Thailand: A Better Choice For Veterans

[Flashermac]

By Rick Gedeon

 

 

 

A Guide to Relocating to Thailand

 

As the situation becomes more precarious in America with the continuation of failed policies and economic depression; is it any wonder why more and more of our veterans are ending up on the streets? I’ve made this rough guide for any veteran who qualifies for the Post 911 GI Bill, specifically those who might be interested in moving to Thailand. There are no “minimum residency†rules to abide by. The VA is pretty much straightforward when dealing with overseas veterans. They even have their own office in Buffalo exclusively for veterans attending schools overseas.

 

Imagine for a moment that you are a veteran who was able to get into Ross College, in Sylvania, Ohio. If you lived alone in Sylvania, could you live on $1,083.00 per month? Would this be enough to make ends-meet? If the answer is yes, by all means please take this avenue. However, if you’re the type who likes big cities and good food, continue reading.

 

The VA currently pays a monthly housing allowance of $1,368.00 per month for students attending overseas institutions of higher learning. All of the tuition and fees are covered by the VA and is handled directly between the school and the VA. If Thailand is not your cup of tea and you want to study in, say, Germany or France, will $1,368.00 be enough for you? The reason why I have decided to write about Thailand is because Thailand has several things going for it. First, you can survive on your monthly housing allowance! Second, it’s a fun place to be. Third, you can get your degree done. With the rise of ASEAN 2015, the Southeast Asian markets are set to lift-off. The Philippines is another viable destination; the cost of living index shows the Philippines as a more economically favorable place to be. However, the lower crime rate in Bangkok as compared to Manila makes up for the small economic advantage.

 

Starting the MHA: It can take anywhere between 2-6 months to get your allowance up and running. In order to make sure your payment will arrive, stay on top of the administrators and ask to see their paperwork! Call the VA and confirm everything! After the first semester, this process should run like clockwork.

 

Uniforms: Veterans are no strangers to uniforms; the good news is that you won’t have to worry about spending a lot of your dough on trying to impress others during school hours. However, most graduate programs don’t require uniforms. If you have short/long sleeved white dress shirts, pack it in the suitcase. If you have black dress pants, dress socks, and dress shoes, pack them in the suitcase. White shirt and black trousers are basically the standard uniform for university undergraduate students in Thailand.

 

Food: Thailand is popular for its street kitchens, a lunch can cost as little as $1.50. If you don’t like rice, make sure to pack a year’s worth of MREs. Rice is the staple food of Thailand—period. If you become nostalgic, Bangkok has Sizzlers, Mc Donald’s, Pizza Hut and a plethora of other restaurants to stop by when you need a taste of home.

 

Housing: Since most of the schools on the VA’s approved program are either in Bangkok or near Bangkok and since Bangkok is the most expensive place in to reside in Thailand. Consider the costs as worst case scenario. You can ideally find a one bedroom studio apartment with air conditioning for as little as $200.00 dollars per month. Internet is sometimes included but if not it could be another $20.00 per month. Landlords often require a one month deposit and a payment one month in advance. Most housing units don’t have a kitchen. Some come with refrigerators. The cost of electricity can be kept below $60.00 per month. The water bill should come to less than $15.00 per month.

 

Airfare If you look really hard you can find one way trips to Bangkok for as little as $500.00. Hint: look at the Chinese Airlines.

 

Visa: Most schools will tell you not to come to Thailand on a tourist visa, but you can. Americans are eligible to receive a visa on arrival. This will give you 30 days to complete your paperwork and for you to visit the immigration office for either a 6 month or 1 year student visa. If 30 days isn’t enough, you can always do what is called a visa run. Whatever you do, don’t stay over your allowed time because that can mean huge fines. A visa run usually means that you get in a van and head towards Cambodia, get your passport stamped in Cambodia and then turn around the same day and get your passport stamped in Thailand for another 30 days. There are other options but this is probably the easiest and cheapest way to get it done. This should cost no more than $120.00. The student visa itself should be no more than $70.00. For more information on immigration policies visit the Thai Immigration Bureau website.

 

Currency: The currency fluctuates just like any other currency in the world. The currency of Thailand is called the Thai baht.

 

ATM: Once the GI Bill has established your monthly payments, they usually end up transferring your money into your bank account. The easiest way of getting your money is by using an ATM. USAA does honor its USAA preferred ATM policy and they will reimburse you for your ATM fees, up to $15.00 per month. That is to say, only by using the TMB Bank ATMs. The maximum amount that you take per withdrawal is 20,000 Thai Baht or about $690.00 USD.

 

Transportation: If you think you know what traffic jam is, get prepared to be schooled. In Bangkok you don’t need a car if you live close to the skytrain (BTS) or subway (MRT). A single journey for a BTS Token can range from 16-40 baht. However, if you don’t live near mass transit the taxis are very cheap. If you get in a taxi during rush hour and drive one kilometer and wait for one hour then the meter should only read 100 baht or about $3.30. Buses are a nightmare if you’re an American with the concept of ‘personal space’. Bus fares start at 7 baht. The air conditioned buses start at 10 baht.

 

If you have enough money for a car and want to purchase a vehicle in Bangkok—enjoy the traffic jam. If you’re a risk-taker and hate waiting in traffic, there’s always the moped option. The DMV in Bangkok will usually not give Americans much grief when obtaining a license. Make sure to bring your state license just in case.

 

The School Work: The Thai way of education consist mainly of rote learning, or memorization. From what I’ve been told the philosophy program at Assumption University is the only program that does not take this approach.* Otherwise be prepared to memorize. The bright side of this is that your first language is English, hence, most should not have a problem passing; so long as you show up to class!

 

Transferring credits: If you’ve already completed some coursework in college make sure to bring your transcripts in a sealed envelope. When you get to your school in Thailand ask the administrative staff to give you a copy of your transcripts just in case. Credits are usually accepted but it is recommended to bring along the course syllabus for all of the courses you’ve already completed. This can either be handled before arriving to Thailand or during your first semester.

 

 

http://www.veteranst...e-for-veterans/

 

 

*Certainly not true for language majors or BBA studies!

[StoneSoup]

That was a well-written piece. He should have added: don't bring a farang wife!

 

6,000 baht per month "studio" apartments are definitely available - but won't tend to be in very nice properties. All the rest was pretty much spot on.

 

Cheers!

SS

[Guest]

That was a well-written piece. He should have added: don't bring a farang wife ............ Why ?

[Flashermac]

The entire internationally recognised BBA programme at Thammasat costs about the same as just one year at a US university. I imagine the costs are similar at the other "public universities" (formerly called government universities). The private unies can be expensive.