Can't Wait to Go Back Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

The Chiang Mai summer program provided the perfect introduction to studying abroad. The TEAN staff and professors were extremely helpful in helping us adjust to a totally new culture. Additionally, the group of students that I traveled with was absolutely amazing; I've made life-long friends from all around the US. In terms of education, TEAN offers several course options (e.g. Business, Buddhism, Public Health, Thai Dance). The classes are rigorous because they are trying to cram a semester's worth of information into 3 weeks each. However, they are manageable and very interesting. The Cultural Foundations class even helped us acclimate to our new surroundings by teaching us the correct mannerisms, role of religion, and history of Southeast Asia. TEAN provides a lot of resources, such as professor office hours, access to the CMU libraries, and visits to local experts.

On-site administration of your program

TEAN was really helpful in our pre-planning, arrival in Chiang Mai, and setting us up at CMU and Uniloft. We had three representatives present in Chiang Mai, who we could call if we ever needed anything. All logistical items were handled before we even got there, so our transition was very smooth. The TEAN orientation took us all around the city and taught us key phrases and mannerisms to help integrate into the culture. Every few weeks, TEAN would take us on an excursion (e.g Elephant Nature Park, dinner at fancy restaurant, etc.) that allowed us to catch up with everyone.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

Our housing was spectacular, probably better than at my home university. We lived at Uniloft, which is a hybrid dorm/apartment student-living complex that is only a 5 minute walk from the university's back gate. The complex has a great location and awesome amenities; there's 2 swimming pools, study rooms, multiple ATMs, gym, laundry service, and a 7-11. There's so many bars, restaurants, and cafes nearby (even a cat cafe!); street food stalls are a three minute walk away and stay open till 2am! We shared a room with our Thai roommate. The size of the rooms are large enough, and you can close off your door for privacy. The private bathrooms are western-style and very clean. Overall, Uniloft is the perfect place for students.

Thai food cannot be beat! You will never be let down. Everything is really spicy and has tons of flavor. There are a ton of food options that are extremely delicious and really cheap. Normal meals, not in fancier restaurants, can range from about 30 to 150 baht ($1-$5). TEAN provides a meal stipend of about 200 baht per day, which is very reasonable. The canteens on campus are the cheapest places to get food (about 20 baht for huge portions). Our Thai roommates definitely helped us find cheap, quality places around town. If you get a little homesick, there are a ton of restaurants in an area called Nimman that serve good western food (pasta, burgers, pizza, salad, etc.)

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

I was really happy with how the program encouraged us to get a more authentic experience. By rooming with Thai students, we were able to learn about their favorite places to eat, local nightlife, resources on campus, how to stay polite in social interactions, and fun places to hangout. I had a great time touring the country with my roommate and was honored when he took me to his hometown to meet his family. The program really shows you the breadth of Thai society and culture. In class, we studied topics ranging from history to Buddhism, which were able to apply by visiting local temples, landmarks, and NGOs. By far, my favorite part was the Thai village home-stay. By living in a village for several days, we saw a totally different side of Thailand, the hardworking life of the rural populations. Overall, this program definitely integrated us well. By the end, we were able to speak some phrases in Thai and advise other travelers about their plans and more.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

Our program had several representatives who we could call to take us to the clinic or hospital. Additionally, we were all enrolled in a study abroad insurance program to cover any costs. In our entire time in Chiang Mai, there was only one incident for stomach problems. In that case, one of the girls just called our program representative, who came like five minutes later to take her to a private hospital. She saw a doctor immediately and was on her way within an hour. She told us that the private hospital was way better than the health care avenues back in the US! Health care is extremely accessible. For small illnesses, we headed to any pharmacy (one on every corner) and the pharmacist prescribed something for our ailment. I didn't get any vaccines or anti-malarial pills. They're not really necessary because Chiang Mai is more urban and there's not many "health risks". I do recommend that you bring bug spray!

Chiang Mai is super safe! There was NEVER a time that I felt unsafe. Uniloft has multiple security guards that patrol the building 24/7, so nothing ever happened there. CMU also has its own security team to patrol campus. Around the city, there's nothing really to look out for. Everyone is really nice and minds their own business. During the day, we often broke off into small groups or even individually to tour the city and nothing ever happened. At night, we never got into any trouble either, even when we would come back from a night out at like 4am. Overall, Chiang Mai is extremely safe. The living accommodations are out of the old city, which is a more touristy area and has the potential for more crime (even though nothing ever happens). Just take the same precautions you do when you are your home university; stay in groups, don't walk alone at night, and be mindful of your surroundings.

(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost)

It's really easy to live on student budget, because the dollar is pretty strong against the Thai baht. When I was there, the conversion rate was 33 baht:1 dollar. This is great because cheap, good food costs about $1.50-$2 for a whole meal. TEAN provided a stipend for food, so that was basically covered for us. The stipend is super realistic and the daily allowance gives you a ton of food. Also, transportation is extremely cheap, you can go anywhere in the city for about $0.60. I spent most of my money on excursions and other fun experiences (e.g. Tiger Kingdom, bungee jumping, etc.). These were personal choices and everyone on our program definitely didn't do everything I did and I didn't do everything they did. Overall, Thailand is very student-budget friendly, whatever you decide to spend will be fore extra things like food, souvenirs, and things that are cheaper there than in the states (e.g. tattoos, some clothes, etc.)

0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language

I was not enrolled in the Thai language class. The other students in the prgram that took this class, definitely learned a lot. Their professor, Ajan Gai, is the funniest professor I've ever met and is incredibly skilled at making his class so fun that you don't realize that you're learning. However, during our orientations, the TEAN staff taught us essential phrases like "hello", "how much?", "how are you?", and more to help us transition. Our roommates also helped us with pronunciation and politeness. Just living in Chiang Mai, you are encouraged to use Thai because many of the locals (e.g. red truck drivers and street vendors) are not too good at English. By the end of the program, I became a star at calling for taxis, telling them where we wanted to go, and bargaining for the best rate.

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• Dorm
• Apartment

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• Local Students
• Americans

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• Americans

• Classes
• City
• Thai Roommates

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