We welcome you to Le Cordon Bleu Dusit Culinary School, Bangkok Thailand. This International Student Guide is designed to assist you in planning your arrival in Bangkok right through to completing your courses and graduating.
All international students are strongly recommended to arrive at least 5 days before the commencement of their course and will need to attend the Orientation program in order to become acquainted with the school’s rules and facilities - as well as to pick up the tool kits, recipe folders and uniforms which are essential for the course.
Bangkok is the capital of Thailand - with a population of over 11 million inhabitants - it is by far its largest city. Bangkok is a tropical metropolis that is also one of the most traveller-friendly cities in Asia. A furious assault on the senses, visitors are immediately confronted by the heat, the pollution and the irrepressible smile that accompanies many Thais. Despite the sensationalized international news reports and first impressions, the city is surprisingly safe and more organized than it initially appears - and full of hidden gems waiting to be discovered.
Bangkok for many represents the quintessential Asian capital. Saffron-robed monks, garish neon signs, graceful Thai architecture, spicy dishes, colourful markets, traffic jams and the tropical climate all come together in a happy coincidence. LCBD hopes that all our international students will be enriched by their Thai experience.
We will not try to list important words or phrases here but please visit these very useful websites if you are interested in learning some Thai words and phrases. Obviously we encourage our international students to try and learn some basic Thai while they are here and don’t forget 80% of our students are Thai so you will most definitely be popular if you try to speak a few Thai words.
Information on how to open a bank account will be provided at the Student Services Office once you arrive. You can open a bank account 1 to 2 weeks after your arrival. All students need to do is go to the bank with your passport, an education visa (only) and a letter from Le Cordon Bleu Dusit and ask to open a student account. You will be given an account number to make over the counter transactions until your ATM card is issued. There is a Bangkok Bank branch just 5 minutes walk from the school at the Zuellig House Building near Soi Saladaeng. Further information on banking and the location of banks, please contact the Student Services Office.
Please note: Students on tourist visas are not permitted to open a Bank account
International students will arrive at the Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport which is located about 30 kilometers East of Bangkok. The space-age Suvarnabhumi Airport started operations in September 2006 and is now Bangkok's main airport and the busiest airport in Southeast Asia. It is used for almost all international and domestic flights to Bangkok. There is only one terminal building, which covers both domestic and international flights, but it is huge (by some measures the world's largest), so allow time for getting around. There are two immigration sections, but processing time is lengthy — at least 30 minutes – sometimes longer!
Located on the basement level of the passenger terminal, the Airport Rail Link offers a high-speed EXPRESS train service to downtown Bangkok. It's also a way of avoiding Bangkok's horrendous rush hour traffic, particularly when it's raining. Trains run 06:00-midnight every day and travel at an amazing 160 km/h. It will take about 15 minutes and tickets cost about 150 baht. The City Airport Terminal is connected to the BTS Sky-train network at Phayathai Station - as well as the MRT subway network at Petchburi Station. The School is about a 5 minute walk from Saladaeng Station on the BTS Sky Train - or a 3 minute walk from Silom Station if you are taking the MRT Subway system.
Students can also choose an Airport Express Buses at the cost of THB 150 for all routes and it takes about 60-90 minutes to arrive in the city. The service covers 4 routes, Silom, Khao-san Road, Sukhumvit, Victory Monument and Hua Lamphong train station. Please contact the Airport Express Counter at Level 1 which is near the Entrance 8.
Ordinary metered taxis are available on the first floor of the Airport (one floor below arrivals). Follow the "public taxi" signs that lead to the outside of the airport premises, queue up and state your destination at the desk (English is understood). You'll get a two-part slip with your destination written in Thai on it. The small part is for your driver, the large part is for you. This ticket is for complaints and is how the system is enforced: hold on to it to help avoid arguments later. There is a 50 baht surcharge on top of the meter (not per passenger!), meaning that trips to the city will cost between 250-400 baht (plus possible expressway tolls of 45 and 25 baht, depending on time). The ride takes about 45-60 minutes depending on traffic and location.
So-called limousine taxis (which charge by distance, e.g. around 800 baht to Silom area) can be reserved at the limousine hire counter on the second floor (just outside arrivals), but be wary of aggressive touts will try to entice you on board. If you allow yourself to be waylaid by one of these taxi touts, they might quote you more than double the fare than an ordinary metered taxi would charge (900 baht instead of 400 baht, for example). You'd be silly even acknowledging their existence — ignore them and walk straight past them.
There are a wide range of good rental properties available in Bangkok – anything from 6,000 baht per month up to 30,000 baht per month – excluding water and electricity charges. Most apartments in this price range are between 20 to 45 square meters and are fully furnished with air conditioning. Most apartments do NOT have fully functioning kitchens but those at the higher cost end may have a kitchen sink and a microwave oven but do not expect to be cooking complex dishes at home! One simple reason for this is the preponderance of wonderful Thai street food available which is cheap and tasty and usually pretty safe. We recommend that accommodation only be arranged once you get to in Bangkok. Please note: a deposit of 2 or 3 months rental is usually required to be paid up-front.
When you first arrive in Bangkok you may take a hotel room for the first couple nights at the Dusit Thani Hotel which is right next door to the school.
Make a reservation
The school has accommodation information and websites to assist you in your search for accommodation.
For an accommodation list, please contact thailand@cordonbleu.edu for more information.
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