I found an apartment in Bangkok on craigslist.org. I learnt this tip from the 4-Hour Workweek book. I avoided property agents and contacted ads post by apartment owners. Before searching on craigslist.org, I spent a lot of time contacting property agents and browsing Thai property sites that listed apartments at ridiculously high rates.

Amazingly, I am paying about the same amount of rent I am paying back home in Singapore but it is much better here. I’ve got loads of cable TV channels, free internet, cheap utilities, more space and I am allowed to keep my 4 cats here. I think I got a really good deal here and I am really happy with my apartment. I also followed Tim’s advice on living in hostels for a while before moving into an apartment.

Living in hostels in not for everyone. The shared dorms can get rather smelly once they are full. I spent 8 nights at a hostel before moving to a hotel. The benefits of hostels is you get to meet new people and they are very cheap.

I spent my first week in Bangkok visiting all the tourist destinations. I then used the second and third week to find my apartment. I also took the time to find out about the private Thai language schools in Bangkok and found a school with reasonable rates. I will be applying for a 1 year student visa so that I can live here to learn Thai. That’s my legal way to live in Thailand. It isn’t a permanent solution, but I shall take it a step at a time.

I have been making as many connections as possible in Thailand. I have met so many new people and I am sure great things will result from these friendships in the near future.

Moving to a new country is easy for some people and hard for others. I believe I am a very adaptable person and I am willing to learn a new language, culture and way of life.

My Dad told me I would find it tough to live in Bangkok because I am not a Thai. I am glad I did not listen to him because I can easily pass off as a Thai with my black hair and yellow skin. In fact, Thais speak Thai with me and I have to apologize and say,”I am not Thai, do you speak English?”.

Once I have upgraded my Thai speaking skills to a decent conversational level, life would be so much easier. At the moment, I am learning more and more words everyday through my Thai friends and my Thai language books/CDs. I can even bargain for a good deal at the Chatuchak flea market with my limited Thai. I am fine with most of the tones in the Thai language but I am struggling with the nasal “NERR” sounds.

Tagged As: Bangkok, Singapore, Thai language, Thailand, visa

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