After my trip to Bali, Indonesia. I didn’t know where I was headed. I wanted to do something other than work on my laptop as I felt very unhealthy being stuck in front of a computer screen. I was still in Bangkok at the time and I was contemplating on a few things until unexpected opportunities knocked on this backpacker’s life.

Substitute Teacher

There was an opening for a temporary post as an elementary English teacher for a private school in Bangkok where my friend was working. It was a short-term gig which would’ve lasted three weeks. In my mind, I was to handle a class of grade six pupils, but the picture didn’t come out clear enough because I was hesitant.

back in the old office days

I’ve had some experience training adults and I’ve hosted calibration sessions with different clients in my previous job in a call center; but this was a little different since I’d be handling youngsters.

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I’m currently in Bangkok and I’ll be heading to Chiang Mai in a few days. I’m on my eighth month of backpacking in Asia. So far, I’ve travelled to a number of countries without having a definite duration on how many days I'd stay in one place. Even if at times I’m spending more because I haven’t carefully planned what I’m going to do, I’m just glad that the freedom of decision-making is within my grasp most of the time.

One day I’m in Cambodia, the next day I’d travel to Thailand. I’d drop by a few days in Singapore, and then take a bus to Malaysia. The spontaneity of it all and how easy it is to go from country to country drives me high.

Singapore airport sky train

Of course, money plays a big role because transportation plays a big chunk in this scene. But somehow, it’s not as expensive compared to flying out from my country.

Back in the Philippines, I had a challenge getting out of the country at the immigration counter. It’s something a lot of Filipinos are worried about because immigration officers have to make sure that those who are leaving the country for the holidays have plans of returning to their home country.

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For a month and a half, I stayed in Bangkok, Thailand. I flew in from Singapore and arrived in in this urban city with a 30-day visa stamped on my passport, I decided to stay here longer instead of going back to Siem Reap, Cambodia.

Here’s a high-level overview of what to expect about life in Bangkok as a digital nomad.
Note: Expenses mentioned are based on my experiences. Prices may vary depending on your level of comfort.

Khao San Road, Bangkok

Accommodation

We had a friend who was very generous to share her space for us to stay. So we grabbed the opportunity since we didn’t have much time to scour through other places in the city. If we searched hard enough, we could possibly find good deals in other places in Bangkok. But we didn’t because we wanted to save money and spend more on other important things such as food.

apartment in Bangkok

This meant that the hassle of searching for a place to stay was no longer a problem. My friend’s apartment costs about 5000 baht (160 USD) per month.

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When I stayed in Bangkok, Thailand for more than a month, aside from coffee shops, one of the places I frequently visited was the Terminal 21 mall.

I was introduced to this shopping and dining center by a fellow travel blogger and this became one of my favorite hangout places. For someone like me who’s constantly on the lookout for good internet connection to work on my online jobs, I always need a conducive place to do my tasks. Bangkok’s Terminal 21 was able to give me what this digital nomad’s lifestyle needs.

Terminal21

To give you some highlights, here are five reasons why I love the Terminal 21 mall in Bangkok, Thailand:

1. Themed Floors

Bangkok’s Terminal 21’s floors have different themes. These themes are patterned to famous terminals around the world. They are inspired by the cities of Tokyo, London, Istanbul, etc. When I first visited the mall, I couldn’t help but admire the way they built the complex to give a unique experience every floor.

Themed floors

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It’s funny because even if I stayed in Bangkok, Thailand for more than a month, I didn't really go to as many places as possible. In fact, I was just stuck in the city, frequenting coffee shops to open my laptop and work. I was focused on doing my online jobs so I could prepare for better things in the future.

However, one thing I looked forward to everyday was the food. I was always happy with the choices that were available to me. According to my friend who now lives there, best local food are found on the streets. Since they’re found on the streets, it’s expected that the costs are also budget-friendly. This is great because I don’t really eat as often as I can but when I do, I have so many options to choose from.

Street Food, Bangkok

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