Pete Garwood
@Wedders
English expat in France
Forum posts
47
About me
English
Lives in between Vaison and Malaucene
Speaks English French
Registration: 28 October 2008
thai visa
For how long? A 60 day tourist visa, extendible to 90 days, is pretty straightforward to obtain. Read More
Would you guys consider living in Thailand permanently?
Yes definitely. Lived there for three years (Chiang Mai) until recently, and am only in France temporarily, a case of 'force majeure'. Will head back soon, love it there - for many reasons. Read More
do those of you living abroad plan to return to your home countries? by ECS
I moved abroad with no specific plan of how long it would be but as things develop it's looking more and more likely that my life won't include returning back to my home country. So I'm wondering, are those of you living abroad now planning to ...
10 years since my last 24 hour visit to the UK. It was as bad as I expected. If I never go again it'll be too soon! Read More
Want to travel to Thailand
Hi, Can't help you with Bangkok (I live in Chiang Mai)... but if you are taking a proper study course with a bona fide school then they should be able to help you with obtaining the education visa before arrival. It is important to know that visas ... Read More
Living costs in Thailand by Robson
Hi all, I am thinking about a move to Thailand, is it posible to live off 120 pounds a month and maybe earn a bit more working there ? Many thanks for any info,advice and tips etc.
In a word, no. Firstly you can't work there without a work visa, and the Thais are very strict indeed about handing these out. Secondly half of your £120, or roughly 6,000 baht would go on a cheap and very nasty room. And you would have to take an ... Read More
Seek help locating former foreign exchange student from Chiang Mai
Contacting the university is a possibility. Any idea what she was studying? Which year would she have started there? Read More
How to make friends in France by expat.com
We have been talking about [url=https://www.expat.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=891]loneliness when you are abroad[/url], let's now talk about how to make friends (locals and other expats) when you're living in France :top: [b]Which are your best tips ...
I'm currently in PACA too, but given your mention of the Riviera it would probably take a good week to jog down to you from the Vaucluse, in which case I would be unlikely to be good company by the time I got there! Read More
Reverse Culture Shock by Guesposter58
Hmm. All last week I was back in the UK (mixing some work, with a short break). The last time I was back there was in November last year, and also the previous August. One thing I noticed this time though was I seemed to be suffering more from ...
Definitely felt the same way last time I was in the UK nearly ten years ago. Haven't been back since, don't intend going back unless I have no choice. Cold, unfriendly, hostile, stressed, rude and miserable people compared to the Thais where I am ... Read More
Home Exchange to Provence or French Riviera by jammydodger
Hi All, First time blog on this site, so bear with me! Been having a pig of a time trying to arrange a home exchange to anywhere in Provence or French Riviera. We're a family of 4 (2 adults/2 girls aged 16 & 11) living in Glasgow and hoping to ...
Hmm I registered our home in Provence once with a house exchange site, but was looking for a break in Thailand at the time. No offence, but Glasgow wasn't the exotic destination I had in mind! You just have to get lucky I suppose, I don't think ... Read More
Do and don't in France by expat.com
Are you living in France? We need you to share your experience of the local customs :) Is it difficult to adjust to the local customs in France? Could you please share with us a list of the [b] do's and don't's in France?[/b] Thanks!
ChapelGirl, good points, but just one minor thing - as an (obvious) adult, you wouldn't vousvoyer any kids under say 14/15 years, and usually up to 16/18 depending on the circumstances, appearance of age, etc. It would almost invariably be 'tu' ..... Read More
Cost of living in Thailand by expat.com
Hi everybody, It would be very useful to talk about the cost of living in Thailand. Don't forget to mention where in Thailand you are living. How much does it cost to live in Thailand? > accommodation prices > public transportation fares (tube, ...
Just a quick update. The £GBP now buys about 52 Baht compared to 65 three months ago. This obviously effects people like myself bringing money into the country each month. Locally costs related to the oil price have dropped for example diesel for ... Read More
How to make friends in France by expat.com
We have been talking about [url=https://www.expat.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=891]loneliness when you are abroad[/url], let's now talk about how to make friends (locals and other expats) when you're living in France :top: [b]Which are your best tips ...
Pursue your hobbies and interests even if your fluency is not great. If you jog a little, enter a race. There's no easier way to meet healthy people than in a sport you enjoy. It's a natural point of conversation and no one is suspicious of someone ... Read More
Anyone have to move back home?
The bloggosphere is awash with personal blogs, so if they make any advertising revenue it's usually no more than a few cents a month through something like GoogleAds. There are exceptions, but they are usually organised pro affairs and/or contain ... Read More
Boarding school - guest family in Wallonie or France by petercasier
A friend of mine, living in Dubai, would like to put her 17 year son in a boarding school in Belgium (Wallonie) or France. Can anyone recommend a good & affordable boarding school, which also allows pupils to stay over during the ...
On the assumption that he's a French-speaker, it's worth noting that many public schools (not English-style public schools, but French 'state' public schools) have weekly boarding facilities in France ('internat'). The costs are extremely low. ... Read More
aussie wants work in Thailand
Thailand is very protective of its own nationals in that respect, and work is very hard to come by. A TEFL qualification though is very useful, and plenty of expats here have found jobs as teachers, even if they are somewhat poorly paid. Even ... Read More
American planning on living in France
Hi. Perhaps someone else has a list of do's and don't do's along those lines. However if you have any specific questions I might be able to help out. I'm in Thailand right now ... but spent the best part of two decades as an expat Brit in France, so ... Read More
Cost of living in Thailand by expat.com
Hi everybody, It would be very useful to talk about the cost of living in Thailand. Don't forget to mention where in Thailand you are living. How much does it cost to live in Thailand? > accommodation prices > public transportation fares (tube, ...
Things are changing fast right now, mind you! The dollar buys a lot more than a month back, and as for the Brits and Euros, their currencies including mine :( buy a lot less since the current financial crisis really got going! Read More