Living On Koh Phangan And Earning

[HomeisThai]

Hi guys

I used to be on here 4 years ago but forgot all my details so had to re-register.

Ok, basically 4 years ago I went to Thailand for the first time and fell in love with, and on Koh Phangan.

I extended my trip and lived in Haad rin for 2 months, had my own puppy and life and loved it.

Now 4 years later I goto Sri Lanka for a 2 week holiday and decided after 6 days to goto Koh Phangan, it had been so long i missed the place like a home...i returned and felt at home again

I only had a week there and I was suprised after 4 years all the boys i used to hang with remembered me(i know how many girls come and go so was truely shocked they came up to me saying my name)...anyway, I have an unexplainable urge to do what i wanted to do 4 years ago and live there for between 6months to a year at least. I feel like if i dont do this now then it will be too late, im 28 this year and i felt old being back there as now its all 18 year olds etc, so i basically want to just have fun and enjoy my youth and after that i can think seriously about where to settle, be it England or maybe try Oz.

So, I will get to the point

Is it possible to live on Koh Phangan or maybe even Samui and earn an ok wage?

I 'could' live there for a year without working but i dont want to do this, i want to at least earn enough to cover rent and last time i was there i was told working in a jewellery shop would only earn me 200/300 baht a day, which i cant see how this would cover both rent and food?

Also, what is the best option visa wise to stay a year or more?

Sorry for all the questions, and well done if youve read this far

[Boo]

you cannot work without a work permit & there are a lot of jobs restricted for foreigners. suggest you search around the visa section for more information but imo there will be very little option for you to find work on kpg & even less if you are looking for part year.

[macleod101]

you just won't get a visa...

but you could do telesales to your home country, on the end of a mobile lay nicely relaxed on a beach on kpg! (i.e. phone a few local companys and ask them if they need a self employed telemarketer) your salary would be about £6 a hou.. more than enough to live on..

[mssabai]

I live and work on Samui and am just about to move to Phangan. I am teaching at the moment - if you have a degree and a tefl that is an option, though the jobs are very limited. You would need to just come here and ask around the schools. There is only two legal teaching jobs that I know of on Phangan and both are taken. I have been really lucky in getting my second job on Phangan, but it is through knowing my soon to be employers for the last two years and being in the right place at the right time.

Your only options as a newbie really are working in a dive shop, bar or shop - all illegally. You will be earning about 200-300 baht a day. A normal thai wage, but as most farangs think nothing of dropping 1000 baht on a night out - it will not be enough to live on unless you are happy to live at the bare minimum - it is possibly to rent accommodation for 2-3k a month, but it is very basic and you would need additional transport. Doing this kind of work is a good way of making your money from home last a lot longer but I would say impossible for most farangs to exist on soley.

Your only options with a visa if you are working illegally is getting the 3 month tourist visa, but it looks like they are tightening up on these yet again making it very difficult to stay long term without a work permit and associated visas.

(ps - if your reasons for coming back is one of these boys in Had Rin that remembers you I would be very wary... )

[kevdulounge]

I 'could' live there for a year without working but i dont want to do this, i want to at least earn enough to cover rent and last time i was there i was told working in a jewellery shop would only earn me 200/300 baht a day, which i cant see how this would cover both rent and food?

Also, what is the best option visa wise to stay a year or more?

Sorry for all the questions, and well done if youve read this far

If you have enough money to live up here for a year without working, you might have enough money to settle here legally. Tourist visas are 2+1 months only, and they are going to get more and more expensive to get considering you might have to get them from Singapore, Hong Kong, or even Europe or Australia in the near future... Non Imm visa + Work permit is in my opinion the only way to stay here a year or more, without the fear of getting kicked out of the country

[HomeisThai]

Thanks for your replies

This is something i am going to have to seriously think about, Mssabai - I also have to think about my reasons for going back more clearly, there is a massive love for thailand yes but very true the boy is part of my reason for wanting to go back, which i will have to make sure is not a big part of why, as he does not live on Koh Phangan anymore anyway and currently we are not in contact anyway. I also cant and wont teach as i am useless at English and wouldnt want to put that onto kiddies futures, IF i was good I would definately consider this route as I dont want to work illegally.

Hmmm, so it seems i have alot of thinking to do, so many decisions, if i leave here i also leave a very good job which took a long time to get and would have to start again once home BUT life is short!

Maybe I would be better of considering a 6 month stint in Thailand and 6 months in Oz instead

[kevdulounge]

Maybe I would be better of considering a 6 month stint in Thailand and 6 months in Oz instead

Are you Australian ? Coz OZ visas are dam_n hard to get also

[HomeisThai]

Maybe I would be better of considering a 6 month stint in Thailand and 6 months in Oz instead

Are you Australian ? Coz OZ visas are dam_n hard to get also

No im from the UK.

I have many friends who got Oz visa's really easy, i didnt realise this could be hard too.

Hmmm..once work quietens i will have to have a good look into this. thanks.

Macleod101-Can you tell me more about this telemarketing?

[sbk]

You can get the one year working visa for Oz as you are under 32 (I think that is the cut off age now). Easily applied for online and if you have enough funds (and it sounds lile you do) should be no problem to get. Do that first, then see if you want to stay on Koh P for another 6 months. Immigration does come over on a regular basis and fine foreigners working illegally so if I were you I would not go that route.

[theoracle]

You had a puppy and you were only staying for 2 months....poor little mite.

[mssabai]

Thanks for your replies

This is something i am going to have to seriously think about, Mssabai - I also have to think about my reasons for going back more clearly, there is a massive love for thailand yes but very true the boy is part of my reason for wanting to go back, which i will have to make sure is not a big part of why, as he does not live on Koh Phangan anymore anyway and currently we are not in contact anyway. I also cant and wont teach as i am useless at English and wouldnt want to put that onto kiddies futures, IF i was good I would definately consider this route as I dont want to work illegally.

Hmmm, so it seems i have alot of thinking to do, so many decisions, if i leave here i also leave a very good job which took a long time to get and would have to start again once home BUT life is short!

Maybe I would be better of considering a 6 month stint in Thailand and 6 months in Oz instead

Obviously everyone comes here and wants to live here forever because it is a tropical paradise (of sorts!) however in my experience it is only the people who have made a real commitment to stay for a long time who are given the very limited legal job opportunities. If teaching is not your bag then just come and hang out for six months - don't worry about working and just make up for it when you get home or get to Oz. There are more chilled places on the island than Had Rin though where you won't burn through your money so fast...Had Rin can be good for a night out but am not sure I would want to live there - I feel old there at 26! But each to their own....

SBK is right its very easy to get a 1yr working visa in Oz if you are under 30 (ish). The immigration dept. have a very good website where you can apply for everything on line. You have to show funds in your bank, but many people just borrow money to make their account look good. I did it all last year but never made it further than Thailand!

If you are thinking about doing it then do it - best decision I ever made was getting out of the rat race. PM me if you want more info...and whatever you do don't let the boy be the deciding factor - maybe just the cherry on the cake

[girlx]

there are so many people who come over with no money and expect to work illegally in phangan. thai people tend to hate this type, and honestly i do too because when they run out of money they seem to flock to me and expect me to save them. also you put yourself in a bad position having to depend on the locals who in a lot of cases make their money from drug dealing and who can find easy ways to get rid of you and profit off you at the same time. the police especially. save your money at home, then come here and have a nice vacation.

[HomeisThai]

You had a puppy and you were only staying for 2 months....poor little mite.

Um i rescued her from the bar boys who were throwing her about and threatening to kill her.

She's still alive and now living on Surat Thani, i did the best i could thankyou.

Mssabai - Maybe this is my best bet, to stay in Thailand 6 months then goto Oz and maybe work out there so I still have some money left. Im pretty skint at the moment and it will take alot of hard hard saving but I think I could get 6k for next year, maybe more..so hopefully this will be enough to do both Oz and Thailand. What would you suggest if I do fall in love with Thailand even more and want to stay for longer? I don't want to piss off locals by being there, I mean the times ive been there everyones been so lovely to me but alas tis hard to tell peoples reasons for how they treat you sometimes. Can I ask how long you have been there? Im mucho jealous

Girlx - How do you save people? I think thats a bit rude people would expect you to help them out! From what i have read of your posts you seem very clued up and have the right balance. Ideally I would like to do as you and work freelance so I have a good wage but living or travelling in Thailand. Unfortunately my skills are limited to customer service and Personal Assistant work

[Boo]

Unless you are prepared to retrain into a relevant feild then your options of working freelance are non existant. You could possibly get a legal job working at a resort but I dont know if any on KPG are big enough to afford a farang salary or to have the know how to get work permit.

IMO if you have a good job & enjoy it then don't ruin it all by moving to KPG on the hope that you may one day find a decent enough job to stay long term. The long term reality of living on an island is very different to the fanatsy or two month you last had. Work is the same everywhere, you still have the responsibilty & have to do the work.

Come for a holiday & scope out the job situation, look around & see what kind of training or expereince you might get to help you in future but go to oz on a working visa or stay put until you are in a better position. Thailand is no fun at all if you are broke & desperate.

[mssabai]

I have been here a year now working and stayed for 6 months the year before errr 'playing' I guess.

I spent 6 months here initially, went home, tried to work at home again for 6 months and just realised I wasn't happy so I made the decision to go. The whole thing cost me near on 10k to do though - tefl course, not working for 2 months, rennovations on my flat so I could let it out, flights, start up money here...it was really something I could not have done lightly.

I think maybe wait for the post holiday glow to wear off, keep working and saving and look at the situation again in a few months. If you still want to go - do it. Party in Thailand, work in Oz. Have a blast. If you really then want to stay in Thailand, you will have to look at your options again. But in all truth, teaching is your only real option at this stage and if you are not able to do that, then maybe put the idea to bed and do a 'half and half' life here, as many people do.

[HomeisThai]

I have been here a year now working and stayed for 6 months the year before errr 'playing' I guess.

I spent 6 months here initially, went home, tried to work at home again for 6 months and just realised I wasn't happy so I made the decision to go. The whole thing cost me near on 10k to do though - tefl course, not working for 2 months, rennovations on my flat so I could let it out, flights, start up money here...it was really something I could not have done lightly.

I think maybe wait for the post holiday glow to wear off, keep working and saving and look at the situation again in a few months. If you still want to go - do it. Party in Thailand, work in Oz. Have a blast. If you really then want to stay in Thailand, you will have to look at your options again. But in all truth, teaching is your only real option at this stage and if you are not able to do that, then maybe put the idea to bed and do a 'half and half' life here, as many people do.

Thank you for all your help.

I know about the post holiday glow but 4 years ago i felt the same and for 4 years i have known i wanted to live in Thailand, but like you say maybe come for longer and see how I feel, i was only in Thailand 3 months in total before so maybe i need longer to truely decide. Plus being free to do what you want with money is totally different to living by your means in Thailand.

I also think in a couple of months my head would have cleared from the thai boy i met.

In my dreams I would love to be with him and live in Thailand, even if meant living on nothing but in reality he is a player and would never stay true to me anyway.

I am definately going travelling next year, but whether this will be in aim to live abroad or just spend a year in Thailand and Oz i am unsure, all I know is i'm 28 this year and 29 next so I need to do this soon

[Jose]

I am definately going travelling next year, but whether this will be in aim to live abroad or just spend a year in Thailand and Oz i am unsure, all I know is i'm 28 this year and 29 next so I need to do this soon

Yes, you'd better hurry up and make your big move soon - at 28 you're running out of time, old man.

jose '-)

[sbk]

Old woman, I suspect

No, I think the OP is worried about running out of time for the one year Oz working visa

[HomeisThai]

Old woman, I suspect

No, I think the OP is worried about running out of time for the one year Oz working visa

Yes, and being surrounded by 18 year old travellers when im 30

[girlx]

...like me

[HomeisThai]

...like me

I thought you were my age Girlx?

Sorry i suppose i'm being a typical english woman and panicking that when i hit 30 i need to settle and think about getting a house, man, if i want kids etc...silly really as i still feel about 23!

Do you think you will stay in Thailand and grow old and settle there Girlx?

I am so jealous of your life

[girlx]

nah turned 32 a couple days ago.

no i am actually a bit burnt out on thailand and considering other parts of asia. living here is quite different from visiting here, as someone said above. i will probably grow old in asia somewhere though. not into going back to the west if i can help it.

[mssabai]

I think for most people who move here they really felt that they didn't have any choice as they were just not feeling content in their current place, or love/work ties have brought them here. Either way, it isn't always easy. I love living here and have accepted that my life will be here for the next few years, but I have a left a very close and loving family at home. I am missing my 16 year old younger brother's last few years at home and my grandma is now 94 and can't be expected to be around much longer. I have never seen my nephew and niece because working here has meant that I cannot afford the air fare to go to NZ and see them, and I have just found out that both an aunt and a family friend have been diagnosed with serious cancer and I will have not be able to have holiday, nor will I have the funds, to go back and see them.

Deciding to move your life to the other side of the world is not an easy thing to do. I think everyone who lives here will have similar stories. Don't be jealous - it certainly isn't one long holiday!

[HomeisThai]

Oh i can imagine it to be incredibly hard too.

I suppose ive always dreamt of being able to live where i want, and what i meant was i am jealous that you guys have done what you wanted, you've fulfilled the urge you had and made it last, and also i am jealous girlx has a job she can take wherever she needs to go

(i also have a dream of meeting a thai man and settling down but i have seen and read how hard it can be to do this and know its true and not fake too)