I chose to go to Thailand because, truthfully, it was a place that I knew nothing about. While that may not seem like a benefit to everyone, I was looking for an experience that was as novel and unique to me as possible, and it certainly delivered. From food to gender norms to religious beliefs and mundane regularities, Thailand was an incredible choice to discover Eastern culture and ways of life. Thailand is known for the kindness of its people (land of smiles), which I learned is tied to “jai” (ใจ) – a word inseparably meaning “heart” and “mind.” In this way, the heart (as opposed to the reasoning head, in the West) is entwined with one’s sense of “self” and serves as the basis for one’s interaction with the world.
Aside from the initial (let’s be real, infinite) thrills of forever-stocked 7/11s and the wind in your face on motorbike taxis, constantly being in a place where you feel like a foreigner offers a few gifts – even if hard-earned. You become more comfortable with embarrassment and awkward exchanges, having to push through these to connect. You begin to question things which may have been constants since day one for you – what facial expression to wear, whose rules dictate what happens in a day, and which ingredients belong in dessert (bean paste?). For me, the experience was a continuous invitation to set down my ego and open myself to what that simple act could offer. In terms of personal growth, a notable change was feeling more present and flexible in social situations and more comfortable showing up to them authentically.
When living somewhere, you get to see the sides of a place and its community that you wouldn’t just passing through on a tourist visa. My program stayed in a quieter residential area near the Mahidol University International College (MUIC) campus, which was lush, green, and beautifully maintained. The college has a 20% international student body, and with university events, shared housing, and the night market where most of us ate freshly cooked dinner every night, I found several opportunities to interact and make friends. Though the bustle of Bangkok was a ($1) 40 to 50-minute city bus ride away, we still managed to have fun exploring the markets and nightlife on the weekends that we were in town. For scale, the population of the city exceeds that of NYC at 10 million, so boredom wasn’t a concern. I was able to make several trips in and around Thailand that I wouldn’t trade the world for (Recs: Koh Chang, Khao Sok, Pinang, Ho Chi Minh). The natural landscape, from limestone karsts to rolling mountains, was one of my favorite parts. Additionally, the lower costs gave me an opportunity to figure out what works best for me travel-wise. I found I’m okay with budget vs. luxe traveling, like to plan ahead for activity-filled days, and prioritize getting the feel of each place rather than rushing to check it off my list, even if that means editing my itinerary.
While I researched a great deal, I chose KEI as it was near a major city, included a number of cultural trips, and was more cost-effective with its UTC-affiliation. Trips included a variety of well-planned activities like floating markets, temples, cooking classes, and hiking in the north. One thing to keep in mind is that trimesters are common in Thailand, meaning that my program lasted only 3 months compared to a typical 4 in the U.S., and I really felt like I was only settling in when the trimester was over. If I were to change anything, I may have opted for placement in Chiang Mai, as the university there is more centrally located, the city has a more international ex-pat culture, and it offers a more mountainous climate.
If going in the direction of something completely new, one of my best tips would be to make an effort to enter each situation without any pre-set expectations – which certainly takes some practice. In doing so, I allowed myself to experience things which I almost certainly would have missed otherwise. Honestly, I didn’t miss much about home except for a few friends and mac and cheese, and I would go back in a heartbeat. Focus on the present and bring your wonder with you for a guaranteed good time. Best of luck.
Anastasia Karasev (BS Biology – Pre-Professional and BS Psychology) spent the Spring 2025 semester studying abroad in Bangkok, Thailand with KEI. Anastasia had the following to say about studying abroad, “You’ll regret what you didn’t do more than what you did – what awaits you often exceeds what you can imagine. :)”
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