Details

• Thailand
• MAMark-21
• Graduate
• WS 2025
• Time spent at the partner university: 4 months

1. Preparation

I was flying from the USA so I booked my flight months in advance. I also used flight points so did not pay for the flight, but I think it would have cost around $500-$600. I had a layover in Dallas Texas and in Hong Kong before arriving after about 27 hours. I arrived September 8th and orientation was the 16th so I had time to settle in before orientation. My other friend was already in Bangkok and already had found us an apartment, so I also didn't have to worry about that at all. For visa I was a bit last minute with it which was stressful waiting. I submitted it about 3 weeks before flying from the USA and received it 3-4 days before I left. So do your visa with enough time!

2. Accommodation

This will take a few weeks for you to find, don't expect it to be super easy. The issue you run into is that the condo owners want a minimum of 6 months usually, and normally you might only stay 4 months. So you really have to find a nice owner who allows a shorter contract. We went on Airbnb, messaged them and got a tour and then asked to pay rent off of Airbnb so the rate was better. We pay via bank transfer every month with Revolut and we also had an official contract with the owner, so we knew everything was legit. Be very cautious about paying in cash and also get your deposit back before you leave the country. Our condo was Lumpini Suite Phetchaburi and took me 15 minutes by motorbike to get to university. Safety was also good, overall Bangkok felt very safe.

3. Academic life at host university

The campus is CMMU in city center and it's very small, it's just a 11-story building and the only food is a cafeteria on campus. It has a simple design but it's not a place that's very social. Overall be prepared to not get all the classes you want and to kind of be stressed about this. If you want a different class go to the first lecture of a class and ask them if you can join. So many people did this to get a better schedule so they could travel. People will be changing classes super last minute, so if you can sign up for classes in the pre-registration. But also set an alarm for the registration as you will not be put into everything you preregister for. Also classes can be last minute canceled or moved to other dates so just get used to being flexible. I really liked Astrid Kainzbauer's 2 classes Managing People in Organization and Cross Cultural Management. She really engages the students and makes the class interactive. MPO has a midterm and exam which were open ended and if you pay attention and study they were fine. Also you have a group presentation which takes some time. CCM has 2 big group projects and is much more demanding with your time but its a really good class. She brings in so many guest lecturers in both classes and if you want to learn something then take her courses. 80% attendance is required for her though so be on top of your skips. She is Austian so grading will be similar to what you are used to. Innovative Product/Service Design and Commercialization with Triyuth is also another nice class, it's similar to the Innodays course we had at WU but still a solid option if you want a nice teacher. This is fairly normal to get an A in. Monrudee Theeraworawit Sustainability class is half a semester and was so easy, you won't learn much but if you want an easy class or it fits with your schedule then take it. Also she doesn't expect 80% attendance, I even missed the presentation and she just had us record ourselves online instead. International Marketing by Yurapong Ovatastit is a bit hard to be honest. It's mainly the final exam that I would recommend skipping this class. He lectures so much and it's so many slides to go over before the final. He is also super nice so it's not a bad choice for a class, but unless you want to learn alot about export, import and the legal/governmental side of starting a business in another country then it's not the most interesting.

5. Every day life in the host country

I took Grab and Bolt motorbikes everywhere, the traffic is awful so its the fastest way to get around. It's very safe, honestly Asia is the safest plase I have been. I traveled a lot and never had any issues. I went to a Muay thai gym pretty regularly for sports. I hungout with classmates that were international, so we always went on trips, to the mall, to get food. you will be super social and busy in Bangkok

6. Testimonial

It opened up my worldview so much, I met great people, saw beautiful places, and ate delicious food. I would highly recommend moving to Thailand, embracing the culture and meeting both locals and internationals. Embrace things that scare you and have fun!