Bangkok is a city of contrast, with modern skyscrapers on one side of town, and sprawling ancient temples on the other. It is a shopper's paradise, with high-fashion malls and street-side bazaars at every corner. Thai food is amazing and affordable, but you also have a choice of every imaginable cuisine. Locals and foreigners eat out almost every meal so you will be spoilt for choice, from curb-side food stalls to restaurants by celebrity chefs. Thailand is fiercely Buddhist, but very tolerant of different races, religion, and sexual orientation. It is however a very polite society, so crass behaviour, disrespectful attitude and open conflict is not tolerated. The Royal Family is revered and one must be very mindful of this. When visiting, remember that you are a guest, so behave with politeness and you will be welcomed as a friend.

Locals are very welcoming and well-accustomed to the throngs of tourists and expatriates. Thailand is still very exotic, but almost every conceivable convenience is available. The Thai language is hard to learn, and most locals prefer to speak in Thai. Most office workers and college graduates understand English but may speak it with a strong accent, so communication can be a major stumbling block. Summer time heat might be unbearable to those used to colder climates, but you can always seek refuge in any of the posh air-conditioned malls. Holidays are very affordable, and some of the world's best beaches are only a train, bus or plane-ride away. Luxury hotels and resorts are a fraction of what they will cost elsewhere, and the service is excellent and sincere. Most city folks are fashionably dressed, be it in designer splurge or bazaar steal. They can't understand foreigners in flip-flops and trainers walking around some of the nicest malls or hotels in town. Beachwear is for the beach, and gym wear is for the gym. Make an effort to look nice, and you will be treated much better. Unkempt backpackers are also frowned at in the middle of the city, although some backpacker haunts merely shrug it off. This city has a lot to offer singles, gays and lesbians, and holiday options for couples and families are plentiful. It is a relatively safe country, with most Thai taking personal blame for the bad experience of their guests. Having said that, popular tourist places have their share of scammers and pick-pockets so the usual dose of care is required. Again, Thais do not like confrontation, so avoid raising your voice, using foul language, or being overly aggressive and rude. Things are best resolved here with a smile and a kind request. This is Thailand so don't expect people to speak English - they have their own language and are proud of it. Don't expect things to be "like home" - and just enjoy and celebrate the differences.

Most passports are eligible for the visa-free entry up to 30 days. You can visit other countries like Laos and Cambodia, and return to Thailand the same day and get another 30 days, for a maximum of 90 days in a six-month period. Otherwise, you will be required to apply for a 60-day tourist visa outside Thailand. Work permits are coveted and complicated to obtain. A company in Thailand can only sponsor a limited number of foreign workers, and some occupations are restricted. For every foreign worker sponsored, a company must have a corresponding 2 million baht capital and four Thai workers. Those with working permits have to report to immigration authorities every 90 days, a relatively painless albeit inconvenient experience. Any change of address or employer has to be reported, and work permits cannot be transferred from one employer to another. Official information can be found at http://www.mfa.go.th/web/2637.php, while most expats and tourists share information on http://www.thaivisa.com/

The city is full of luxury apartments. Expats on a company package get US$3,000 - US$4,000 (per month) three-bedroom apartments in mid-Sukhumvit, or houses with a garden. Silom downtown has a lot of large companies, so housing for expat in the Silom-Sathorn area is also expensive. Most of the lease terms are standard, but everybody wants to be near the BTS. Rent is proportionally high to the distance from the BTS station. Every expat building has a pool, a gym, and sometimes a sauna and jacuzzi. Make sure they are new, fitted and well-kept. 24-hour security, a camera in common areas, and key pass are standard in the high-end buildings so check that yours has them as well. Check availability of cable and hi-speed internet, and nearby groceries, mall and restaurants. Rent is usually paid at the beginning of the month, two-months security deposit and one-month rent in advance are standard terms at the beginning of the lease. Large companies are able to negotiate a good rental rate by paying for a year in advance.

Yes, help is plentiful. Labour sadly is very cheap, with migrant workers from Burma and Laos flooding the market. English-speaking help command double the rate of what local Thais pay their house helpers. Maids with experience working for an expat family start at about 12,000 baht a month, same for drivers but with overtime pay. Nannies get paid relative to age of children and number. 10,000 baht looking after two pre-school age kids, 12 to 15,000 if looking after infants and toddlers.

TOT is the standard landline provider, and overseas call rates can rack up. It is best to call by Skype. Everyone has a mobile phone: local calls and SMS are quite cheap at about 1 baht each message or per minute. Long distance calls can be expensive, depends on the time of day. The rating is determined not by distance but by the province (district, if you like) that you are calling. Neighbouring provinces are cheaper than provinces that are not. These rules apply equally to landlines and mobiles. Be aware that whilst landline->landline and mobile->mobile is cheap, any mix (i.e. landline->mobile, or mobile->landline) is considerably more expensive. Thus you will likely find that calling a Thai mobile (01, or 09) will be somewhat cheaper using your own mobile, than the hotel phone. I prefer my AIS mobile service, the customer service is good. DTAC has regular rate promotions. All local numbers include an area code, which is 02 in Bangkok. So all Bangkok numbers are listed the same, beginning with 02. To call international, you have to dial 001 + country code + area code + phone number. On the mobile, use the "+" sign instead. Internet access is cheap - I pay 600 baht for unlimited wireless service directly from our apartment building and I didn't have to sign up for a service. Elsewhere, internet cafe are a plenty, for as low as 20 baht per hour. Wi-fi points are at every large mall and office tower block. Bangkok's local government is also installing wi-fi at key sites including public parks. Satellite service: True, I am not sure if they have competition. Top package is 2,400 baht which is quite expensive. Two English language newspapers are the Bangkok Post and The Nation; the latter is more of a business newspaper. Local newspapers and magazines are a plenty. Bangkok is a haven for publications. Other language newspapers and magazines are available at posh malls and expat haunts. Postal service: This is quite reliable by Asian standards. Outgoings are fast, although incoming mail takes longer. Compared to other cities in South East Asia, Thai postal service is quite reliable.

Important to take basic lessons, and to practice. You can scream and shout in English, and you still won't get yourself understood. You wouldn't want that in case of an emergency! There are plenty of language schools in Thailand, and locals are more than willing to help out in exchange for practising their English language skills. Lots of language exchange clubs. Unless you have a sponsor, be aware that the Berlitz and Inlingua chains which are very expensive. Also beware of small schools with untrained teachers. Best to get recommendations from other expats, especially for private tutors. Both the prestigious Chulalongkorn University and Thamassat University have intensive language courses as well as an MA in Thai studies. The private Baan Phaasaa Thai (Thai Language House) in Ploenchit Centre comes highly recommended http://www.thailanguagehouse.com/

Do not drink water from the tap, and unless you are used to living overseas, avoid iced drinks. Bottled waters are plentiful. Make sure the seal has not been broken. Most building blocks have their recommendations for a drinking water supplier. For laundry, shower and general purpose, water supply by the building is reliable and clean. Most have their own storage tanks. Most high-end buildings have electric hobs and are against the use of LPG tanks to prevent accidents. Piped-in gas does not exist in Thailand. Water and electric charges are coursed through your building management so you do not need to subscribe separately, and you are billed for your phone, water and power along with your rent.

It is difficult to get a formal job, because of the work visa issue. You cannot get a visa on your own, you need to apply to a company. The company has to secure it for you and even that is complicated for them. So unless you are specifically recruited or perfect fit for an advertised job, it is not easy to find a job. Native English speakers though are in demand, and work visa sponsorships are offered. The Nation, Bangkok Post and some expat magazines publish jobs geared at experienced professionals. A lot of informal work arrangements are available though.

Thai baht is the official currency. A work or residency permit is required to open a bank account, otherwise it is an easy experience. Large companies like Citibank, HSBC and Standard Chartered are present as well as local ones like Bangkok Bank, Kasikorn and Siam Commercial. Service and products are excellent.

There is a high incidence of hepatitis among locals, most likely due to unhygienic food stalls. AIDS and HIV are one of the highest in Asia, I believe, but under control. Thailand is an emerging medical tourism hotspot, with excellent facilities with almost all reputable medical doctors having trained in the US/overseas. Go to expat-centric hospitals like Bumrungrad to ensure that you have the proper translators. One of the reasons we moved to Bangkok is because of the excellent and affordable healthcare. My husband was mis-diagnosed in the Philippines and needed emergency care whilst travelling in Thailand; since then we have decided to settle here due to the specialist care at Phaya Thai 2 hospital. From dental care to cosmetic procedure to complicated surgery, Thailand has some of the best-trained doctors and world-class facilities. Definitely better than what you will get on NHS or Medicare.

Plenty of international schools for children, some are better than the others. Harrows is top of the league.

Yes, but driving around town is difficult, and the driving test is in Thai. Much easier to hire a driver. BTS and cabs are affordable, and quite safe. BTS starts at 15 baht to a maximum of 45 baht across town. Cabs begin at 39 baht, and you can cross town for about 250 baht.

Easy, almost every international brand name is available at the large malls and the Boots chain. Some good quality local brands. Nail spas are divine, Toni & Guy and Shisheido salons are present, although Salon de BKK in Emporium is highly recommended for expats. Body waxing is available at the spas (which are everywhere!) but eyebrow waxing and shaping is harder to find. I would ship more cooking items (Thais don't seem big on home cooking, plenty of restaurants for every meal of every day!) and large size clothing. Shop sizes range from US Size 0 to Size 6 for large, and size 8 for extra large. High heel shoes are plentiful, comfort shoes and clothing for larger sizes are not so easy to find.

Everything except basketball. Sports culture is Euro-centric. Football (please don't call it soccer, you will embarass yourself) is popular, as it is in the rest of the world. Plenty of expat clubs for rugby, sailing, hiking, bicycle, and of course, scuba diving. Muay Thai matches are popular among locals.

No information supplied.

No information supplied.

See too: Our Expat Women Living in Thailand page