Living in Bangkok is highly recommended if you’re planning in teaching English in Thailand. There are so many schools to choose from, both private and public, plus you have easy access to all the western conveniences that you are used to in your home country. This is my personal opinion of course. Many people will tell you that living in Bangkok is a nightmare, however I’m gonna give you some tips on how you can make living in Bangkok much more enjoyable.
Rule Number 1 For Living in Bangkok – Live Near The Sky Train
First of all make sure you rent an apartment near the sky train or BTS as it’s known. This is a monorail that runs through some parts of the city. There is also an underground system and the same applies for that as well. If you live near the BTS or underground, getting around the city is so much easier. If you can find a school that is also near one of those, living in Bangkok becomes far easier and much more enjoyable.
When I was living in Bangkok, for quite a few years I worked in a private school that is located in the Paragon shopping center in Siam. I lived in a condominium which is 5 minutes walk from Prakanong BTS station which is pretty far from Siam. It would take me just under 20 minutes from leaving my condo to getting into the school. One of my colleagues lived on the other side of Bangkok where the sky train doesn’t go. He lived closer to the school but it would take him one and a half hours to get to school via a combination of boat, taxi, bus and motorcycle taxi!! That’s 3 hours traveling everyday.
Apartments and condominiums in Bangkok may be more expensive near the sky train but they are definitely worth it!
Living in Bangkok is Easier When You Can Speak Thai
I managed to learn to speak Thai fluently as well as read it and write it. It made life so much easier. You don’t need to be fluent but if you can just start picking up the basics then you’ll get on much better.
Many of the teachers I worked with never learned to speak a single word of Thai and the longer they stayed in Thailand the more they would complain about it. Thai people can be infuriating at times and when you don’t know what they are saying and why certain things are happening you’ll start hating the place if you stay for a long time.
Learning just a few words of Thai can really help with things and it’s highly recommended if you are going to live in Thailand for any length of time. Just start making an effort as soon as you arrive and you’ll be surprised how much you can pick up.
Living near the sky train and learning some basic Thai can make living in Bangkok a lot more enjoyable. There is so much to do and there are always thing going on. It’s not for everyone though. Some people would prefer to live in the countryside which is why it’s important to come to Thailand first and figure out where you want to live before you start looking for work.
