Living in Bangkok with Two Lurchers

The cross-cultural management course is now a distant memory, other than recently having been emailed a copy of the horrendously awkward group photo that was taken on the last day. Capturing magical moments like this in Thailand is part and parcel of daily life, although I still have no idea whatever happens to these photos as they never normally seem to appear again. Trying Too Hard The on-going challenge of putting what I learned on the course into practice goes on. It has occurred to me recently, partly through my own experience and partly through reading frustrated accounts of other expats in Thailand, that my approach to life here might be slightly flawed. I’ve always been a strong believer that when you’re in a foreign country, you should do what you can to ‘fit in’. I’m not talking about a complete change in behaviour but just some slight modifications to be polite and respectful, such as trying to speak a bit of the language, enthusiastically trying the food and not imm...

Like many expats in Thailand, we still have some financial commitments back in our home country, so there comes a point when the pounds start to run low and you need to send some of those hard-earned Thai baht back to the UK. Background Research I’ve read many Facebook posts on this topic, with people seeking the most cost-effective or ideally free way to transfer money internationally. Options available range from using a third-party company, to posting your Thai ATM card to your home country and getting someone to withdraw cash. We concluded that the safest option is probably just to do an international bank transfer. And so, the fun begins! Banking in Thailand is a bit weird. I’ll admit that I don’t fully understand it, nor can I be really bothered to research it. There are several different banks to choose from although I was told by my employer that I had to open an account with Bangkok Bank if I ever wanted to get paid – the HR team marched me in there before I had time t...