. It is impossible for any of us to know your personal tolerance levels.

Don't necessarily listen to the people at the school either. Unless one of them is a personal friend you can trust, they are almost certainly understating the cost of living here.

Edited February 28, 2012 by gregb