@Jennifer *****

rice is very cheap, eggs, meat...all of it is not expensive. You can even buy cooked rice for 10 baht (which is more expensive than cooking your own). Shrimp is more expensive, but still ok. I'm talking about Thai food and some simple food. If you want to buy expensive cheese than it's a different conversation. And the supermarket prices are the same no matter what city you are in...

@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.