How Did You Feel Just Before You Moved To Thailand

[TheDon]

Im about to make the leap, moving from boring Sydney to exotic Thailand in Jan 09. I feel sort of excited but also miss my mates and also abit worried about the change of lifestyle.

How did you guys feel just before you made the move

[TheDon]

someone edit my heading and fix the spelling mistake

[kiakaha]

Im about to make the leap, moving from boring Sydney to exotic Thailand in Jan 09. I feel sort of excited but also miss my mates and also abit worried about the change of lifestyle.

How did you guys feel just before you made the move

I was hungover.

[GaiYaang]

Im about to make the leap, moving from boring Sydney to exotic Thailand in Jan 09. I feel sort of excited but also miss my mates and also abit worried about the change of lifestyle.

How did you guys feel just before you made the move

I was hungover.

I'm not moving permanently like you are. In couple of weeks will be in Thailand, and what will I do for the next few month.

Don't have a lot of idea yet, so at the moment I don't feel so excited like when I first bought the ticket. Before I leave I feel worry hope that the tenant don't trash my house.

[dclaryjr]

I think that's an interesting question. I'm still about six years out from retiring in Thailand but I would get on the plane tomorrow if one circumstance was changed. My wife and I are pseudo-parents to our grandkids, especially one that we've practically raised since she was four months old. Things may change in six years but right now I have bad feelings about leaving her behind when I think about it. But maybe after dealing with her for six years as a teenager, we will be ready to go!

[Mario2008]

Before I made the move I was visiting Thailand on a regular base for several years, for up to 6 months a year. So I knew I was getting into. But it was a big step and not without doubts. Know I'm glad I made the move. But it is different from going on holliday to Thailand.

I think the hardest part was saying goodbye to my friends and family. And once and a while I go back to my country and it sure is nice to see them again. For the rest it is a different live. Learning the local language is one of the most important things to do.

[samuibeachcomber]

Im about to make the leap, moving from boring Sydney to exotic Thailand in Jan 09. I feel sort of excited but also miss my mates and also abit worried about the change of lifestyle.

How did you guys feel just before you made the move

NEVER LOOKED BACK

[TheDon]

Well I plan to live there 2 years plus. Im thinking when I get there and stay for a few months I might get home sick which I probably wont.

How was it to adjusting to living there

[samuibeachcomber]

Well I plan to live there 2 years plus. Im thinking when I get there and stay for a few months I might get home sick which I probably wont.

How was it to adjusting to living there

where wil you be living in thailand?

[awakened]

Well I plan to live there 2 years plus. Im thinking when I get there and stay for a few months I might get home sick which I probably wont.

How was it to adjusting to living there

When I was based in Hong Kong my wife was very homesick. After 3 months she flew back home. Two days later she wanted to come back.

I wouldn't worry.

[cynthialee]

you got money all taken care of. all these thai ladies who adore you want a man with a plan.

tell us your plan . what you going to spend your time doing?

[slapout]

Just remember your first day of school. Its kind of overwhelming when you first arrive but you make new friends, get to play at recess, (Thailand probably has more playthings than where you come from) get more choice at lunch time, and instead of going home to watch cartoons on tele. You can see realtime cartoons, and about any other facet of life you may desire. If you miss mommy asking how your day went, there are any number of substitues from which you can choose. Have a good day.

[samuibeachcomber]

Well I plan to live there 2 years plus. Im thinking when I get there and stay for a few months I might get home sick which I probably wont.

How was it to adjusting to living there

depends where you are going live in thailand

[WinnieTheKhwai]

My approach was this:

To just about everyone I knew I did not present it as 'moving to Thailand'. I presented it as an extended holiday or longer term exploration. This was partly true, though in my mind I already knew I was going to try everything I possibly could to stay for a lot longer.

And realistically it's not much of a goodbye these days.. this is not the 1900's when people boarded ships to go to the New World, knowing they'd probably never set foot on home soil again. These days going back 'home' for a visit takes about as much time as any longer distance drive/train ride in Thailand. Plus there's the internet, Skype & Webcams, all the newspapers from your country on the net, a lot of the sports from your home country on TV.. It's not as much of a departure as you'd think.

Also in Thailand I think it's good to initially approach it as a temporary stay and not invest big in either money or hopes & dreams. You're a citizen of the World, you might move again a couple months or years down the road. Nothing in life is permanent, including life itself.

[cynthialee]

planes fly out of los too. im like a lot los does get old. not speaking thai is a big hindrance. for some reason most things here are set up for thai people. I DONT GET IT.

[grantbkk]

I retired in 2002 from government service in the US. My best friend and I had been visiting Thailand every few months for a couple of years when we decided to make the big move to live overseas. By anyone's standards living offshore is a major decision. I had lived in Los Angeles all of my life and now moving to Bangkok was coming up fast. After the decision is made there is usually a lot of work to be done to get your affairs in order. Family, bills, debts, the girlfriend and other property have to be sorted out properly before the big move. Each precess, depending on your health, personality, values and state of mind, will cause some degree of stress. Stress is something many thrive on but which I avoid at all costs.

To answer the OP question, I felt many thinks including excitement, anticipation, stress just because I was making a major life change, even an unexplained foreboding. I took the easy way out in most cases. I gave most everything away including the girlfriend. Organization all aspects of the move became a priority. Setting up all aspects of banking and making arrangements for wire transfers need to be done BEFORE leaving the country. I was able to whittle down my monthly nut in the United States from about $8,000 a month to less than $10 a month by divesting myself of everything. I cannot let go of my original email address from 1996, hence the $9.95 monthly charge.

In my experience, after the move I began to drift farther and farther away from everything I had back in my home country. Anyone who thinks that the Internet and video phones can assist in maintaining family and friends in the home country is mistaken. Without face to face contact eventually relationships will begin to drift to the point where there is just that call on a birthday or Christmas. People have their own lives to live and it is human nature to adjust to the present circumstances.

On the plus side it gives you a great deal of time to take advantage of what Thailand has to offer. You will make new friends. In the beginning you will make so many friends, often with surefire ways to make money here in the Kingdom. I believe Job One here is to control your assets so avoid the new friends who want you to invest. Stick with the new friends who actually seem to have assets themselves and that are not on the run. Of course you should learn the language. I have not.

The transition to a new country is as easy as you make it. You must prepare for it physically and mentally. It really is a "big deal".

[Gary A]

I thought about an answer and the only word I can think of is ecstatic. When those big wheels lifted off the Los Angeles runway, that may have been the happiest day of my life. I have NOT been disappointed.

[t.s]

I thought about an answer and the only word I can think of is ecstatic. When those big wheels lifted off the Los Angeles runway, that may have been the happiest day of my life. I have NOT been disappointed.

both releif and trepidation. relif that i was getting away, trepidation as i was unsure of what i would find. only the relief was justified, the rest fell into place.

ts

[TheDon]

Well Im planning on building a block of units in bangkok and a few shops alro to rent out. I also might get transfered to Deloitte Thailand. But I'm not so sure I want to work at the same company when im in Thailand.

Also most of the money for the Unit is coming from the father inlaw, he already has the land, he has about 70% of the funds to build while we have about the other 30% that we will chip in and keep the rest of out money and might open some business. Not sure yet.

Also I'm going to learn the language just so it will be easier for me.

And yes im excited

[LindsayBKK]

Excited! But don't worry it soon goes away after about 12 months. The people never change here, like they say you can't teach an old dog new tricks. Japan is not as expensive as people think, go at least once to see how far behind Thailand is.

Edited July 9, 2008 by LindsayBKK

[TheDon]

Nah I have been to Japan. The females there make me have dirty thoughts too much. They drive me insane (in a good way)

[wasabi]

I felt shocked that I was really doing it. I had wanted to go for about 4 years but needed to save up money. The shock was based on the fact I was giving up a job, health insurance, 401k for a far off destination that only vaguely seemed interested in assisting me to live there. This lasted about 3 days then I felt euphoric. The choice was made and the direction was set. Since then I've felt ups and downs. I'm 33 and living at a very relaxed pace. A lot of the pain and anxiety of my old life is gone. It was the right choice. I do speak Thai fairly well and this has been essential to me feeling comfortable here.

[cynthialee]

japan is more expensive than most think. just riding the subway is darn tootin expensive. a $100 hotel will require to get off at a minor subway stop.

and why do they need yr life story to change a $100 bill?

hey the dons sounds like he got a good head. his way of getting into the bkk apt idea sounds pretty darn reasonable.

[JOHN2]

Nah I have been to Japan. The females there make me have dirty thoughts too much. They drive me insane (in a good way)

Tell me more please Don....

[poshthai]

Im about to make the leap, moving from boring Sydney to exotic Thailand in Jan 09. I feel sort of excited but also miss my mates and also abit worried about the change of lifestyle.

How did you guys feel just before you made the move

I was hungover.

I'm not moving permanently like you are. In couple of weeks will be in Thailand, and what will I do for the next few month.

Don't have a lot of idea yet, so at the moment I don't feel so excited like when I first bought the ticket. Before I leave I feel worry hope that the tenant don't trash my house.

Hope you have better luck than me and i had to pay 600 pounds to get her evicted and i had a contract too thru an estate agent.Be very very careful about renting your property out.

[Gary A]

I thought about an answer and the only word I can think of is ecstatic. When those big wheels lifted off the Los Angeles runway, that may have been the happiest day of my life. I have NOT been disappointed.

both releif and trepidation. relif that i was getting away, trepidation as i was unsure of what i would find. only the relief was justified, the rest fell into place.

ts

My circumstances were probably a lot different since I had made the move twice before. The last move was permanent as I had retired with no foreseeable financial problems. I KNEW I wouldn't have to go back to the US to work again.

[poshthai]

Spot on grantbkk.

I moved here a few years ago but i had a couple of good friends who lived here so not too much problems.I missed my family like mad and grant is right,phoning is not the same.However after packing in my well paid job and working out my fundss short,and long term i made the plunge and do not regret one bit.

My life is great here but i would not have liked to be working here or have a business,too many distractions and very hot to be wearing a shirt and tie too.Also i have been fairly luck with the exchange rate as i have been living here now over 3 years with my exchange at 70.9 so the low exchange has not affected me.Of course there are more quality places to live but for my income i feel very rich here and do not have to work or keeping up with the this idiotic middle class bull in the uk,and i do not have to wear designer clothes if i dont feel like it,ohhhhhhhhhhh so good.

[poshthai]

Don i forgot to say,

EXCELLENT POST MY FRIEND

[LindsayBKK]

japan is more expensive than most think. just riding the subway is darn tootin expensive. a $100 hotel will require to get off at a minor subway stop.

and why do they need yr life story to change a $100 bill?

hey the dons sounds like he got a good head. his way of getting into the bkk apt idea sounds pretty darn reasonable.

food good value. weekly hotel I stayed 7 nights 14,000bht (views Sumida River) expensive? Subway expensive?

Some people should just stay at home.

Tokyo Subway

160 yen (Child 80 yen) 1-6 km divide by 3 = BHT BTS Bangkok is same price.

190 yen (Child 100 yen) 7-11 km

230 yen (Child 120 yen) 12-19 km

270 yen (Child 140 yen) 20-27 km

300 yen (Child 150 yen) 28-40 km Shinkansen expensive yes.

[siamamerican]

Lived in Thailand for 4 years (1999 – 2003 ) and enjoyed almost every moment. Planned on staying only for a few months and finances forced me to leave.

The last 4 years I've been saving and now am ready to return. The wife becomes a US citizen next month and my stay bonus contract at work ends in October. I have few trepidations about the move, but the most common feeling I have is excitement. Retiring (semi-retiring possibly)at 41 was really nothing more than a dream four years ago, and now it is nearly a reality. I accomplished this through hard work and zero bad luck. My lucky financial streak amazes me and I'm in a position now where I can weather financial setbacks.

The biggest worry I have is how my life will be in Thailand at 41 and married, compared to early 30s and single. I won't know until I give it a go.

Good luck with your move and interesting OP.