the a+ student exchange
THAILAND
guide to
tell me more about THAILAND!
Thailand, officially the Kingdom of Thailand and formerly known as Siam, is a country at the center of the Southeast Asian Indochinese peninsula composed of 76 provinces. At 513,120km square and over 68 million people, Thailand is the world’s 50th largest country by total area and 21st most populous country! The capital and largest city of Thailand is Bangkok and that is where the world-class National University, Chulalongkorn University is located in!
Fun fact: Students who attend Chulalongkorn University have to wear school uniforms! Isn’t that something special for university students?
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Source: Wikipedia
Thailand, also known as the Land of Smiles, is a popular place for tourists to head to every year! It is no surprise why students would want to go Thailand for their exchange programme, given the delicious delicacies available there and also everything there including the shopping is relatively cheap!
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wHAT DO THAI SPEAK?
The official language of Thailand is Thai, or often mentioned as Central Thai. It is natively spoken by over 20 million Thais. The population living in the western and eastern part of Thailand speak central Thai as their first language whereas the population living in the northern and northeastern part of Thailand speak both Central Thai and their respective regional dialects. In this link here, you can see that there are so many regional dialects, with the Central Plains Thai, Capital Core Thai, Upper Central Thai, Southwestern Thai and Khorat Thai speaking their own regional dialects.
If you’re interested to learn more about how to speak Thai fluently, you can refer to this short 5 min Youtube video!
And yes, for males and females, there are different sets of words that you have to use, if not….it will be pretty awkward…
If you are a male, you have to end the sentence/word/phrase with krup.
If you are a female, you have to end the sentence/word/phrase with ka/kap.
Some common phrases that are good to know:
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Source: Mari Johnson Youtube Channel
PLACES OF INTEREST
1. Pratunam Market
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Pratunam Market is Thailand’s largest clothing market, where vendors sell clothes, shoes, fashion accessories and food at very affordable and wholesale prices. The Pratunam Market is like a maze, with many small alleys and packed streets with vendors selling from cheap T-shirts to leather goods, you will surely leave the market with your hands full with shopping bags!
It is not easy to find where is the start and end of the Pratunam Market. It is simply located at the intersection of the Petchburi and Ratchaprop roads.
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I recommend you to go during the morning-afternoon though! There is a myth that says the Thai vendors are more willing to give you a good price during the early morning when the shop has just opened as they believe that it represents good luck to get business immediately once the shop has just opened!
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Address: 869, 30 Phetchaburi Rd, Khwaeng Thanon Phaya Thai, Khet Ratchathewi, Krung Thep Maha Nakhon 10400, Thailand
Opening hours: Everyday, 10:00 to 20:00
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Source: Pratunam Market Trip Advisor
2. Platinum Mall
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Well well well, what can I say about the Platinum Shopping Mall??? I am sure everyone who has been to Bangkok before must have visited the Platinum Shopping mall!
Platinum Shopping Mall, similar to Pratunam Market, specialises in wholesale fashion clothings and accessories. Platinum Shopping Mall is air-conditioned with 6 levels that are named after famous shopping districts all over the world, such as Oxford, Soho, Camden, Ginza, Orchard and Nathan. There is a four star hotel, Novotel Bangkok Platinum, situated above the Platinum Shopping Mall.
Platinum Shopping Mall is well known for its cheap prices for trendy and fashionable clothings and accessories. If you buy more, you save more! Or if you’re able to haggle and bargain well, you’ll get more savings as well!
Address: 222 Phetchaburi Rd, Khwaeng Thanon Phetchaburi, Khet Ratchathewi, Krung Thep Maha Nakhon 10400, Thailand
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Opening hours:
Weekdays excluding Wednesday: 0900-2000
Wednesday and Weekends: 0800-2000
Try to go earlier in the afternoon as it tends to get crowded after lunchtime!
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Source: Platinum Mall
3. Siam
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Siam is in Pathum Wan District of Bangkok and many local Thais refer Siam as the very center, the heart of Bangkok. The Siam area has many shopping malls:
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Siam Paragon, where you can find many designer labels and including an IMAX
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Siam Center, where there are many local and international brands
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Siam Square, referred to the Shinjuku or Soho of Thailand
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MBK Center, where you can find many electronics related products
4. ​Chatuchak Weekend Market
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Chatuchak Weekend Market is a must visit for everyone who visits Bangkok!
The offerings in Chatuchak is so wide and diverse that there are 20 over sections dedicated to divide the products into categories.
Here below you can see a rough map of the Chatuchak Weekend Market. This will help you in deciding where to go to efficiently spend your day!
I would recommend to pay a visit at Zone 2 and 3 where I consider the more hipster places of Chatuchak. Even though the map says that Zone 2 is for furniture & decor objects, Zone 3 is for plant & gardening tool, the zones actually have more fashion clothings and accessories available! Most of the shops in Zone 2 and 3 are air-conditioned and the offerings there are more premium and unique.
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Wear light, prepare sunglasses, sunblock, a fan and lots of water to tide you through the shopping day! It will get very crowded in Chatuchak so be prepared for it!
Source: thewayfaringsoul
Address: Kamphaeng Phet 3 Rd, Lat Yao, Khet Chatuchak, Krung Thep Maha Nakhon 10900, Thailand (BTS Skytrain: Mo Chit Station)
Opening hours: Friday: 1800-0000, Weekends: 0900-1800
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Source: Chatuchak Weekend Market
5. ​True Love Husky Cafe
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True Love Cafe is a cafe opened by former Husky breeders where they feature around 20 huskies. You can get to enjoy your 1 hour of playtime in the playing area where you can get to pet them, feed them with ice and take photos with them!
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It costs about 350 baht for an admission ticket which includes a complimentary drink and cake. However, this husky cafe is very popular and I recommend you to make an early booking to get a slot!
Address: 153 Paholyothin Soi Ari Samphan 2, Bangkok, Thailand (situated around the housing estate and recommended to take a taxi/tuktuk in)
Opening hours:
Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday: 1200-1800
2 Interactive sessions: 1230 and 1530
Friday, Saturday & Sunday: 1200-2000
3 Interactive sessions: 1230, 1530 and 1830
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I believe most of you who are going to Thailand for exchange will most probably go to Chulalongkorn University so for my following places of interest, places to eat and nightlife, I will be focusing on Bangkok, where the city never sleeps!
Weather in thailand
Thailand can be best described as tropical and humid for the majority of the country during most of the year. The southern parts of Thailand get by far the most rain, with 2,400 millimetres every year, compared with the central and northern regions of Thailand which both get around 1,400 millimetres.
The best time to visit Thailand would be between November to February when the northeast monsoon is blowing cool, dry air that serves as a respite from the heat. During this cool season, the temperature ranges from 18 to 32 degrees Celsius in Bangkok, while in the northern and eastern Thailand, it can get as low as 8 to 12 degrees Celsius.
The summer period, March to June, have average temperature of 34 degrees Celsius in Bangkok. From July to October, it is the monsoon period, with the humidity averaging just under 90%, temperatures averaging around 29 degrees Celsius in a very rainy Bangkok.
Source: Travelfish.org
PLACES to eat
1. TALAD NEON Night Market
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Situated right beside The Berkeley Hotel Pratunam, it is not difficult to spot the TALAD NEON night market with its colourful tents. At TALAD NEON, you will be able to find many food vendor there, with many local Thai food to choose from.
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I recommend you to order Tom Yam Goong soup (Thai sour and spicy coconut soup), Salt baked fish and a plate of stir fried morning glory!
Address: 1087, 167 Phetchaburi Rd, Khwaeng Makkasan, Khet Ratchathewi, Krung Thep Maha Nakhon 10400, Thailand
Opening hours: 1700-0000, Daily
2. Rod Fai Ratchada Train Market
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Rod Fai Ratchada Train Market is my personal favourite as it has a hipster vibe to it although it is a night market. Rod Fai Ratchada offers many food and fashionable clothings and accessories, alongside with its 2 long streets of hipster cafes and bars.
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You can simply find a seat at any random restaurant that is crowded! If it is crowded, there must be a reason why! You can try their egg noodles, Tom Yam Goong soup etc.
Address: Ratchadaphisek Rd, Khwaeng Din Daeng, Khet Din Daeng, Krung Thep Maha Nakhon 10400, Thailand
Opening hours: 1700-0100
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3. Boat Noodles at Victory Monument​
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I am sure you have heard of the Thailand Boat Noodles! The Thailand Boat Noodle is a Thai style noodle dish that is often served using the kwayteow noodle. You can however choose the kind of noodles you want ranging from egg noodles, rice noodles to vermicelli! There are pork and beef options, with noodles, dark soya sauce, meatballs, pig’s liver, morning glory and some Thai spices and chilli flakes. The soup base of the noodles contain pig’s blood, to make the sauce more thick and concentrated.
Do not be afraid of the pig’s blood! It is not as bloody as you think it is! It really gives the whole bowl of noodles it’s wonderful and unique taste.
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Each bowl of boat noodle costs roughly 12 baht, that is really cheap isn’t it! However, you will be able to finish a bowl in 3-5 mouths and you might have to order as many bowls as the photo below!
Address: Victory Monument BTS station, at the Boat Noodle alley where you have to cross the canal. There will be a whole street of boat noodle restaurants there!
4. After You Dessert Cafe
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There are a few After You cafes around in Bangkok! The one that I frequent the most is at Siam Paragon as there are many seats available there.
Address: G, Siam Paragon Shopping Center, 991 Rama I Rd, Khwaeng Pathum Wan, Khet Pathum Wan, Krung Thep Maha Nakhon 10330, Thailand
Opening hours: 1000-2230, Daily
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Source: After You Dessert Cafe
NIGHTLIFE IN THAILAND
1. ONYX Bangkok​
ONYX Bangkok is a world class superclub with a revered name in the clubbing community within Asia and beyond. ONYX Bangkok is rated as the World’s Top 100 Clubs. (Need I say more??) The stadium style Main Room generates an intensive and wild euphoria that few other clubs in the world can match, with superstar EDM and commercial dance artists enthralling a crowd of party goers and pleasure seekers.
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Source: ONYX Bangkok
Source: ONYX Bangkok
2. Route 66
Route 66 Nightclub has been really popular with both the local Thais and the foreigners. From Sundays to Thursdays, there are 2 rooms for the party goers to choose from. The right side, Hiphop Zone, playing the very best of hiphop, dance pop and RnB, while the left side is a roster of accomplished bands playing a range of Western and Thai hits (everything from the 70s to the latest Thai hits). On Fridays and Saturdays, additional rooms will be opened, playing pumping house, trance and EDM. They say that Route 66 is particularly popular among the university students and everyone dress to impress there SO YOU KNOW WHERE TO GO!!!!
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Source: Bangkok.com
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3. Patpong Area
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Patpong is one of the world’s most famous red light districts, where the Thai Go Go culture all started! There are two parallel streets housing dozen of neon lit strip bars and the famous pole dancing entertainment. It is a must visit as it is quite an eye opening experience! However, prevent yourself from getting ripped off by reading more about it here!
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Source: Expique.com