Apshifting programmer in Thailand Bashny.Net

Judging by komentam article «Downshifting for a programmer? Cambodia, survival experience and life experience » Habrasoobschestva aroused interest and wanted to share their experiences.

Probably many action "to drop everything and go live in Southeast Asia," it seems foolhardy, even dangerous. Among us, IT people, a lot of people's thorough, meticulous to detail and willing to calculate every step, every little thing to know all the risks, plan every detail of their lives. I too am a man, would even say that the "sin" that is well above average. Even before the departure in a tie, all this caused my subconscious fear: to quit a good job, to leave family, friends, and leave without a return ticket. It is beyond the scope of my condition and comfort multiplied misunderstanding relatives. However, the whole thing turned out to be quite scary as I had imagined initially, and for almost a year my wife and I live in a comfortable tae. Various aspects of a permanent life here, understanding that could help you get rid of these fears, and I want to write.

Visa h4> In recent months, the citizens of the Russian Federation attended to matters of legal presence in tae as the immigration authorities began cracking down in a visa-wounds. For us, the citizens of Belarus, absolutely nothing has changed - we are not able to enter in a tie on a stamp. At the same time, from my point of view vizarany it has been, is and will remain an extremely dubious occupation in terms of material gain.

The visa issue is solved very simply money. In order to enter the country you need to do in advance twice or three times a visa. In Minsk there are offices, which makes such a visa in Stockholm without a personal filing and any documents other than a passport. Double entry visa gives the right to stay in Thailand up to 6 months from the date of issue. The first entry you can stay 2 months, then $ 60 per person can be extended for another month. Then you need to leave and re-enter - will begin the second and again fold visa can stay in the country 2 months + 1 extended. Accordingly, the three-time visa allows you to live in tae for almost 9 months, 2 times really have to leave the country, but it can be combined with tourism purposes.

This visa is ideal for wintering, but for a longer stay you need something more reliable. It can be obtained at a language school, enroll in a course of Thai, English or another language, or even Thai boxing classes. Price for one person may be different, depending on how much you want to reduce the cost of your time:

- Of course training is 500 $ -800 $.
- For travel to Laos for registration of such a visa, you can spend about $ 200-300. In fact, earlier I had an opportunity for $ 500 + more to get this visa on the spot, but now with the change of government this possibility seems to be covered. We still have time to use it in March.
- By default, the visa is given for 3 months and it is necessary to renew every 3 months in the local immigreyshene (in my opinion, is worth $ 60). But our school was able to pay $ 400 for a nose and immediately extend for 12 months, without the need for further visits immigreyshena.

Total, we used the maximum package of services for visa did not go anywhere, did an extension of 12 months and two paid $ 3k. Given that this makes it possible to be in tae 15 months (just 3 months + extension of 12 months), as well as leave and enter any number of times, a man got $ 100 per month. With almost comparable to cash cost per permanent vizarany Russians.

With regard to education, we chose Thai and go 2 times a week for 2 hours. I chose a short course, it lasts for six months and cost $ 500. My wife chose the full course, it lasts a year and cost $ 800. As you can see here if you wish you can save a little more. Classes napryazhno not even interesting to talk with a motley audience around the world.

Insurance / Medical / Risks h4> We decided not to risk the Belarusian insurance policies because of their complete senselessness. The Russians, as far as I heard, like to use the Accord, which has good coverage in terms of active sports and motorbike. But I also heard that recently agreed to change cover with International SOS to some other services and the quality has gone down. Besides, like they banned the remote extension. In general, for that matter little I can say for sure - but I think that if you do not already, soon the Russians will face the same problem of choosing insurance, as well as Belarusians.

What can happen in Thailand? The most frequent problem is:

1) Falling from a motorbike
2) dengue (as in Cambodia add here more and malaria, which is much worse, which in Thailand is only in regions close to Cambodia)
3) Emergency surgery - such as appendicitis, but it is directly related to Thailand has no

From the problems 1 and 2 can not insure almost no insurance or insurance coverage is very limited. Therefore, we decided to take a local (international) insurance BUPA. BUPA has about 6 plans differ in cost that are different set of services and the amount of insurance compensation. We are trying to provide all took the most expensive plan that provides even a helicopter evacuation from anywhere in Thailand, because The plan was to travel a lot. But, as we now understand - to pay for it is not worth it.

Total for the insurance, we pay about $ 110 a month for two. The contract is for one year, payment in equal installments each month - they simply removed the money from your account at the Thai bank (more on that later). What this generally gives - 2 type plastic name cards, with which we can go to any of even the most expensive hospital in Thailand and we need to provide all necessary assistance. Then the hospital to deal with the insurance itself, we do not need any letters of guarantee or confirmation of the insurance. Handle was not necessary, and I hope not to have to. By the way, insurance is covering all over the world.

As for medicine in Thailand, then it is characterized by different people in different ways, but I think, to consider the opinion batchfile which try to tear off as much as possible, there should not be. With larger in every major resort town has several hospitals, from cheap to expensive local Bangkok Hospital. In the city where we live there are 3 major hospitals: Hua Hin Hospital - state. Clinic, the cheapest all Thais go there; San Paulo Hospital - a private and a mid-price and standard Bangkok Hospital Hua Hin - a five-star hospital space with the same space prices; and a small number of private practices, such as ENT, dentist, and so on.

Usually fall from motorbike completed bruises and abrasions, perhaps even extensive. With such a problem, you can contact the State. clinic, where an inexpensive will have a first aid treated wounds and vkoly some shots of tetanus.

Dengue - it's something in the likeness of our flu epidemic every year, most common in the rainy season (summer and fall), but you can get sick in the winter. Fever is transmitted by mosquitoes rather their particular views, they are very well distinguished white, I would even say like glowing spots on the legs and body. We saw them in one of the hikes in the jungle, I thought they were bigger than normal mosquitoes, and they are very well distinguished white spots. These mosquitoes are bred in stagnant water, and usually wielded in the daytime around 20 meters from the place of its conclusion. To protect themselves in the campaigns need to wear body-covering clothing and use insect repellent with DEET active ingredient in the composition. If you live in a house, you need to follow in your area do not accumulate rainwater (pots, all containers in the street). As for natural bodies of water is not sure that there is a risk, because there are villages where the houses are laid directly in the village of channels. It is unlikely that there are mosquitoes infest - most likely in the channels of live fish that feed on mosquito larvae.

If you are sick of dengue, the likelihood of complications is low. We are not sick, but sick of our friends in Samui. Seriously ill, more than a week. Hospitalization may be required in the case of severe illness, when reduced levels of platelets in the blood, and there is a risk of hemorrhage. Vaccines do not exist, but it is hoped that it will appear in the coming years. Actually, I think that in our society people perceive dengue fever as something almost deadly. The media publish horror stories as tourists fell ill in Thailand or somewhere nearby, and then came a long long time and treated. In fact, dengue fever is very common in the region and the local doctors know all about her. Severe dengue suffer only local people because of the periodic re-infection. Compared with influenza mortality from dengue particularly in Thailand below. In order not to be afraid, you can read this article .

On the other any problems and health risks we face. Snakes alive seen only on the roads in the form of crushed by. Any scary insects too. We must understand that the farther you are from the city, the higher the risk to meet different animals, including snakes. By the way, the number of deaths from snake bites in Thailand in the year measured just dozens of lives.

Accommodation h4> The issue of housing is markedly different in different cities. With more can distinguish four types of accommodation:

1) Condo - Apartment in an apartment building, usually furnished, usually have the opportunity to use the communal pool and gym, which depends on the house, of course. This condo is the perfect option if you do not have pets. Prices vary a lot, but we can say that this is the best option for the price / quality. When compared with the same Minsk - the price is much lower, the quality is much higher. Prices - say from $ 200 to $ 1,000 and up for every taste and color. Pets are strictly prohibited, unless it is presented as a feature of the condo. We talked with the agent about this - to hide even a hamster is not an option. If someone sees from tenants 100% nastuchit and you will be asked to remove the pet or clean themselves.

2) Townhouse - usually 2 storey house with several maisonettes, each has a separate entrance and common walls with other apartments of the house. Townhouse is the cheapest option, you can in some animals. Because there are usually cheap Thais live, no soundproofing, and the Thais are very fond of karaoke - so it's not a very good option for long life.

3) House - there is nothing special to write. The house, fence, can be small or very large green area, a swimming pool. Usually in the price of the house includes pool maintenance and gardener. Houses can be both in the city and in the suburbs. Understandably, in the suburbs is cheaper and you can count on a good its territory, but less infrastructure around. House prices from $ 200 to infinity.

4) The house is in a gated village (moo-ban) - these types of buildings are most often found in Bangkok and Hua Hin. The village is usually fenced high fence at the entrance gate and security guard and video surveillance. There is a communal pool and gym. The price is slightly higher than a normal house. The village is in the local sense - it does not mean a stand-alone location, it's just a fenced area with its name and a group of houses in the same architectural style. The village can be found both in the city and in the open field.

Some nuances Accommodation:

- Would normally require a deposit of one month rent. The deposit is returned after checking the state of the eviction and housing. Also, if stipulated in the contract, it is deducted from the deposit a certain amount of cleaning house after departure.

- If you are renting directly from the owner, and not through the real estate agency - be prepared that the deposit can not be returned. In this case, you should not go out of the house just before leaving anywhere, and is to leave for a week in any guest house. Then you can tell the owner that move to another house / condo and he's not "late" to bring you to deposit and you will not take the time on a plane.

- To have a house with private pool not very helpful, because usually such a pool is small, ie, plyuhatelny and does not swim. But if there is a filtration system, it will eat a lot of electricity.

- Rental prices in the winter is higher than in summer. Often when renting for a period of years can achieve considerable discounts. Usually you can find a better offer in the spring, when all the tourists / winterers are leaving the market and there is excess supply.

Climate h4> For many, probably Thailand is associated with a hot climate, closeness and other "charms" of tropical life. However, this is not true. Nuance is that after some time the body gets used to the heat and the climate is already beginning to be felt quite differently. I'm very hard to bear the heat. When we arrived in November - it seemed unbearably hot. Air had to include and night to somehow sleep. The rainy season is coming to an end, he began the "cold" season for Thai standards, of course is far from ours. When I came in December, it was a little cooler. Towards the end of December, the temperature at night began to fall to 24-25 degrees, and here we began to freeze. With the end of December, all of January and almost all of February we did not use air conditioning even during the day. Despite the clear sky daytime temperatures did not reach 30, the night we closed all the air vents, otherwise the bed was cold. I must say that in Hua Hin in December and January, the season of strong winds, so the window blew in particular. About the pool we have forgotten almost 2 months because of the cold, we thought the water. About Sea practically too. However, the Thais say that this winter was abnormally cold for these places.

In February it was a little warmer. Since mid-March has been a rapid rise in temperature, and the beginning of April it was hot. On the day the street was no longer go out, not a cloud in the sky every day. The water in the sea became very hot, I would say in shallow water above 33 degrees. In the tropics it gets dark at about 6 all year round. In spring all around usually comes alive after 5 pm, open markets, there are more people on the street. The heat lasts for the whole of April and nearly all through May. In mid-May the weather starts to change. If earlier the sky from morning until night, then from mid-May afternoon clouds appear. They close the sky closer to 4pm, it may take a little rain, which however does not bring coolness. By nightfall, the clouds stretched.

Since June, the cloud becomes larger, the heat is gradually receding in many places in Thailand, the rainy season begins - but not in Hua Hin. Here some enchanted place, probably due to the features of the landscape (from the west to the mountains in the east of the bay). Often you can see a picture of how over the mountains or the sea in the evening going to the black clouds and lightning but no rain Hua Hin and blue sky overhead. There are days when the sky tightens as Minsk - gray and dark.

Next July, August and the beginning of fall - what will happen we do not know. But a feeling of coolness in the air, gets comfortable in the street. Air Conditioning, exhibited 28 works only during the day, night included only occasionally. Active rainy season in Hua Hin - August and September.

Travel by car in Thailand h4> What is especially good Thailand - and a lot of opportunity to travel safely. The country has more than 100 national parks, where there are so many interesting things. Actually, I've never ridden in a car with right-hand drive. It was scary. And then we ordered the machine directly from the airport, and I realized that we have done very well. The road from the airport in Bangkok - the best way on which to learn to drive. 4 lanes, little machines. During this time, you can get your feet wet with a different control. About switching povorotnikov sure at least 2,000 kilometers grooved - still will often include windshield wipers on the machine. But even after 2 hours leisurely drive along the route already used to. On the first day I drove in tae 700 km of driving, a week - even 900.

Trails in Thailand are organized so that the opportunities to turn and go in the opposite direction you practically will not be. If you need to turn right across oncoming traffic, then usually you have to drive farther to turn back and have to turn left, where you will immediately go into his lane. Places to turn on the slopes is practically every 5-10 km, to turn as a rule creates a pocket in your lane and into the oncoming traffic. In turns, there is one big disadvantage - in the right lane (the fastest) are often slow-moving trucks, trucks and so on., Who go to the next turn. Because of this, often have to be reconstructed for the lead in the slow lane.

The movement, especially in the cities I would call a quiet (but for the most CCBs I did not go).