The Bangkok Guide, written by the Australian-New Zealand Women's Group, is one of the best resources available for expats settling into Bangkok.
Naturally there can be frustrations to living in Bangkok. Traffic can be heavy but it is now no worse than many other major capital cities. The skytrain, underground and meter taxis/motorbike taxis make travelling around the city easy and affordable.
Note: All taxis are metered with the starting fee of 35 baht for the first 3 kilometres and then 5 baht per kilometre. All Bangkok taxis must turn on their meters; it is illegal not to.
On a day-to-day basis, teachers enjoy a varied social life. Many teachers join one of the many large, modern gyms located across the city. Jogging is hard in the city with the heat and traffic on the roads. Some people do go to one of the parks to run. There are some sporting activities that take place after school such as yoga and football. There are often social trips to enjoy Bangkok’s restaurants and clubs; shopping is excellent and varies from local markets to luxury shopping malls; the cinema is very cheap and many teachers develop other interests such as learning Thai.
The standard of living for teachers is very good – your money goes a long way and still allows for travelling around the region during the holidays. If you are the sort of person who only wants to eat Western food and buy Western products then you may find it more expensive but still affordable. Local produce is good and very reasonably priced.
(*Note that prices may vary depending on product and service provider and the list below shows average prices)
| ACCOMMODATION (monthly rent in good area) |
|---|
| Furnished two-bedroom house | from 38,000 THB |
| Unfurnished two-bedroom house | from 32,000 THB |
| Furnished two-bedroom apartment | from 28,000 THB |
| Unfurnished two-bedroom apartment | from 18,000 THB |
| GROCERIES |
|---|
| Dozen eggs | 55 THB |
| 1 litre milk | 45 THB |
| Loaf of bread (white) | 35 THB |
| Chicken breasts (1kg) | 98 THB |
| Pack of cigarettes (Marlboro) | 90 THB |
| UTILITIES / HOUSEHOLD (monthly) |
|---|
| Mobile call rate (per minute – mobile to mobile) | 1.75 THB |
| Internet (uncapped ADSL or cable) | 640 THB |
| Electricity (standard household) | 2,200 THB |
Weather in Bangkok tends to be hot and humid year-round, with slight regional variation and seasonal change. The climate in Thailand is tropical, and expats will soon find themselves well acquainted with the monsoon, a seasonal wind that can bring heavy precipitation. For the most part, weather in the Bangkok metropolitan region can be broken up into three major seasons: the dry, cool season (November to February), the hot season (March to June) and the rainy season (June to October). Temperatures are fairly hot year-round, ranging from an average low of 22°C in December to an average high of 34°C in April.
