Market of Eden: travelling

It's been over a year since I wrote my cost of living on 37K, and obviously as a private teacher my schedule went through some ups and downs since my first cost of living post. It's about time for an update, so you can see what life might be like on the other side of the coin. Here's my cost of living making around ฿20,000 a month in Chiang Mai, Thailand.

This is definitely not one month's salary!

The beach at night on Ko Phangan.

In March 2013, my boyfriend and I had begun our holiday in the south of Thailand, starting off in Bangkok, where we fled Khao San Road, stalked the malls, became Skytrain experts, and had the ceiling of our hotel room collapse. We then explored a bit more of Bangkok by motorcycle taxi, and landed up at The Museum of Death. After leaving The City of Angels, we had a quick break in Ko Samui, and then headed off to camp on a deserted island. So far, our trip had been overwhelming, fascinating, frustrating, fantastic, and breathtaking, and it was far from over.

After camping on the island of Koh Wua Talap for three days, and exploring the beauty of the Mu Ko Ang Thong National Marine Park, we made our way by ferry to the island of Ko Phangan, which is a notorious "party island". Unfortunately, my boyfriend and I were exhausted, and just excited to eat some restaurant food and pass out on a soft bed. And that's exactly what we did.

Ko Phangan, in our opinion, was much nicer than Ko Samui. Of course, we could explore more of it quicker, as it is smaller and less populated. We could not, however, explore further inland, as most of the natural forest and mountainous area is pretty much inaccessible by vehicle, and I doubt many tourists leave the bustling coastline to wander around the wild parts of the island.

We ended up staying there for two nights, and spent most of our time wandering around slurping fruit shakes, eating delicious Mexican, Western and Thai food, and relaxing at our guesthouse. Our bodies needed a break from the sun and constant travelling, and this is why we didn't really do much on the island of Ko Phangan.

I liked this shot of the sleeping dog and statue.

Stoic island dog.

Perfect Ko Phangan waters.

Yet another shot of clouds, sky and sun in Ko Phangan.

We enjoyed a few drinks at this place, but had to leave before the party started out of sheer exhaustion.

Ko Phangan sunset number one.

Our second sunset on Ko Phangan.

Beautiful.

Myself and a silly golden labby who hung around our guesthouse.

Leaving the island.

From Ko Phangan we got on yet another ferry, and arrived at our final holiday destination: Ko Tao. As soon as we had arrived on the tiny pier, cramped with tourists and Thai hawkers, selling everything from sunglasses to diving courses, we knew this would be a special place. Our friend in Ko Tao had already hooked us up with Phoenix Divers, who picked us up from the ferry in a truck and took us straight to where we needed to be. While my boyfriend booked himself a diving course, I checked out the free accommodation, which was a cozy fan bungalow at AC Resort. My boyfriend then spent the duration of his course getting free breakfast at AC Restaurant and learning how to dive in various beaches around the island, while I rode around the place on a hired scooter, stopping for food and shopping now and then. On the fourth day, when he had finished his finished his course, we realised we weren't going to leave Ko Tao just yet - we had fallen in love with the place and wanted to explore it together - so we moved a few blocks away to a quieter area. Our authentic and affordable bungalow at In Touch Resort was perfect for us, and right next to their relaxed cocktail bar and restaurant on the beach. This is where the last bits of our holiday were spent, lazing around with pineapple shakes, perfect weather, and each other. Paradise.

A view from Phoenix Diving School during the sunset.

Oxygen, anyone?

A shot my boyfriend got while on a boat to a diving spot.

Practising his diving in the pool at AC Resort.

This is a huge centipede who joined us in AC Bar. Unfortunately, he had to die for his dangerous, partying ways.

A DJ booth overlooking the beach.

A fire-dancer outside the bar.

Another bar, where people sat around on the beach in a fire-dancing trance.

Pretty.

My early morning reading spot at a restaurant.

A beach I snuck off to for yoga and meetings with dogs.

Another view of the beach.

A bay from the beach that led to the ocean.

A very cute spotty-nosed dog.

A character casually chilling in the road.

The entrance to our rustic bungalow at In Touch Resort.

Our bedroom.

A very cool, blue bathroom.

A friend.

Another friend - the Tokay gecko.

My last sunset shot on our trip, waiting for the ferry to go back home.

By February 2013, I was merrily working away at my numerous jobs and hobbies, and making a good salary by Chiang Mai standards. Generally, the salaries here are lower than Bangkok, and as Chiang Mai is becoming more and more popular, the good teaching jobs are becoming more and more sneaky. Employers will pay you less because they know you've already fallen for the city, and before you know it you'll be speeding along the superhighway four times a day just to earn that elusive 30k. (FYI, that little rap was entirely unintentional.)

So, I'm going jump right in and totally expose myself here by breaking down my work and money situation at that time (everything's quoted in Thai Baht, and is half the full price because I'm half of a couple):

Cost of Living in Chiang Mai
Rent:	2,750
Bills:	50 for water 300 - 600 for electricity (this depends mainly on air-conditioner usage) 250 for internet
Eating out:	Street food or dinners from our local place add up to about 100 a week Eating out at restaurants on the weekend cost anywhere between 300 - 500 a week
Groceries:	100 a week at our local fresh market 100-200 a week at supermarkets
Entertainment:	1,000 or more a week goes on drinks with friends, movies, or in my case, buying clothes. Oh dear. It's much cheaper to have a picnic at a waterfall or take a walk on a mountain – who would've guessed?
Petrol:	300 a week
Airtime:	200 a month. I don't use my phone that much over here - as teachers we've got more than enough time to make plans on Facebook.
Laundry:	20 - 40 a week
Other:	500 - 1,000 a month for picking up a bottle of vitamins, going to the dentist, or taking the occasional yoga class
Monthly total:	*12,000 minimum - 14,000 maximum*

My various teaching jobs in Chiang Mai
Kindergarten	Job: 3 hours a day, 4 days a week Pay: 400 an hour Total: 19,200 a month (this is a very good salary for a part-time job)
Language School #1	Hours: on average, 4 hours a week Pay: 250 an hour Total: 4,000 a month
Language School #2	Hours: on average, 2 hours a week Pay: 280 an hour Total: 2,240
Private Students	Hours: 1, 2, or 3 hours a day, 5 days a week Pay: 300 an hour Total: 12,000
English Camps	Hours: infrequent, as they are hard to fit into busy schedules. One camp could last anywhere from a few days to a week or more. Pay: 1,000 a day, as well as paid transport there and back, accommodation, and food Total: depends
Monthly total:	*37,440* (not including English camps)

I'm sure many Chiang Mai grumpalumps will try and dispute my claims above, as I've seen endless bickering on forums over salaries and available jobs in the city. Many tend to believe you can't earn more than ฿25,000 here, or that it is impossible to make a living teaching privately or part-time (which is apparently a common teaching option in Bangkok). I've had my own experiences teaching on both sides of the coin, and I have to say I'm a firm supporter of private teaching, and building up your own hours to make your own salary.

It's difficult to detail everything about this particular topic in a blog post, but feel free to email me if you have questions about building up a private network, and where to look for jobs that aren't your typical 9 - 5.