An Exchange Student
Willem Lagaaij - Chulalongkorn, Bangkok
Willem Lagaaij - Chulalongkorn, Bangkok
Exchange
From a young age I have always had the ambition of living abroad for some parts of my life. Although I love the Netherlands, I have always felt it to be quite limiting. I always viewed Holland as this tiny part in this huge world filled with diversity, experiences and opportunities. Studying at EUC already brought some of this diversity to me, but an exchange is my first opportunity to get a better understanding of this world myself.
I chose Asia specifically because it had always been this mysterious hidden world to me. I heard about it all the time, but never actually knew that much about it. Getting the opportunity to live here and call this place home gives me a unique insight in this part of the world.
University
The Chulalongkorn University is a special community to be a part of, especially as a white guy. At my University all students are expected to wear a uniform. Although some hate it, I love it. Not only because it is really easy in the morning, it also gives me the feeling that I am fitting in. Wherever I am wearing the uniform I am no longer seen as a lost tourist, people don’t stare at me as much, tuc-tuc drivers don’t shout at me and I do no longer have to bargain at the shops.
Academic life is good too. Currently I am taking Behavioral Economics, Introduction to Econometrics, Public Economics, Urban Economics and Policy and Thai Economy. These courses can be really interesting at times. What I like most about my classes here is the fact that I am always sitting in a room filled with students with completely different perspectives, sometimes resulting in surprising discussions.
Housing
I live in the Chulalongkorn International House. It is accommodating supplied by the university on campus and in the heart of Bangkok. I have my own personal room, free cleaning twice a month and my rent will make a lot of students in Rotterdam jealous. It reminds me of the Student Hotel in Rotterdam, however with two major differences. First of all, there are no community spaces. So hanging out here is relatively limited, but forces us to explore more of the city. The second main difference is the fact that I do not have a kitchen. This makes me eat out every single day. Fortunately, food in Bangkok is amazing and best of all extremely cheap. If you know to right restaurants and street food venders you can find stunning pad thai or tom yum soup for around 60 Baht, which is around €1,50.
Extracurricular
As in most parts of the world, the real fun starts when school is over. Ranging from cheap massages to fancy sky bars, Bangkok has it all. The great thing about being part of the exchange community is that there are always people up to have fun. Since our time abroad is limited we want to see as much as possible and there are always people who will want to join you.
The Best Part
The best part of living in Bangkok are actually the weekends we do not spent in Bangkok. Bangkok is an amazing city for a student but in the weekends it is nice to escape the hectic city life. Since Bangkok is the central travel hub of Thailand you are always a few hours away from paradise. Whether you feel like relaxing at some of world’s most beautiful beaches, jumping of breath taking waterfalls or hugging some elephants, Thailand has it all. Transportation and accommodation are extremely cheap so all you need is a destination.
The Chulalongkorn University is a special community to be a part of, especially as a white guy. At my University all students are expected to wear a uniform. Although some hate it, I love it. Not only because it is really easy in the morning, it also gives me the feeling that I am fitting in. Wherever I am wearing the uniform I am no longer seen as a lost tourist, people don’t stare at me as much, tuc-tuc drivers don’t shout at me and I do no longer have to bargain at the shops.
Academic life is good too. Currently I am taking Behavioral Economics, Introduction to Econometrics, Public Economics, Urban Economics and Policy and Thai Economy. These courses can be really interesting at times. What I like most about my classes here is the fact that I am always sitting in a room filled with students with completely different perspectives, sometimes resulting in surprising discussions.
Housing
I live in the Chulalongkorn International House. It is accommodating supplied by the university on campus and in the heart of Bangkok. I have my own personal room, free cleaning twice a month and my rent will make a lot of students in Rotterdam jealous. It reminds me of the Student Hotel in Rotterdam, however with two major differences. First of all, there are no community spaces. So hanging out here is relatively limited, but forces us to explore more of the city. The second main difference is the fact that I do not have a kitchen. This makes me eat out every single day. Fortunately, food in Bangkok is amazing and best of all extremely cheap. If you know to right restaurants and street food venders you can find stunning pad thai or tom yum soup for around 60 Baht, which is around €1,50.
Extracurricular
As in most parts of the world, the real fun starts when school is over. Ranging from cheap massages to fancy sky bars, Bangkok has it all. The great thing about being part of the exchange community is that there are always people up to have fun. Since our time abroad is limited we want to see as much as possible and there are always people who will want to join you.
The Best Part
The best part of living in Bangkok are actually the weekends we do not spent in Bangkok. Bangkok is an amazing city for a student but in the weekends it is nice to escape the hectic city life. Since Bangkok is the central travel hub of Thailand you are always a few hours away from paradise. Whether you feel like relaxing at some of world’s most beautiful beaches, jumping of breath taking waterfalls or hugging some elephants, Thailand has it all. Transportation and accommodation are extremely cheap so all you need is a destination.
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