British family leaves UK for Thailand for lower costs of living

[charleskerins]

1 hour ago, spermwhale said:

The grass is always greener. They'll soon find out that they can't send their kids to local schools if they want them to get a proper education and once you factor in international school fees and the cost of buying western food and needing to buy health insurance for the family.. all those cost advantages are gone. Add a car that costs about twice as much as you'd pay in the UK, then you're looking at even greater cash outlays. Add to that the annual hassle and abuse they have to take when renewing their visas. 

 

The'll be back soon. 

?  the rent here is ridiculously cheap    ,western food is expensive if you have it shipped to you,   Pickup trucks here are half the price of a pickup truck in America.  They can get travel health insurance for now  .   Where will their money come from?

[RobU]

1 hour ago, spermwhale said:

I'll say this too: This is shoddy reporting. This is written by Asean Now and the writers there should know the reality of life in Thailand. This line really stood out at me: 

" Jessica has applied for a visa with the Thai Immigration Bureau, signalling their intent to make this a long-term move."

 

REALLY? You don't just apply for a visa to "signal intent to make this a long term move." There is no such visa for foreigners. There is a visa for work in their case. And they are too young to qualify for a retirement visa. And she is not married to a a Thai so no spousal visa. 

 

If she wanted to get a longer-term type visa. she has to put in many years until she can do that. 

 

You'd think the reporters in Thailand would know this. 

 

It's the Thaiger, publication of half truths and omissions gathering news from other online sources, rewriting it, omitting important facts then translating the finished article from Thai to English. Not reporters, just collectors and correlators and not very good at it either. 

[jacko45k]

1 hour ago, MangoKorat said:

Prescriptions are free for all over 60.

And those on benefits I believe.

[Eloquent pilgrim]

 

The singularly most important aspect of this story is not reported; what are they doing for income while they are here. It sounds more like they are on a gap year break, than actually moving to Thailand permanently.

[freeworld]

Quite funny this, loads of people are waiting on the shores of France and from around the world all wanting to move to the UK. Somehow the ones that succeed all manage to afford living in the UK.

Edited May 20 by freeworld

[robsamui]

2 hours ago, spermwhale said:

REALLY? You don't just apply for a visa to "signal intent to make this a long term move." There is no such visa for foreigners. There is a visa for work in their case. And they are too young to qualify for a retirement visa. And she is not married to a a Thai so no spousal visa. 

If she wanted to get a longer-term type visa. she has to put in many years until she can do that. 

You'd think the reporters in Thailand would know this. 

If the reporters were Thai, then they wouldn't have a clue about the ins-and-outs of what's needed for long-stay foreigners. 
(None of the very many Thais I've talked to over the years have been able to believe the visa tangles and costs and think I'm making it up  -  they just assume that farangs simply 'stay' here!)

Edited May 20 by robsamui

[ChumpChange]

Who doesn't enjoy reading poorly regurgitated and anecdotal articles that aren't newsworthy and that contain non-factual content that has been rewritten by non-journalists? At least the server runs faster now. 👍🏼

[PeeJayEm]

No mention of what Jessica and her partner are going to do in Thailand by way of earning a wage and thereby contributing to the economy.

No mention of work permits.

No mention of health insurance.

And by her self description as struggling  in the U.K. she's short of income.

 

I can see the Crowd Fund Me call coming as soon as any need medical care or need an air fare back to the safety of the U.K.

 

However, this link gives a bit more info on how Jessica might be able to survive. Perhaps even merits a LTR visa in the digital nomad category (or whatever the term is).

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessica-ward-41a25761?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=ios_app

Edited May 20 by PeeJayEm
Additional info

[patman30]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

Jessica has applied for a visa with the Thai Immigration Bureau, signalling their intent to make this a long-term move.

Sounds like Jessica arrived as a tourist and doesn't want to go home
i can say this from experience, it is not easy but doable, even harder with a family
The fact she is making a song and dance about it has me thinking it may be harder than she thinks for herself and her family
if cheap living is what they are after they would do better in Cambodia where it would be much easier to work or start a business
seems like it will just be another one of these "I'm moving to Thailand" and a year or two later "I'm leaving Thailand"

[Freddy42OZ]

2 hours ago, MangoKorat said:

Unless one of them is an IT professional, they'll be back home within a year.

 

I kid you not, I once sat talking to a guy in his 40's in the bar at the old Abu Dhabi (flying saucer) airport.  He'd been to Thailand for the first time for a holiday a couple of months before - gone back to the UK, sold up and was 'moving' to Thailand. He 'said' there was no woman involved 😁.

 

I asked him if he had a work permit and visa sorted and what sort of work he aimed to do. "Whatever's available" he said, "I know I won't get paid the same but its much cheaper to live there isn't it". He worked in a car factory near Sunderland UK (Nissan I presume) and told me he was aware that Thailand had a lot of car factories so he expected to find work pretty soon. He didn't of course, have a work permit but was sure it wouldn't be difficult to get one.

 

The man was preparing to enter Thailand on a 30 day exempt. Someone had told him he could get a visa in country - he said. He clearly knew next to nothing about what was involved and I didn't have the heart to tell him.

 

I often wonder how long he lasted.

 

 

30 days

[crazykopite]

I wish them well but many people come to Thailand wearing tinted glasses after spending a couple of weeks on holiday . No free hospitals no free schooling no free benefits , constant immigration issues the list is never ending I hope that a year or two down the road were not reading about them returning back to the UK as the streets weren’t paved with gold . They’ve been mugged into giving there story I really hope it doesn’t ball go belly up like others have found 

[Peterphuket]

I think not only British famimily, in whole europe prices are no longer affordable.

One reason is that they just let anyone in which has to be raised by local citizens.
It looks more and more like a population movement vice versa then.

Edit: Africans in, europeans out.

Edited May 20 by Peterphuket

[Moncul]

2 hours ago, MrJ2U said:

They'll love Chang Mai's zero policy on burning and pollution.

Surely you mean "zero f***s" policy?

[Denim]

20 minutes ago, freeworld said:

Quite funny this, loads of people are waiting on the shores of France and from around the world all wanting to move to the UK. Somehow the ones that succeed all manage to afford living in the UK.

 

Yes, easy when the state provideds a roof over your head and food in your belly. God bless the UK tax payer.

[GrungthepGringo]

They moved to Thailand because of the high cost of electricity in the UK. Now living in Phuket, the most expensive part of Thailand, and just wait until they meet their Russian neighbors running some illegal business.
 

Then what about their visas, health insurance, school fees, high cost of western food, employment, and money to live on when they retire?
 

Do people ever think and plan these things through or only act on emotions and lack of knowledge? They will be back in the UK within 2 years or less.

[brianthainess]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

The family quickly adapted to their new life in Thailand, where Cece is now enrolled in preschool,

Mmm I hope they can speak good English at her preschool, my worry would be how many other kids there can speak English otherwise the poor mite will be isolated in 'class' I must say she looks to young to be at preschool.

No mention of where in Thailand they are living, I hear Koh Phangan has good preschools ...............

[2008bangkok]

Must be mad, they will find out soon enough it won't be cheaper. 

Schools, medical insurance, lower salary, plus anybody with half a brain knows it's better to educate children in the west

[brianthainess]

1 hour ago, BritManToo said:

I've never found 'you get what you pay for' to be true.

How much did you pay for your wife?

I'm still paying, on the never never..........

[KannikaP]

3 hours ago, theblether said:

£2.10 a pint in my local bar. 

Please name that bar.

[baansgr]

3 hours ago, theblether said:

Here we go again. Another chance for the nutter brigade who haven't lived in the UK for decades to start ranting. Let me annoy you - 

 

20% of British pensioners are millionaires. NHS free, education, free, university - free in Scotland, limited fees in England. Prescriptions, free in Scotland, Bus passes, free. 

 

8.5% increase in the UK pension. Re NHS - contrary to the drivel you read - I was referred to the hospital for an ECG a week past Thursday and had the scan on Monday - two business days. 

 

My gas and electric bill for the last quarter - £330. The most expensive in my family was a millionaires seven-bedroom house, £1100. Supermarkets are cheaper than Thailand. Fruit is bizarrely cheaper. Meat is higher quality and cheap 200 baht a kilo for chicken breast. 

 

£2.10 a pint in my local bar. 

 

Where are we more expensive? Rent and petrol mainly. Rent isn't an issue if you own your house, just as we have been encouraged to do for the past 50 years. Street food us cheaper, but every UK town has an all you can eat buffet these days for a tenner. 

 

Have at it with your growling. And this family is in for a shock when they see the reality of school fees etc in Thailand. 

 

Hope they remember to cancel their child allowance...many grasses and will need to pay it back

[blazes]

1 hour ago, Stargeezr said:

There are tropical diseases to consider as well, dengue, malaryia , and many others.

 

 

Snakes, tiger cubs, elephants, motor-cycles....

[RobU]

18 minutes ago, PeeJayEm said:

No mention of what Jessica and her partner are going to do in Thailand by way of earning a wage and thereby contributing to the economy.

No mention of work permits.

No mention of health insurance.

And by her self description as struggling  in the U.K. she's short of income.

 

I can see the Crowd Fund Me call coming as soon as any need medical care or need an air fare back to the safety of the U.K.

 

However, this link gives a bit more info on how Jessica might be able to survive. Perhaps even merits a LTR visa in the digital nomad category (or whatever the term is).

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessica-ward-41a25761?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=ios_app

She appears to own an online gift shop. Basically acting as an intermediary between the gift producer who packs and delivers the gift and the customer. She will hold no stock just simply passing the order to the company that produces the gift and taking a commission. 

[sungod]

34 minutes ago, freeworld said:

Quite funny this, loads of people are waiting on the shores of France and from around the world all wanting to move to the UK. Somehow the ones that succeed all manage to afford living in the UK.

Thats because everything is free for them, while normal British people have to graft just to keep their heads above water.

[brianthainess]

30 minutes ago, robsamui said:

If the reporters were Thai, then they wouldn't have a clue about the ins-and-outs of what's needed for long-stay foreigners. 
(None of the very many Thais I've talked to over the years have been able to believe the visa tangles and costs and think I'm making it up  -  they just assume that farangs simply 'stay' here!)

And our Governments 'Give' us money aka a pension, if you tell them you pay 20% of your wage in taxes for 30+ years their eyes just glaze over.

[Drumbuie]

3 hours ago, theblether said:

Here we go again. Another chance for the nutter brigade who haven't lived in the UK for decades to start ranting. Let me annoy you - 

 

20% of British pensioners are millionaires. NHS free, education, free, university - free in Scotland, limited fees in England. Prescriptions, free in Scotland, Bus passes, free. 

 

8.5% increase in the UK pension. Re NHS - contrary to the drivel you read - I was referred to the hospital for an ECG a week past Thursday and had the scan on Monday - two business days. 

 

My gas and electric bill for the last quarter - £330. The most expensive in my family was a millionaires seven-bedroom house, £1100. Supermarkets are cheaper than Thailand. Fruit is bizarrely cheaper. Meat is higher quality and cheap 200 baht a kilo for chicken breast. 

 

£2.10 a pint in my local bar. 

 

Where are we more expensive? Rent and petrol mainly. Rent isn't an issue if you own your house, just as we have been encouraged to do for the past 50 years. Street food us cheaper, but every UK town has an all you can eat buffet these days for a tenner. 

 

Have at it with your growling. And this family is in for a shock when they see the reality of school fees etc in Thailand. 

 

 

The Telegraph article from which you're quoting the "25% of pensioners are millionaires" factoid is somewhat misleading. 25% of over 65s ( remember the pension age is moving upwards as fast as the Tories can manage) live in a household whose *combined wealth* - including the house - is over £1 million. But a 3 bed semi in the London suburbs now costs over a million quid, so that's not surprising.

In poorer areas of the UK the average life expectancy is less than 60 years. 

 

As for a pint costing £2.10 - what are you drinking? Milk?? 

 

https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/personalandhouseholdfinances/incomeandwealth/bulletins/distributionofindividualtotalwealthbycharacteristicingreatbritain/april2018tomarch2020

 

 

[Drumbuie]

3 hours ago, theblether said:

Here we go again. Another chance for the nutter brigade who haven't lived in the UK for decades to start ranting. Let me annoy you - 

 

20% of British pensioners are millionaires. NHS free, education, free, university - free in Scotland, limited fees in England. Prescriptions, free in Scotland, Bus passes, free. 

 

8.5% increase in the UK pension. Re NHS - contrary to the drivel you read - I was referred to the hospital for an ECG a week past Thursday and had the scan on Monday - two business days. 

 

My gas and electric bill for the last quarter - £330. The most expensive in my family was a millionaires seven-bedroom house, £1100. Supermarkets are cheaper than Thailand. Fruit is bizarrely cheaper. Meat is higher quality and cheap 200 baht a kilo for chicken breast. 

 

£2.10 a pint in my local bar. 

 

Where are we more expensive? Rent and petrol mainly. Rent isn't an issue if you own your house, just as we have been encouraged to do for the past 50 years. Street food us cheaper, but every UK town has an all you can eat buffet these days for a tenner. 

 

Have at it with your growling. And this family is in for a shock when they see the reality of school fees etc in Thailand. 

 

 

The Telegraph article from which you're quoting the "25% of pensioners are millionaires" factoid is somewhat misleading. 25% of over 65s ( remember the pension age is moving upwards as fast as the Tories can manage) live in a household whose *combined wealth* - including the house - is over £1 million. But a 3 bed semi in the London suburbs now costs over a million quid, so that's not surprising.

In poorer areas of the UK the average life expectancy is less than 60 years. 

 

As for a pint costing £2.10 - what are you drinking? Milk?? 

 

https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/personalandhouseholdfinances/incomeandwealth/bulletins/distributionofindividualtotalwealthbycharacteristicingreatbritain/april2018tomarch2020

 

 

[lordgrinz]

1 hour ago, GrungthepGringo said:

Visa?

Health Insurance?

School Fees?

Employment?

Air Pollution?

40 Degree Temperatures?

 

Unsafe sidewalks?

Unsafe crosswalks?

Unsafe roads?

Pesticide enriched vegetables?

Dengue fever?

Roaming Soi Dogs?

 

[GrungthepGringo]

6 minutes ago, RobU said:

She appears to own an online gift shop. Basically acting as an intermediary between the gift producer who packs and delivers the gift and the customer. She will hold no stock just simply passing the order to the company that produces the gift and taking a commission. 

So she's a drop shipper. Presumably this isn't a secure business for the long term future. No mention of what her "partner" does for work either. So he/she will be trying to find employment in Phuket? Maybe their Russian neighbors can offer some assistance. 

[RobU]

42 minutes ago, Eloquent pilgrim said:

 

The singularly most important aspect of this story is not reported; what are they doing for income while they are here. It sounds more like they are on a gap year break, than actually moving to Thailand permanently.

https://thepattayanews.com/2024/05/19/nida-poll-majority-of-thais-support-reclassifying-cannabis-as-narcotic-public-backs-medical-use-over-recreational/

She runs the above website

[RobU]

2 minutes ago, GrungthepGringo said:

So she's a drop shipper. Presumably this isn't a secure business for the long term future. No mention of what her "partner" does for work either. So he/she will be trying to find employment in Phuket? Maybe their Russian neighbors can offer some assistance. 

I agree, I hadn't heard of the term Drop Shipper. Thanks for the information