Down under or Thai? Aussie mum trades Oz for Land of Smiles

[MalcolmB]

43 minutes ago, scorecard said:

 

Agree, and I hope they have made solid realistic plans for their son's education. 

Plenty of good schools in Phuket.

[MalcolmB]

1 hour ago, marin said:

Free education in Australia. Here at the better international school on Phuket they will be paying roughly $2500 Australian dollars a month at The British School for kindergarten and grade 1. 

Which is less than her rent in Sydney.

[MalcolmB]

2 hours ago, Liverpool Lou said:

She is allowed to legally own a home here, everyone is, foreigners owning their own home as she described it, is 100% legal.

That is not what I heard a my local bar.

Much safer to put it in the bargirlfriend’s name.
Even better on her family land to be doubly safe.

[grain]

Her bubble will burst soon, hubby will probably fall for a LBFM and move on. 

[MalcolmB]

1 hour ago, Fat is a type of crazy said:

A lot of foods they are used to more expensive in Phuket - then there's beer

Beer is cheaper in Phuket than Sydney 

 

always a critical factor when planning to move abroad.

[Nick Carter icp]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

What would you do if the dream of owning your home seemed to be slipping away? For one Aussie mum, the solution was packing up her family and heading for exotic shores, trading Oz for the Land of Smiles.

 

   Good idea , move to a Country where she still cannot own a home and the land its built on .

[Jiggo]

5 hours ago, JoePai said:

But she can own a home legally in Thailand - it's just the land she can't  🤣

Hence the saying "That house 'ant worth the land it's built on".

[billd766]

22 minutes ago, grain said:

Her bubble will burst soon, hubby will probably fall for a LBFM and move on. 

Did you?

[Zack61]

What does the kid inherit from this financial plunge they’ve made with a build on someone else’s land?

[Nick Carter icp]

6 hours ago, webfact said:

“Australia’s a nanny state now. "

 

   She may well soon be crying out for state intervention, a nanny state if the builders don't built the house properly or they run off with the money or there's some irregularities with the land loan and she calls the authorities and they aren't interested in helping her .

    She would want  to be in a nanny state then 

[steven100]

6 hours ago, webfact said:

The Coulsons now own a four-bedroom haven in an expat-friendly enclave, all for a cut-price AUD$1.2 million (27.1 million baht). Compare that to what they’d pay in Manly, and it’s an absolute steal. A kicker to the deal: in Thailand, you can buy a house, but leasing the land it stands on is the norm.

 

 

Is it on the side of a hill  ?    next weeks landslide   ?

Has it been built illegally  ?  

 

By the sounds of it,   she'll spend all their savings and they'll have nothing left in 12 months.  

Silly woman...  if the Thai scammers don't get you the Lands dept will. 

 

She thinks everything is all rosy here ....   she's only been here a few months,  wait for a year or two love ... then you'll see what it's really like.  

[Fat is a type of crazy]

1 hour ago, MalcolmB said:

Beer is cheaper in Phuket than Sydney 

 

always a critical factor when planning to move abroad.

Going out it is for sure but I find decent Australian beer is better bang for your buck. 

[newbee2022]

6 hours ago, webfact said:

What would you do if the dream of owning your home seemed to be slipping away? For one Aussie mum, the solution was packing up her family and heading for exotic shores, trading Oz for the Land of Smiles.

 

Natalie Coulson, a 45 year old mother of one, had enough of Sydney’s spiralling property market. The fear of a lifetime of renting and slogging away at a tedious 9-to-5 was more terrifying than the prospect of moving abroad. In a bold twist of fate, she and her family left their three-bedroom duplex in Manly and embarked on a daring adventure in Thailand.

 

“It’s risky but living in Sydney was a bigger gamble.”

 

The Coulson clan – Natalie, her 60 year old partner Fred, and their five year old son Alex, decided it was now or never. After 10 years of overseeing the Sydney seascape, they waved it goodbye, lured by the promise of palm trees and affordable mango sticky rice in Phuket.

The family had been coughing up AU$1,295 (29,260 baht) weekly for rent alone and their aspirations of home ownership were growing increasingly out of reach. The solution? Relocation. An overseas property hunt beckoned, and Thailand’s sun-soaked beaches answered.

Sipping coffee amidst the tropical breeze, Natalie revealed she had made the right choice.

 

“Australia’s a nanny state now. Phuket feels more like the Australia I remember – the carefree 1980s but with modern conveniences.”

 

Natalie Coulson and her partner Fred enjoying the best of Thailand

In July, the family bade farewell to surf, sand, and Sydney. The irony? Joining the real estate market in Thailand was smoother than expected.

 

The Coulsons now own a four-bedroom haven in an expat-friendly enclave, all for a cut-price AUD$1.2 million (27.1 million baht). Compare that to what they’d pay in Manly, and it’s an absolute steal. A kicker to the deal: in Thailand, you can buy a house, but leasing the land it stands on is the norm.

 

“It might sound odd, but it’s how things work here.”

 

While their Phuket dream home gets built, the family rents a luxurious three-bed pad with an overflow pool and panoramic vistas of the ocean for a breezy AUD$920 (21,000 baht) weekly.

 

“It’s posh, yes, but we get far more bang for our buck than in Sydney.”

 

The Thai lifestyle offers a new tapestry of experiences – think affordable markets, delicious street eats, and a pace of life that feels like a quaint country town. Artful and pragmatic, Natalie is juggling her Sydney-based marketing business and exploring possibilities left open by leaving her government contract behind. Meanwhile, Fred, previously a business analyst, is pivoting to a marketing guru role, taking advantage of new Asia-based ventures.

 

“We’re making a go of it.”

 

For the Coulsons, life in Phuket is liberating yet challenging. The language barrier poses occasional hurdles, though English’s prevalence offers a bubble-like respite at times. They diligently learn Thai – baby steps, as Natalie puts it – to forge genuine connections with locals.

 

And what of the day-to-day? Groceries are now a fraction of Sydney’s price, with market-fresh produce dramatically reducing their weekly bill to around AUD$50 (1,132 baht). Casual dining out is a steal too – fantastic meals for mere dollars are a joy they’ve quickly embraced.

 

Despite all the savings, one thing’s undeniable: the perks don’t just stop at a lower cost of living. Thai life offers tranquillity, a bonus respite from Sydney’s frantic rush. The Coulsons cherish the international school’s offerings for young Alex – an opportunity for him to thrive amidst vibrant ex-pat diversity.

 

Still, the adventure isn’t without its hurdles. The absence of Sydney’s efficient public transport is felt as they navigate their new home by car. Visa renewals are another reality check but, undeterred, they’re in it for the long haul, said Natalie.

 

“Thailand’s near enough that we can pop back to Oz whenever.”

 

Natalie’s advice to other Aussies eyeing the possibility of an overseas leap? Do your research, explore your local options, and ensure that the call of foreign lands matches your lifestyle aspirations.

 

After months of melty mango shakes and sun-soaked explorations, the Coulsons are certain: they’ve struck gold. Australia’s Hall of Shopping or late-night Sydney cinema treks might rankle as distant memories, but the promise of new culture, new beginnings, and new adventures prevails.

For Natalie and her brood, it’s clear: Thailand’s not just a change of address – it’s a fresh start. Where others tighten their purses, fearful of the unfamiliar, the Coulsons have bravely embraced a life that looks like a perpetual holiday but means the world to them.

 

Now, who said you can’t have your mango sticky rice and eat it too?

 

by Bob Scott
Picture courtesy of Natalie Coulson

 

Source: The Thaiger 

-- 2024-10-08

 

 

Yeah, come to the land of milk and honey. 

Work-Life-balance is most important.

Don't follow those who work 9-5 five days/week and get a good pension. Don't have a clean environment and clean air. 

Here it's paradise on earth.

(Learn your lesson)

[Fat is a type of crazy]

37 minutes ago, Nick Carter icp said:

 

   She may well soon be crying out for state intervention, a nanny state if the builders don't built the house properly or they run off with the money or there's some irregularities with the land loan and she calls the authorities and they aren't interested in helping her .

    She would want  to be in a nanny state then 

Yeah people love to call Australia a nanny state but recent horrific events in Bangkok show it has an upside. People like to talk about the freedom on the roads too - one poster going on recently about long rides at 180 as though it is nothing - give me the Australian Highway Patrol to sort them out thanks. 

[kennypowers]

They must be quite well off if they can afford that weekly rent in Phuket. It seems quite a waste of money. Buying off plan is a huge risk in Thailand given so many dodgy developers. What about schools for her son? Health insurance? The new tax rules? It doesn't seem that it will be much cheaper than Aus, based on the lifestyle they want. If she bought a house in Australia her son could fully inherit. In Thailand he will be left with a house worth next to nothing because of the short lease (by then), and the fact that old properties don't fare well in the Thai market. It's the land that's worth the money. I hope it all works out for them but wish people were better advised before making the move. 

Edited 1 hour ago by kennypowers

[Ben Zioner]

There are some real idiots around. Leaving Manly for Thailand? Mind boggling. Nice surf at her door step, and a little paradise up North 20 minutes away. When they grow up her kids will kill her.

[brianthainess]

5 hours ago, PB172111 said:

Much much cheaper here than in Australia.

But it does have free healthcare, you don't 'Have' to have insurance, many do not.

[mithunonthenet]

She complains about escalating property prices in Oz but doesn't realize it's foreign migrants like her who are pushing up real estate prices in Thailand? Wait till her husband gets distracted by all the 'pristine beauty' Phuket has to offer -- and no, I don't mean the beaches.

[sikishrory]

Smart women. Why struggle in Australia when you don't have to.

[kwilco]

8 hours ago, webfact said:

Australia’s a nanny state now. Phuket feels more like the Australia I remember – the carefree 1980s but with modern conveniences.”

Like a ruling system dominated by the military and no customer rights.

 

Anyone using the phrase nanny state is beyond rational discussion - if you want nanny take a look at what this country tells you  that you can say, read or write.  What rights you will have as an immigrant, how thy decide where you can work and look at education and healthcare... needless to say they have a workaround for property ownership? or a secure rental agreement?

 

what is she going to do for a living?

What work permit does she have and what visa?

how long will that last?

Edited 32 minutes ago by kwilco

[scorecard]

1 hour ago, kennypowers said:

They must be quite well off if they can afford that weekly rent in Phuket. It seems quite a waste of money. Buying off plan is a huge risk in Thailand given so many dodgy developers. What about schools for her son? Health insurance? The new tax rules? It doesn't seem that it will be much cheaper than Aus, based on the lifestyle they want. If she bought a house in Australia her son could fully inherit. In Thailand he will be left with a house worth next to nothing because of the short lease (by then), and the fact that old properties don't fare well in the Thai market. It's the land that's worth the money. I hope it all works out for them but wish people were better advised before making the move. 

Or just totally naive.