We Are Moving To Thailand!

[rinpoche]

You have a Thai wife, someone I presume you have been with for some years and trust wholeheartedly. That is a great asset in itself, in terms of having a native partner who can negotiate and communicate in the native language. I know many farrangs who make good money doing business here, it would seem they are too busy making money to post on forums. Everyday I see why so many businesses fail, poor marketing, sub standard work ethics, poor quality of service , presentation, lack of an Ethical Code of Practice, I could go on. Because Thailand is a developing country of sorts, it makes itself very susceptible to obvious good business practice. It is the same all over the world, the rules do not change, be positive, find a niche market, work hard, do things properly and you will make money. Set definite SMART goals, you only need 500-1000 baht a day to live here if you are living as you described, if you and your wife put your minds to it you can achieve that very quickly and not have to dip into that 3.5m.

I am a consultant to small businesses and provide a Life Coaching service for individuals, I would be happy to offer free advice via email or even a free session to construct a plan for your future, if and when you need it.

Remember the fears of failure, criticism and poverty defeat most before they have even started. Read through many of the replies here and you will see a pattern, everybody talks about your money running out (the fear of poverty), only a few speak of the utilisation of that money. If you fear poverty then you will attract that. You may not be able to achieve the goal of 'big money' straight away but by setting a number of mini goals on the way to your ultimate goal you can easily sustain your life here and be

"Both poverty and riches are the offspring of thought" - Napoleon Hill

As a consultant familiar with Thailand, you should know that there is an overwheming tendency for the Farang infatuated with the Land of Smiles to be overconfident and overoptimistic. I myself could have done much better if I have had a good, healthy dose of pessimism and negativity more than 20 years ago. Unfortunately, there was no internet back then. I took every good thing I saw at face value. Nobody told me horror stories.

Check out the Last Self Help Book You'll Ever Need by Paul Pearsall and distinguish the real science from guru "science". Pessimism does not attract failure. The facts and figures speak for themselves. The majority of failures are due to the lack of healthy pessimism. The majority of modestly successful people are healthily cynical people.

People who were well-trained on industry best practices in Singapore suffer great misery or even face death threats in Thailand when they fail to adapt to a foreign culture. It's naive to think that the same rules and maxims can apply anywhere between the North and South Pole.

[rinpoche]

I am 47, no pension coming up for me.

A bar is out of the question but surely other business opertunities are out there!

I have no intention of just sitting around doing nothing untill the money runs out.

My wife and I live very cheap in Thailand, we cook at home and we don't drink or smoke. We spent 6 months there about 3 years ago and we lived very comforatble on about 25k per/mth, including rent and running a car.

I am a commissioning manager working in construction. I very much doubt they would hire a farang for this job.

You're about my age and I don't have any retirement plans yet.

When I do move over, I would not dream of selling my properties in Singapore. I'll rent them out. I'll also keep my shares in Singapore and Malaysia, collect dividends. This will make my stay in Thailand quite comfotable and secure. Why not slog it out for another decade or 2 and buy some property where the market is good, rent out before you leave for Thailand?

[Soutpeel]

You have a Thai wife, someone I presume you have been with for some years and trust wholeheartedly. That is a great asset in itself, in terms of having a native partner who can negotiate and communicate in the native language. I know many farrangs who make good money doing business here, it would seem they are too busy making money to post on forums. Everyday I see why so many businesses fail, poor marketing, sub standard work ethics, poor quality of service , presentation, lack of an Ethical Code of Practice, I could go on. Because Thailand is a developing country of sorts, it makes itself very susceptible to obvious good business practice. It is the same all over the world, the rules do not change, be positive, find a niche market, work hard, do things properly and you will make money. Set definite SMART goals, you only need 500-1000 baht a day to live here if you are living as you described, if you and your wife put your minds to it you can achieve that very quickly and not have to dip into that 3.5m.

I am a consultant to small businesses and provide a Life Coaching service for individuals, I would be happy to offer free advice via email or even a free session to construct a plan for your future, if and when you need it.

Remember the fears of failure, criticism and poverty defeat most before they have even started. Read through many of the replies here and you will see a pattern, everybody talks about your money running out (the fear of poverty), only a few speak of the utilisation of that money. If you fear poverty then you will attract that. You may not be able to achieve the goal of 'big money' straight away but by setting a number of mini goals on the way to your ultimate goal you can easily sustain your life here and be

"Both poverty and riches are the offspring of thought" - Napoleon Hill

As a consultant familiar with Thailand, you should know that there is an overwheming tendency for the Farang infatuated with the Land of Smiles to be overconfident and overoptimistic. I myself could have done much better if I have had a good, healthy dose of pessimism and negativity more than 20 years ago. Unfortunately, there was no internet back then. I took every good thing I saw at face value. Nobody told me horror stories.

Check out the Last Self Help Book You'll Ever Need by Paul Pearsall and distinguish the real science from guru "science". Pessimism does not attract failure. The facts and figures speak for themselves. The majority of failures are due to the lack of healthy pessimism. The majority of modestly successful people are healthily cynical people.

People who were well-trained on industry best practices in Singapore suffer great misery or even face death threats in Thailand when they fail to adapt to a foreign culture. It's naive to think that the same rules and maxims can apply anywhere between the North and South Pole.

More Psycho-babble by a consultant.... .....

To the OP.....Think very very hard about you are planning to do....contray to what some people are trying to make you belive...THB 3.5 million is not a great deal of money.....I currently live in Thailand and working for an MNC, (similar age) and like you I eventually want to bin the job over here in the next 3-5 years and "Retire"....but will not even consider it, unless I have achieved the goal set for myself... at least 750K to 1 million dollars cash in the bank.

Thailand is a great place to live if you have cash....if you dont..... not so pleasant....

My advice..... as per some of the other posters....based yourself in Thailand and work overseas if you can

[Gary A]

Nest eggs tend to evaporate quickly. After a couple of years it finally occurs to you that you ARE going to run out of money. I would never settle here without a certain lifetime income. I'm in the camp that says that you don't need a lot but you do need the lifetime income. Some of the board members seem to be in a continuous holiday mode and spend 100,000 baht and up per month. I did spend a couple million baht getting setup but after that, I can easily live on 30,000 baht per month. I don't, but I could. I have a weakness for expensive unnecessary toys. If you have young children, it's another MUCH more difficult situation.

[neverdie]

OP, alot of people move here with limited funds thinking that they can get by because the living is cheap & its true BUT, you need to consider this:

3.5 million baht today is going to be worth less tommorrow, next week, next month, next year and so on (& thats going to happen even without you spending a dime.

Your 47 now, so just allowing for a CPI of 4% (ignoring whats going on in the world economy for just this moment), you need to increase on that money by at least 4% per year just to stop yourself from going backwards. If you were able to secure investment returns around 10%, then after you pay tax & allow for this approximate 4% a year, your only going to have about 14,000 baht per month to live off (this was going off the example of paying 10% non resident tax in Australia for arguement sake). It can't be done, so your going backwards, right from day 1. You need to either a.) increase your savings before attempting this or b.) find a higher investment return (which may become risky).

Don't get me wrong OP, living here is GREAT & so is the fact that you have the thai wife and family in place already, so you are streets ahead of most, BUT, what isnt great is to throw away some of the best years you have for making money for perhaps an early retirement but one with security. Think long and hard before you do this, YOU don't want to be returning to your home country in 5-10 years a busted man without a pot to piss in.

Having said that, I always find the advice MJP gives is good, hes a smart man with money & is already living your dream, people like him are well worth listening to.

[Birdman]

Big factor is the wife. If she is 100% on your side with that plan and willing to live cheap with you and willing to work let's say in a supermarket or laundry financed by you or restaurant or whatever after investigating all possibilities very carefully, you could give that a financial limited try in a rather richer province without closing all your bridges back home.

Better of course, like many said before, would be more financial resources or a steady income from abroad.

[Datsun240Z]

One thing I don't understand, even with my own GF. THEY are from LOS, they know very well how to set up a life income business easily.. NOT YOU.

[astral]

I agree with the early posters.

Your first matter has to be a job, and I would put that before any firm plans to make the move.

In the present day you cannot live in the meagre capital that you have at your disposal.

[sunholidaysun1]

Just so you know , I came here 5 years ago with 6m bht in the bank. Now I have ZERO.

Living like a king doesnt last but it sure was fun. However , I did buy some land and built my own home , that took half of what I had. At least I have somewhere to live as long as the Thai Government allows us to be here.

I also have a small pension that is just enough to live on .

If you have this plan to come here , then you havent planned very well and have'nt looked into very much. Look at my errors as a warning.

Good luck, your gonna need it.

5 years from now , you will be broke, no business, and possibly a new wife. In all, if your loses are not your own then your new wife will have everything else she can get her hands on , then she will be off and running. So the possible outcome by coming here is financial ruin and left all alone to ponder where you went wrong.

Think again .

[MEGALITHIC]

My Thai wife and I are going to relocate permanently to Thailand in the next couple of months.

All up we will have about 3.5 million baht to set ourselves up, but no other income.

It would be highly unlikely I would find work in my profession so I would need to find some way of producing a steady income.

My plan is to just do nothing for 6 or so months and just keep my ear to the ground and research any business opportunities that may arise.

I would like to hear some success stories from other TV members that have been in a similar situation. Come to think of it, give me the bad ones too.

Thanks in advance

first ,how old are you? if your not going to get a pension of some sort soon ,i dont wish to be a wet blanket but three and a half million wont last to many years ,and it will not be easy to find a well paid job,if you have a child the expenses keep rising .

best of luck ,but !!!

oh and dont buy a bar.

I am 47, no pension coming up for me.

A bar is out of the question but surely other business opertunities are out there!

I have no intention of just sitting around doing nothing untill the money runs out.

My wife and I live very cheap in Thailand, we cook at home and we don't drink or smoke. We spent 6 months there about 3 years ago and we lived very comforatble on about 25k per/mth, including rent and running a car.

I am a commissioning manager working in construction. I very much doubt they would hire a farang for this job.

Sorry if I sound pessimistic but, you really don't have much of a plan do you?

As far as a business goes, will it be a 100% Thai owned business - owned by your wife - or is going to be a farang business with a 49% shareholding? If you go for the former, it will be cheaper of course but the the fact is you can't be seen doing any work that a Thai can do. If you go for a farang registered business you'll need a minimum capitalization of 2 million baht. Half this amount (1 million baht) must be shown to have been in your Thai partners bank account for 6 months prior to the final business registration date. The initial cost of setting up a farang registered business - to the point where you can get a work permit and a non B visa - will cost you around 150 k baht (if you use a reputable outfit such as Sunbelt Asia)

At 47 you're to young to apply for a retirement visa.

When you say you're a commisioning manager in construction, what line of construction are we talking about: civils, engineering, petro-chemical? Do you have a trade? If so, you would be well advised to start getting in touch with body shops/personnel agencies down here in Asia (particularly in Singapore). Brunels have a office here in Laem Chabang. If you are an electrician, or a mechanical fitter, I would strongly recommend that you do something like na ROV course, before coming here, because there are plenty of opportunies in that line of work in Asia.

Finally, sitting down and doing nothing - with only 3.5 million Baht - in Thailand, for six months, is not a good idea.

[dbrenn]

I hear what you say regards the Thai economy. Yet I believe the UK etc is in a far, far worse condition. Thailand continues with a trade surplus and the real driver behind money markets is debt and the fear of default and a gilts strike. Seriously on the cards for Britain.

The real shocks, I think are more likely to come from the UK.

Just my opinion.

TBH, who the hel_l knows what's going to happen, it's madness out there.

Agreed. So many people gleefully declare that Thailand is doomed. Thailand has always proven to be resilient over the years.

To the OP - well, other people here have told you the risks that you are taking. You do have a Thai wife to help you, and a lot of people go to Thailand with a lot less than you. Your money won't last forever, so I would try it first for a fixed period, leaving enough money to go back jome if there is no way that you can find to make a living.

The failure rate is high, but as they say - you most regret the things that you don't do.

[Bobsyouruncle]

op not responding much, do we have a troller?

Must admit I was thinking the same.

Lets give him time to react. If not then we can slag him off to death

I'm back!

Sorry for the late response everyone, we have been busy this weekend and not much time for the internet.

I have received 5 PM's from different people offering me good advice and support, you all know who you are and I would like you to know that I am very gratefull for the time you have taken to help me.

Also I would like to thank everyone who has contributed to this thread.

What an amazing forum Thai Visa is, when I first joined a little while ago I had no idea what a rich source of information and kind people it would be.

Thank you all once again.

Anyway the latest is the wife and I have made the big desicion.

We are coming to Thailand mid August to have a go at a new life. Maybe it will work out and maybe it won't but one thing's for sure, I will never find out sitting around on my ass in farangland

So ready or not Thailand, here we come! See you all in a couple of months

[Datsun240Z]

Good luck to you!

[ozzieovaseas]

At risk of sounding like another pie in the sky tourist i would like to add a positive note on top of all the negatives and sarcasm you have been subjected to on this forum.

Sorry your enthusiasm has to be met with such vitriol, but i suspect the motives of previous posters has come from bitterness of them not being able to make it here and most probably blowing all their money various vices.

True it is that there are not very many viable business oportunities here and the risks are to high to justify a large outlay from your pool of funds.

Having said that it doesnt mean that you cant take some time out and live here for a year or so and see what happens.

In worst case scenario you can always return home to work and come back again at a later stage.

My advice is not to own anything here..as one poster said,renting is the best option. If you want to live a little way out of the city,even a short distance from mochit BTS, it is possible to get a decent appartment with some mod cons...rented television &fridge,good tv package,air con,wireless net access..and walking distance from a decent shopping centre...all from around 5000-8000 baht per month, and thats including power and water.

In my opinion the cost of public transport here is so low it negates any need to own a car or bike, and as for food...you could'nt even make at home that which you could buy for 120 baht.

AND i am not talking out my @rse,i am doing it myself, so i am glad to offer real advice free from the eyes of the negative nellies...private message if you like.

As far as money matters i would suggest that the only institutions earning anywhere near 6% are managed funds that have many restrictions..the ones i know of have had all funds frozen for the past two years,but you may find a few.

One of my largest hurdles was opening a bank account over here but maybe you already have that sorted.

If you need luxuries and want a large condo in the city then it might be a bit tough, but if you dont mind living the simple life with simple pleasures its possible on 30,000

Visa trips once every six months to Laos maybe an added expense but i find it a pleasurable getaway that i would be happy to do even if it werent for visa requirements.

Good luck,take all things into account, and dont give up all your dreams on the negative words of a few negative nellies.

[Soutpeel]

Anyway the latest is the wife and I have made the big desicion.

We are coming to Thailand mid August to have a go at a new life. Maybe it will work out and maybe it won't but one thing's for sure, I will never find out sitting around on my ass in farangland

So ready or not Thailand, here we come! See you all in a couple of months

Ok seeing as you have made your decision...one last piece of advice...On arriving at the airport, dont shop in K P, and if you decide to shop there, make sure you have 8000 quid in your pocket...

[isanb]

Anyway the latest is the wife and I have made the big desicion.

We are coming to Thailand mid August to have a go at a new life. Maybe it will work out and maybe it won't but one thing's for sure, I will never find out sitting around on my ass in farangland

So ready or not Thailand, here we come! See you all in a couple of months

Good luck to you

[sunholidaysun1]

Are you going to travel about a bit when you get here or have you a plan to settle somewhere.

If you come to the North - Chiang Rai , it is possible to rent a 2 bedroom house for 1000 bht per MONTH. You wont get hot water or Air-con or the frills of western living but for 1000 bht per month , your basically living for free. I lived 12km from Chiang Rai town in a small village in a 2 bedroom , kitchen , shower room - with shower , wc, and a large lounge . The house was made of teak , on stilts - meaning higher off the ground, set in 3 rai of orchards. Wonderful.

And as someone else said, you can buy food from the markets and live like a Thai very cheaply. Being a Tourist here you will pay tourist prices and expect the best of everything. Living here you adapt to the cheaper Thai way of life if your not loaded and dont get conned if your aware of the prices. Take care, enjoy your time .It has many pitfalls here but I would still rather be here than anywhere else.

[Bobsyouruncle]

At risk of sounding like another pie in the sky tourist i would like to add a positive note on top of all the negatives and sarcasm you have been subjected to on this forum.

Sorry your enthusiasm has to be met with such vitriol, but i suspect the motives of previous posters has come from bitterness of them not being able to make it here and most probably blowing all their money various vices.

True it is that there are not very many viable business oportunities here and the risks are to high to justify a large outlay from your pool of funds.

Having said that it doesnt mean that you cant take some time out and live here for a year or so and see what happens.

In worst case scenario you can always return home to work and come back again at a later stage.

My advice is not to own anything here..as one poster said,renting is the best option. If you want to live a little way out of the city,even a short distance from mochit BTS, it is possible to get a decent appartment with some mod cons...rented television &fridge,good tv package,air con,wireless net access..and walking distance from a decent shopping centre...all from around 5000-8000 baht per month, and thats including power and water.

In my opinion the cost of public transport here is so low it negates any need to own a car or bike, and as for food...you could'nt even make at home that which you could buy for 120 baht.

AND i am not talking out my @rse,i am doing it myself, so i am glad to offer real advice free from the eyes of the negative nellies...private message if you like.

As far as money matters i would suggest that the only institutions earning anywhere near 6% are managed funds that have many restrictions..the ones i know of have had all funds frozen for the past two years,but you may find a few.

One of my largest hurdles was opening a bank account over here but maybe you already have that sorted.

If you need luxuries and want a large condo in the city then it might be a bit tough, but if you dont mind living the simple life with simple pleasures its possible on 30,000

Visa trips once every six months to Laos maybe an added expense but i find it a pleasurable getaway that i would be happy to do even if it werent for visa requirements.

Good luck,take all things into account, and dont give up all your dreams on the negative words of a few negative nellies.

Thanks for the tips Ozzie.

Me and the wife plan on living in NongKhai for the first few months.

We love it up there and we can rent a nice little place for something like 5-10k per/mth.

Visa runs will be easy every 3 mths and we will just take it easy for a year or so and see what comes along.

After our initial setup costs it will be easy peasy to live on sub 30k per/mth.

For the life of me I just can't understand how some people claim to need 100k/mth in Thailand!

We live in Australia and let me tell you, even if you were spending that much here you would be living like a king! Never mind Thailand. I suspect a bit of exageration here

[cheynewalk]

I can vouch for the post by "sunholidaysun". I met a a young american guy and his thai girlfriend who were living in Pai (near chiang mai) on about 10,000baht/month. Only paying 1,500 baht/month rent, eating locally. They were vegetarian, non drinkers and smokers, but seemed to enjoy their life in Pai.

[ThaiBasil]

I can vouch for the post by "sunholidaysun". I met a a young american guy and his thai girlfriend who were living in Pai (near chiang mai) on about 10,000baht/month. Only paying 1,500 baht/month rent, eating locally. They were vegetarian, non drinkers and smokers, but seemed to enjoy their life in Pai.

Sounds like a 3by3 room with toilet outside, no aircon, 1 electrical socket, 1 light bulb, canned fish (oh wait they were vegetarian) and mama noodles with a bottle of water every day, no motor bike and go everywhere by foot, wash clothes by hand and do not watch tv or are active on the internet either.

[longstebe]

op not responding much, do we have a troller?

Must admit I was thinking the same.

Lets give him time to react. If not then we can slag him off to death

I'm back!

Sorry for the late response everyone, we have been busy this weekend and not much time for the internet.

I have received 5 PM's from different people offering me good advice and support, you all know who you are and I would like you to know that I am very gratefull for the time you have taken to help me.

Also I would like to thank everyone who has contributed to this thread.

What an amazing forum Thai Visa is, when I first joined a little while ago I had no idea what a rich source of information and kind people it would be.

Thank you all once again.

Anyway the latest is the wife and I have made the big desicion.

We are coming to Thailand mid August to have a go at a new life. Maybe it will work out and maybe it won't but one thing's for sure, I will never find out sitting around on my ass in farangland

So ready or not Thailand, here we come! See you all in a couple of months

I take back what I said.I wouldn't have slagged you off, honestly

Also arriving the same time.Travelling up to Sakon.By bus of course.

[sunholidaysun1]

I can vouch for the post by "sunholidaysun". I met a a young american guy and his thai girlfriend who were living in Pai (near chiang mai) on about 10,000baht/month. Only paying 1,500 baht/month rent, eating locally. They were vegetarian, non drinkers and smokers, but seemed to enjoy their life in Pai.

Sounds like a 3by3 room with toilet outside, no aircon, 1 electrical socket, 1 light bulb, canned fish (oh wait they were vegetarian) and mama noodles with a bottle of water every day, no motor bike and go everywhere by foot, wash clothes by hand and do not watch tv or are active on the internet either.

Those were the days , thanks for the memories, youve brought a tear to my eye.

[spysee]

It will be hard on 3.5 mil, But I came here with 6 mil. But my wife already has a house worth about 20 million baht and has a car.

So for me there is no rent, not buying or renting property either.

We built 12 units for 4 million baht and only that cheap because my father inlaw is a developer.

We also built 4 shops, we rent 3 out and use one as an internet cafe.

Money comes in from these to live on, its not hard to live in Thailand. But we also have 2 properties in Australia that we are renting out too. So for us we can live here confortably.

Now with 3.5 million baht, it could be possible, but I believe you shouild atleast work to start off with, if you find the right business and it goes well, then quit your job.

Edited June 29, 2009 by spysee

[spysee]

Also don't listen to the people on here giving you crap, I know people who have made it in Thailand on less then 3.5 mil baht.

Sometime I wonder about the people on this forum.

[thaihome]

The OP has not said in what type of construction he is in, but if he by chance works in the downstream Oil and Gas business and has experience in commissioning petro chemical plants, he may be pleasantly surprised at the opportunities for him in Thailand.

A simple Google search on commissioning manger Thailand will give you some idea.

TH

[Bobsyouruncle]

The OP has not said in what type of construction he is in, but if he by chance works in the downstream Oil and Gas business and has experience in commissioning petro chemical plants, he may be pleasantly surprised at the opportunities for him in Thailand.

A simple Google search on commissioning manger Thailand will give you some idea.

TH

Unfortunately my commissioning management skills lay in building services.

If I had petro/chemical commissioning experience I would'nt have an employment problem.

Actually there are opertunities for MEP commissioning in Thailand but they are few and far between. One needs to be on the ground to jump on anything that may arise. I allready have a few leads to follow up when I arrive.

[Checker]

My Thai wife and I are going to relocate permanently to Thailand in the next couple of months.

[/font]All up we will have about 3.5 million baht to set ourselves up, but no other income.

It would be highly unlikely I would find work in my profession so I would need to find some way of producing a steady income.

My plan is to just do nothing for 6 or so months and just keep my ear to the ground and research any business opportunities that may arise.

I would like to hear some success stories from other TV members that have been in a similar situation. Come to think of it, give me the bad ones too.

Thanks in advance

I am sure you will not listen to my advise however here it is . . . DON'T DO IT... You will regret it. . . 5 years ago I would have said good move, not now...... 5 weeks to go and I am out of here,never to return.

[Bobsyouruncle]

My Thai wife and I are going to relocate permanently to Thailand in the next couple of months.

[/font]All up we will have about 3.5 million baht to set ourselves up, but no other income.

It would be highly unlikely I would find work in my profession so I would need to find some way of producing a steady income.

My plan is to just do nothing for 6 or so months and just keep my ear to the ground and research any business opportunities that may arise.

I would like to hear some success stories from other TV members that have been in a similar situation. Come to think of it, give me the bad ones too.

Thanks in advance

I am sure you will not listen to my advise however here it is . . . DON'T DO IT... You will regret it. . . 5 years ago I would have said good move, not now...... 5 weeks to go and I am out of here,never to return.

Checker, can I ask why not?

What happened? you sound like you've had a very bad experience.

[Datsun240Z]

Don't let your self overrun by the negative. It's just a no no, at this time, economy is down everywhere, political unrest in thailand as wel.

[balo]

Go for it , or you will regret for the rest of your life.

If not happy after 3 years you can always go back.