Moving To Thailand With £100k

[howtoescape]

In 1 year from now i should have about £100K ($200K) in cash to get out of England, i will be 33 by then.

My idea is to go to BKK and study Thai on a 1 year education visa, with the aim of becoming fluent in spoken and written Thai.

I am also going to be studying an MBA online from a top 20 UK University in September, this takes 2 years so both courses will finish within a few months of each other. (I currently run a business but have no formal qualifications.)

Now if we move forward a little over 2 years from now and ive got my MBA and made advanced strides at conquering the Thai language, my CV (resume) would obviously be better then it is now, but what would be the likelyhood of finding work in Thailand in the 100k+ Baht a month wage bracket, or is this still a long shot.

I mentioned the funds i will have as the next option would be to set up some kind of business, maybe importing and exporting though i want to be cautious with my relatively small amount of money, as it will be my only source of income and i am aware that many farangs have got through kind of money very easily and the thought of coming back to England once I've set up home in Thailand is my worst fear.

Am i being realistic to think an MBA and Thai language abilities would open doors for a farang in the LOS.

Any thoughts, ideas or suggestions please

Edited July 7, 2007 by howtoescape

[lazeeboy]

In 1 year from now i should have about £100K ($200K) in cash to get out of England, i will be 33 by then.

My idea is to go to BKK and study Thai on a 1 year education visa, with the aim of becoming fluent in spoken and written Thai.

I am also going to be studying an MBA online from a top 20 UK University in September, this takes 2 years so both courses will finish within a few months of each other. (I currently run a business but have no formal qualifications.)

Now if we move forward a little over 2 years from now and ive got my MBA and made advanced strides at conquering the Thai language, my CV (resume) would obviously be better then it is now, but what would be the likelyhood of finding work in Thailand in the 100k+ Baht a month wage bracket, or is this still a long shot.

I mentioned the funds i will have as the next option would be to set up some kind of business, maybe importing and exporting though i want to be cautious with my relatively small amount of money, as it will be my only source of income and i am aware that many farangs have got through kind of money very easily and the thought of coming back to England once I've set up home in Thailand is my worst fear.

Am i being realistic to think an MBA and Thai language abilities would open doors for a farang in the LOS.

Any thoughts, ideas or suggestions please

take care with your money ,over the years i've seen people well educated and street wise go home very quickly skint because they thought they were clever or rich

[kratindaeng]

goodluck

Edited July 7, 2007 by kratindaeng

[Zeid]

how to escape

what was the longets time you have stayed in thailand?

Edited July 7, 2007 by Zeid

[JOHNMARTIN]

In 1 year from now i should have about £100K ($200K) in cash to get out of England, i will be 33 by then.

My idea is to go to BKK and study Thai on a 1 year education visa, with the aim of becoming fluent in spoken and written Thai.

I am also going to be studying an MBA online from a top 20 UK University in September, this takes 2 years so both courses will finish within a few months of each other. (I currently run a business but have no formal qualifications.)

Now if we move forward a little over 2 years from now and ive got my MBA and made advanced strides at conquering the Thai language, my CV (resume) would obviously be better then it is now, but what would be the likelyhood of finding work in Thailand in the 100k+ Baht a month wage bracket, or is this still a long shot.

I mentioned the funds i will have as the next option would be to set up some kind of business, maybe importing and exporting though i want to be cautious with my relatively small amount of money, as it will be my only source of income and i am aware that many farangs have got through kind of money very easily and the thought of coming back to England once I've set up home in Thailand is my worst fear.

Am i being realistic to think an MBA and Thai language abilities would open doors for a farang in the LOS.

Any thoughts, ideas or suggestions please

Hi

Are you from Mars or Venus or is this just from your anus!

Regards

Johnmartin

[Jet Gorgon]

Welcome to TV, HTE.

Um, don't tell anybody how much money you have. Try to live frugally, too. If you study your first couple of years, you should meet people and then network your way into a job. But, do you want to live in BKK? It all sounds exciting and I wish you all the best.

[endure]

Let's have a little less of the personal insults, boys & girls.

2) Posting another members personal details, photos or web site details is forbidden and will result in being banned. Excessive, aggressive posts against other members, moderators and admin; or flaming will not be tolerated. 'Flaming' is best defined as posting or responding to a message in a way clearly intended to incite useless arguments, rants, and/or for launching personal attacks, insulting, being hateful, useless criticism, name calling, swearing and other bad behavior or comments meant to incite anger.

[Carmine6]

In 1 year from now i should have about £100K ($200K) in cash to get out of England, i will be 33 by then.

My idea is to go to BKK and study Thai on a 1 year education visa, with the aim of becoming fluent in spoken and written Thai.

I am also going to be studying an MBA online from a top 20 UK University in September, this takes 2 years so both courses will finish within a few months of each other. (I currently run a business but have no formal qualifications.)

Now if we move forward a little over 2 years from now and ive got my MBA and made advanced strides at conquering the Thai language, my CV (resume) would obviously be better then it is now, but what would be the likelyhood of finding work in Thailand in the 100k+ Baht a month wage bracket, or is this still a long shot.

I mentioned the funds i will have as the next option would be to set up some kind of business, maybe importing and exporting though i want to be cautious with my relatively small amount of money, as it will be my only source of income and i am aware that many farangs have got through kind of money very easily and the thought of coming back to England once I've set up home in Thailand is my worst fear.

Am i being realistic to think an MBA and Thai language abilities would open doors for a farang in the LOS.

Any thoughts, ideas or suggestions please

Before I had my MBA I totally discounted the value of contacts and connections. I just assumed everyone would go their own way after graduation. Since then I've found that the contacts you make there can be even more important than the education. Even out of my very tiny program, it's surprising how many end up doing business together or referring others into jobs, and I don't mean jobs at the same company, but ones they'd heard of through the grapevine. Got my first job out of the program that way, and had a couple other opportunities that I didn't pursue (but should have).

One of my fellow students was from a very wealthy Thai family, but I've completely lost touch. Last I heard he had started up a business in Thailand. There were at least 2 others from Thailand. Another couple from Indonesia, and many others from India. These were of course folks from well to do families that owned businesses. But I graduated at the start of the Asian financial crisis so who was going to be doing much business there? Stupid thinking on my part.

My advice. Make the effort to find out about your fellow students even if they're not in any field, country, or business that you'd be interested in. And tell them your interests. I'd bet within 2 years you'll get a fair amount of leads particularly if you're physically in Thailand.

[philliphn]

My advice is.

Get your MBA in England!

Get the best paying job you can in England. Save and carefully invest your money. Keep your current company and try to expand it. Don't be a big spender. Plan on retiring early. If the company that you get a job with in England has a good pension you are one up. Once you have enough money retire in Thailand. You usually make your money in Farangland not in Thailand. Without a pension you will need alot of savings. The younger you are the more you will need. $200.000 Dollars or equivalent in other currencie is not as much as it used to be and not really that much. It is a very good start though.

It is very difficult to get a good paying job in Thailand. Having said that some people have dones so. If you can connect with an international company which has offices in Thailand this is ideal. But I think very difficult. Most Farang owned bussnesses in Thailand fail for many reasons. A few are lucky and suceed.

Take your vacations in Thailand. Get to know the country better. If you can learn to speak Thai. Begin to dig your Escape Tunnel.

Edited July 7, 2007 by philliphn

[the gent]

Given your stated budget of 100k and your age I would speculate that in your circumstances and assuming the playing field that exists now will be there in 5 years time you will probably have spent at least half by then by which time you will be that much older and, one suspects, none the wiser.

Keep your money, establish yourself in a country less likely to bite you in the arse and construct another fantasy that will not ruin you.

Incidentally, if you can't spell ' likelihood ' correctly your MBA may not avail you.......

[Jet Gorgon]

Nice advice from everyone except John Martin. Most MBAers don't know how to spell, Gent. I know. I work with them.

[siamamerican]

No guaranties, but you have a plan and decent chance of succeeding. At 33, you can always change your plans if you fail to make the connections in Thailand to make the money mentioned.

If you are a likable person with a good work ethic, networking should open some doors eventually in any country. If you have not been successful selling yourself in your home country, Thailand will probably be a failure professionally. Take a honest look at yourself. Have you networked successfully in your home country and have you accomplished goals you have set for yourself? If the answer is no, then the chances of succeeding professionally in Thailand are grim. If the answer is yes or you have a chameleon type personality, go for it.

[simcity]

My idea of your idea is in few years time you will be one of the many fluent Thai speaking farang who are back in his own country with no work prospect or money !

bitter and angry !

Invest & work hard in your own country and came here later on.

At you age I just took a $ 600K mortgage from the bank for a commercial property and work non stop to 40 , where I call it quite !

[Gary74]

In 1 year from now i should have about £100K ($200K) in cash to get out of England, i will be 33 by then.

My idea is to go to BKK and study Thai on a 1 year education visa, with the aim of becoming fluent in spoken and written Thai.

I am also going to be studying an MBA online from a top 20 UK University in September, this takes 2 years so both courses will finish within a few months of each other. (I currently run a business but have no formal qualifications.)

Now if we move forward a little over 2 years from now and ive got my MBA and made advanced strides at conquering the Thai language, my CV (resume) would obviously be better then it is now, but what would be the likelyhood of finding work in Thailand in the 100k+ Baht a month wage bracket, or is this still a long shot.

I mentioned the funds i will have as the next option would be to set up some kind of business, maybe importing and exporting though i want to be cautious with my relatively small amount of money, as it will be my only source of income and i am aware that many farangs have got through kind of money very easily and the thought of coming back to England once I've set up home in Thailand is my worst fear.

Am i being realistic to think an MBA and Thai language abilities would open doors for a farang in the LOS.

Any thoughts, ideas or suggestions please

I think you caught the Thai fever and you need to be treated.

Seriously, do you know how many men who come to Thailand want to do the same or similar things?

Don't be blinded by pussy and let it cloud your mind and judgment. Thailand attracts world's biggest fools and jackasses everyday.

My best advice to you is for you to use your common senses and try again. I don't know how you made 100K at your age but you did so you can figure something better than your current plan.

[jetjock]

In 1 year from now i should have about £100K ($200K) in cash to get out of England, i will be 33 by then.

Am i being realistic to think an MBA and Thai language abilities would open doors for a farang in the LOS.

Any thoughts, ideas or suggestions please

My opinion is based only on personal observation and some posters may disagree but I do not think you are being realistic if you think that just by having an MBA and speaking Thai and English, it will get you some great paying job in Thailand.

The average education in Thailand is very low so one would think that higher education would really pay well but it does not appear to play out that way. It appears to me that the type of job that higher education can get you in the US (and most likely UK) will buy you a much higher standard of living than the same job will in Thailand.

I base my observation on the following examples. Some of my Thai friends that got their Doctorate degrees in the US so also speak fluent English are working as Professors at universities in Thailand for the equivalent of $1000. USD per month. My Professor friends here in the US make more than $9000 per month. Closer to home, my Thai wife is 3 years younger than you and has an MS degree and speaks fluent English and Thai and was working in Thailand for a multinational company based in the US and was making around $1000. per month. When she arrived here in the US two years ago, she found that people here in her same job with her company were making around 15,000 per month. Medical doctors in Thailand also make peanuts in comparison to most western countries.

The difference in pay is so great that even though the cost of living in Thailand is lower, it does not even come close to matching the standard of living that the same job buys in most western countries.

Big money can obviously be made in Thailand, but I think it is based more on just being smart and having the right connections than just having an advanced degree and being bilingual. If you want fun, go to Thailand and if you want money, stay where you are. I wish you the best of luck on whatever you decide to do.

[howtoescape]

Thankyou for your responses, they are what i thought they would be in truth.

You're right Gary74 i have a serious case of Thai fever, ive had it for the last 3 years and it wont clear, there is no Thai lady involved, though i am far more attracted to Thai women then English, to the point where i almost dont want an English girl.

I have been going to Thailand for 8 years, and there is no greater feeling on earth then that drive from BKK airport to your hotel, my longest visit being 3 months.

I have 3 childhood friends in Thailand who have been there for a couple of years, i sadly think they all will be back in England in the next year or so, skint, no bird, no home, no job and having to start from scratch, however none of them went out with much money or had a plan, and they all stayed after their first visit, hence why i am trying to make a plan now.

The holy grail of an international posting isnt going to happen to me as i have no formal qualifications, hence why i am looking to apply from BKK once i have qualifications, so from the responses written it could happen, but would be more down to me having a dazzling personality like JohnMartin and getting some good connections.

My current predicament is that i run a fairly successful business selling overseas investment property, but running a business such as this only has a limited shelf life, i have always lived on my wit to make money, which can be fairly stressful and the thought of a weekly wage in BKK is far more appealing. Im not looking to be super rich just to have a comfortable life in LOS. Maybe one day i will grow up and stop dreaming.

[the gent]

Ah. A timeshare peddlar.

It's not Scamp is it ?

[howtoescape]

The Gent

Bucharest, Sofia, Prague and Budapest are all good places to put your money, providing you can wait 10 years we dont sell Tourist resorts at this shop.

[farang prince]

Howtoescape, if you really want to look at where an MBA will have value, I would suggest you look to China -- which will have one of the world's strongest economies in ten years. If the idea of studying in China is not a turnon, you might consider studying in Kuala Lumpur, where there are a number of UK-based colleges that have decent MBA programs that are taught in English. At the same time, you could learn to speak Mandarin and other Chinese dialects from the very large Chinese population in KL. This would set you up to work with either a Chinese export company or a multi-national company doing business in China. And KL is a great city...in my opinion very much the equal of Bangkok without the seamy side.

I just don't see the economy growing in Thailand at a rate that would be worth your investment in time and money.

[Neeranam]

In 1 year from now i should have about £100K ($200K) in cash to get out of England, i will be 33 by then.

My idea is to go to BKK and study Thai on a 1 year education visa, with the aim of becoming fluent in spoken and written Thai.

I am also going to be studying an MBA online from a top 20 UK University in September, this takes 2 years so both courses will finish within a few months of each other. (I currently run a business but have no formal qualifications.)

Now if we move forward a little over 2 years from now and ive got my MBA and made advanced strides at conquering the Thai language, my CV (resume) would obviously be better then it is now, but what would be the likelyhood of finding work in Thailand in the 100k+ Baht a month wage bracket, or is this still a long shot.

I mentioned the funds i will have as the next option would be to set up some kind of business, maybe importing and exporting though i want to be cautious with my relatively small amount of money, as it will be my only source of income and i am aware that many farangs have got through kind of money very easily and the thought of coming back to England once I've set up home in Thailand is my worst fear.

Am i being realistic to think an MBA and Thai language abilities would open doors for a farang in the LOS.

Any thoughts, ideas or suggestions please

How much cash do you actually have now?

Buy a house in England and rent it out.

[Spee]

My 2b worth ...

MBAs are nice but if it doesn't come from a top school or help open the door to a top paying job or fast track career path, then what's the point? 100kb/mo equals about 36k USD per year, not bad but not huge. If your goal is to retire young, then maybe this isn't a reasonable path for you. For a typical white collar professional, the peak earning years are from 35-55, a period which you are just about to enter. You seem to preparing for these peak earning years with your education, but don't seem to be planning for them with your profession. 100k/200k of savings is a great start for a young person but it isn't something that one at your age should be planning on touching. With this much savings at your age, the best thing for this savings is to invest it so it starts compounding, not use it as a source of income. On the other hand, you're still young enough to take some risks, do some exploring and still rebuild from scratch if everything blows up in your face. It's ok to think of the best possible outcome, so long as the thinking is tempered by considering the worst possible outcome, and the most likely possible outcomes. Good luck.

[chinthee]

You have good savings for someone your age, and are just entering your peak earning years. I understand you don't have formal qualifications to get a good expat position, and failing that, there are few high paying positions in Thailand for expats, and I also see Thailand growing at a relatively slower pace. In my prediction, Thailand will also be severely marginalized and sidelined by China, India, and to a lesser extent, the growth in Vietnam (witness the Intel investment, etc..). There just isn't much exciting happening for a not-so-young expat MBA without relevant experience.

Coming to Thailand, learning Thai, etc., will not set you up for anything other than perhaps a 40-60k Baht job, and as I say, you are in your peak earning years. You will be less able to get a better job at 40 if you run through your savings in Thailand for the next years. I would suggest you allocate money for continued regular visits to Thailand, but don't pick up and move.

I would stay where you are, get your MBA as soon as possible, network like crazy, and then, maybe go on a sustained job hunt and try to get a good Regional position with one of the HQs in Singapore/Hong Kong. With the right negotiation, you could live in Thailand and tele-commute.

I would suggest investing in starting a small business, but if you don't have experience running a business it is a huge risk, even in your home country, let alone Thailand. Besides, the visa rules, prohibited industries, etc., for someone your age are prohibitive. Most of the businesses I see expats involved in here I would term as "hobby businesses." They don't really make a living or profits or grow to anything sizable, they just do it as a way to keep their girlfriend or wife employed or otherwise fool themselves they run a "business."

Thailand is really not a place for spending your 30s, unless you know you want to teach school and live with a sustained lower earnings potential, for example. Many people do make that choice, and there is nothing wrong with that. I think a lot of guys/gals come over to spend a year or two of adventure, end up falling in love with someone, and then feel compelled to do whatever they have to to stay here. However, you would be less able to accumulate savings that way for later in life.

I can tell you though, with a clever plan, you can get a good position with a HK/SG based position, or even as the Asian rep for a local company, and base yourself in Thailand.

Good luck!

[howtoescape]

Farang Prince - What you have written RE China is something i have already thought of and when push comes to shove it will get me the oriental life i desire with unlimited opportunties, in truth i think it is the best viable option. I'm actually in the process of dealing with a major KL property developer to start selling his KL Condos as the Malaysian govt have scrapped CGT as of April 07 making it a far better investment.

Neeranam - I sell property in countries that are a better investment then many parts of the UK, the rental yield here is down to 4% in most places and interest rates are rising and there is social unrest about But to Let investors.

Spee - I will be studying a online MBA at Leicester university it is ranked 19th in the UK, it is one of the best for Business degrees. Aston (historically renowned for business) offer a similar programme but are ranked 30th.

With regards to investing i have had my fingers burnt so am very careful these days possibly to careful.

Much of the advice will be taken on board, but the goal has got to be the BKK lifestyle, ive travelled extensively and nothing can touch it.

PS Any of you living in England will understand my desire to get away from here forever.

[chinthee]

How much cash do you actually have now?
Buy a house in England and rent it out.

That's actually a very good idea if you want enough residual income monthly and are determined to come no matter what.

[howtoescape]

How much cash do you actually have now?
Buy a house in England and rent it out.

That's actually a very good idea if you want enough residual income monthly and are determined to come no matter what.

I know the world property investment market inside out and the UK isnt that good an option anymore. Bubbles burst in the US, NZ and OZ are we next.....

Only option i see is buying council houses in the worst areas and getting some lazy bastards or immigrants on Social Security guaranteeing rent and making money.

Berlin has like for like lower property prices then Bucharest, with rental yields of 3-6%, and mortgage rates at 4.5%, tip for you all is this is the place to put your money, for a 10 year investment.

[chinthee]

How much cash do you actually have now?
Buy a house in England and rent it out.

That's actually a very good idea if you want enough residual income monthly and are determined to come no matter what.

I know the world property investment market inside out and the UK isnt that good an option anymore. Bubbles burst in the US, NZ and OZ are we next.....

Only option i see is buying council houses in the worst areas and getting some lazy bastards or immigrants on Social Security guaranteeing rent and making money.

Berlin has like for like lower property prices then Bucharest, with rental yields of 3-6%, and mortgage rates at 4.5%, tip for you all is this is the place to put your money, for a 10 year investment.

Seems to me with your knowledge & experience, there would be lots of developers in Phuket, Samui, even Bangkok that you could get on with...

[stickman]

If your business is going well, or if there is room for growth, I would battle on in the UK and try and get your nest egg up to the point where you can live off the interest only before coming to Thailand. I get the feeling that 100K pounds will not produce enough income for you to live on.

Is it not possible to do the MBA in the UK while continuing with your business - and so increasing your nest egg at the same time? That is what I would consider.

[Captain Chaos]

I think the advice you received regarding exploring opportunities in nearby countries may be worth considering. My observation is that the opportunities for westerners to make decent money in Thailand are diminishing. Less (non-Japanese) FDI into Thailand these days, so reduced expat postings with western MNC's. "Local terms" employment is still difficult to get due to archaic work permit rules, and the fact is it doesn't pay enough for the typical westerner to accumulate much capital (why do you think Thais generally view their kids as their pension scheme?)

My well paid, full expat gig in BKK with a western MNC came to an end last year after nearly 5 years (boo, sob, sniffle etc) Didn't want to go back to the UK lifestyle-wise, didn't want / couldn't find a "local terms" job (I'm an accountant by profession). I can't comment on China or KL, but I did find a well paid job in Singapore before I had finished the old one in Bangkok, and there is a thriving job market here for suitably qualified and/or experienced foreigners.

I absolutely support the advice you have received that Thailand is a great place to come to live when you have made your money (probably somewhere else). Sure, there are exceptions, but that's a minority. I'm 37 and also agree that you are about to move into your prime earning potential period - so keep your eyes on the long term prize (which for me is to have enough to retire comfortably in Thailand whilst still young enough to enjoy it) as well as your immediate objective which sounds like it is to get out of the UK (which I don't disagree with)

Hope this helps.

CC

[garro]

You seem to have made your mind up to come so best of luck to you. It will probably be a lot harder than you think but the fact that you could save 100k shows some determination. The important thing is not to come in 'holiday mode' and try not to fall for the first woman who looks at you. Devote your time to finding out your options and learning Thai. Don't under any circumstances consider spending your monry on a bar.

Come with the knowledge that there is a good chance you could lose everything and most people who try and make a go of it here fail. Lastly, try and see the good points in your home country as often the problem isn't where we are but who we are. If you expect too much from LOS you will be dissapointed and bitter. Again though, best of luck.

[Shah Jahan]

there are a bunch of falang guys in BKK who sit in their apartments with a telephone and make $100k+'s every month, just ask for anybody in the oil and gas futures industry (boiler room). Although those guys do seems to get kidnapped and held for ransom more often than not. Other than that, if you try to start a little business (bar resturant etc) you will just lose money (its ok to lose money, you are paying for you GF to be entertainined)

I know quite a few falang that make 'honest' cash (and a good amount if it to boot) in LOS and they can do it, but it is all about their connections/posting with overseas companies and selling overseas products into LOS....or even being based in LOS and running the Asia region through there. (if you send me a PM about your specific qualifications, I could perhaps make some recommendations)

I am sure there are things to export from LOS as well, but what? clothes...teakwood....crafts....girls????

the Japaneses and some multinationals manufacture and export - but they have an established market that they are selling into and stand with a whip over the production line to enforce the famous thai work ethic. and now the baht is artificially strong which is not good for exports (Vietnam, Philippines better)

btw...dont ever get involved in a partnership with your 'thai friend'

I am sure he has a nice smile - but think of it like this.....'what reason is there for him NOT to rip you off'

all in all - dont expect to make money from the 'inside out'