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Thailand expat urges Aussies to consider a cheaper life

Australian expat Jay Houston says he has cut his rent to a quarter of what he paid in Australia after moving to Thailand, and is now running an online business to help other Australians make the move.

Houston, 50, told 7News he can live what he describes as a luxury lifestyle for $1,800 a month, as rising living costs and pressure on household budgets prompt more Australians to consider working or living overseas.

The Thailand costs he cites

Speaking while sitting beside a pool at his condominium, Houston said: "This is my office, I'm in no hurry to leave it."

He said he lives in a "beautiful high-security condominium" with two pools, paying $630 a month in rent. His power bill is $60, water costs $4 and Wi-Fi costs $2, he said.

"I finish (work) by 2pm and then hit the beaches... I've got the best half of my life ahead of me," he told the broadcaster.

Houston also said his retirement visa with multiple exit permit, allows him to fly in and out of Thailand as often as he likes.

Business built around moving abroad

Houston has launched an online business offering guidance to Australians on insurance, visas and finding housing in Thailand.

He said the venture grew from his own difficult experience after first moving overseas. Houston selected the wrong medical insurance policy, an error he said was costly and almost killed him.

Thailand remains a popular base for foreign retirees, remote workers and long-term visitors, although the costs and paperwork involved can vary considerably according to location, accommodation choices and an individual's visa and healthcare needs.

Australian households under pressure

Recent Australian data has pointed to more people looking overseas for work and relief from the cost of living crisis.

The latest Australian Bureau of Statistics figures showed the number of Australians holding more than one job passed one million for the first time. Full-time employment fell by 6,000 in August, while part-time employment increased by 39,000.

KPMG chief economist Brendan Rynne said the figures suggested Australia's economy was weakening.

"Households are still feeling the pinch of higher inflation," he said. "Households are scrambling to find more income to help cover their rising day-to-day expenses and future increases in mortgage payments."

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Picture courtesy of Daily Mail

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26 September 2026

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jcmj Gold Member

jcmj

Advanced Member

Well he may have just shortened his trip by doing this article. All someone needs to do is send it to immigration. And believe me, people will do it. I guess he hasn’t lived here long enough to know that everything can change in a day here and obviously doesn’t know the laws. Not a reliable source.

Amazine Apprentice Member

Amazine

Member

Jay Houston said he's working in his luxury condominium, running a online business offering guidance to online business offering guidance to Australians on insurance, visas and finding housing in Thailand.

With his Thailand retirement visa !!

This dude is outright asking Thailand Immigration Authorities to visit him.

Ray60 Explorer Member

Ray60

Member

another loser moving to Thailand without a guaranteed income and obviously no savings. Good luck with the luxury life.

BusyB Platinum Member

BusyB

Advanced Member
8 hours ago, JerryM said:

Is there something wrong with this work & retirement visa picture?

Online ... Immigration tolerates it.

omega2017 Rookie Member

omega2017

Member

This is the modus operandi of the refugee crisis in Europe: one makes it into Europe, then sends messages home how wonderful life as an illegal immigrant in Europe is and then tries to pay of the dept he ows to the coyotes by getting a commission for the next person he pulls over.

The only difference is that human smugglers in Europe try to hide their faces. This low life puts his sad business model on Youtube.

Captain Flack Star Member

Captain Flack

Global Moderator

Post breaking forum rules removed @1happykamper rule 17.News articles are collected from recognised sources and may be consolidated or rewritten with AI assistance. Respectful discussion of the article content is welcome. Disrespectful comments about the articles, the use of AI, or the news team (e.g. “clickbait,” “slow news day,” mocking grammar, or AI taunts) are not permitted. Posts breaching this rule will be removed, and posting suspension or account closure may result.

Aussie999 Platinum Member

Aussie999

Advanced Member

If retired, just remember, over 70 yo, health insurance will be around $800/month ...Thais, in Australia, on permanent residency (PR) visa, get Medicare...Thailand doesn't offer us expats the same......

spidermike007 Star Member

spidermike007

Advanced Member

Australia is one of the major countries that I haven't been to but my Aussie friends tell me that inflation is out of control and that the cost of living is positively ridiculous. So in that regard it's much like America these days. That is someplace that I am utterly thrilled on a daily basis to not be living there anymore.

JerryM Platinum Member

JerryM

Advanced Member
2 hours ago, BusyB said:

Online ... Immigration tolerates it.

As with the screen shot prior page this topic he is engaged with online credit card purchases with customers in Thailand.

digger70 Ruby Member

digger70

Advanced Member
8 hours ago, ChrisY1 said:

If you come to live in Thailand....why would people not have health insurance? It's a must anywhere these days.

Yea, yea, yea.We all know that. Do you know that it cost more then ones hospital bill if one is 80 ?

You check how much the Premium is and All the Preexisting problems they Will knock one back on . It's sad but that's the way it is .

Thailand should make their own Expat Government Insurance .Thailand is suppose to have a cheaper Health care then in the West.

I bet that they can make an cheaper insurance here in Thailand than the Too expensive Insurances in the West.

bruce123123 Explorer Member

bruce123123

Member

"Houston selected the wrong medical insurance policy, an error he said was costly and almost killed him."

it looks as if he is the living dead himself, any insurance policy will not be good in your case

Jack Hammer Advanced Member

Jack Hammer

Member

His hat reads, "NEXT" Should read, "NEXT SUCKER" If any one subscribes to his site. Her has glorified living in Thailand on an unrealistic budget. He will attract dropkicks

ronnie50 Platinum Member

ronnie50

Advanced Member
12 hours ago, Georgealbert said:

Houston has launched an online business offering guidance to Australians on insurance, visas and finding housing in Thailand.

12 hours ago, Georgealbert said:

Houston also said his retirement visa with multiple exit permit, allows him to fly in and out of Thailand as often as he likes.

Hmm. Lives in Thailand on a retirement visa and is earning money from a business. Does he have a work permit (on a retirement visa)?

Bday Prang Star Member

Bday Prang

Advanced Member

Has there ever been anybody who received a single positive comment on here regarding their move to Thailand ?

I certainly can't remember a single instance it makes me wonder why they bother advertising the fact on this forum.

A relatively successful bar owner from Pattaya was torn to pieces on here just a few days ago, and it appears the blood lust continues. Most of the negative comments on here by the usual suspects appear to be cut and pastes from that thread

At least it brings out the armchair visa / work permit experts , most of whom are also retired, but, luckily for the guy featured in the article ,many are not too worried about a bit of "part time work" handing out advice and warnings as visa consultants themselves,

Then we have the insurance brokers deciding what's best for everybody, often people who are paying a small fortune for their premiums and have done for years yet never made a claim. and are very possibly in for a nasty shock when they try to (they'll be reading the small print now I bet)

Then there's the big spenders who claim to spend a fortune every month, and refuse to accept that anybody can have a meaningful existence on a single baht less followed closely by those at the bottom end of the financial spectrum, who will scrutinise peoples utility bills and erupt in envy when somebody claims to be spending less than them.

And finally veiled threats, warnings about "what might happen" I mean what sort of person would even consider informing immigration?

I really cant imagine why anybody would pat a single baht for any of the freely available information this guy is offering to sell but if he's identified an opportunity, found people willing to part with their cash, and set himself up to exploit the opportunity then good luck to him

Is it just English speakers who attack each other and behave so negatively ? I really can't imagine Germans, or Russians for example, behaving like this or Thais for that matter ?

Bday Prang Star Member

Bday Prang

Advanced Member
7 hours ago, JerryM said:

Well this from his How-to-move-to-Thailand document sales page in that his "typical" customer would be in Thailand.

ausie Thai12.png

what makes you think that? is it just because it says "Thailand" in the box for "country" I assumed that was just an example, Like the credit card number of "1234 1234 1234 1234" and the phone number in a similar format. Personally I doubt anybody who has managed to find their way her would be asking him for advice

JerryM Platinum Member

JerryM

Advanced Member
(edited)
2 minutes ago, Bday Prang said:

what makes you think that? is it just because it says "Thailand" in the box for "country"

Whether it does or doesn't he could have put there Australia just as well.

Edited by JerryM

Bday Prang Star Member

Bday Prang

Advanced Member
6 hours ago, jcmj said:

obviously doesn’t know the laws.

maybe he at least knows how they are applied in practice , I have seen countless articles on tv in the past showcasing foreigners selling street food and even farming rice and there must be 1000s of annoying You Tubers uploading their content and getting paid for it When was the last time we heard about any of them being hauled over the coals ?

Bday Prang Star Member

Bday Prang

Advanced Member
52 minutes ago, ronnie50 said:

Hmm. Lives in Thailand on a retirement visa and is earning money from a business. Does he have a work permit (on a retirement visa)?

I would say that's between him and immigration , Certainly non of my business and ........

Bday Prang Star Member

Bday Prang

Advanced Member
6 hours ago, Amazine said:

Jay Houston said he's working in his luxury condominium, running a online business offering guidance to online business offering guidance to Australians on insurance, visas and finding housing in Thailand.

With his Thailand retirement visa !!

This dude is outright asking Thailand Immigration Authorities to visit him.

looking at the comments on here he's more likely to get his door kicked in by a hysterical "Asean Now" members they appear to be having a "crackdown " A lynch mob could be forming as we speak

Bday Prang Star Member

Bday Prang

Advanced Member
13 minutes ago, JerryM said:

Whether it does or doesn't he could have put there Australia just as well.

I doubt it will be used as evidence against him,

BusyB Platinum Member

BusyB

Advanced Member
2 hours ago, JerryM said:

As with the screen shot prior page this topic he is engaged with online credit card purchases with customers in Thailand.

I read out of the article that he's got an online business encouraging/coaching other Ozzies to come to/settle in Thailand.

I saw threads a while back - before DTVs etc. - where immigration honchos have said it's a grey area but don't make too much noise or steal Thai work. Of course they ain't gonna check up on every expat to see if they're running an online business. But this guy is stretching his luck a bit like this.

Besides it's free advertising for TAT, and I don't think all those YouTubers have work permits either - and they get paid by YouTube. Again free ads for TAT.

They'd be foolish to start hurting these types and I suspect if they do collar this guy it'll be because he was so brazen about it.

BusyB Platinum Member

BusyB

Advanced Member
9 minutes ago, Bday Prang said:

looking at the comments on here he's more likely to get his door kicked in by a hysterical "Asean Now" members they appear to be having a "crackdown " A lynch mob could be forming as we speak

I wonder why.

Lacessit Star Member

Lacessit

Advanced Member
9 hours ago, KhunHeineken said:

Correct me if I am wrong, but it's my understanding you are not allowed to work on a retirement visa.

Correct. However, the digital nomad area is colored gray.

JerryM Platinum Member

JerryM

Advanced Member
58 minutes ago, Bday Prang said:

I doubt it will be used as evidence against him,

On his Instagram page it says:

Your practical 22-page guide to planning a move to Thailand with fewer mistakes and no guesswork.

Inside you’ll find:

• Visa and document guidance

For AUD 18 (non-refundable) you can find out if he knows something you don't

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