Living a travel life

I love to travel and see new places, but I don't have a lot of money to do so!

I am sure I am not the only one who has this problem!

On top of that I also have to consider my future, even if I could, I am not sure I would want to drift around the world for the rest of my life, so I have to consider how I am eventually going to sustain my life in the future. A job I can take now for income to go travel is not neccesarily one I would want to take in 10 years.

I also sure I am not the only one who has this problem!

So, I have been thinking about how to travel the world cheaply and still getting some income and qualifications. This is what I have come up with so far:

Make Priorities:

A lot of the time my friends who don't travel much complain a lot about not having money and time to travel. Then I ask them how much they just paid for their HD flatscreen television. You could live months on that in some countries.

Also if you own a lot of things it can be difficult to go, a condo, a house, a car. Those things are expensive. Renting, take the bus, then you have less to worry about. There is some truth I think about "The things you own end up owning you"! This is a good time, not to pay a lot in interest.

Get Passive Income:

This is not only for travelling, all rich people make money without directly working for it. I think this should be a priority for most. If you travel and take photos put them on the net and leave information about how to contact you. Flickr.com is a good website for displaying photo, but you probably knew that.

The same with many other things. Invest some money in risky projects, make a website, send some stuff home or sell on ebay.

Learn a skill that doesn't require an office:

Obvious choices are writing articles, you can get fast money from this at Elance.com and AssociatedContent.com.

The last one will buy just about whatever ramblings you produce as long as they are over 400 words and unique. They pay really low though so don't put to much effort into it. Again maybe you can even write that one article that gets popular!

Other options are of course Internet and Search Enginge Optimization. This is maybe too technical for most, but always in demand and pay well.

Studying Abroad:

If you are in college, this is a great way to experience a new country. Most colleges have some kind of excange agreements with universities in other countries.
This is a great way to experience a new country, as you will make lots of new friends, locals and foreign students, that you can travel and hang out with, and you will make local friends that are your own age fast. You will see a lot more of how life is like in that country than if you come as a tourist.

Get a travel related job:

Diving instructor, Tour guide, Party guide, Pilot many choices.

A good one is getting a job at a cruise ship. A friend did this, but avoid kitchen, cleaning and maintenance jobs. Instead get a casino job. The way you do this, is to go to your local casino and ask when their next training course is. Casiono's do this all the time and sometimes even pay you for it. Then when you have finished the course you will be a credented dealer.

What do you think?

How can we travel the world cheaply?

Bangkok Pre-Arrival FAQ!

Hi!

When I read trough Lonely Planets I often see that new travellers to Bangkok have a lot of basic questions, that for some reason the guidebooks don't really cover.

And I can understand why people would want to ask ahead, Bangkok can be quite a culture shock if you have never been to Asian metropol before, especially such one as Bangkok, where the infrastructure leaves a lot to be desired!

So I have decided to do my own little FAQ posts here, to help new arrivals to Bangkok, take a look if your questions have been answered here. I have tried to limit this Bangkok FAQ to basic questions. Have a look and see if your question is anwered below.

Jack Powers Bangkok FAQ:

Pre Arrival:

Q: Do I need a Visa to enter Thailand?

A: This depends on two things: The purpose of your visit to Thailand and your country of origin.

First, if your country is one of the following you can get a visa exemption ( a "stamp") valid for 30 days (if you arrive by air) or 15 days if you arrive by land.

These countries are eligble for Visa exempt:

Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Bahrain, Brunei, Canada, Danmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Iceland, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Korea, Kuwait, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Monaco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Oman, Peru, Phillipines, Portugal, Quatar, Singapore, Spain, South Africa, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, Vietnam

If you are a citizen you will have to apply for a tourist visa:

Which everyone is eligble for (including the countries mentioned before) at your local Thai Embassy. The Visa process should not take more than a few days. The you will have a valid Tourist Visa with a duration of 60 days and an option to extend an additional 30 days!

Q: Do I need proof of onward travel?
A: Yes. At least in theory. I have personally never had a problem on the thai part, but I have been forced to buy a ticket out of Thailand sometimes in order to buy a ticket flying to Thailand!

So best be on the safe side and purchase a cheap ticket from Air Asia , if you do not have a return ticket.

Q: Do I really need to have proof of income or cash reserve?
A: No. Although the law says you have to, I have never heard of anyone being asked to provide these.

Q: Should I book hotel in advance?
A: That would be a good idea to book the first few nights at least, so you don't have to carry your luggage around while touts try to drag you of. This can be a real hassle after a long flight. Booking in advance over the internet will also save you money.
I personally use www.agoda.com , they have good deals, are reliable, easy to book and have customer support. Try booking ahead in time with them for special deals. Another agent is www.priceline.com
, they give rebates and discount for members.

Q: Where can I find a taxi stand in Suvanabhumi (Bangkok) Airport?
A: When you get out of Immigration follow the crowd until you are on the arrivals floor. Ignore the touts trying to get you in an expensive limousine and go outside. Tell the personell where you want to go and get in.

Q: How much does a taxi cost to my hotel?
A: Taxis are very cheap in Bangkok.

Taxi to Kao Sarn area cost around 250 baht + 50 baht airport fee

Taxi to Sukhumvit area cost around 200 baht + 50 baht airport fee

ALWAYS go by meter, theres 70000 or so taxies in Bangkok, if one doesnt turn on the meter, the next will, dont be afraid to get out!

Q: What will the weather be like when I get there?
A:
December - February: Dry, Moderately Hot
February - May: Dry, Very Hot
May - November: Rainy Season

This can vary within Thailand.

You can see local weather reports here: http://www.travelfish.org/weather_fish.php

Q: Can I buy xyz medicine in Thailand?
A: Most medicine can be bought over the counter in pharmacies in Thailand, including prescription drugs, but remember it may not be legal to carry home.

Q: What island should I visit?
A: Check out this blog: Thailand Beaches and Islands.

Q: What are some cheap airlines from London?
A: You will have to look around but I have found these to be cheapest:

Egypt Air

Quatar Air

Sri-Lankan Air

Q: Is Thailand safe?
A: Yes. Use common sense and you will be fine. Single female travellers should avoid going alone at night and staying at beaches or secluded areas after dark.

Q: You didn't answer my question, where can I go ask?
A: Now you can go back to Lonely Planet and ask!

If you think I should include answers to something else please give me a shout!

Cheers,

Jack