New Student Information Welcome to the Tri-continent Degree program. With this document we will give you advice and instructions on how to prepare for your arrival. Tuition and Fees: In order to officially be a student, after acceptance, you need to pay your administration fee of $250. This can be done before you arrive or after, at your convenience. However, you cannot join the student forum, schedule your classes or get visa documents until you have paid this admin fee. We encourage you to pay this fee as soon as possible. Tuition is due for the semester when you begin classes, so no need to pay until you arrive and are ready to attend class. BEFORE ARRIVAL Visa: You have two choices and the ultimate choice depends a bit upon what country you live in and how easy it is to get a visa. If you live in a country where it is easy to get a tourist visa, the easiest way to move forward is to get a 2-month (or at least 1-month) tourist visa for Thailand. Get your visa from the Thai embassy or consulate (some people prefer to use an agency). Upon arrival, our staff will take you to the Immigration Office in Bangkok and convert your Tourist visa into an Education visa. If you live in a country where getting a tourist visa is difficult, the method is different: 1. Pay the administration fee and one class in advance by wire transfer (contact us to get an exact amount) 2. We will send you documents to get an Education visa through your local embassy or consulate Letter or Return Ticket: In the airport, it is likely the airline check in counter will ask if you have an ongoing ticket from Thailand. If you already booked a round-trip ticket, show them. If not, you can do one of the following: 1. Show them your ED visa (if you got one) 2. Show them the acceptance letter from Siam Technology College as proof you are a student.
Money: It is recommended that you bring US$1,500 with you. This will vary from person to person, but, when you move into a condo, you will need 3 months of rent, up front. If your condo is 9000 per month, you will need 27,000 baht to move in that s already $819 (based upon 33 Thai baht to US$1). Within a week of your arrival you can open a bank account at a local bank. You can then arrange to have money transferred to your account. Useful Apps: Download the application Line. It s the most popular app in Thailand for communication and many of the people you meet and your classmates will use it as a normal way of chatting. Next, you may want to download the app Grab. Grab is similar to Uber. Consider where you want to stay in Bangkok: The following website will be useful to see what is available and deciding what and where you want to rent: https://www.hipflat.co.th When searching, choose Rent Condos in Bangkok and then you can choose Bangkok Yai district or anything near the BTS Thalat Phlu. We recommend the following condos: Unio in Bangkok Yai district, about 7,500 baht per month (can be shared) for a 28m2 condo, and can walk to school--only 1 km to campus Ideo Sathorn-Tha Phra for a 23 m2 condo for about 9,000. Just 8 minute bus ride to college and close to BTS and the mall. Whizdom Station Ratchada-Thapra, very near the Tha Phra BTS and the mall and 8 minute bus ride to college. Since by now you have already downloaded Line app (we hope), add the ID of pahnww. Worawan is an agent who can help you to rent a condo if you have not yet decided where you want to stay from the hipflat website.
If you are looking for something less expensive, please contact us and we can show you local apartments for about 3,500 baht per month. These could even be shared for the very budget minded. What to Pack: Bangkok is never cold. No matter the month, the average low temperature is never below 20 degrees Celsius. The average high temperature is usually between 30 and 35 degrees (with April being the hottest month of the year. So there is no need to bring cold-weather clothes. The dress code for the college is smart casual. This means: General Clothing Business Casual clothing should be crisp, neat, pressed and never wrinkled. Torn, dirty, or frayed clothing is unacceptable. Upper Body Casual collared shirts, polo shirts, and buttoned shirts are appropriate for men and women. It is inappropriate to wear t-shirts, tank tops, midriff tops, sweatshirts, muscle shirts or tops that are excessively tight or revealing. Clothing with potentially offensive words, large logos, cartoons and slogans should be avoided. Lower Body Dress pants, dressy capris and nice looking Khaki or dark dress pants are acceptable. Dresses and skirts that sit at, or below, the knee are acceptable. Sweatpants, exercise pants, cargo pants, pajama pants, beach or athletic shorts, mini-skirts, sun dresses, beach dresses, and spaghetti-strap dresses as well as baggy, ripped or torn jeans are inappropriate. Feet Loafers, dress shoes, boots, flats, dress sandals, open-toed shoes, and closed-toed shoes are appropriate. Accessories Jewelry, makeup, perfume and cologne should be in good taste, with limited visible body piercings. Makeup should be used minimally to represent a natural look. Remember, that some colleagues are allergic or sensative to the chemicals in perfumes and make-up, so wear these substances with restraint. Exceptions Should a bona fide religious practice, belief or legitimate health need conflict with the dress code, reasonable accommodation will be made. There is an optional uniform, if you choose. You can buy the uniform upon arrival.
Booking a hotel: We suggest you book three nights in a hotel and we recommend a few hotels to stay in, depending upon your budget. Lowest Budget: Sleepbkk has air conditioned shared hostel rooms at a special discount for our students at 125 baht per night. Private rooms also available. Find them on Facebook @Sleepbkk and mention you are a student on this program to get a discount. Medium Budget: Jolly Suites and Spa is a hotel with rooms at 1,100 baht per night. You can book through Agoda and other similar websites. Nicer Hotels: Ibis Riverside for about 1,500 baht per night and Avani Riverside Bangkok Hotel for 2,500 per night are good choices. The easiest way to book a hotel is one of the online booking sites like expedia.com, agoda.com or booking.com When to come: As you probably know by now, our classes run for two weeks, throughout the year. So you are free to begin your studies at almost any time. Coordinate with Bryce or Rita when you want to begin attending class and then come at least 3 days before your classes begin. It s possible to come earlier or later, but if you choose to come later it will be difficult to arrange for a condo before your classes begin. WHEN YOU ARRIVE: At the Airport: You will be arriving in either Don Muang or Suanabhumi airport in Bangkok. Either one is fine. You might want to convert a bit of money or use your ATM to withdraw. Tourist SIM cards are available at the airport. It would probably be best to get one there and then, when you are a bit more settled in, change to a regular SIM at a mall or phone shop. As you are first arriving, it s probably best to take a taxi to your hotel. Make sure to print out the name and address of your hotel to give to your taxi driver. The fare should be about 250 baht from Don Muang Airport to about 400 baht from Suanabhumi Airport. At the hotel: Please contact us and let us know when you arrive. Our office hours are Monday through Saturday, 8:30 am to 4 pm. We can give you your best travel options to the school.
Contact us at the office and we can give you more instructions or help. Here are various ways to contact us: Bryce Email: admissions@affordabledegreeoverseas.com Bryce s phone: 0946625598 Rita s Email: Siamtechinternational@gmail.com Rita s phone: 0904289600 In an emergency, you can also call Bruce at any time. 24 hours a day at 0875419896 If you want to get a taxi to the college, the address of the college, in Thai, is: ว ทยาล ยเทคโนโลย สยาม (สยามเทค) 46 9 ถนน จร ญสน ทวงศ แขวง ว ดท าพระ เขต บางกอกใหญ กร งเทพมหานคร 10600 When you enter, make sure you see the Paragano Coffee Shop immediately inside the entrance. You will then know you are at the right place.