Communication:

• Get a cell phone! Most international students, as well as Thai students, use them.
• New and used phones can be bought ranging in price from $30 on up. Every major shopping center has several cell phone retailers, so finding a phone is simple.
• Most students prefer to use prepaid minutes. Prepaid is a pay-as-you-go system: when you buy a phone, you purchase a SIM card which assigns you to a certain cell phone service provider (i.e. Orange, 1-2-3, Happy). After activating your cell phone, buying minutes is simple: just visit any 7-Eleven, V-Shop, street vendor, or cell phone kiosk to purchase as many minutes as you wish. To add minutes to your phone, just scratch off the barcode on the back of the card to reveal your pass code, which you type into your phone to recharge your minutes.

Packing and Preparing:

• You can purchase almost everything in Bangkok (and itís a LOT cheaper as well). So travel light. You'll need to leave room for all the souvenirs you'll be bringing back!
• If you're thinking about taking a laptop, we suggest buying one at home because a laptop purchased in Thailand may not come with a US warranty, which you may need when you come back to the States. Also, it may be difficult to negotiate the sale with the retailer due to the communication barrier ñ with as large a purchase as a laptop is, you want to make sure that you get exactly what you want.
• Bring prescription medication as needed, but don't forget your prescription as well. You may need to show your prescription if your bags are searched at customs. Also, having a prescription on-hand will make it easier to get the correct refill medication when you are overseas.
• Get your immunizations at home: if you've been good about taking your recommended vaccinations throughout childhood and adolescence, you probably won't need to get any additional shots. Check with your healthcare provider to see if you've gotten all the recommended vaccinations. The UH Health Services office administers vaccinations and even have on hand a travel advisor who can tell you what shots to get depending on where you're traveling. In case you are not able to get vaccinated back home, it is possible to get your shots at Thammasat -- it's actually cheaper there because all fees related to health services are already included in your tuition fee, meaning you pay no out-of-pocket expenses for health services while attending school.

Transportation:

• Bus is cheapest (4 to 20 baht per one-way trip depending on how far you travel): longer distances = higher fee; also depends on comfort level: air-conditioning = higher fee.
• River ferries are a traditional and relaxing transportation alternative that avoids congestion (and much of the pollution) in Bangkok; short cross-river ferry trips are 2 baht; longer, cross-town ferry trips range from 5 to 60 baht, again depending on distance traveled. Most of the time these ferries will take longer than 4-wheeled vehicles to get around; however, when traffic is heavy, ferries will actually save you time.
• Meter taxi is very common and very affordable compared to taxis back home. A trip across Bangkok in a metered taxi with no traffic is about 100 baht. Taxis offer added convenience, privacy, comfort, and less pollution. Nevertheless, be careful of cabbies who try to negotiate a flat-rate fee instead of using the meter -- they may overcharge you. When in doubt, use the meter.

• Tuk-tuk (three-wheeled taxi): price negotiable, only for short trips (under 8 miles).
• Skytrain (monorail): most modern, fastest form of transportation in Bangkok; limited to existing lines -- doesn't run by Thammasat; useful for getting around the downtown district (embassies for visa renewals, shopping district, open market, bus stations, parks, train stations, business district); one-way fare ranges from 10 to 50 baht, depending on distance traveled.

Clothing:

• Weather is hot and humid! Wear loose-fitting, cotton clothes that will absorb perspiration and allow your body to breathe.
• Most temples have a dress code: dress modestly. Long pants, shirts with sleeves and crew neck show respect for the Thai people and their culture.
• Most locals dress conservatively (by American standards): both men and women rarely wear shorts in public -- long pants are the norm even in oppressively hot weather; men typically wear collared shirts while women wear crew-neck blouses that cover the shoulders and don't expose cleavage or too much skin in general.
• Summer clothes appropriate all year-long in Bangkok; if you travel to the provinces, it can get a little cold, especially in the northern mountainous regions; if you're planning on traveling to those places, take a warm jacket or sweater. A rain jacket and umbrella are necessary if you're in Thailand during monsoon season (fall semester: August to October)

Money:

• Cash is king! Personal checks nearly non-existent, credit cards rarely accepted with the exception of large retailers in shopping malls frequented by tourists.

• Traveler's checks useful, but inconvenient: if you try to cash them anywhere outside of the heavily touristed areas, you may run into hassles (forced to re-sign traveler's checks over and over until your signature EXACTLY resembles that on your passport); if you must use traveler's checks, get them in denominations of at least $100 or you'll get a lower exchange rate; also, try to cash them in at major malls in the shopping district or downtown where the banks are used to doing traveler's checks.
• It cost me $2900 for one semester: list major costs and lifestyle.
• Best way to get money: debit/check card! Direct debit feature lets you keep track of how much you're spending/how much you have left in your account. Takes some coordination back home to refill your checking account if you go over your allotted budget (joint account with parents, perhaps useful so they can deposit money into the account as you take money out). If you have the STAR logo on the back of your debit/check card, you can get money from most any ATM in Thailand at a competitive exchange rate with only a $1 surcharge (with Bangkok Bank); recommend that you use one main ATM nearby with one bank to help keep track of charges in case you have to dispute anything.

Food:

• Shocking as it may seem, we highly recommend eating at the school cafeteria on campus (15-30 baht)! really good food for the price; beats Marriots anyday! One of the things I miss most about Thailand.

• Most people eat at street vendors or nearby restaurants; haven't heard of any food sanitation problems; food probably safer than home because cooked-to-order in front of you so you can see what's going on.
• Lots of American food in case you miss home (McDonalds, KFC, Pizza Hut most common).
• Tap water said to be unsafe to drink; still fine for brushing teeth, showering, washing face and hands. May want to use bottled water to flush out eyes or when handling contacts. Bottled water abundant and cheap. Buy refillable containers ñ you can refill a 5-liter bottle for 15 baht if your apartment has a nearby water vending machine.

Housing:

• B.E. exchange program coordinator will send you a housing list.
• Either your buddy or international student staffs could help you with your accommodation after you arrive to Bangkok.
• You may request to stay in an apartment called Ruen Indra Court (about $20 / day) until you find a place.
• Some international students live in TU dormitory. Cheapest accommodation, but located about an hour away from campus.
• Most international students closer to campus (rent: approximately $150 -$300/month).
• Most apartments do not have kitchen, usually no hot shower or only with an extra fee!
• It is common to pay a deposit worth 2 to 3 months of rent. Therefore, make sure you have enough cash on hand to pay up when you first arrive.
• Most apartment owners will require you to sign a semester-long contract if you decide to move in. Shorter-term contracts are negotiable.