For those who want to work and live in Thailand & about what I know about Thailand

First of all, my undergraduate and graduate majors were both Chinese international education, and Thailand was an option for my career. During college, I loved watching Thai movies and Thai dramas. The first Thai movie I watched was "Little Lover", and then I couldn't stop watching movies such as "Love of Siam" and "A Little Thing Called First Love". I learned that the first Thai star was Mario, and I learned about Thailand, Bangkok and Chiang Mai, the various school uniforms of Thai students, songthaews, tuk-tuks, etc. This was my initial impression and yearning for Thailand.


Thailand Beliefs: Songkran Festival (Water Songkran Festival)

(1) About Thai Language

Thai is the official language of Thailand and the mother tongue of Thai people. We Chinese people will say, Sawadee Ka! However, the ending particles in Thai are divided into male and female. Girls or people with female mentality usually say Ka, so "Sawadee Ka!" is said by women. The common particle used by men is Kap. In addition, English is actually quite popular among Thai people, after all, it is a country with a developed Tourism industry.

If you plan to live in Thailand, I think it is very necessary to speak Thai. If you come to Thailand to work, you may also have certain requirements for Thai listening, speaking, reading and writing skills. With a yearning, I downloaded a Thai learning software on my computer around 2012. Maybe because I was young and it was my first time to contact Thai, I felt it was too difficult, so I gave up after learning it for less than a day. Giving up is not letting go. I know what I was thinking at that time, I wanted to learn Thai.

So, many years later, despite going through many people and things, I still didn't let go of the idea in my heart. One day in 2014, during my postgraduate study, I bought my first Thai textbook, the first volume of "Thai Course" published by Peking University Press. This was the official start of self-study of Thai. It took me about 1 month to learn the vowels, consonants and 5 tones. After a period of time, the book was put aside again. Until the end of 2018, which was the second year of my arrival in Thailand, I finally finished learning the book. Then, I asked my friends in China to buy the second volume for me and send it to me.

In a word, I used to think Thai was difficult and gave up many times, but now I think Thai is simply the easiest foreign language in the world. Because I have also learned Japanese, Korean, French, Arabic, etc., in comparison, Thai has no word form changes, and a word can be used multiple times, and the number of words is simply too small.

In the two years in Thailand, I have been reflecting and considering whether to continue to stay, but I have not made a decision yet, and I will take it one step at a time. The only thing I am determined to do is to learn Thai well. Since I already have the foundation and language environment, I went to Chulalongkorn University in January 2019 to take the Thai entrance examination, and further improve my Thai to intermediate and advanced levels, and strive for excellence. It can be regarded as a study abroad after work. (If you want to consult Chulalongkorn University’s Thai class, you can send a private message)


Bangkok, Wat Arun

(2) About the wage level in Thailand

In general, the salary in Thailand is not as high as that in first-tier cities in China, but it depends on the specific industry.

Taking Chinese teachers as an example, the salary is generally between 18,000 baht and 30,000 baht, which is equivalent to about 3,000 to 6,000 RMB. Don't think that you can come to work happily if you are given a salary of 6,000 yuan. You also have to consider the rent, transportation and food and drink expenses, which are the most basic, not including your clothes and Travel expenses.

If you want to come to Bangkok to be a Chinese teacher, you can consider a salary of more than 35,000 baht, and don't consider those of 18,000 to 25,000 baht, because you can't live in Bangkok.

If you think clearly that you can afford to live in a remote place, outside the city, such as other provinces other than Bangkok, this salary can support yourself, but if you want to make money, there is still some gap. Of course, for other jobs, I also know some Thais, and their salary in Bangkok is about 10,000 RMB. Of course, this is achieved through years of accumulated work experience. For a newbie who has just started working, the salary level is only around RMB 4,000 to 5,000.


Bangkok’s buses

(3) Transportation and consumption levels in Bangkok, Thailand

The consumption level in Bangkok is not too low. If you are just here for tourism, it is not bad. But if you want to stay here permanently, you need to consider many issues. How to say the means of transportation in Thailand? First of all, the traffic rules are different from those in China. Thailand is a left-hand road. The main means of public transportation in big cities are buses (Bangkok), light rail (Bangkok), subway (Bangkok), Songthaew (bus), tuk-tuk, and motorcycles.

The transportation fee in Bangkok is very high. There is currently a light rail BTS line and a subway MRT line. The fee is charged by station, and one station is about 16 baht (more than 3 yuan). In addition, the starting price of taxis in Bangkok is 35 baht (approximately), but the biggest problem with Bangkok’s transportation is traffic jams. It is the most congested city in the world! Thai buses are not air-conditioned and do not announce stops. Foreigners need to look at the electric map at all times when taking the bus.


Songthaew

Another type of tuk-tuk is also a type of bus. It is the red or green bus that we often see in Thai dramas and Thai movies. The fare of tuk-tuk is relatively cheap. For example, I live in Bangkok. The tuk-tuk in the alley near the apartment costs 8 baht (any station), which can reach the corresponding block, which is quite convenient. This type of car mainly runs in the alleys of the city. In addition, in Chiang Mai, Pattaya, Hua Hin, and other small towns, this type of tuk-tuk is the main means of public transportation. Therefore, if you choose to come to Bangkok or come to Thailand to work, you might as well inquire about the route of this type of tuk-tuk near your residence after you are stable. It is very convenient and practical.

There are trains in Thailand, but most people are reluctant to take the train. The train station in Bangkok is next to Chinatown, called Hua Lamphong Railway Station. The train lines are divided into the South Line, the North Line and the Northeast Line, etc. The train ticket price is also divided into first, second and third classes. The cheapest is the third class, which is equivalent to the green train in China and has a fan.

When renting a house in Bangkok, the rent depends on the location. I live in Sathorn District, which belongs to the CBD center of Bangkok. The rent for a room is 7,000 baht a month, excluding water and electricity bills. This is a relatively cheap house with no facilities. If you want a slightly better house or one closer to the city center, such as Siam Square, the rent will be more than 10,000 baht. If you come to Thailand to work, it would be best if your employer can provide you with housing. If not, you must consider the rent and transportation costs.


Sathorn District, Bangkok, a building in the picture is where I currently work

(4) About Thailand’s religious beliefs

Thai people generally believe in Buddhism, but there are also other religious beliefs. Thailand is a country with a strong cultural tolerance. For example, its newly built Buddhist temple has murals and some decorative sculptures including Superman, Batman, Guan Gong of China, etc.
  
We Chinese often come to Bangkok to worship the Erawan Buddha. We all say it is very spiritual and we should worship it. But many people don’t know that the Erawan Buddha is not Buddhism, it is Hinduism. Once when I was in Bangkok, a Chinese brother asked me how to get to the Erawan Buddha. Ha ha! Sometimes, I feel like you don’t even know what it is, so what’s the point of worshiping it? In addition, the place where the Erawan Buddha is located is actually very small. It is located in a corner of a street and is not as brilliant as imagined. Pray to Buddha and be sincere!
  
Thai people not only respect the gods, but also the king and the royal family. Of course, this does not include some people. My Thai colleague will put his hands together and bow to the picture of the Queen Mother on the wall every day when he leaves work. When he encounters a Buddha or deity statue on the way home, he will also put his hands together and bow. In companies in Thailand, many people will put pictures of the king on their desks. Including the Thai people I visited in their homes, there were also many pictures of the king posted in their homes, mainly the ninth king who passed away in 2017. There is one law in Thailand that prohibits criticizing the royal family. Advice: Don’t talk about anything royal in public.
  

Bangkok Chinatown

(5) How to find a job in Thailand jobs, or jobs in other countries

Many people are desperate and will find an agency, but the agency fee can easily reach tens of thousands of yuan. Many agencies just provide you with a recruitment information, give you an email, and send you a resume. You have to prepare for the interview yourself, and there is no need to pay agency fees. Many of the recruitment information the agency gives you can be found online. If there are direct recruitment options, why rely on an agency?
  
Now is the era of the Internet. The Internet is so developed and there are so many websites. Don’t waste your money and don’t fall into the trap easily. What you have to do is, keep learning and don’t give up. Opportunities are for those who are prepared. For example, I have always wanted to work in Japan and learn Japanese. I have had this idea for a long time. Sometimes I feel that time is so fast. I wish I could have used the time to learn Japanese. Finally, I made up my mind and started preparing. If you just think about it, you can never start.
  
How to do it specifically? You can search international recruitment websites, and you can even target regions, such as Thai recruitment websites, etc. If you browse frequently, you can always find the right one. Moreover, many job interviews can be conducted through SKYPE video. If you pass the interview, your employer will help you apply for a visa and work permit.
  


(6) Others: About Thai transsexuals, red-light districts, etc.

Many people come to Thailand to see transsexuals, or ladyboys. But the term "ladyboy" is actually impolite and disrespectful. You can call them cuteboys, or just respect them and treat them equally.

In Bangkok, for example, in high-end shopping malls such as Siam Square and Paragon Mall, especially in the cosmetics counters, many transgender people work. Thailand's service industry is indeed better than ours and is worth learning from. Most of the waiters are very friendly and enthusiastic, and many of them can speak Chinese. I have a deep understanding of this. When I went back to China and went to a shopping mall in China to buy things, I felt a little uncomfortable.

There are three major red-light districts in Bangkok. One I know is Nana. Take the light rail station to Nana Station and get off the station. The other is Silom. Many Chinese tourists choose to live nearby. My apartment is not far from the Silom red-light district. Haha, 10,000 words are omitted here. Once, I went there with a young Thai man to pay back a debt. A mama-san came to pull me, called me a handsome boy, and pinched me. After that, I basically never went there. I know some young Thai people. I actually know what their jobs are because they always come to me to exchange money regularly. They have money in their WeChat, which is RMB, but they can't withdraw it. They need to transfer it to me, and then I will exchange it into Thai baht according to the exchange rate and give them Thai baht cash. As for why they have RMB in their WeChat regularly? They said that it was given by their Chinese friends.

As far as I know, young people in Thailand (around 17 to 25 years old) have a messy life, like to play, free, and don't have too much pressure to go to school and find a job. They are also relatively free in marriage and love. Thai parents are much more open-minded, and they don't have the set of Chinese parents who urge marriage and childbirth. There are also some young people (around 25 to 35 years old). Their lives are very rich. They study while working and pursue a refined life. Many people still think it's too early to get married at the age of 35, or they don't get married. I have come into contact with some white-collar workers in companies. They usually go to work and exercise, and use the weekends to learn Chinese. After learning Chinese, they also want to apply for a year to study English in Europe. From our perspective, we will think, you are over 30, girl, don't you consider getting married and having children? However, for them, this is not a problem.

Overall, it is an interesting experience to work and live in Thailand and have in-depth contact with Thai people. In a foreign country, you can see things from other people's worldview and life perspective and learn a lot.