Life in Thailand, Singapore Sale

7/27/2019 Life in Thailand, Singapore Sale

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Life in Thailand

The Great Singapore Sale

Life in Hong Kong

Mentor for Japan

Life in Thailand - Telegraph Mentor

Neil Stoneham says that Thailand is a diverse and

fascinating country offering everything from historicalculture to relaxing and thrilling leisure pursuits.

Last Updated: 12:01am BST 24/04/2008Introduction to ThailandVisiting ThailandGetting aroundHousingJobsStudyLeisureHealthcare

Our mentors are volunteers and any information they provide

is for information only and is not intended to be a substitute for

professional advice. Clickhere to access the message boardsterms and conditions.

Neil Stoneham, is a 35 year-old British journalist

currently living in Bangkok, Thailand. He has been here sincearriving as an international school teacher in 1999, changingcareer when an opportunity arose to work for the Bangkok Postat the beginning of 2004.

Neil writes mainly educational features for the learningpost supplement of the newspaper but also writes freelancepieces for other publications. In addition to his full-timeoccupation, Neil hopes to one day finish a radio drama script ormaybe even get over the 10,000-word threshold of his elusivefirst novel.

Neil will be happy to answer any queries you may haveabout visiting or living in Thailand. He has a particularly goodknowledge of the international education scene, although isunable to recommend specific schools for your child.

Introduction to Thailand: Although Thailandsunofficial moniker as the Land of Smiles has becomesomething of a clich, it is no less true because of it. Smiling isa Thai specialty, as is cooking some of the tastiest food on theplanet and a warm welcome wherever you go.

Renowned for its tolerant and ancient peace-lovingculture, Thailand has become a Mecca for people from allwalks of life. Whether youre looking for an idyllic beach,historical monuments or an extremely diverse nightlife, thenThailand has something to offer.

Living here can be an exhilarating mixture ofpleasantness and frustration. If the fumes and chaos ofBangkok become a little too much, for example, youre only ashort ride away from tropical paradise and inexpensive resorts.

Its also well situated for visiting the rest of Asia and Australis only four hours away by plane.

More and more Thais are learning to speak gooEnglish, so communication should be fairly easy, especially ithe tourist areas of Bangkok, Chiang Mai (Thailands seconlargest city) and beachside resorts.

Thailand has a constitutional monarchy (the current Kinis the longest serving monarch in the world) and has a prouhistory of never having been colonized. Royalty is revereabsolutely and it is never appropriate to speak negatively abou

them, even in close company.

Buddhist Monks walk out of a temple in Bangkok

It is also worth noting that the tsunami-hit areas arounPhuket are recovering much quicker than their counterparts other countries because of the more advanced infrastructure. Sbe sure to make Phuket an option if you are planning a holidahere.

Visiting Thailand: The high season from October tMarch is the most pleasant in terms of weather. Temperatureare bearable and can even be quite pleasant around Christmatime. Note, however, that this is also the most expensive periofor resorts and hotels.

April is best avoided as the temperatures can reac

into the 40s and, no matter how used to it you are, it still feeunbearable.

The rains come in June and temperatures settle dow

again. Visit from this time until September if you like a goobargain and dont mind the odd shower.

Most of Thailand is safe. However, there is a lot ounrest from separatists in the southernmost tip of the countryparticularly in the provinces of Yala, Narrathiwat and Pattanso they are best avoided.

Getting around: Bangkok is notorious for its traffjams and this would seem a fair assessment. Having said that, is often no worse than in many other major cities, and you calearn to navigate your way round much more efficiently afteyou have been here a while. There are plenty of ways to gearound Bangkok and whichever mode you choose will largeldepend on how adventurous you are.

The safest and most efficient way of getting around is bthe Sky Train which snakes above the city in most major areaincluding the business districts. Then there is the relatively newunderground Metro which complements the sky train routeand, again, serves important areas. Nonetheless, at present, thservice is fairly limited to central Bangkok but work is ongoinand by the end of the decade, the public transport systeshould be on a par with any modern city.

Next up, Bangkok is served by a very cheap taxi servicThe taxis are mostly quite new and air-conditioned, as well abeing in plentiful supply youll never really have to wamore than a minute or two before flagging one dow
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However, this means they also clog up the rounds, thuscompounding the traffic jam situation.

The skytrain in Bangkok

Taxi fares are charged by the meter and anyone whooffers to take you somewhere for a price should be refused asthe chances are they will be ripping you off. A sizeableminority of taxi drivers, it has to be said, also like to throw in afew fairground-like thrills into the bargain while they aredriving you to your destination! It is, nonetheless, a servicemost favoured by expats and seems to work fairly well.

If youre adventurous, you might like to try the famous

samlor or tuk-tuk as they are better known. These threewheeled fume-belching open-air taxis are a fun and cheap wayto explore the city. Fares are negotiated in advance with thedriver. Also, for the even more adventurous, motor-cycle taxiscan speedily wind their way among the traffic if youre in ahurry.

If you are looking to travel around Thailand, the trainnetwork is certainly a cheap and comfortable, if very slow,option. Most destinations are served from Hua Lompongstation in Bangkok and sleeper carriages are available on longovernight journeys. The road network is also an option if youwant to hire a car. Road quality is usually fairly good with themajority of signposts written in English as well as Thai.

A modern air-transport system serves Thailand as well asother international destinations. New, low cost airlines arebringing fares down to both domestic and Asian cities. ThaiAirways International (THAI) is the national carrier and verygood it is too. In anticipation of the new Bangkok InternationalAirport (to be opened sometime in 2006), THAI are goingthrough something of a revamp, so the service shouldeventually be top notch.

Housing: Most expatriates live in condominiums orrented houses. These are in plentiful supply in most major Thaicities and there is a good range available.

Depending on your budget, it is possible to live inanything from a modest one bedroom apartment, to a grand

200 sq metre condo overlooking the city. Most condos comewith a swimming pool and gym facilities. Rental prices areusually about half to two-thirds of the price you would pay forthe same thing in the UK.

By law, foreigners are not allowed to own land inThailand. You can, however, purchase apartments above theground floor and these can be fairly inexpensive, although thanks to the booming economy prices are going up fast.

In addition, the laws for purchasing apartments meanthat, unless you have a good stock of money back home (wherea third or more of the money has to come from), getting a loanfrom a Thai bank is quite difficult.

Some foreigners opt to get round the law by purchasingproperty through a Thai partner or friend, although, in certaincircumstances, this might not be a good idea.

Jobs: Thailand is a popular country for expatriateworkers. The perks and standard of living here makes it anattractive proposition, which means it can be fairlycompetitive. A large number of expatriates have been sent hereby their companies back home but there are a sizeable numberof them who got jobs while visiting Thailand.

By far the most feasible option for foreigners is to workas an English teacher. Acquiring some formal qualification,

such as TEFL certificate, will virtually guarantee you workhere. There is a reason for this, however. The salary for mostEnglish teachers is very small and you will be lucky to earnanything more than 30,000 baht (450) a month. Thats enoughto get by but dont expect to be able to afford any luxuries.

A Thai man places durians onto a pile at a fruit market

Try www.ajarn.com to get the bigger picture. You willrequire a work permit and special visa (which must be obtainedoutside the country) to work in Thailand. These require a hugeamount of bureaucracy and, unless you have a job sorted outalready, it is pointless trying to obtain one.

Working illegally is not advised unless you dont mindrisking a spell in the Bangkok Hilton (and I dont mean the

hotel). Try these English language newspapers for the latestvacancies www.bangkokpost.com orwww.nationmultimedia.com.

Study: Thailand probably has the most diverse andvaried international education scene in the world. There aresome excellent schools here, although they are not cheap.However, it shouldnt be too difficult to find a school whichfits your budget and location requirements. www.isat.or.th is auseful resource as is the Bangkok Posts education sectionwww.bangkokpost.com/education.

The local government education system is going througha period of radical change and, although there are manysuccess stories, there are few Thai schools that would come

close to international schools in terms of suitability forexpatriate children.

Universities mostly cater for the local populationalthough a few of the bigger universities offer courses inEnglish. My general impression is that they are not quite up tothe standards of good British or American institutions but arecertainly an option for students who want to study abroad.

Leisure: There are so many ways of spending yourleisure time in Thailand, it is impossible to mention even halfof them here. As a general guide, however, read on.

Restaurants serving local and international cuisine fromall corners of the planet can be found in our capital. And

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Bangkok certainly has the best nightlife, ranging from themodern hip dance clubs on Royal City Avenue to the fameddens of iniquity on Soi Nana or Soi Cowboy. Whatever rocksyour boat, Thailand can certainly rock it!

If you want something more tranquil, visit the islands ofKo Samui, Ko Samet, Phuket or the land resort of Hua Hin.Jungle and countryside can be found in the beautiful Kao Yainational park (just a couple of hours drive from Bangkok) orthe high mountains of the north around Chiang Mai or ChiangRai.

If you want history, a must is a visit to Kanchanaburi

home to the fascinating Death Railway and the fabled BridgeOver the River Kwai.

Thailand welcomes people of all nationalities, religionsand cultures as well as those from the LGBT community.

Health care: Good health care is readily available inThailand. Bumrungrad hospital in Bangkok provides worldclass private health care and there are many smallerinternational hospitals around areas populated by tourists.

Its a good idea to take out health insurance if notprovided by your company or if you are visiting.

Ask questions and read the answers on the MentorNoticeboard. Clickhere to access the message boards termsand conditions.

Leave some space in your suitcase

Rosie Milne turns Fearless Investigative Reporter to cover

The Great Singapore Sale.

Last Updated: 12:01am BST 12/06/2008

This week I decided enough of the Luscious Lady already; I'dre-brand myself as a Fearless Investigative Reporter.And what would I investigate, in my heroic new role?

Shopping.

Bag a bargain: during The Great Singapore Sale discounts

of up to 70 per cent are available

I believe I've mentioned before that shopping ispractically the national sport of Singapore. Let me now tell youthat each year the rush to the malls reaches a frenzied climaxduring The Great Singapore Sale.

This annual extravaganza is the time to bag big bargainsand grab great deals, for two months, discounts of up to 70 percent are offered just about everywhere and on just aboutanything carpets, furniture, clothes, electronics, you name it.

We are currently right in the middle of The Sale it endon July 20th. So I thought it would be a good idea to takmyself along to Orchard Road, Singapore's, premier shoppinstreet, there to pounce on unsuspecting tourists, to quiz them otheir knowledge of, and participation in, the glorious event.

The first victims of my pouncing were an elderly coupfrom Adelaide, who didn't want to give their names.

They were in Singapore on a three-day stopover on theway back to Australia from Europe, where they'd spent eighweeks visiting Mr Nameless' family.

I asked them if they'd known about The Great Singapor

Sale before they'd arrived."Yes we did," said Mrs Nameless, "but we're n

interested in doing any shopping," Mr Nameless took ov"Our suitcases are all full up" he explained, "there's no roomfor anything else."

This, I felt, was not a particularly auspicious start to mcareer as a Fearless Investigative Reporter. I didn't have mucluck with my next couple, either.

I thought they looked American. He was large, andressed in a loud, striped shirt with a baseball cap on his headShe was also large.

They were outside the Orchard Road Hilton, and he wacarrying a shopping bag, from Armani. They were sure to b

shopaholics, I thought.Perhaps they were. But when I approached them MLarge looked at me blankly, and said something in whatthought was probably Spanish, and Mr Large growled, "Wdon't speak English." Hmm. Was this a ploy?

In my green and salad days I used to brush-off annoyinmen, intent on chat-up, by pretending not to speak English, anI'd probably use the strategy on a Fearless InvestigativReporter, too, given half the chance.

The next couple I tried were Iranians, and they didnwant to speak to me either. But then I met Doug and ZinSearcy, from Perth.

They were regular visitors to Singapore, and knew aabout The Sale. This time they were here after a three-wee

cruise of Asia, calling in at Thailand, Vietnam and Hong KongThey'd spent "lots of money" in The Sale, "too much

more than we anticipated," said Zina, "our bank manager wonbe very happy with us when we get back."

Doug had bought a camera, a watch and a pair obinoculars, whilst Zina had bought, trinkets, souvenirs, and loof bling.

"Our suitcases are now overweight said Doug, "We'have to be prepared to pay the excess, but I hope the planeonly half full, so we get away with not doing."

Victoria and Sergey, a good-looking young couple fromMoscow were also regular visitors to Singapore this was thefifth visit, and they were here for a week's holiday.

Did many Russians visit Singapore, I wondered."Not really" said Sergey, in delightfully accente

English, "Russia needs more information about Singapore." Sthere you go, a hot tip for the Singapore Tourism Board.

Victoria was obviously into fashion. She was wearinimpressively glamorous shades that wouldn't have looked ouof place on that other Victoria, Mrs Beckham, and a spangleT-shirt emblazoned with the legend "I love dancing."

She showed me her shoes. These were divinely straplittle red sandals, and she'd bought them in The Sale.

She'd also bought lots of T-shirts, "though my suitcasearen't full yet."

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Sergey looked alarmed at this remark, and I beat a hastyretreat, in case I'd sparked a domestic.

Fresh from my encounter with the young Russians, I raninto some even younger, jeans-clad Americans. There werefive of them, three women and two men.

"You're obviously travelling with a group" I said,relishing this opportunity to show off my deductive powers.

"How many of you are there?" I was rather taken abackby their reply, which was 2,500.

It turned out that they were members of the US military,serving with the USS Peleliu, which was in port for a couple of

days. And where had they been before?"We're not at liberty to reveal that information, ma'am." I

was so excited by this reply I could barely contain myself.Not only did it sound so thrillingly cloak-and-dagger, but

they'd also called me ma'am!Did they know anything at all about the Singapore Sale?"No ma'am." (Ma'am!).Now I'd let them in on the secret, did they plan to buy

anything?"We're only allowed 25lbs of personal luggage for a six-

nine month tour. We're not supposed to take stuff on board, butwe might try to sneak back a few T-shirts."

I asked the two women of the party, Julie Blackmore,

Operations Specialist, and Sarah Klump, of InteriorCommunications, if it was hard not to go shopping.They both gave me looks that said plain as day that they,

unlike me, were not as shallow as a puddle.I next happened upon a lovely Canadian woman, outside

a jewellery shop.She was from Sudbury, a nickel-mining town in

Northern Ontario, and we fell into a discussion of possiblesimilarities with Sudbury, Suffolk, UK.

These, we decided, were not likely to be very many,although neither of us could be sure, since neither of us hadever actually visited Sudbury, Suffolk.

I got so distracted by Sudbury and Sudbury I cleanforgot to ask her about shopping.

So, then: that's me sacked as a Fearless InvestigativeReporter.

Rosie Milne's novels How To Change Your Life and

Holding The Baby are both published by Pan, they are

available through Amazon UK.John Huggett is an artist and illustrator whose works

are available through his website atwww.johnhuggett.com

Life in Hong Kong

Last Updated: 12:01am BST 11/04/2008Hong KongClimateAccommodationMoneyHealth careGetting aroundEntertainment

Sadly, Sally Nicholls, our mentor in Hong Kong for

many years, died in March 2008, aged 58, after a long illness.

Sally was a talented voice artist and scriptwriter, whose

interests included astrology, alternative medicine and animal

welfare. We have left the information below, written by Sally,

as a resource for anyone seeking information on life in Hong

Kong.For those in need of any additional advice, you can visit

our Hong Kong message board. Clickhere to access the

message boards terms and conditions.Hong Kong is a vibrant place and offers opportunities to

try new things and to 'have a go'. If you come with an expatpackage, finding a place to live will be easier as rents are thekiller here. If you can get over the rent hurdle the life you

experience here will be fast, dedicated to work and thealmighty dollar - any dollar!

Hong Kong consists of three areas: Hong Kong Island,Kowloon and The New Territories. Cost-wise, the island is themost expensive place to live in and The New Territories are theleast expensive.

Hong Kong is very beautiful and about 40 per cent of itis uninhabited because it is so hilly. There are several countryparks with good walks and inhabited by animals such as wildboar, barking deer, porcupines and monkeys. It goes withoutsaying that the parks are also inhabited by snakes.

Most people live crowded together in the more user-friendly, flatter areas. Try to go out on a junk trip and see the

lovely coastline of Hong Kong and its islands. A downside isthat the pollution is quite bad and public transport gets verycrowded.

There is quite a cosmopolitan feel to Hong Kong.Though it is definitely Chinese, you can feel the westerninfluence here and the place buzzes with activity, possibilityand excitement. There is a gritty, 'get on with it' feel to HongKong and it's not for the faint-hearted.

Climate: Sub tropical: January - Febuary: cool, usuallydry; March - May: warm, wet, grey; June - September: veryhot, very humid, lots of rain, often sunny and steamy; Octoberto December - everybody's favourite - low humidity, sunny,cool.

Accommodation: Rents are high. Space is limited and

flats tend to be small - you pay a lot of money for a spaciousfeel. Gardens are rare.

Cheaper areas to live include the Outer Islands - Lantau,Cheung Chau, Lamma - and The New Territories. When itcomes to electricity, Hong Kong is the same as the UK, 220 v.3-pin square plugs are the legal norm, but older buildings stillhave 3 pin, round, small and large. The power supply isreliable.

Money: The Hong Kong dollar, linked to the US dollar,is steady at around 7.7 Hong Kong dollars to one US dollar.Hong Kong, as befits an economic centre, possesses excellentbanking facilities.

Health care: Expensive. Try TCM - Traditional Chinese

Medicine instead.Getting around: MTR (Mass Transit Railway) - an

underground railway which covers many main living areas andis clean, reliable, safe and affordable.

An excellent airport to central service - though it isn'tcheap. A very good bus sevice to most places. Double-deckerbuses on many routes. Also mini-buses (aka PLBs - PublicLight Buses) which stop wherever they can, not only at busstop.

It is always possible to get a seat because nobody isallowed to stand. Both types of bus require the fare to be paidin advance, exact amount and no change given. One point to

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remember about Hong Kong mini bus drivers is that they aretrained to accelerate away from the bus stop sufficienty fast forall passengers who have just got on to fall down in a heap!

We drive on the left, like in the UK, and have round-abouts, traffic lights, speed limits and a horrendous problemwith parking. Petrol is expensive, parking is expensive, car taxis expensive and insurance is expensive!

The driving is not particularly fast, on the whole, butevery second counts and if you leave a safe distance betweenyou and the car in front, someone will slip into it. Drivers don'thoot much, or bully much - but equally they may not let you in

much!Taxis are good, safe and reliable on the whole. $15

flagfall.In general, Hong Kong is an extremely safe city to walk

around in. Obviously, there are basic precautions to observe,but in general it's reassuringly safe.

Entertainment: There are wonderful restaurants andevery type of cuisine is available: Chinese, Vietnamese, Thai,Japanese, Middle Eastern, Indian, French, Italian, Spanish,German, American and, of course, English!

Steer clear of eating rare and protected species. There aretraditional beliefs attached to eating these which frequently boildown, if you'll pardon the pun, to lasting longer in the sack.

Wine and spirits are expensive.

Mentor for Japan

Philip Bryan says Tokyo is proudly homogeneous with

Japanese citizens making up ninety per cent of the city's

residents.

Last Updated: 12:01am BST 29/11/2004TokyoClimateGetting aroundHousingHealth careWorking life

VisasOur mentors are volunteers and any information they provideis for information only and is not intended to be a substitute for

professional advice. Clickhere to access the message boardsterms and conditions.

I was born in London, grew up in Rhodesia/Zimbabwewhere my parents had a ranch, went to boarding school inEngland, university in Rhodesia and London, worked for the

Foreign and Commonwealth Office for about 10 years, andmoved to Japan in 1991.

I worked in the financial business for about five yearsand then switched to teaching. I now teach English andbusiness methods, as well as doing some freelance writing,editing and web design work. I am 48 years old and I live withmy Japanese wife, Akemi, and our son, Harry.

Tokyo: Like Japan, Tokyo is proudly homogeneous withmore than ninety per cent of the city's residents being Japanese,followed by the large Japan-born Korean community, most ofwhom are not Japanese citizens. The foreign community (i.e.,not Japanese or Korean) is growing but it is almost completely

transient - being the world's most expensive city does nattract many retirees or settlers.

English is becoming more common in Japan but yoshould not expect it to be too well known. For example, fewpolicemen, taxi drivers or shop assistants speak more than couple of words.

Climate: Tokyo's climate is similar to London, but noso cold. Snow is known but not every year, and it rarely dropbelow zero even at night. Summers are long, hot and verhumid. Days when it reaches 38c plus ninety-five per cenhumidity are not rare!

Outside Tokyo, the climate varies a lot - from Hokkaidowith its ski resorts, to Okinawa, with its over-popular beacheTokyo has a rainy season from late May to late June, but this unreliable - we barely had a drop this year. Despite a lack orain, I have never experienced water shortages or rationing.

Getting around: A car is not only unnecessary Tokyo, it is also expensive, with parking spaces costing ove250 a month even in the suburbs. The public transport systembus and underground, is extensive and totally reliable. Whatmore, fares are extremely reasonable - the Tokyo 'Metro' much cheaper than the 'Tube'.

For travel outside of Tokyo, JR (the railway) servevirtually everywhere, and reasonably priced highway bus

serve even more places. There are few if any villages that arnot served by some form of regular transport.Taxis are safe and not too expensive, but have you

destination written in Japanese, and don't be surprised if thdriver takes time to find it. Not only is there no London-styltest for cabbies here, Japan's truly archaic address systemeans that even locals frequently get lost!

If you do decide to drive, an international licence useful. If you convert your own driving licence into a Japanesone, be prepared - they have to be renewed every few yearCar insurance is high but getting better since Japan alloweforeign companies into this market.

Tokyo's skyline and Mount Fuji

Like all of Japan, Tokyo is incredibly safe, although this sadly changing. Despite this, visitors should still exerciscommon sense. Luckily I have never been the victim of an

crime or petty theft, but it does happen.The only areas which might be considered less than sa

are the entertainment or 'red light' districts, such as Ropponand Kabukicho. However, even in these very unattractivneighbourhoods, you are much safer than in most parts oLondon.

Housing: Japan is small and overcrowded, so any formof housing is very expensive. There are no laws againforeigners owning property (I own my own home) but gettingmortgage might be difficult - my Japanese spouse helped mcase.

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Renting is also expensive, although only foolish folk paythe 7,000+ monthly rent some apartments here ask for. If yourcompany isn't paying your rent, forget the housing agenciesthat advertise in English and try to use word of mouth or havesomeone check the Japanese adverts. Also, be prepared forlimited space. Many Japanese flats are smaller than a Britishliving room!

Health care: Japan's hospitals and doctors are good, ifnot great. Medical costs are high so some form of insurance isvital. The government health insurance, the cost of which isbased on your income, is easy to get and widely accepted.

However, most companies have their own scheme which paysa large percentage of the cost.

There are no private ambulances, the Fire Brigade'sbeing the only ones used. The 'international' hospitals are veryexpensive but few outside medical people speak much English.However, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government has a websitethat advises you where you can find English-speaking doctors,dentists, etc.

Working life: If you work for a Japanese company, thenyour sick leave and vacation are one and the same - a bad boutof Flu can easily use up your holiday allowance. What's more,the average holiday allowance is two weeks a year. Somecompanies even require you to use that vacation allowance at a

set time of year, like the overwhelmingly popular 'O-bon'period in early August.However, Japan does have a lot of national holidays, and

the New Year break usually lasts from three days to two weeks,depending on the company. However, shops and transportusually work every day of the year. Christmas is not a holidayhere - less than one per cent of Japan is Christian, after all.

Japan's taxes are quite low, but this means there isalmost no welfare system. Should you lose your job, you mightbe entitled to three to six months labour insurance payment,based on what you have earned. Old age pensions are a jokeand may soon disappear. If you don't work, you generally don'teat. As in many Asian countries, you are on your own.

Visas: Japan has a fairly complicated visa system, which

you can check out at the Foreign Ministry's website.There are many illegal workers here, usually Asians or

Africans in factories or building sites. There are also manyWesterners illegally working as English teachers on touristvisas, but this is not recommended. Anyone who has read whatAmnesty International said about Japan's Immigration jails willnot want to risk being a guest.

To get a proper working visa here, you need some formof verifiable qualification and/or experience. What's more,work visas are only issued outside, meaning you might need topop over to Seoul once your paperwork is approved.

Being married to a local is very helpful, as a spouse visadoes allow you to work. Once you have lived here for around

five years or so, you can apply for 'Permanent Resident' status,as I did. This means you never need to renew your visa anymore, and it does make it easier to get a bank loan/mortgage.What's more, there is a proposal to let us 'Permanents' vote inlocal elections.

Citizenship is available, but you need to speak, read andwrite like a Japanese schoolchild of eight years old - whichmay sound simple until you remember how complicated thelanguage is, with three different sets of writing systems.

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