Living on an island in thailand

[dazdaz]

Following on from my post about quality of life for an expat, I wanted to go into the fantasy and reality of living on an island.  I quite like the idea, but not everyone will.  I think it will become trying after several months.  I know Phuket has expats, but I don't know how many.

I was surprised to see a Tesco's Lotus store on Phuket along with a Starbucks.  Seems there is really no escaping Americanisation (globalisation) these days.

What jobs could bring in a sustainable working on an island.  This must surely be harder than anywhere else.

* Remote internet related job with work permit

* Hotel owner

* Writer, with a company setup for work permit, perhaps selling to an international publishers (America/Europe) etc.

* Software company

umm i'm running out of ideas quickly here.  Can you think of any others that are legal?

It's possible, but probably not the greatest of ideas.

Regards

[singa-traz]

I was surprised to see a Tesco's Lotus store on Phuket along with a Starbucks.  Seems there is really no escaping Americanisation (globalisation) these days.

The number of Tesco stores in Thailand has almost double in the past 3-4 years, and is now over 40 in Thailand.

Tesco says to invest 7 bln baht in Thailand in '03

From the Article:

Part of the seven billion baht investment would go towards developing Thailand as a sourcing base for the entire Tesco group. Tesco Lotus expects to export three billion baht worth of Thai products, mostly food, to the United Kingdom this year.

... that's the good news ... Thailand will now be closer to home .... can't wait to get my "Ma Ma Mou Sap" !

As for "Living on an Island" ... stop thinking about it ... pack your stuff, come over and JUST DO IT !

[PhillipJ]

I'm not sure if phuket really classifies as an island - its connected to the mainland by a bridge! It has all the services and opportunities that anywhere else has. If I was to live on an island it would have to be somewhere you could only reach by boat. I'm sure it would be a pain in the arse but it sounds kind of romantic

[Aitit]

Even Samui has a Tesco since last year,MacDo, Pizza Hut, Pizza Company,BK, Starbucks...all th <deleted> is there.

The advantage of a high developed island, is to have more job opportunities, like

-real estate, guess the last 3 years there have 20 new

 companys opend on Samui and every week I discover a

 new one

- getting a frenchise from a Uncle Sam's biz

- making another Samui map, there is plenty of them, but

  like the real estate, it doesn't mean that there is no more

  space for another publication

- there is many things one can do , but depends on the

  financial situation, for to say, how quick do you have to

  earn money?

-accomodation-business, hotel/bungalow,is usually good

 e.g. there is a Dive Resort for sale on Koh Tao for

 80 Million THB, contract for 6 years only( no Landpapers yet)

 but you can easily double it in that time. I know what I'm

 talking about,I know there, it is save until 2009, after

 they will issue the first landpapers for that island, then

 nobody knows.But if I had that money, I would leave ot on

 the bank, no need to double that for me.

-if you're an IT-specialist, Roland from sawadee.com opened

 a brandnew IT-center(a bit futuristic looking for an island)

 with broadband and wireless and so on, so get in contact

  with him, he is mostly in his BKK-office

There is more for shure, my ideas are not mine, it's what I see from the others, but there is one point, you will be dependend on tourism!!!

So this year is bad for most island-business, exept real estate, but it's a good year for bargain, and it's very good for to see what business depends to much on tourism.

Dazdaz the best for you, I suggest, like Singa, to come and travel a few islands, they are not the same , but you will feel it,which is the right one for you.

I don't regret living on a island, but for me Samui became a wee bit overdeveloped, so might be moving on.

 

[wolf5370]

Agree with PhillipJ - Phuket may physically be an island, but its more like Isle of Sheppy or Manhattan - Island in name, but to all intents and purposes part of the mainland.

I've heard its also the most expensive place on LOS to live (don't know how true that is, but I think its sounds fair).

An island sounds nice, but it would have to be away from all the bloody backpackers, drunken/drugged up beach orgies and the like- I could go to spain for that!

An idealic island with white sand, coconut trees and clear blue water. Easier to find in the Philipeans perhaps - they have 7,000 of them!

[dazdaz]

It's interesting you mention that Phuket is expensive speaking relatively of course for Thailand.  I spent a small fortune in being driven around by those tuk tuk drivers.  If you don't have transportation, it's does indeed seem costly as you have to be driven quite a distance.  I recommend Karong beach any day over Patong beach. Patong has way too many people and is commercialised, whereas Karong is much more laid back and natural.  I have many years of exploring to do though.  I know there are other beaches off the beaten track so to speak and of course private beaches there.

I even went into Phuket town, but did'nt like it.  What do others think of P.T.? I thought it was ramshackled but perhaps truer to Thailand?

I will one day visit Koh Samui.

Any other places worth checking out?

I guess most people have either retired there or are TEFL people.

What I always dislike is the drunken louts you seem to find increasingly in more and more exotic locations like Thailand.  I go away to escape from those people, and yet find them on the same plane the further afield I go.  I suppose this will increase as air fares continue to tumble.

There are few places where you can go, in which you can really escape.  I know someone who has been to Laos and Belarus, both a little off the beaten track.

Regards