Matt Fong’s Blog

I had two first days in one as I started teaching swim lessons at a local international school during the day and teaching English at a local language center during the evenings. Both turned out like most typical ?first days on the job? with a few kinks but by the end of the week things were running smoothly. The staff and students at the local international school are a joy to work with.

Otherwise, I forgot to mention that I have a travel tip being published in Budget Travel magazine in the March 2005 issue. If you happen to glance at a copy, look for my tip about backpacking around Southeast Asia! I also had a mailbag article published about the feasibility of converting Thai script into Roman characters in the local English language newspaper. I get the feeling though, they publish anything people write in?but I?ve got to start somewhere.

I managed to find a cozy apartment in Sri Racha after finding out that my first two options were full for another month. I pay 2700 baht (about US$67.50) a month for a furnished studio apartment that includes a once a week room cleaning (a must if you?ve ever seen one of my rooms!). It?s a 3 minute walk to my job at a local English/Computer school, a 4 minute walk to the movie complex/western shopping mall, and an 8 minute walk to the newly developed ocean front park. The building has keycard access, and a lady that does a week worth of laundry for 30 baht (or 75 cents US). If that isn?t enough to sell you, there?s a massage place down the street that gives massages for 99baht/hr (or US$2.50). (Things I?m selectively leaving out: The apartment only has a fan, no hot water, and is next to a main highway with way too many cars that need new mufflers)

Otherwise I?ve accepted a medley of part-time jobs 1) at an International School teaching swim lessons 2) at ECC, Thailand teaching English and 3) being a Business/IT consultant for a large real estate company in Jomtien Beach. Unfortunately the payroll of these jobs is below that of western standards, but at US$2.50 for a massage?I think I?ll survive J. I?m actually in Penang, Malaysia now, waiting for the Thai Consulate here to issue me my Non Immigrant Business visa for Thailand so I can legally work. I?m getting tired of visa runs?but hopefully this will be it for a while.