Exit Planning and Survival Strategies if leaving Thailand

[CaptainJack]

57 minutes ago, Puchaiyank said:

Have you considered becoming a monk to save money for your trip home?

Needed a laugh. Thanks.

[OneMoreFarang]

1 hour ago, tingtongtourist said:

thats the thing about to many guys..

 

not enough brain matter mean they are easily ruled by the small head that is tucked away and dont know much about the real world!

 

unfortunately they dont hear about the stories when guys are jumping off tall buildings because they didnt plan and ran out of money and the visa expired.

I wonder how many of the guys who come to Thailand for the first time after their expensive divorce and when they are already "old" think how wonderful life could have been if they would have arrived here a lot earlier.

 

What's the point of having a big house if you don't have fun in your life?

Sure, some people can have that house and have fun. But others have to chose. Personally I don't have a big house but I had a lot of fun and lots of memories.

[Snow Leopard]

No offence but Culture Shock? 11 Months is a long holiday. I have worked in over 70 countries over 35 years. Some I have been in longer than others obviously. There are many more countries out there that offer a better culture shock experience than Thailand. 

[CaptainJack]

3 minutes ago, Snow Leopard said:

No offence but Culture Shock? 11 Months is a long holiday. I have worked in over 70 countries over 35 years. Some I have been in longer than others obviously. There are many more countries out there that offer a better culture shock experience than Thailand. 

I know your reply is to another poster, but Thailand for me was easy as to culture. That I will miss....

[watgate]

I am considering making a move and am interested in learning more about what country you are planning on moving to in latin america. I am pretty disgusted with the out of control burning that goes on in the Chiang Mai area and left and am staying in a part of Issan where the air is better although there is some burning of the sugar cane here which I  am not too thrilled about. I have realized there is no such thing as utopia but am looking for a place closer to the US and do need good health care facilities since I do have some health conditions that need periodic attention. Captain Jack it sounds like through your struggles you have persevered to make an informed decision as to where you want to live. I applaud you for that because with a g/f in the picture like I also have it makes things much more difficult from an emotional perspective. Hopefully we can start to chat periodically and knowledge is the key to making informed decisions. Good luck in your journey.    John

[Kwasaki]

9 hours ago, CaptainJack said:

Those who expressed they are leaving,  I am hoping will participate in this topic and share what their plans are and solutions for everyone.

Why should they solutions for everyone will be different, your survival strategy is not in Thailand.

[OneMoreFarang]

2 hours ago, CaptainJack said:

I have decided where to go, what is involved and have already got enough solid evidence and research it is the right place in Latin America. 

Did you also find something like SouthAmerica-Visa with stories of all the guys who thought that is the place and then found out it's not?

 

I had a friend who researched his new place where he wanted to live more or less with a finger on the map. He looked at the weather, economy and other data. But I don't think he ever tried to contact people in that place before he moved there. A few weeks after moving to there he complained that there are only old people and few jobs...

 

I don't know how easy it is to get into contact with the locals wherever you go. But I guess it's a good idea to do that before you move. And then maybe think twice if that is really where you want to move.

 

Good luck!

[OneMoreFarang]

10 minutes ago, Kwasaki said:

10 hours ago, CaptainJack said:

Those who expressed they are leaving,  I am hoping will participate in this topic and share what their plans are and solutions for everyone.

Why should they solutions for everyone will be different, your survival strategy is not in Thailand.

Sure, there is not "the solution". But I think it's interesting to read about different solutions from different people and if these solutions worked.

Smart people learn from their own mistakes and smarter people learn from the mistakes which others made.

[BritManToo]

3 hours ago, OneMoreFarang said:

I wonder how many of the guys who come to Thailand for the first time after their expensive divorce and when they are already "old" think how wonderful life could have been if they would have arrived here a lot earlier.

I think how wonderful life would have been if I hadn't married my Brit wife, and had kept all the assets I earned before retiring to SEA.

 

My pension may not be large, but it arrives every month and is more than 90% of locals in SEA earn.

My strategy would be just to move over to another SEA country with easier VISA requirements.

In fact ALL the other SEA countries have easier VISA requirements.

 

Average HOUSEHOLD income in Thailand $3,300/year (2017).

 

[kannot]

11 hours ago, EVENKEEL said:

First thought is "kinda of a drama queen" if it takes you 5 days to recuperate from flight. More thoughts to follow.

takes me  at least 7 and thats only from Thailand to the UK

[CaptainJack]

3 hours ago, watgate said:

I am considering making a move and am interested in learning more about what country you are planning on moving to in latin america. I am pretty disgusted with the out of control burning that goes on in the Chiang Mai area and left and am staying in a part of Issan where the air is better although there is some burning of the sugar cane here which I  am not too thrilled about. I have realized there is no such thing as utopia but am looking for a place closer to the US and do need good health care facilities since I do have some health conditions that need periodic attention. Captain Jack it sounds like through your struggles you have persevered to make an informed decision as to where you want to live. I applaud you for that because with a g/f in the picture like I also have it makes things much more difficult from an emotional perspective. Hopefully we can start to chat periodically and knowledge is the key to making informed decisions. Good luck in your journey.    John

Hi!

 

Quick reply.  Getting ready for bed. I'm looking at Panama and Costa Rico, but have decided to give myself a break from a major decision am going to the west coast of Mexico for the next 6 months.  I can get a 6 month tourist visa that is easily renewabld, rent a furnished nice apartment for 350 usd a month 20 minutes from the beach, the town is totally walkable,  buses are abundant and I can sort out what I want to plan over the six months.   Plus, there are easy and affordable flights to both Panama and other central and south American countries. 

 

That's my stopgap strategy for now.   

 

I'll check in and report on how it goes.  Bottom line? My stress is dropping every day and I am finally not feeling like I'm playing catch up.

 

Cheers!

 

PS. I just updated my PADI teaching location to Mexico.   Time to blow some bubbles. 

[tingtongtourist]

7 hours ago, CaptainJack said:

Good comment.   Yes, you are absolutely correct.  I can't speak to those who have been here for years, only they know their circumstances,  but i think it should be an absolute minimum of one million baht in savings if moving to Thailand.   Other countries,  especially closer ones where access to home country services might be needed may change that formula. 

 

Fortunately for me, i did not burn any bridges.   My family is all passed away and because of my life style and work, i just don't have many real friends back here in the USA.   That's not such a big deal for .e, except i don't have any place to hokd up for long.  It simply adds to my expense profile. 

 

Thanks for your contribution....

 

CJ

well, i dont know what things are like in certain points of America, but everything online nowadays maybe theres certain groups online to help or just hookup with others? 

 

TBH, i really dont get this thing about social status, and not having this or that, or worrying about what people think.

 

No 1 thing, dont let other peoples opinions mean more than your own opinion of yourself.

truth be known, youve probably had a better lifes then all these other miserable ones stuck in the rat race on a dead end job.

anyway IMO, best not to rely on others for your own hapiness..most the time you will always get let down, and needless to say the possibility is slightly higher when we deal with Thai people!

 

[tingtongtourist]

6 hours ago, OneMoreFarang said:

I wonder how many of the guys who come to Thailand for the first time after their expensive divorce and when they are already "old" think how wonderful life could have been if they would have arrived here a lot earlier.

 

What's the point of having a big house if you don't have fun in your life?

Sure, some people can have that house and have fun. But others have to chose. Personally I don't have a big house but I had a lot of fun and lots of memories.

All i can say, of all the people i met here are ALL very happy.

Nearly the opposite of guys back home, have even the biggest house are miserable, worried about this and that.

[malibukid]

9 hours ago, Gecko123 said:

I think some of the biggest hurdles a returning expat has to overcome are psychological. Fears of being seen as a failure, fears of being snickered about because a marriage didn't work out, fears of being confronted with the possibility that your standard of living might be lower than it was when you left, fears of not being welcomed back into your family or the circle of friends you had before you left. People need to sort these types of fears out and acknowledge them both to themselves and others.

 

As an example, whenever I've contemplated moving back home, I realized that one of my biggest fears was a loss of stature if I rented an apartment when most of my siblings and friends now own their homes. I felt I would need to buy a house immediately in order to put to rest any behind-the-back snickering about my financial condition. But I've come to realize that I need to get over this fear in order to avoid rushing into a home purchase I might later regret. This is an example of a fear which you need to identify and grapple with in order to avoid it impairing your judgment and decision making process.

got over the keeping up with the Jones's thing a long time ago. this is why i hate America.  America is all about what you have and not who you are.  your friends may have homes, but i found out upon returning most are so unhappy.  what kind of friends do you have?

[watcharacters]

10 hours ago, Gecko123 said:

Jet-lag problem coming to Thailand from the US was never a problem, but upon return to the US the jet-lag was always absolutely brutal: leadened limbs/crushing fatigue during the day, insomina at night. Five days to recuperate was very common. Much worse than the jet-lag between Thailand and Europe.

 

I found the same thing to be 100% true.     Depends on age, health and other circumstances.

[watcharacters]

9 hours ago, Thaiwrath said:

let's try to not track off to other issues and discussions and just ignore those who are bitter and angry and thrive on creating discord and distraction.

 

 

Those that are bitter and angry appear to be the ones that are leaving !

 

"Those that are bitter and angry appear to be the ones that are leaving !"

 

 Thaiwrath,       Kindly quote the  sections where you feel the OP displayed anger or  bitterness?    Can't find them?    OK..

 

He seems calm and rational  to me and is simply expressing his thoughts and feelings for other to ponder or ignore.

[Suradit69]

18 hours ago, CaptainJack said:

your fellow expatriates

What is the so-called fellowship based on? 

 

 There are definitely some very nice farang around, but this frequent rallying call to fellow farang or fellow expats or mention of the expat community or whatever makes no sense as a sole basis for seeking help or assistance unless there is some common interest across the whole demographic.

 

Also who exactly are the members of this so-called community/fellowship? Given the constant bickering on TV or the obvious diversity of "lifestyle interests," I doubt many of us feel any sort of brotherly love for everyone who just happens to be an expat (of course excluding "expats" who happen to be Chinese or Arab or Indians or Africans or Russians or any other sort of expat who is regularly subject to pages of abusive bashing on TV).

 

Maybe better to call on fellow fleeing farang or fellow movers-on who, in either case, are from an approved, limited number of home countries.

 

 

 

[tingtongtourist]

6 hours ago, OneMoreFarang said:

Did you also find something like SouthAmerica-Visa with stories of all the guys who thought that is the place and then found out it's not?

 

I had a friend who researched his new place where he wanted to live more or less with a finger on the map. He looked at the weather, economy and other data. But I don't think he ever tried to contact people in that place before he moved there. A few weeks after moving to there he complained that there are only old people and few jobs...

 

I don't know how easy it is to get into contact with the locals wherever you go. But I guess it's a good idea to do that before you move. And then maybe think twice if that is really where you want to move.

 

Good luck!

IMO, your reasoning is all ok, except for this part about finding work.

really no country in the world wants or invites outsiders to come

"taking our jobs"!!

 

I really dont get why people want to move to lower economy countries if they need to work to survive? 

why?

the wages are rubbish and the hoops are getting harder to jump every year, so with all the visa issues,  its just not worth it.

 

best to stay your own country, work plan and invest, then GO...

 

but FOR SURE dont come to Asia with nothing, expecting to earn your fortunes when even millions of natives struggle day to day.

they will eat you up!

[Lacessit]

7 hours ago, BritManToo said:

 

Average HOUSEHOLD income in Thailand $3,300/year (2017).

 

I suppose it depends on how many are in the household, and what they earn individually. Many people in my GF's village would be struggling to earn $1000/year ( 30,000 baht approx ).

Which is why it is fairly ludicrous for the Thai authorities to insist we need 65,000 baht a MONTH to live on. Be that as it may, the Philippines is becoming an option if the squeezing continues.

[Lacessit]

I would be interested in the OP and other posters information w.r.to how they liquidated everything in Thailand they could, then removed their money from Thailand.

[BritManToo]

1 minute ago, Lacessit said:

I would be interested in the OP and other posters information w.r.to how they liquidated everything in Thailand they could, then removed their money from Thailand.

I'm not sure a McMansion in an Issan village can be converted to cash.

Especially if it's in someone else's name.

 

I have a couple of clapped out scooters, maybe 15k for the pair.

[BritManToo]

7 hours ago, OneMoreFarang said:

I had a friend who researched his new place where he wanted to live more or less with a finger on the map. He looked at the weather, economy and other data. But I don't think he ever tried to contact people in that place before he moved there. A few weeks after moving to there he complained that there are only old people and few jobs...

He should open a care home.

[Lacessit]

3 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

I'm not sure a McMansion in an Issan village can be converted to cash.

Especially if it's in someone else's name.

 

I have a couple of clapped out scooters, maybe 15k for the pair.

I would have a car and scooter to dispose of. I'm more interested in how to get say 1 million baht ( or another currency ) out of Thailand if I was to leave.

[mrmicbkktxl]

11 hours ago, WyrldTraveler said:

What many fail to realize is the value of experience.  People "Back Home" will try to shame you, but the reality is that you had the courage to do something which they do not have the courage to do - move someplace else.  Having done so, you now know that it can be done.  Remember the expression, "Been There, Done That"?  Your neighborhood now extends to the entire planet.

 

They are intimidated by that, so they go on the attack, as they are 'threatened'.  By thoughts in their own minds.

 

"If So-and-So can do it, why haven't I done it?"

 

This thought is behind every unhelpful comment.  I visited the US temporarily and the assumption was that I was "back" and that my journeys were "a catastrophic failure".  Nothing was farther from the truth.

 

But that didn't stop them.

 

Because it's about THEM, it's not about US.  We're just the stimulus for them to examine themselves.  And when they look, they do not like what they see.  So they blame us.

 

Most of my consulting work is to establish the correct mindset for being successful in an alien environment.  Having left, now one is a 'new and improved' version of the one who left.  As a result, one is 'new' once again.  People want you to be the person they remember, not who you are.  It's their problem, not ours, but we have to deal with their behavior if we want to be around them.

 

Psychological preparation is just as important as packing your suitcase and getting your documents in order. 

 

 

20 years ago friends and family told me 'you are crazy,you will come back crying'.I never cared about that.If I have to leave Thailand it would be a personal defeat,on the other hand,so many things have changed in 20 years so I think leaving would be a good idea.And actually I would like to leave,I don't feel comfortable anymore.But leaving is not an option,I'm married with a Thai lady and I have daughter.My wife has a good job here and higher salary than my pension.If we would go back to Europe she would probably end up at MCD,not good for her personal ego and not good for our financial situation.My daughter doesn't like Europe,she is scared of muslims.Cambodia is like Thailand 30 years ago and with Hun Sen as PM it's an absolute no go for me.Philippines is not safe enough,I went a few times to Manila and Cebu and felt scared to walk around there.If I would be single I would probably choose Penang or KL,And if Europe then most likely Spain

[OneMoreFarang]

1 hour ago, tingtongtourist said:

IMO, your reasoning is all ok, except for this part about finding work.

really no country in the world wants or invites outsiders to come

"taking our jobs"!!

 

I really dont get why people want to move to lower economy countries if they need to work to survive? 

why?

the wages are rubbish and the hoops are getting harder to jump every year, so with all the visa issues,  its just not worth it.

 

best to stay your own country, work plan and invest, then GO...

 

but FOR SURE dont come to Asia with nothing, expecting to earn your fortunes when even millions of natives struggle day to day.

they will eat you up!

I came to Thailand when I was still young. I didn't want to live in a cold country with ugly women. So I moved to Thailand.

I had to work and I had no problems finding work. I work in IT. Sure, the income here is not the same as somewhere in "the west". But personally I prefer 12 months Thailand a year with a medium salary (less than at "home" but a lot more than the average Thai) instead of working 11 months in a cold country with no fun only to go one month a year on holiday in Thailand.

 

Work in Thailand is possible in many areas. I wouldn't suggest farmer or teacher but there are many other options.

[MuuKondiao]

19 hours ago, CaptainJack said:

In my original post about why i left Thailand,  there were quite a few members who expressed they too would be leaving Thailand.   I realize that nobody knows right now how many will actually leave, for their own particular reasons. 

 

Mine are very clear and simple to understand.  You can read through my original post and understand my reasons.

 

The short of it was a lack of planning on my part, insufficient money to pay for any costly medical expenses and changes in the procedures to obtain and keep a retirement visa.  I have chosen to cut my losses and leavd now before I become any further invested in living in Thailand. 

 

Nevertheless,  i liquidated my possessions and car back in the USA and am addressing that decision now.  This was a decision that I made.  No regrets.   Just make better decisions going forward. 

 

Those who expressed they are leaving,  I am hoping will participate in this topic and share what their plans are and solutions for everyone. 

I see from the comments that some people ignored your request to not bother with personal insults and leave this blog to those of us who are quitting Thailand to share experiences and plans.

I will be looking forward to learning  how you adapt temporarily to life in the States and what you come up with for the next destination.

  

[WyrldTraveler]

After tw

1 hour ago, mrmicbkktxl said:

20 years ago friends and family told me 'you are crazy,you will come back crying'.I never cared about that.If I have to leave Thailand it would be a personal defeat,on the other hand,so many things have changed in 20 years so I think leaving would be a good idea.And actually I would like to leave,I don't feel comfortable anymore.But leaving is not an option,I'm married with a Thai lady and I have daughter.

After 20 years, they probably don't remember.

 

It's only a 'personal defeat' if you define it as such; you are welcome to call it a re-calibration, or change of plans, or simply refuse to keep score.  With so many Thais wanting to move to the 'West', wouldn't it be fun to tell people that you wanted to see what the fuss was about?

 

There is everything right with preparing for an uncertain future.  There is everything wrong with making excuses to be miserable.  It's a personal call.  If you involve the family, they might think it's a great idea.  I don't know your personal situation. 

 

I was moved to Asia at nine (9) years of age.  It definitely ruined me for work at the 'Golden Horns' (as McD's is called in Ukraine.)  Nobody consulted me, either.

[bkkgriz]

18 hours ago, Gecko123 said:

Jet-lag problem coming to Thailand from the US was never a problem, but upon return to the US the jet-lag was always absolutely brutal: leadened limbs/crushing fatigue during the day, insomina at night. Five days to recuperate was very common. Much worse than the jet-lag between Thailand and Europe.

Same here. I've always had trouble going from Asia to the US. Terrible jet lag for days. But never had a problem going from the US to Asia. Guess that's why I haven't left Asia for the last decade. 

[MarkyM3]

56 minutes ago, bkkgriz said:

Same here. I've always had trouble going from Asia to the US. Terrible jet lag for days. But never had a problem going from the US to Asia. Guess that's why I haven't left Asia for the last decade. 

Opposite problem for me flying between UK and Bangkok. On recent trips I've had bad jetlag in Bangkok lasting around 5 days but I've been able to work the next day when arriving back in the UK (albeit working from home). Perhaps it's down to flight timings - flying to Bangkok is overnight (EVA Air) and I can hardly sleep, flying back is daytime with an early evening landing so it's basically a super extended day for me.  

 

Arriving in Bangkok next month so hoping the jetlag isn't as much this time around...

[Ashto]

20 hours ago, Gecko123 said:

Jet-lag problem coming to Thailand from the US was never a problem, but upon return to the US the jet-lag was always absolutely brutal: leadened limbs/crushing fatigue during the day, insomina at night. Five days to recuperate was very common. Much worse than the jet-lag between Thailand and Europe.

I’m increasingly convinced that flying several hours east is punishing but flying west not so.