How far does a 40K salary go in Bangkok?

Will you be living well - or simply surviving?

Is it possible to live in Bangkok on a 30,000 baht teacher salary? OK, let's really drill down those numbers.

Welcome to Bang Sue

Life on the outskirts of Bangkok

“You live where??” I usually receive looks of concern from my students when I tell them that I live in the neighborhood of Bang Sue, about an hour away from our school. From my friends, I receive childish giggles. Yes, I get it. Ha Ha. Many people wonder why I would live so far away from my job and my friends.

Myths and misconceptions regarding real estate in Bangkok and Thailand.

Some of the untruths that get banded about concerning Thai real estate

Many of the myths and urban legends addressed in this blog will be ones that we have actually heard from our clients or from other sources within the industry

Is Ratchadaphisek the new Sukhumvit?

An area of Bangkok that is rapidly gaining in popularity as a place to live

So what has happened to Ratchada to transform it into this now arguably superior status? Well obviously it has benefitted immensely from the MRT stations and metro line and this has given Ratchada not only a new lease of life, but has encouraged others to come and live in the area.

Phil's Memory Lane

Now you see it, now you don't.

A light-hearted look at some of the things Bangkokians once took for granted but are now nothing more than a distant memory. Your contributions welcome.

The skytrain to nowhere

I've stumbled upon one of Bangkok's darkest secrets

Are you like me, one of those weary sky-train passengers, looking at those gleaming new BTS stations and wondering simply, when?

Taxi!

The eight kinds of Bangkok taxi driver

Get those rosary beads out mind because if there's one big advantage to being picked up by the tear-arse it's that he’ll get you to that meeting on Sathorn Road in lightning quick time. It may involve running a red light or two and knocking over an old man at the Asoke intersection, but you’ll not miss a minute of that meeting. One way systems? Bus lanes? Let other motorists worry about them. I mean, it's not as if the tear-arse's personal details are actually held by anyone.

Life on the ocean wave

Getting out and about on the mighty Bangkok rivers

As both a non-swimmer and someone who listens to far too many stories of people falling into polluted Bangkok waters, I've made avoiding boat travel one of my missions in life. Perhaps it was time to conquer the fears that had built up inside me for so long.

The mass transit factor

Where do they go and what do they know?

Ajarn takes a look at the Bangkok underground and sky-train systems. How has the average Bangkok teacher's life improved since the systems started operating?