Joseph's Blog - 31st July 2009

The top 5 best things about living in Thailand

An alternative to the usual tourist brochure things

This won't be any normal holiday-brochure list, though: I'm not going to bore you with the usual things you'll find on a million other websites. We all know that Thai people are friendly, that the food is great, that Bangkok is a buzzing shoppers paradise by day and an exciting nightlife destination by night and, of course, that wonderful tropical beaches are just a stones-throw away from wherever you happen to be in Thailand. What I thought I'd do instead is to write an 'alternative' Top 5 list, about all of those things that people don't usually think about, but that contribute to making living and working in Bangkok and Thailand the charming and rewarding experience that it is:

5) Live in the future!

That's right! The Thai calendar is 543 years ahead of the Gregorian one. Wake up every morning in the year 2551 when it's still only 2008 for your friends and family back home in the west! The more you look around, the more you'll see this system in use throughout The Kingdom. Once you start teaching in Thailand, you'll probably even notice your students filling in forms and writing journal entries with '51 for the year instead of '08. If you ask them which year they were born in English, you'll see a slight hesitation as they subtract 543 years from their B.E. (Buddhist Era) year of birth.

4) Witness a real-life freeze-frame of life every day!

Ever wondered what it would look like if the world stood still? If life just stopped dead in it's tracks as though someone had pressed the pause button on a giant remote-control? Well, whether you're in a school or in front of a government building or bank at 8 o'clock each morning, watch as pedestrians stop walking and stand as still as statues as the Thai National Anthem is played over loudspeakers. It is by no means compulsory to stop, and nobody will think any less of anyone who doesn't, but to witness this great example of how dedicated the Thai people are to their national will give you a deeper understanding of their culture and beliefs. It's also fun to watch unaware foreigners continue to walk through the stationary crowd and then slowly notice that they're the only one moving as they almost bump into the fifth person in as many seconds!

3) Bottomless glasses in restaurants

Whether you're drinking beer, wine or just plain water, your glass will rarely appear less than half full. With the footsteps of a kitten, the waitress will continuously refill your glass without you even noticing (until, of course, it comes time to order another bottle, and then they'll ask you first!). Even if you're eating in a cheap street side restaurant, you'll always notice the magic bottomless glass on your table.

2) MacDonalds and Starbucks in hospitals!

Although this is probably not a good option if you're actually sick, it's great if you're just visiting someone else who is! Thailand is quickly becoming the 'medical tourism' hub of Asia, and there are numerous world-class -- yet very affordable -- private hospitals located throughout the country. As well as boasting the latest medical technology, many of these hospitals also host some very good independent Japanese and Italian restaurants, as well as chains such as MacDonalds and Starbucks. The stereotypical 'hospital food' is unheard of here!

1) Celebrate new year three times per year!

Thailand is famous for it's huge street parties on the 31st of December every year. Huge parts of major cities are cordoned-off and revelers spill into the roads to welcome in the New Year together with countdowns displayed on huge TV screens. It is a truly amazing party atmosphere! Then, just two short months later, it's Chinese New Year and time for a whole new round of festivities! As if that wasn't enough, in another couple of months, the Thai New Year (also known as Songkran) kicks off and the grind of daily life is put on hold for a week as Thai people head to their hometowns for the party of parties, or take to the streets for a mega water fight! You'll notice that many Thai shops and buildings don't even bother to take down their "Happy New Year" decorations for the first 4 months of the year -- now you know why! Wondering how this will affect you as a teacher when you start to work in Thailand? Well, both the 'normal' New Year and the Thai New Year are official public holidays. On Chinese New Year, you'll have to work but if you are teaching English in Bangkok or another area with lots of Thai-Chinese people, then very few of your students will come to school, so you'll have a very easy three days.

Well, that's the end of the Top 5! There are probably more to write about, so perhaps I'll expand this to be a "Top 10" in the future!