Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Korat Jobs


In case you are considering moving to Korat and are looking for information about Korat jobs then you have definitely come to the right place.

Let me start of by clearly stating that it is rather difficult for a foreigner to find suitable Korat jobs. The vast majority of Korat jobs which are open to foreigners are English teaching jobs. You do need to have the relevant paperwork and salaries tend to be less then impressive with most English teachers in Korat earning around 35.000 Thai Baht per month. If you are just looking for a way to supplement your pension or other type of income then this type of Korat job could be ideal for you. If you are looking to teach English in Korat then you should check out the Korat Farang forum and perhaps post some questions there.

There are not many other types of Korat jobs available to Farangs. There are a number of Japanese factories in Korat but they tend to hire mainly Japanese managers. One of the reasons why most of the companies in Korat are not interested in hiring foreigners is because of the minimum salary requirements for foreigners which is around 35.000 THB per month depending on your nationality. As nearly all the local businesses target local clientele, there is hardly a way that they could justify paying a foreigner 3 or 4 times the salary of what a capable Thai would get.

The majority of expats living in Korat that are still employed and are not working as a teacher are either working in their own business or are earning money online somehow. If you are unable to start your own business in Korat but would still like to earn money during their stay in Korat then perhaps you should look at freelance writing for example. Some of the sites where you can find this type of freelance work include Digital Point forum and Getafreelancer. You could also create some websites and earn money through affiliate sales or Adsense advertising.

If you would still prefer looking for regular Korat jobs then there are several outstanding Thai employment websites where you can search for jobs in Korat.

Jobbees - Large Thai online job site which includes available Korat jobs.

JobThai
- This is one of the most popular online Thailand employment website which also offers a section on Korat employment.

JobsDB - If you are looking for a Korat job then be sure to check out Jobs DB.

Thursday, May 7, 2009

Korat Hotels

Korat Hotels
If you are planning to visit Korat then please note that there is a good selection of Korat hotels from which you can choose. Room rates at hotels in Korat tends to be inexpensive compared to hotels in some of the more popular Thai destinations such as Phuket, Samui and Bangkok.

There is actually a wide range of different types of Korat hotels ranging from large business style hotels such as the Dusit Princess Korat hotel through to cheap short time hotels.

I have listed some of the most popular Korat hotels for you including links to the websites of these hotels in Korat or their contact information.
Dusit Princess Hotel Korat

This Korat hotel was formally known as the Royal Princess hotel and is located a few kilometers outside of the center of Korat city. This is one of the most popular Korat hotels among foreigners visiting Korat. They also have an excellent buffet breakfast, lunch and dinner which are very popular among Korat expats.

V One Hotel Korat

The V One Hotel Korat markets itself as the only trendy boutique hotel in Korat. It is located just down the road from the Pegasus and various popular Korat nightlife venues. It is located only a short drive away from the Korat bus station.

Hermitage Resort Korat

One of the largest hotels in Korat is the Hermitage Resort Korat. There are 139 rooms at this Korat hotel and they also offer a number of good food and beverage outlets. There is also an excellent selection of faciltities at this beautiful and relatively new hotel in Korat.

San Sabai House Korat

If you are traveling on a budget then perhaps you should consider booking a room at the San Sabai House in Korat. This cheap Korat hotel is located right in the center of Korat city.

Rachaphruk Grand Hotel Korat

This is one of the oldest Korat hotels and offers a wide range of facilities which include a great pool, karaoke and Japanese restaurant. The room prices at this Korat City hotel tend to be on the inexpensive side.

Sripatana Hotel Korat

The Sripatana Hotel Korat is one of the most centrally located Korat City hotels and is located within walking distance to popular expat bars and restaurants including the Frog, George and Dragon and the Pizza shop. Room rates at this Korat hotel start at around 650 Thai Baht per room per night.

Sima Thani Hotel Korat

One of the most luxurious Korat hotels is most certainly the Sima Thani Hotel Korat. This wonderful Korat hotel is located only a short drive away from the Korat Mall, Tesco Lotus and other popular Korat shopping venues. Be sure to check out the website of the Korat Sima Thani hotel for additional information.

Wednesday, May 6, 2009

Contact Me

If you would like to contact me for any reason then please leave a comment at the bottom of this post.

Thanks

The Korat Expat

Korat Bars

Korat Bars
There are a number of interesting Korat bars where expats and visitors meet up for a few cold beers, a bite to eat and a bit of fun. What is a bit surprising though is the fact that there are relatively few expat bars in Korat considering the number of expats that live in the Korat area. If you visit other large towns in Isaan then you will often encounter more expat hang outs then what you will find find in Korat city.

This section of my online Korat city guide will include reviews on a number of my favorite Korat bars. If you in the mood for some fun or just going on the piss then be sure to head down to some of these great Korat expat bars.

George and Dragon Pub Korat

The George and Dragon pub is one of the most popular Korat bars which cater to the local expat community in Korat city. It is an English style pub and serves Guinness on tap as well as beer Lao. This Korat bar also shows live sport games on their TV and they also have a good pool table. If you are in the mood for some really good Fish and Chips then the George & Dragon is definitely the place to be.

Sport and Cocktails Bar Korat

One of the oldest expats bars in Korat is the Sport and Cocktails bar. This popular Korat bar is well known for its extensive cocktail menu, special events and the fact that they show a large number of different sporting events on their multiple tv screens. There is a basic but good food menu at the Sport and Cocktails bar in Korat. Unfortunately it seems that this Korat bar might be closing up in the near future as Paul, the owner, is leaving Korat and has yet to find a buyer.

The Ram Korat Bar

The Ram is one of the newest Korat bars which cater to expats living in Korat. They have a few large screens at this Korat bar which show mainly live football games. There is also a good pool table at the Ram bar in Korat for those of you that like to shoot some pools while enjoying a cold Chang, Leo or perhaps a Heineken beer. There is also a small but rather excellent food menu at this Korat bar.

Tony's Bar Korat

The Tony's Bar in Korat is currently one the most popular Korat bars however it does tend to attract a different crowd then what you would find at the Ram bar or at the George and Dragon bar in Korat. This Austrian owned Korat bar also has a pretty solid food menu with the highlight probably being the snake dish. If you would like to buy some really good German bread then you should also head over to this bar in Korat.

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Korat Forums

Korat Forums
I personally spend a lot of time online and I enjoy visiting the various Korat forums. They are a great place to find out new things about Korat, make new friends and have a good laugh.

If you have just moved to Korat or are simply planning a trip to Korat to meet your girlfriends family then you should definitely visit some of these Korat forums.

You should know that at times you will find Korat forum members having a go at each other. Don't worry about it as most of the members on the Korat forums get along very well in real life.

Please find below a list of some of the most popular Korat forums.

Korat Farang

Korat Farang is the largest English Korat forum and is owned and moderated by a Sportsrider. You can find plenty of information about various Korat restaurants, bars, hotels, Korat shopping venues and Korat information in general on this forum about Korat. Please note that since a few months, SR had moderated Korat Farang rather strongly so be careful what you write.

The Grumpy Expat

The Grumpy Expat is one of the newest Korat forums and is owned by the legendary Saf. He is definitely a great bloke and he also has a rather nice blog about Korat and Thailand in general. Most of the members on this Korat forum and old members of Korat Farang who got fed up with all the heavy handed moderating that was being done on that Korat forum.

Korat Info Forum

Another very large and popular Korat forum is the Korat Info Forum. There are sections in different languages however it seems that the German section of this forum about Korat is the most active. There is also a Dutch and English section at the Korat Info forum.

Korat Fart Forum

One of the newest Korat forums is the Korat Fart forum. It is not as active as the other forums about Korat and a lot of the posts tends to poke fun at Korat Farang and its owner / members.

Saturday, April 11, 2009

Korat Shopping

Korat Shopping
There are plenty of Korat shopping venues where both visitors as well as expats can enjoy doing some shopping. Don't expect Korat city to be like Bangkok when it comes to places and malls to shop at however it seems that most local residents from Korat are more then happy when it comes to Korat shopping venues.

No Korat guide can obviously be complete without a section dedicated to Korat shopping venues which is why I have added this post to my blog. I will add additional information about Korat shopping venues as and when I discover new shopping venues in Korat.

The Mall Korat


The Mall Korat is the largest Korat shopping mall. There are over a hundred shops and stores at the Mall in Korat as well as dozens of food and beverage outlets. Some of the well known dining outlets at this Korat shopping mall include KFC (x2), Mc Donalds, Starbucks, Sizzlers, Black Canyon and the Korat Pizza hut. There is also a great and inexpensive food court where you can find Thai food from all over the country. There are also plenty of entertainment options at the Mall Korat which include a large swimming pool and a multi screen movie theater. There is also a rather large indoor parking garage at this Korat shopping mall.

Korat Tesco Lotus


Another popular Korat shopping venue is the Korat Tesco Lotus. The complex in which this Korat shopping venue is located also houses a number of smaller shops, food and beverage outlets and various banks. There is a large covered parking lot for those of you that are visiting Korat Testo Lotus by car.

Korat Big C


The most popular Korat shopping venue for local Thai residents seems to be the Korat Big C. Prices tend to be lower for many day to day items and the Korat Big C seems to be the busiest Korat shopping venue especially during the weekend. If you can then do your shopping during week days. There are also a number of other shops at this Korat shopping complex as well as different food and beverage outlets including KFC and Dairy Queen.

Klang Plaza


There are in fact two Klang Plazas but I prefer the newer of these two Korat shopping venues and which is called "Klang Plaza 2". Klang Plaza is a large department store which sells all types of products. I go to Klang Plaza for two reasons. First of all there is an excellent IT section at this Korat shopping venue and secondly I often visit the supermarket which is located in the basement of the Korat Klang Plaza department store. In my opinion this supermarket sells the best meat in Korat and they also have an excellent selection of farang food items.

Korat Pizza

Korat Pizza
I have written this Korat pizza blog post in my Korat guide as I am a big fan of pizzas. I have lived in other parts of Thailand before and I have always been blessed to have been able to choose from a large selection of pizza restaurants. 

Unfortunately there are not a great number of Korat pizza restaurants from which I can choose. There are only a handful of restaurants in Korat which serve pizzas. There is however one Korat pizza restaurant which serves some of the best pizzas I have ever had in my life and that is the Dr Pizza restaurant in Joho. 

Korat Pizza Hut

If you like American style pizzas then I guess you should head over to the Korat Mall as it is home to the only Pizza hut in Korat. You can expect to find a similar menu there as you would find at a Pizza hut in Europe or America. A lot of Thai ladies seem to enjoy the rather large salad bar at the Korat Pizza Hut venue.

Korat Pizza Company

The Pizza company in Thailand is basically a copy of the US Pizza Hut brand. The pizzas at both the Korat Pizza Hut venue and the Korat Pizza company venues are basically identical as are the salad bars and the pastas. There are two Korat Pizza company venues with one being at the Korat Mall and the other being in the center of Korat near the Lady Yamu statue.

Amporn Steak House

Another restaurant in Korat where you can enjoy pizza is at the Amporn Steak House which is also located in the center of Korat. They have a large selection of pizzas and I am generally satisdfied with the quality. 

Chez Andy Restaurant Korat

Chez Andy has also recently started to offer pizzas and they use a traditional Italian brick oven. I have not tried any of the pizzas yet at this Korat pizza restaurant however I am planning to give them a visit in the near future. Chez Andy serves some of the best farang food in Korat however due to the relatively high prices, the restaurant is not very busy most of the time. 

Dr Pizza Korat

Dr Pizza in Joho is my favorite Korat pizza restaurant. They probably serve the serve some of the best pizzas I have ever eaten in Thailand. This Korat pizza restaurant is owned by Dennis, a nice German guy, and they also serve a variety of other types of dishes including pastas and salads. An average pizza at this Korat pizza restaurant costs around 280 Thai Baht. 

There are also a number of pizza restaurants in villages and towns near to Korat. I will cover these pizza restaurants another time.