I Want To Live In Thailand !

[Naam]

... but maybe some of you are right maybe i am being stupid...

as long as you realise that it is not that easy to make your dream come true one cannot consider you to be stupid. i have not read all the answers to your quest "i want to live in Thailand" but those of us who visited Thailand when they were young can very well understand your desire. mind you! some of us were young too (like you)

[garro]

1 million THB is about 1,300,000 THB more than I came here with. It is possible, but you really have to want it and be prepared to lose everything. You need to think clearly about this though, because after a few years in Thailand the newness of the place is completely gone and by that time you will have invested a lot of time and money here.

[mexxx]

theres no faster way to bring out the old sages than to bring up the old subject of money..... if you want 500,000 baht, then this is how you do it :

give me 500,000 baht, then you have 500,000 baht. we are both happy business partners, cause we both have money.

this btw, is the oldest trick in the book, so beware OP....

[xylophone]

Seanross87, when I first read your post, I considered you to be a little naive, and possibly foolish, to say the least, however on reading through some of the replies, I have been reflecting on the situation.

There is the school of thought which says that you should work hard in your youth to provide for your later years, and at the other end of the scale, the "go out and do it as you are only young once" aspect.

I am now retired in Thailand, not wealthy but getting by, and that the age of 21, having finished my apprenticeship, I decided to break out of the traditional way. I did some travelling, I managed to get some work for oil companies in Libya and Nigeria, and enjoyed every moment of the adventure as well as saving some money. Rather than investing it, I took a year off work, travelled to Australia for a few months adventure and experience, then partied hard in the UK.

I spent just about everything but had a bloody good time.

I guess what I am trying to say is that should just follow your heart and do what you do, and provided you have a good work ethic for the future, it will always stand you in good stead.

It will be an experience, an adventure and you will no doubt learn some life lessons from it.

Good luck with whatever you do, and remember the old saying, "isn't it amazing how so many people tread through life carefully, so that they can arrive at deaths door safely".

[skybluestu]

Possibly the best reply I have ever seen on thaivisa and a refreshing change to the usual negative posts.

Seanross87, when I first read your post, I considered you to be a little naive, and possibly foolish, to say the least, however on reading through some of the replies, I have been reflecting on the situation.

There is the school of thought which says that you should work hard in your youth to provide for your later years, and at the other end of the scale, the "go out and do it as you are only young once" aspect.

I am now retired in Thailand, not wealthy but getting by, and that the age of 21, having finished my apprenticeship, I decided to break out of the traditional way. I did some travelling, I managed to get some work for oil companies in Libya and Nigeria, and enjoyed every moment of the adventure as well as saving some money. Rather than investing it, I took a year off work, travelled to Australia for a few months adventure and experience, then partied hard in the UK.

I spent just about everything but had a bloody good time.

I guess what I am trying to say is that should just follow your heart and do what you do, and provided you have a good work ethic for the future, it will always stand you in good stead.

It will be an experience, an adventure and you will no doubt learn some life lessons from it.

Good luck with whatever you do, and remember the old saying, "isn't it amazing how so many people tread through life carefully, so that they can arrive at deaths door safely".

[trogers]

There is only one pitfall for a young man: getting hooked to a local night girl and see your savings disappear. Some expat guys commit suicide due to this reason.

[idiot farang]

Interesting, so rather than tell the OP to knuckle down for a few years and invest wisely so he can retire young, you are suggesting that he should just be free with his money and life and the universe will take care of it all .

I busted my arse from a young age & retired young, now Im really wild and all of that & I can afford to be

i said nothing of the sort. i suggest reading what i said again- perhaps with better reading comprehension this time. i fail to understand those whose method of debate is to pretend like the other said something ridiculous. oh... insert your 'rolleyes' emoticon here.

like fly said: why wait til you're old to travel and take chances. you may not live to be old. you may not have the opportunity for financial, health or other reasons. for me, my mother and sister both have serious health issues and they need my help with things- issues that, predictably, were not present when i was 22.

do you really believe that if a kid like this generally has his act together that if he takes a couple years to have fun and adventure that at 24 or 25 he's 'blown it'? like i said, as long as he follows the golden rule: don't be dumb- he'll be fine. the naysayers who have him thinking he needs to wait anotehr 3 years are doing him a disservice. it will be MUCH harder for him to do this in 3 years. if he's as together as it sounds, he will have career and/or other commitments that will make it difficult to just shove off like he can now. so.... he ends up never doing it, gets locked into an everyman work a day life and then.... 25 years from now, he can look back with regret.

as for your success: congrats. recognize though that 'working one's arse off' doesn't exactly guarantee early retirement, or even success, or even living to see 40 to retire. many work hard and never make it or work hard to barely get by. you're among the fortunate where your hard work and ability produced the desired result. statistically speaking though, that combination sadly fails far more that it succeeds. even still, i'd much rather have had 1mm baht @ 22 years old than 20mm baht and 40 to go to thailand. my body was much better and my mind was 20 years removed from 20 years of living on this earth and what one confronts along the way. the innocence of youth adds something to experiences that one cannot recapture later in life- at least in my experience...

[idiot farang]

Good luck with whatever you do, and remember the old saying, "isn't it amazing how so many people tread through life carefully, so that they can arrive at deaths door safely".

great quote.

the time to take chances is when you're young. if you want to start a band, travel, start a business that everyone tells you is stupid and won't work- do it! how stupid is it to drop out of harvard to start a company? ask Bill Gates. i guarantee you everyone told him not to do it. we're all influenced to take the well worn path of mediocrity by those around us. i allowed myself to be talked out of several things when i was young and that is why i am passionate about such questions. i've actually helped a couple kids with small loans to follow their dreams and given them my thoughts. both cases they failed, but both are glad they took the chance (worth noting, both eventually sent me back what i lent them- just as i figured they would).

my goal now is to not have new regrets when i look back 25 years from now...

[choppychugger]

Interesting, so rather than tell the OP to knuckle down for a few years and invest wisely so he can retire young, you are suggesting that he should just be free with his money and life and the universe will take care of it all .

I busted my arse from a young age & retired young, now Im really wild and all of that & I can afford to be

i said nothing of the sort. i suggest reading what i said again- perhaps with better reading comprehension this time. i fail to understand those whose method of debate is to pretend like the other said something ridiculous. oh... insert your 'rolleyes' emoticon here.

like fly said: why wait til you're old to travel and take chances. you may not live to be old. you may not have the opportunity for financial, health or other reasons. for me, my mother and sister both have serious health issues and they need my help with things- issues that, predictably, were not present when i was 22.

do you really believe that if a kid like this generally has his act together that if he takes a couple years to have fun and adventure that at 24 or 25 he's 'blown it'? like i said, as long as he follows the golden rule: don't be dumb- he'll be fine. the naysayers who have him thinking he needs to wait anotehr 3 years are doing him a disservice. it will be MUCH harder for him to do this in 3 years. if he's as together as it sounds, he will have career and/or other commitments that will make it difficult to just shove off like he can now. so.... he ends up never doing it, gets locked into an everyman work a day life and then.... 25 years from now, he can look back with regret.

as for your success: congrats. recognize though that 'working one's arse off' doesn't exactly guarantee early retirement, or even success, or even living to see 40 to retire. many work hard and never make it or work hard to barely get by. you're among the fortunate where your hard work and ability produced the desired result. statistically speaking though, that combination sadly fails far more that it succeeds. even still, i'd much rather have had 1mm baht @ 22 years old than 20mm baht and 40 to go to thailand. my body was much better and my mind was 20 years removed from 20 years of living on this earth and what one confronts along the way. the innocence of youth adds something to experiences that one cannot recapture later in life- at least in my experience...

Well said.

To the OP - I took the chance of coming here when I was 21 with alot less than you intend on bringing. I am still here 9 years on and doing well for myself and taking care of my family.

Give yourself a year, don't invest in a bar, and try and keep your costs down - Get networking and see where it ends up.

Good luck

choppy

[RoastLamb]

It's not terribly difficult to earn a small income via the internet these days. The opportunities are out there, you just have to find them.

Don't listen to the negative people on here. Life is for the living. Sure, there is a lot to be said for building a sound financial platform for your future, but that can wait. Unless we strike lucky (or death) somewhere along the way, we'll be working till we're 70 (I'm 24). You could start a career at 40 nowadays and still have plenty of time to save enough for your retirement.

And you never know who you'll meet along the way. You'll be suprised how many people there are who lead unconventional lifestyles despite being financially successful. You can learn a lot from those people. Not everyone wants the detached house, two cars, widescreen tv, spirit crushing, mind numbing game shows... you get the idea. Choose Life.

[Datsun240Z]

Comments above along the lines of 'stay where you are and forget about Thailand' are most probably from people that have tried and failed or don't have the balls to do it in the first place.

True. But only a few minority can pull it trough. As a foreigner you can only do a certain amount of jobs, it becomes hard. I mean a mechanic doesn't want to do sales...

Thailand's law is a big problem in this all, it's 99% made for Thai people first. As long as Thailand doesn't grow up to be a modernized country, we are going to have a hard time. Then also Thailand as a Buddhist religion, this will make it even harder to modernize, than Christians.

Thailand is much more beautiful than my home country ( The Netherlands ), it's a country people dream of here, on go on holiday, they only not realize when they have to go there to live and work, this suddenly all changes into a nightmare.

[Datsun240Z]

Good luck with whatever you do, and remember the old saying, "isn't it amazing how so many people tread through life carefully, so that they can arrive at deaths door safely".

great quote.

the time to take chances is when you're young. if you want to start a band, travel, start a business that everyone tells you is stupid and won't work- do it! how stupid is it to drop out of harvard to start a company? ask Bill Gates. i guarantee you everyone told him not to do it. we're all influenced to take the well worn path of mediocrity by those around us. i allowed myself to be talked out of several things when i was young and that is why i am passionate about such questions. i've actually helped a couple kids with small loans to follow their dreams and given them my thoughts. both cases they failed, but both are glad they took the chance (worth noting, both eventually sent me back what i lent them- just as i figured they would).

my goal now is to not have new regrets when i look back 25 years from now...

Well said

[flying]

Thailand's law is a big problem in this all, it's 99% made for Thai people first. As long as Thailand doesn't grow up to be a modernized country, we are going to have a hard time. Then also Thailand as a Buddhist religion, this will make it even harder to modernize, than Christians.

This could be the reason Thailand is so appealing. Change that & it may not be any longer.

[sanmiguellight]

3. These are the best years of your life for earning money, go get yourself a few jobs, yes work in the daytime, then in the nighttime & finally invest your money wisely.

Goodluck, I remember being in my twenties, it was good.

The other 2 bits of advice a fine but this no.3 is completely wrong.

For the average guy your 30s and 40s are the best years for making money so long as youve built a bit of a foundation ie have worthy skills.

1 million bht isnt that much money but youve done well saving it up by 22. Why not go to Thailand on a long long holiday have the time of your life with your money you'll meet people who are living out there see how they are doing it, and itll give you a better idea of if youre enough of a chancer to make a decent living.

PS Thailand is a far better place to have fun aged 22 as opposed to 42, so long as youve ok looks, the gift of the gab and can pay for a 2000bht meal for 2 now and then the non bargirls will be throwing themsleves at you.

Edited August 2, 2009 by sanmiguellight

[jcon]

To the OP: just do it. Have fun. I have no idea why some members are so negative or discouraging (well, I have my suspicions, but nah of course not because these guys are all TV millionaire playboys. Not.). At 22 years, old, just go live life and have fun. Just don't do anything stupid that can land you in jail or dead. And you can get back to work again if you decide to. People post as if there is no choice in the matter aka. either come to Thailand and 'blow' a million baht or 'go work for the rest of your life.' Christ, the guy can come - hang out, feel around, and go home if he wants. What's the harm in that? Trust your gut and don't fall prey to scams... but live and learn either way if you do.

The worst that can happen is you can become an old bitter keyboard warrior and come onto a forum and discourage young people to live their dreams.

[Jamesbond1234]

Seanross87, when I first read your post, I considered you to be a little naive, and possibly foolish, to say the least, however on reading through some of the replies, I have been reflecting on the situation.

There is the school of thought which says that you should work hard in your youth to provide for your later years, and at the other end of the scale, the "go out and do it as you are only young once" aspect.

I am now retired in Thailand, not wealthy but getting by, and that the age of 21, having finished my apprenticeship, I decided to break out of the traditional way. I did some travelling, I managed to get some work for oil companies in Libya and Nigeria, and enjoyed every moment of the adventure as well as saving some money. Rather than investing it, I took a year off work, travelled to Australia for a few months adventure and experience, then partied hard in the UK.

I spent just about everything but had a bloody good time.

I guess what I am trying to say is that should just follow your heart and do what you do, and provided you have a good work ethic for the future, it will always stand you in good stead.

It will be an experience, an adventure and you will no doubt learn some life lessons from it.

Good luck with whatever you do, and remember the old saying, "isn't it amazing how so many people tread through life carefully, so that they can arrive at deaths door safely".

woww great advice and love that saying cant say i have heard it befor but very inspiring : ) thanks alot every one with sharing some of your wisdom i have decided to save some more money and head off next low season next year.. thanks again i mean it

[tb86]

Seanross87, when I first read your post, I considered you to be a little naive, and possibly foolish, to say the least, however on reading through some of the replies, I have been reflecting on the situation.

There is the school of thought which says that you should work hard in your youth to provide for your later years, and at the other end of the scale, the "go out and do it as you are only young once" aspect.

I am now retired in Thailand, not wealthy but getting by, and that the age of 21, having finished my apprenticeship, I decided to break out of the traditional way. I did some travelling, I managed to get some work for oil companies in Libya and Nigeria, and enjoyed every moment of the adventure as well as saving some money. Rather than investing it, I took a year off work, travelled to Australia for a few months adventure and experience, then partied hard in the UK.

I spent just about everything but had a bloody good time.

I guess what I am trying to say is that should just follow your heart and do what you do, and provided you have a good work ethic for the future, it will always stand you in good stead.

It will be an experience, an adventure and you will no doubt learn some life lessons from it.

Good luck with whatever you do, and remember the old saying, "isn't it amazing how so many people tread through life carefully, so that they can arrive at deaths door safely".

woww great advice and love that saying cant say i have heard it befor but very inspiring : ) thanks alot every one with sharing some of your wisdom i have decided to save some more money and head off next low season next year.. thanks again i mean it

Amen... If you want to come go for it set yourself a 50% budget leave 500k at home and bring 500k to live on, keep the rest as a get out of thailand if need be fund... Your young dont listen to alot of these naysayers alot of them wish they had the balls to do it when they were young... Whats the worst thats gonna happen, you loose the 500k make some crazy memories have some life experiences, and then move on if its not right for you , at least you tried You got the rest of your life to work and earn...... its only money

Edited August 3, 2009 by tb86

[Datsun240Z]

Simple to say, go to Thailand, get everything you can to earn money, and live cheap for a while, until you got a better job. It's sad, but this is the only way in Thailand for you, or you have to date with a rich Chinese-Thai lady.

[MikeRay]

I was about your age when I came first to Thailand but had 5 million baht in cash on my account. I didn´t dare to invest in a business and left Thailand afer a couple of months without looking any further. The jobs I was offered didn´t pay much, but I refused as I was thinking about my financial future.

Guess what, now I lost about 2 million Baht with a "secure" investment ( real estate), could have spent that for a nice time in Thailand and went back to work in Europe.

In 9 years I was unemployed ( without my fault) for 2 years, so I wasn´t able to save money for retirement in these 2 years either.

GO FOR IT ! You´re still young enough to go back to Australia.