Can You Leave Everything On Your Back?

[bolognamare]

I cannot stop thinking about a crazy dream.

May be it's insane, YOU will tell me!

I think it's the right place where to share opinions and, i hope, experiences.

The question is : "Is it possible to leave everything (your past, your present, family, friends, debts, etc..) and start a NEW life in the Land of Smile with only 5000 euro?"

The plan could be :

1. One day I wake up, i take out from the bank my last savings in cash (5000 euro), i buy the flight ticket (500 euro), i prepare a simple baggage and I leave my country (UE)".

2. I look for a cheap room for rent in a quite big town near the border line (Ko Chang-Trat-Songkhla) with a phone cable to use my laptop.

3. I look for job offers first to spend my savings (simple jobs too, in the first time enough to eat and pay the room) and I try to learn thai language.

4. Living there I will have my eyes wide shut to collect informations to make something better (alone or with someone).

Do you think that debits (house mortgage and furnitures) collected in my country will follow me in the LOS or not?

Can they find me and withdraw my passport ?

Can you suggest me tips to realize my crazy dream?

[Thetyim]

This should be fun. Whose going first ?

[Boo]

I suggest you clear your debts & sell your house before embarking on a relocation to LOS.

5k euros is not a lot of money & wont go very far & if you burn your bridges in your own country with such a small amount of money then you will find it very difficult to return & pick up where you left off after it all goes wrong in thailand (or the money runs out).

You also don't say what kind of job you want to do, certain industries are restricted to foreigners & the government are clamping down on unqualified teachers, so what exactly can you do & what makes you think that you have what it takes to get a job over the thousands of other westerners desperate to stay in LOS & need a job too??

I would rethink & get a more realistic dream.

[rio666uk]

This should be fun.  Whose going first ?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

you beat me to it...

i with boo on this - i think you'd be asking for trouble both at home and LoS

[samran]

Any tips....???

Well, don't leave your brain at the airport. Many people seem to think that the rules that apply at home don't also apply in Thailand.

[Thetyim]

Very sensible and intelligent reply from Boo there.

Do you think the OP will listen ?

[Boo]

probably not Thetyim, I feel sorry for the guy if he was expecting a lot of "yeah, go for it" type answers as I think (hope) the posters on this site have more sense

[Head Snake]

Why don't you just take a one week or two week dream. Just take a holiday then get a grip on yourself.

What are you gonna do when you run out of money? Not if.

[bolognamare]

..if you burn your bridges in your own country with such a small amount of money then you will find it very difficult to return & pick up where you left off after it all goes wrong in thailand (or the money runs out)[...] You also don't say what kind of job you want to do ..

Of course bridges will be burnt and if something goes wrong it goes wrong in my country too (where I don't want to come back), may be in the worst case I can evaluate to try other countries like Laos-Cambogia-Singapore-Philippine-Hong Kong...

It's not difficult to find a job to survive, recently I put adds and I received several offers in the "sales" field.

The job (black too) is not my fear (I can find it, I'm sure of it).

My only fear is to be followed by debits when I have to renew my visa (or if i have to renew my passport).

Do customs offices share this kind of informations with EU countries or not?

[Boo]

Thailand needs your kind of tourist like a hole in the head.

Why not take up one of the sales jobs so that at least you wil lhave a work permit & an income instead of becoming what the government here are working hard to crack down on. If you are caught working with out the relevant permits & salary the thai government will blacklist you & send you back to your own country, so if you burn too many bridges there & the police are after you, then you will have big problems.

[bolognamare]

Why not take up one of the sales jobs so that at least you wil lhave a work permit & an income...

I'd like but the income couldn't be enough to pay debits too, LOS don't offer high incomes for salesman.

It's a crazy dream I told you. May be someone did something like that (or tried), i'd like to listen his story.

Sometimes dreams are the mirror of our soul where is possible to look for something good.

Thailand is my best dream!

It's hard to survive when you know that your dreamland exist only for holidays

Thanks for replies, you are good guys, I like thaivisa.com!

[Boo]

i know it must seem like a good idea right now but I can guarantee you that thailand is a living ###### if you have no money and with out the back up of being able to go back to your own country then you may become like other desperate people in LOS who lie & cheat & steal from their fellow foreigners or turn to smuggling drugs.

It sounds far fetched to you now but in a few months, when you are broke & hungry it will seem like a good idea.

Better you use your savings to pay some of your debts then save save save until you can arrive with money in the bank & a place to go to if it all goes wrong.

[khall64au]

Dreams should be good goals. There is nothing good about running away from debt and responsibilty and wondering whether someone is coming after you.

Boo is right, hold the dream... don't lose it, but sort the debts, make the dream a clean break and a good reality. You will enjoy your new life much more and feel good yourself also.

[loong]

I suggest that you take a long hard look at the life of the average Thai. You would probably be in a disadvantaged position compared to THEM.

Is that the way you want to live.?

You need a well thought out strategy with realistic ambitions.

I have met a few frarng struggling to get by because they have burnt their bridges. They find it hard every 29 days to get the cash together to do a visa run. The way things are going, the continuous 30 day renewals will not be an option for much longer.

[khunlungphudhu]

Have to agree with everyone else here, try living your dream from your current situation and it will just become a nightmare.

Sort yourself out, THEN live the dream with pride, and no looking back!

[digibum]

Better you use your savings to pay some of your debts then save save save until you can arrive with money in the bank & a place to go to if it all goes wrong.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Of course, that would be the optimal strategy but from everything I've read, he's basically saying that he's trying to escape. He's in debt. He's probably got 50 other problems and it sounds, especially by his dreaming comments, that instead of facing his problems he wants to run away. He's hoping he can go to Thailand and escape his creditors and all his other worries and just wake up with a clean slate. Only problem is most people who end up in these types of situations usually have a loooooooong history of poor decision making. Running off to Thailand with 5000 Euro certainly sounds like he hasn't broken that pattern quite yet. No matter how well he does or doesn't land on his feet in Thailand, his poor decision making will have him in trouble in the LOS as well. I would almost be willing to guarantee it.

[Thaipwriter]

The question is : "Is it possible to leave everything (your past, your present, family, friends, debts, etc..) and start a NEW life in the Land of Smile with only 5000 euro?"

Sure! get your self out here, in a few months you will have zero cash, and when you go to bed at night you will start dreaming about how things were not too bad at home after all.

Then you can come on here and tell us about those dreams and then we can recommend that you go back home again.

[meom]

The plan could be :

1. One day I wake up, i take out from the bank my last savings in cash (5000 euro), i buy the flight ticket (500 euro), i prepare a simple baggage and I leave my country (UE)". 

I suggest you forget about the plane ticket; instead buy a backpack, take 100 euro in your pocket and set off to LOS hitch hiking.

If you manage to reach LOS, doing the odd job along the way then you'll probably make it once you're here.

I tried the same many years ago but instead of reaching India which was my original destination I never got any further than Greece. It was still a nice trip though

[ThaiPauly]

Laeving aside the debt aspect for a moment as everybody has commented that it is NOT GOOD to run away from them, what about your family at home. Your Mom and Dd? Brothers & Sisters? Are you saying that you are more than happy to turn your back on them and never see them again?

hat if you eventually married and had Kids, would you deny your parents the opportunity of seeing their Grandchildren and vice versa.

Stay home, sort your life out then come here with your head held high, knowing that you can go back whenever you like.

Ignore the advice given on this forum at your peril.

You asked, you wanted to know, and now you have been told.

FORGET ABOUT IT

[aughie]

The plan could be :

1. One day I wake up, i take out from the bank my last savings in cash (5000 euro), i buy the flight ticket (500 euro), i prepare a simple baggage and I leave my country (UE)". 

I suggest you forget about the plane ticket; instead buy a backpack, take 100 euro in your pocket and set off to LOS hitch hiking.

If you manage to reach LOS, doing the odd job along the way then you'll probably make it once you're here.

I tried the same many years ago but instead of reaching India which was my original destination I never got any further than Greece. It was still a nice trip though

Great advice

[TheAceFace]

I would stay as you currently are, living in Dreamland....ZzzzZzzzzZ

[pnustedt]

It's a crazy dream  I told you. May be someone did something like that (or tried), i'd like to listen his story.

I did it 10 yrs ago to HK - but I had a job to go to. Left with just a suitcase. I was very happy to leave my past life behind and start afresh. Best thing I ever did.

[Phil B]

Close your eyes and click your heels together three times and repeat there is no place like home. When you open your eyes you should be outa oz. If not look for those three funny looking caracters from the movie and hang out with them.

I dont live in the LOS yet, but have spent 6 months there and plan on goinig back within a year. I will have a pension of about 82000bht per month ($2000 US) with about 280000 bht in the bank and i still feel like i dont have enough.

Stay where you are and keep your dreams alive by taking care of your debts and problems there and save your money. The last thing the LOS needs is another dead beat farang.

[phuketsiam]

LISTEN TO BOO

and the others, Thailand is a tough place to make it, much harder than home, unless you're Burmese and even then its debatable. Your 5000 Euro's will not last long, work is hard to find, even harder to get paid sometimes, even finding a pad with a phone line can be difficult in some places

LISTEN TO BOO - PLEASE

[bolognamare]

I did it 10 yrs ago to HK - but I had a job to go to. Left with just a suitcase. I was very happy to leave my past life behind and start afresh. Best thing I ever did.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Can you tell me more? What kind of difficults have you found? What kind of job have you done? How much this experience changed your life? Have you gone abroad without knowing cantonese language? Are you still there?

Thanks to all posts, I needed it, thanks, REALLY!

[pnustedt]

Can you tell me more? What kind of difficults have you found? What kind of job have you done? How much this experience changed your life? Have you gone abroad without knowing cantonese language? Are you still there? 

Yep, didn't know any Cantonese. Got a job in a co. startup in my area of expertise (technical), co was very successful and is now employing 2,500 people (I'm the only westener) and listed on the HK stock exch, and yes I'm still here. We took over other cos. and I now run the Intl. sales operation.

I was in a bad relationship in UK - divorced her, met a Thai girl in a bar and married her. Since being here never borrowed money, never owned property or anything substantial and live modestly, but save 70% of my salary and was given shares in the Co. I don't feel the need for the ostentatious possesions that I had in UK.

The frustrations I experienced were mainly cultural but I soon learned to concentrate on the things I could influence and let the others go.

Gonna move to Thailand (Isaan) with my wife in two years and concentrate on rice farming.

[chico]

Can you suggest me tips to realize my crazy dream? 

ok, you don't want to listen do the best advice (Boo) -

let me try to give you an idea:

(living apart sorting out everything at home, including your family)

if you insist in living your dream, do it "half awake" : get a tourist visa, buy a ticket, get some cash and come to Thailand:

look at the different places : BKK, Pattaya, Phuket, maybe even upcountry..

you'll see what live is about here, can even look to get a job!

if it doesn't work out, you can still go home, and start anew!

if it works out, I would suggest to still settle everything at home, even at a later time, as you certainly will need a new passport sometimes!

maybe you get lucky, and like it?

maybe you find out, it was just a dream, and find something better somewhere else?

good luck anyway!

[Firefan]

5000 Euro can last you a year if you go rather low budget. That is a nice long vacation to think things out - but best advise is to solve your problems at home before taking any vacations.

Thailand would probably listen to most countries requests about extradiction (they might call it something else if no official treaty) as they would not want a (suspected!) criminal here anyway.

Cheers!

[Gazza]

Why not take up one of the sales jobs so that at least you wil lhave a work permit & an income...

I'd like but the income couldn't be enough to pay debits too, LOS don't offer high incomes for salesman.

It's a crazy dream I told you. May be someone did something like that (or tried), i'd like to listen his story.

Sometimes dreams are the mirror of our soul where is possible to look for something good.

Thailand is my best dream!

It's hard to survive when you know that your dreamland exist only for holidays

Thanks for replies, you are good guys, I like thaivisa.com!

16 years ago I packed up everything back home in England to start a new life in Thailand. It was the most riskiest and stupidest thing that I've ever done in my life. I was fortunate that it became the best thing I've ever done.

I managed to get a job in sales on a commission only basis. The job was great because it took me all over Bangkok and the surrounding areas so it was like a working holiday for me.

It took a while getting sales though and the money was ok for the work involved. Being stabbed in the back by my fellow Brit workers didn't help my financial situation too much either. Go for several periods of 2 or 3 days without food and you'll learn alot about yourself.

Be careful with sales jobs. Some sales job ads may actually involve scamming your fellow countrymen or when you attend the job interview you're told that it's already been filled. You may then be told "But hey! there is another way to make some good easy money. All you have to do is ....(insert illegal means of earning money).."

Money from any job, even teaching, is very good. Providing that is, you live like a Thai and avoid the nightlife temptations. Yes, you'll probably like the idea of living like a Thai for a while. Being one with the Thais and the culture and all that jazz. But then soon you'll want a bigger and quieter apt., want to eat more of your expensive national food, build up a nice selection of vcds, dvds etc. Oh, and maybe a mc too. So if you want to live like a Thai in a 10' square box with a chithouse in the corner then go for it.

Why don't you keep coming to Thailand for holidays making each trip longer and longer to make sure that it is somewhere that you'd like to relocate to?

You know, not all farangs fall in love with Thailand and decide to live here permanently. Some have done what you're contemplating and once the holiday mode is over and they're not earning as much as they'd like, or they simply can't cut it here, they retreat back to their own countries with their tail between their legs. The same country that they turned their back on.

Edited September 14, 2005 by Gazza

[ThaiPauly]

Close your eyes and click your heels together three times and repeat there is no place like home.  When you open your eyes you should be outa oz.  If not look for those three funny looking caracters from the movie and hang out with them.

I dont live in the LOS yet, but have spent 6 months there and plan on goinig back within a year.  I will have a pension of about 82000bht per month ($2000 US) with about 280000 bht in the bank and i still feel like i dont have enough.

Stay where you are and keep your dreams alive by taking care of your debts and problems there and save your money.  The last thing the LOS needs is another dead beat farang.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Oh you have enough Phil, beleive me you have enough!!! I think you probably have too much so please let me be youur financial advisor