Hello from Chiang Mai 👋 

Hope you are keeping well!

It’s week 9 of my accountability challenge with my friends (we’re all sending one newsletter a week until we are all in Chiang Mai together again (1 of 3 are here (me lol))).

I can’t believe I am actually BACK!

And in the spirit of me getting here, chatting all things TEFL and reminding you of my time teaching in Thailand on my Instagram over the last week, this newsletter will be dedicated to Thailand and some tips for travelling here, if you’ve never been.

If you didn’t see, there was a 48 hour deal to get a 30-hour teach English as a foreign language course for €5 with tefl.ie (this is now over)…

BUT, there’s another great deal until Friday…

You can become a fully qualified TEFL teacher with a 120-hour TEFL course for only €95.

Some things you should know when travelling to Thailand…

The seasons: Thailand has 3 seasons - hot, rainy and cool. It’s currently rainy season in Thailand and while everything is green and things like accommodation may be cheaper, it may prevent you from fully exploring the country as there can be flooding, closures and rain quite frequently throughout the day. The best time to visit is definitely the cool season which is around Nov-Feb in the North. Try to avoid April as it can get up to 40 degrees and is pretty miserable.

Getting around: usually most people fly into Bangkok, go south and then north, or the opposite. Thailand is not a small country, so unless you’re flying it may take some time to get from one place to another. Getting flights between cities is easy and usually quite cheap, but there are also options for buses which are great quality and trains. For shorter journeys, there are minivans and private taxis, and for getting around cities, you can opt for renting a scooter (make sure you can drive one), getting grab or bolt bikes or cars - these are essentially like Uber, but Thai. And a bike means that the driver will come on a scooter and bring you to your location on the back. These are the cheapest option.

Visas: check your passport, but for most nationalities, you go to immigration in the airport and you get a tourist stamp in your passport, free of charge, which is valid for 60 days. This used to be 30 days before July 2024. If you wish to extend the visa, you can go to an immigration office and pay to extend it by 30 days.

Money: in Thailand, the currency is Thai baht. Some supermarkets and places like Boots, H&M, Zara will take card, but street vendors and smaller supermarkets will only take cash. It costs 220baht (around 6 euro) to take money out at any ATM, so my recommendation is to take out the most you can (most ATMS have a limit of 25,000-35,000 THB) or enough to cover at least a few weeks of travelling to avoid going to the ATM frequently and spending 6 euro to withdraw money. Some of my friends have gone into a Thai bank and withdrew money there from their card free of charge, so you can also try this.

Culture: Thai people are mostly Buddhist and they are mostly very very kind. Especially in northern Thailand. I usually say the north and south are like two different countries. I have spent LOTS of time in the north and I LOVE people here. They never really want to sell you anything, I’ve never been scammed and I feel exceptionally safe here. But, here are some cultural things to keep in mind…

“Saving face" is extremely important. Losing face refers to any situation that might cause embarrassment, shame, or loss of dignity in public, whether it’s directed at oneself or another person. To respect this, avoid confrontational behaviour, public arguments, or directly criticising others.

Remove your shoes anywhere you see a no'-shoe sign or where others have removed shoes - this may include massage places, some shops, service providers, homes and temples.

Thai people greet each other with the Wai which is a respectful greeting gesture with palms pressed together and a slight bow. Return the wai when offered, especially to elders or in formal settings.

The head is the most sacred part of the body in Thai culture, while the feet are the least. Make sure not to touch anyone’s head or point your feet at people or religious objects. In temples, sit cross-legged and do not point your feet at religious statues or monks.

When visiting temples, ensure you cover your shoulders and knees, remove your shoes, avoid loud conversations and do not touch monks or hand anything directly to them.

I think being respectful and understanding culture anywhere you go is extremely important as a tourist, so make sure you do some research before visiting a new place and make yourself aware of cultural norms, and you’ll be A-OK. 😊 

Don’t forget to get travel insurance if you’re travelling! You can start your SafetyWing policy at any point of your trip, even if you have left your country of origin.

If you ever have any questions about visiting Thailand, DM me on Instagram or reply to this email.

Some bits you may be interested in

I’m hosting a group trip to Nepal! It will be from 16-27 April and if you’re interested in joining, pop in your email here to be the first to know when it launches.

There’s a paid online community on the way. I will teach you how to start a business and you’ll be part of a community of people who want to do the same. Fill out this form to be the first to know when it launches.

Teach English online or move abroad and teach with TEFL. All courses on tefl.ie are 16% cheaper with code EV16.

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Ev x