A divorced Australian father-of-four has revealed why he left Australia to start a new life in Thailand, citing rising living costs, job insecurity and frustration with life back home. Former media producer Jeff Asselin said he now lives comfortably in Thailand on about $1,500 a month after years of financial and emotional strain in Australia.
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Jeff, 56, spent 25 years working in the education sector before becoming disillusioned during the Covid era. He said choosing not to get vaccinated left him feeling isolated and excluded from society, while being made redundant twice in two years pushed him towards financial uncertainty despite decades of experience and completing a master’s degree.
Over a two-year period, Jeff said he applied for more than 50 jobs but struggled to secure work. He claimed age may have become a factor during interviews, despite being a strong match for many positions on paper.
At the same time, Jeff said Australia’s soaring cost of living was becoming impossible to manage. Despite living what he described as a modest and frugal lifestyle, he said he was spending close to $7,500 a month while renting alone after his divorce.
Jeff blamed government mismanagement and mass immigration for worsening the housing crisis and making stability unaffordable for ordinary Australians. Although he had worked hard enough to own two properties, one remained with his ex-wife after their divorce while the other was tied up in his self-managed super fund.
He said taxation, housing costs, utilities, insurance and power bills left him feeling as though there was little financial reward for decades of work. Jeff eventually decided to relocate to Thailand, where he now runs the YouTube channel Aussie Nomad Life documenting expatriate life in Southeast Asia.
Jeff currently lives with a Thai woman in a two-bedroom cabin costing about $106 a month, with power bills around $21 monthly and high-speed internet that he said outperformed Australian services. He insisted he was not living a luxury lifestyle, saying he remained focused on business, health and his relationship rather than spending time drinking in bars.
Jeff admitted the biggest downside of leaving Australia was being away from his children. He said no lower cost of living or lifestyle change could replace being close to family.
He also said his relatives were initially sceptical about his decision to move to Thailand, believing it was linked to stereotypes surrounding middle-aged men relocating there. However, he said their views changed after seeing the life he had built overseas.
The Daily Mail reported that Jeff plans to settle permanently in Thailand when he reaches 60 and gains access to his superannuation. He said many Australians had contacted him expressing similar concerns about affordability, housing and job insecurity, suggesting more people were considering moving overseas for a cheaper lifestyle.
Pictures courtesy of Daily Mail
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Adapted by ASEAN Now Dailymail 11 May 2026