@Jennifer *****

yes, street food is cheap, but not cheaper than cooking at home. Even if you pay 50 baht for a dish, it's cheaper to cook it at home.

When I first arrived I also was wondering why houses are furnished, but don't have a stove. You can look around and find a house with a kitchen, but will have to buy a stove and gas or a hotplate. You'll also have to pay for a washing machine or wash by hand. The house with a kitchen is not more expensive than a house without one, but more expensive than an apartment. I don't know where you are. In my city you can rent a 1-2 bedroom house for 6- baht and an apartment without kitchen for 3-6000. But it's not easy to find a furnished house here, cause it's a small city.

I used to do border run from Trang to Langkawi, spend 1 night there and come back. It's only a ferry away from Satun. Personally I think it's better than giving any bribes (don't know if they'd ask for any, just try to avoid the whole issue). They also have very nice Arabic restaurants in Malaysia :)

@Alistair *********

it's worse when they dont stop at all. I took a minivan from Thailand to Malaysia, and they did not stop for 3 hours, then finally stopped for 5 min. It was my second minivan that day and I had no food all day. They didn't stop for money exchange either.

@Ruth ******

do you have a link?

@Mike *****

it depends on a house. I live in the south, but my current house gets really cold in rainy season, I would love to use a hot tub and a heater.

@Bonnie ******

how much was the bus? I watched a YouTube video where a guy couldn't find the bus station and had to pay 45 USD for a ride from some agency that was there.

@Marc *******

do you know which service to use to go to Siem Reap for couple days? I mean a transportation only, but I want to be picked up after crossing the border, cause I've heard Cambodians try to charge you 45 USD to get from the boarder into Siem Reap.

@Bonnie ******

since you've mentioned Cambodia. Do you know what's the best way to get to Siem Reap? I know I will have to go to Bangkok first of course.

@Brandon ***********

yes, I got the part about extensions. I've never heard about it. When one of our teachers was leaving, she just left, and then the school went to cancel her wp.