Here we go.
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| Front |
To travel half the country on ground: 560 Baht.
From the beach town of Hua Hin in Southern Thailand to the semi-rural
region of Suphanburi in Central Thailand, I spent less than $20. The journey took considerably longer than the
mileage (kilometerage?) would indicate; Thais do things at their own laid-back,
relaxed pace, always with a smile on their face. Schedules are mere suggestions and being in a
rush is reserved for emergencies. They
make the best of all situations and fail to understand visual signs of
irritation. In fact, the more agitated
one becomes at them, the greater their smiles.
Thai culture is preoccupied with pleasing others, and will lie,
misinform, and blindly respond rather than admitting to a lack of understanding
or knowledge. Questions must be asked multiple
times to multiple people and your multiple answers must be taken with a grain of salt.
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| Side Patio |
Thailand attracts many international visitors and
continually exports goods. English is an
essential commodity to Thais, and in addition to the need to appeal to tourism
and English-speaking industries, many students study abroad in an effort to gain
experiences necessary to rise above the middle-lower classes. This demand for native English speakers in
Thailand makes the job a popular choice among Westerners (“Farangs”) who wish
to live well in another country.
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| Living Room |
Thus, when one such person arrives in the country (which
already values appearance over substance) the need to make living situations
appeal to Western expectations is not only important, but mandatory. Communicating with Thai schools can be
tricky. Our program placed me with an
agent who serves as the middleman. He is
commissioned for each month I teach at the school. His pay and mine are independent from one
another: I am on salary and he gets a
fixed rate as well. However, it is in
his best interest that I remain at the school and will go out of their way to make sure we are happy. My and Jeff’s agent is Michael Collins, a
retired Canadian airline pilot and flight instructor with a Thai wife. He is spoiled and understands the Western
culture well. Do not confuse this with a lack of heart or appreciation for Thailand and its need for us; he and his wife operate the store and teach a combined 40 classes per week at the local private primary school in Suphanburi city.
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| Backyard |
His wife found me a two bedroom, one bath house for rent by
a Thai teacher at my school and arranged a monthly rate of 3500 Baht plus
utilities and WiFi. $170/month for
accommodation. Food is negligible, but
perhaps my greatest expense, at $180-200 for food and grocery. Michael has bought me a brand new motorbike
and is leasing it to me for $63 a month, after fuel considerations. Free maintenance. It will be essential for commute to school and the nearby "city" (using the shoulders and making minimal turns). To use my pay-as-I-go phone, I am facing a
$13/month charge for a $10 phone. I live
in a very welcoming community, have already been approached for after-hours
tutoring (good source of money), and can enjoy the view of my backyard
rice-paddy.
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| Front Patio |
The owner is installing air conditioning in one bedroom as I
type. She is bringing in a sofa for the
living room and pots and pans for the kitchen.
Thais rarely cook. Stoves and
ovens do not exist in homes. To my
knowledge, a portable stove and refrigerator will become available later this month
after other English teachers merge residences in the nearby city. Michael has bought me a steel frame
king-sized bed, a wood wardrobe, full bedding, a floor fan, a desk and chair, hot water kettle, dishware, amongst other miscellaneous items to get me on
my feet. Despite such lavish treatment,
I certainly am willing to relinquish some luxuries, trading laundry service for
a bucket and detergent, urban life for rural, and refusing the free TV.
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| Kitchen |
It’s a simpler life.
It’s modest. It’s humbling. And until you’ve had the chance to see your comfortable
bubble from another perspective, you have not lived.
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