u/hail2theninja

I'm from the UK and I'm planning to spend an extended period living/travelling around Southeast Asia (Thailand, Vietnam, etc.).

I'm considering getting the Revolut Metal plan, mainly for the FX benefits and travel/medical insurance, rather than the other perks.

From what I can see, Metal currently costs £14.99/month or £140/year and includes fee-free currency exchange, up to £800/month in fee-free ATM withdrawals, and travel insurance with up to £10m emergency medical cover.

However, I've noticed the Metal travel insurance only covers trips up to 30 days, which could be an issue if I'm effectively living in Southeast Asia rather than taking short holidays.

So I'm wondering:

• Is Revolut Metal actually worth the £140/year if I'm primarily interested in FX and spending abroad?
• How good is the FX rate/fee-free exchange in practice compared with other UK cards?
• Is the £800/month ATM limit enough for living in Thailand/Vietnam, considering local ATM fees?
• Has anyone actually used the Revolut medical/travel insurance in Southeast Asia and had to make a claim?
• Is the 30-day insurance limit a major problem if you're living abroad for several months?
• Would I be better off getting Revolut Metal + separate long-term travel/expat medical insurance?
• Are there better UK debit/credit cards for someone spending several months in Southeast Asia?

I'd particularly appreciate experiences from people who are actually living in Thailand/Vietnam/SE Asia, rather than just travelling for a couple of weeks.

Thanks!

Can't find much online; interested in pay, work-life balance, visa support, and general feelings about the place.

Hi! Been offered a job with the above company in Hanoi. Want to know everyone's opinions, good v bad, interested in work line balance, salary, visa help, other benefits. Thanks!

Hi! Been offered a job with the above company in Hanoi. Want to know everyone's opinions, good v bad, interested in work line balance, salary, visa help, other benefits. Thanks!

Hi everyone,

I'm in the process of applying for teaching jobs in Thailand and I'm trying to work out the most straightforward and cost-effective way to get my documents legalised/apostilled.

The documents I need are:

• Degree certificate (already apostilled a few years ago when I taught in Vietnam)
• University transcripts
• Criminal Record Check (basic DBS)

I'm a little confused about the process now, especially since Thailand has joined the Hague Apostille Convention, although I've seen conflicting information about whether it's being fully implemented for teaching/work visa purposes yet.

A few questions for anyone who's been through this recently:

• Does my degree need to be apostilled again, or is the previous apostille still valid?
• What's the cheapest way to get my transcripts and DBS certificate apostilled?
• Did you use a document legalisation company, or did you go directly through the UK government?
• Once the documents were apostilled, did you need any additional legalisation from the Thai Embassy, or was the apostille enough?
• Have schools actually asked to see all of these documents, or are some employers more flexible?

I'd really appreciate hearing about anyone's recent experience, especially if you've gone through the process in 2025 or 2026.

Thanks in advance!

Hey everyone, I’m currently weighing my next move in TEFL and trying to decide between Thailand, South Korea, and Vietnam. I’d love to hear from people who have taught in these countries recently—especially regarding work-life balance, real-world savings, and overall job satisfaction.

My Background & Qualifications: Native English Speaker (NES) with a BA in English Prior teaching experience in both Vietnam and Romania

What I’m trying to figure out: South Korea (EPIK / Hagwons): Given that I already have teaching experience and a related degree, is Korea worth the shift? I know housing / flight reimbursement is often provided, but how are the workload, culture shock, and savings potential relative to current living costs?

Thailand: I know the lifestyle and work-life balance are hard to beat, but how realistic is it to save any money on standard salaries given my background?

Vietnam (Returning): Having taught here before, I know the the lay of the land. How does returning as an experienced teacher compare right now in terms of pay scale, contract perks, or stepping into higher-tier centers/bilingual schools?

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I'm going to have to put my 4Ks into storage over the coming months, and was wondering what the best way to pack / what type of boxes were best to use, so that they won't get damaged or degrade. I already have all of my steel books in protective hard plastic cases, and i have large plastic containers i can use for my normal 4ks to pack in bulk. Ty!

Hi everyone,

I'm hoping someone who has recently gone through the document legalisation process for teaching in Thailand can point me in the right direction.

I know Thailand has joined the Hague Apostille Convention, but from what I've been able to find, there's still no clear information on when it'll be fully implemented for all teaching-related documents.

Here's my current situation:

• I have my degree certificate and TEFL certificate, both of which were previously apostilled for teaching jobs in other countries. They also have additional stamps/attestations from those countries' embassies/consulates.
• I don't have my university transcripts apostilled.
• I also have a new criminal background check, which obviously won't be apostilled yet.

My questions are:

1. What documents are currently required for a teaching/work permit in Thailand?
2. Is it just the degree, or do transcripts and the criminal background check also need to be apostilled/legalised?
3. Since my degree and TEFL have already been apostilled (albeit for another country), would I need to start the process again, or are the original apostilles still valid?
4. With Thailand's accession to the Hague Apostille Convention, is it worth waiting, or is it still best to go through the traditional legalisation process?

I'd really appreciate hearing from anyone who's completed this process recently, especially if you're from the UK or have started a teaching job in Thailand within the last year.

Thanks in advance!

I'm looking to buy the ASUS Vivobook S16 OLED S3607CA 16" Laptop - Intel® Core™ Ultra 7, 1 TB SSD (link Here ); which I'll be using for lightroom and photo editing, one question i have, is upgrading the RAM. I doubt I'll need to go over 16gb, but i like to future proof and wanted to know if this laptop allows you to upgrade the ram. Also, if anyone has this laptop and uses it for light photo or video editing, would love to hear your experiences!

planning on using my mirrorless camera with a 200-600mm lens, but i do not possess a tracking mount. I see that some people view this as a vital bit of kit, whats everyone's opinions and if you do use one, which models are best and where would i be able to rent one from

Looks like the easiest place from Barcelona to view the eclipse is zaragoza, anyone know of any reliable viewpoints (mountains / tall buildings) that will have a potential unobscured view of the eclipse?

So I'm heading to Barcelona and see that Tarragona (about an hours bus ride away) is in the path for 100% totality. My question is, since the sun will set very soon after the eclipse, somewhere in the NW, will this location have a unobscured viewpoints from atop of a hill/ mountain in the area should i be looking for other locations on the coast? Appreciate any tips and help!

Anyone got links of where to buy one?