Phuket - orientation, accommodation and course selection

After lots of travelling we finally reached Phuket on September 27. Phuket welcomed us with heavy rain that wouldn't stop for days. But luckily Gerard, who I met on facebook, offered to pick us up at the airport and drive us to the university, because he had brought his wife to the airport the same afternoon. He runs a business renting out motorcycles in Phuket so the first thing we did was getting a motorcycle. It cost us 2,500 Baht (around 65 Euros) per month including 2 helmets.
Gerard and the other asiaexchange students recommended us the Ormthong hotel for the first couple of nights. It's located within 10 minutes walking distance of the university (2 minutes from Baan Maksong, another accommodation option) and costs 500 Baht per night (1 room/2 people). The rooms are quite large with fridge, aircon, TV, internet, hot water and a small balcony. After the first night we decided to stay there for the entire month which costs us 7,000 Baht plus water and electricity. So far I'm glad that I've made this decision, because the staff has been very friendly and when we had problems with the internet they did their best to fix it as fast as possible.


The next two days I was busy attending the asiaexchange orientation. Unfortunately, I had missed the first two days when the important stuff was discussed, so I had to figure things out on my own. Luckily, the other students were very friendly and helpful, so in the end it wasn't too difficult to e.g. buy the school uniform or get the fotos for the student ID taken.
I also had to change some of the courses that I selected because Human Resource Management was at the same time as two of the other classes I intended to take and International Economics wasn't offered at all. In the end I decided to take the following classes: Marketing, Strategic Management, International Business and Thai language.

What to bring to Thailand?!

Only ten days left until I'm leaving Germany and it's about time to think about what to take, or rather what NOT to take with me to Thailand. On my flight to Phuket I will only be allowed to bring one bag with up to 15kg which limits the amount of clothes, make up and other "very important things" that every female traveller needs to take with her. For sure some light shirts and pants are on my list but I will also take 1 jacket and 1 set of formal cloths with me. The insect repellent will have to stay at home cause you can get better and cheaper ones in Thailand. However, I guess I will take some sunblog with me (I'm sure they have it in Phuket as well, but when I was looking for it in eg. Bali it was totally overpriced!). Laptop, camera and bikini are a must as well... and shoes!! With a German size 40 I found it quite difficult to find (cheap) shoes in Bangkok so I guess I'll take an extra pair with me. Another must-bring is a bed cover... not because I find it too cold in Thailand (well, it depends on the ac^^) but I use it as a sleeping bag. It keeps the mosquitos away and especially in places were you're not so sure about the hygiene it can be really usefull. And for all the ladies... bring some tampons! You might be able to get them somewhere but it's quite handy to have them with you, cause usually you can't find any if you really need them. Ok, that should be it... leave some space in you bag for souveniers or clothes you'll buy in Thailand. Just fill up the rest of your bag with your favourite candy or stuff that you can leave in Thailand so later you don't have to think about what to take back home and what to leave behind.
I almost forgot... I scanned my passport (I did the same with my learning agreements and all other important documents) and saved the files in my dropbox/email account. It's better to be prepared and have a copy just in case my bag/passport gets stolen.

Travel itinerary

Time passes quickly and I'm getting more and more excited about Phuket. I've heard lots of great stuff about the island but some friends of mine also didn't like it at all and said there are too many tourists. So I am a little bit nervous! Well, I'll find out soon enough... in exactely 60 days! But before I can board the plane to Phuket there's still lots of stuff to do. 2 more exams need to be written, then I will visit my family in Hamburg for 5 days and on August 15 I'm going to China to attend the BayCHINA summer university in Qingdao! The next destination on my journey will be Shanghai from where I will be flying to Kuala Lumpur. There I will finally meet my boyfriend Sairozi (I'm sooooo excited!!) and we are going to arrange our visas for Thailand. Hopefully this won't take too long because we plan to visit his aunt in Singapore on the 25th of September. This will be our last stop on the way to Phuket where we will arrive on September 27. So we got a tight schedule and I hope it won't be too stressful!

Be prepared!

There are lots of things to organize before hopping on a plane to Thailand. Here is my personal checklist:

- health insurance: If you are studying abroad you will most likely not be covered by your normal health insurance. Actually it's not very difficult to find a health insurance for your semester abroad and many insurance companies have special offers for students. Comparing prices can save you lots of money... in Germany prices between 30-35 Euros/month are average. A cheap one for Germans is DKV (if your are under 24 and female it's less than 22 Euros!). Make sure the insurance covers all the expenses in case you have to be flown back to your country due to an emergency (this can become really expensive if you aren't insured!).

- learning agreements: In case you want to transfer credits you've earned in Phuket to your home institution you should seek all the necessary information BEFORE leaving for Thailand. Some universities will not transfer the credits unless you have made learning agreements before your departure.

- vaccinations: Check with your doctor if you have all the necessary vaccinations for a stay in Thailand.

- passport: Make sure that your passport is still valid.

- credit cards: Compare different banks and get a credit card with low transaction fees. For Germany a comdirekt visa card is a great way to save money because they will not charge you any fees for withdrawing money at any ATM worldwide.

- financial support: I will give this topic an extra post... check the scholarship section :)