Question Time #5

Let's just get stuck into it, yeah?

My main concern is the location of Lop Buri, the pay, and being able to travel? Have you found the location of Lop Buri to be limiting at all? Since the pay isn't great, has it limited your night life and ability to travel on the weekends? I am very interested in traveling and was wondering if you are able to do so with the pay and location?

 Lop Buri has turned out to be a pretty sweet location, in terms of getting to places. It’s on a major train line (that runs between Bangkok and Chiang Mai), so those two places are easy and cheap to get to (although the overnight train to Chiang Mai can be a bit of a hairy adventure…), and there are places on the train line close by that are good to explore, like Ayutthaya and Bang Pa-in. The train to Bangkok is 3 hrs roughly, and dirt cheap if you go 3^rd class (may as well, it’s not a huge journey). Or if you prefer a shorter journey and air conditioning, there are mini vans that go to Bangkok that take about 2 hours. They’re more expensive, but still not bad. Then there’s the bus terminal that goes to all different places. This past weekend I caught a bus to Pak Chong which is right near a gorgeous national park (part of ‘The Beach’ was filmed there). As for the pay, it really just depends on how wise you are with your funds. I personally haven’t had any troubles being able to go places or have a fruitful nightlife, but admittedly I have dipped into money from home before but also I’m not a lavish spender. Others have had a bit of trouble and have had to dip into their savings. It really just depends on how you spend it.

What do you wear in the classroom bcus of the heat and appropriate??

 I’ve talked about this before, and I’m not entirely sure that every school has the same standards, but I’ve been getting along fine with a button up shirt that covers the shoulders but is short sleeved, and a skirt that goes to the knees, and nice sandals (not rubber). We have sports day on Wednesdays where we have to wear pink polo shirts (easy to find in shops here, so don’t buy one at home in case you don’t have to) and track pants, which is boiling hot but you get over it.

I know your there most of the day, do you do anything after teaching or is it mostly planning and just sleeping?

 Some people go to the gym/pool, or the resort pool. Mostly we just meet up with other interns for dinner, sometimes watch a movie at someone’s place on their laptop. I tend to be able to get my planning done and out of the way during my free time in the school hours. Sometimes a nap will happen after school. It’s up to you man, it’s your free time.

Do u live with anyone and is it scary in bangkok?

 Everyone lives in their own apartment which is kind of like a hotel room, but you have other interns in your building, usually in rooms close to yours. So you’re not alone.

Bangkok is a big city, and so for that reason it can be quite daunting, but I wouldn’t call it scary. I don’t feel unsafe when I’m there. Plus a lot more English is spoken in Bangkok than wherever you’ll be placed, so you don’t need to worry too much about not being understood!

What do you do on the weekends, you've got a pic of the full moon party have you been didnt know if they had them in october and november too?

 We’ve been tending to go away on a lot of our weekends on little trips. We’ve been to Bangkok a few times, other regular weekends I’ve gone to Ko Samet, Kanchanaburi, Chiang Mai, Khao Yai National Park and on the long weekend in July I went to Ko Samui, and we have a long weekend this weekend so it’s off to Hua Hin. Yes I have been to Full Moon Party, those are my photos. I went on the long weekend in July. And yes, the party coincides with the actual full moons (which happen every month), so they will be on in October and November as well. Whether they’re on a weekend or not I don’t know, but there’s a website you can go to which has a list of the party dates, so you can plan the best one for you to go to. When we’re not away on the weekends, we have a big night out in Lop Buri (there’s a bar called ‘Come On Bar’, run by a Thai guy named Tobie who likes to look after the i-to-I interns each year) consisting of drinking at Tobie’s followed by dancing at one of the clubs (there’s about 3). Then the days will be spent hungover, or we might hang out at the Lop Buri Inn Resort pool (they make amazing cheeseburgers there), watch some films at someone’s place or whatever. 

Again, hope this is useful to future interns, and as per usual, don't hesitate to ask me a question! I've done a few of these now, so check back through the past ones in case your question has been covered already. Just so I don't look like a repetitive asshole. Cheers!