Moving To Thailand...How Hard Can It Be?

[villagefarang]

I suppose I should have more sympathy for those mired in angst as they contemplate a move to Thailand. The thing is, aside from not burning bridges back home, having a sound financial plan and learning the language there isn’t that much one can do remotely. Much better off waiting until one has boots on the ground and exploring options firsthand.

Posting years in advance, sometimes annoyingly vague pleas for help corralling your ducks and getting them to stand in a straight line, is next to useless.

Questions along the lines of how high is high or how much money will I spend, clearly can’t be answered. If one has limited funds, then budget accordingly. Others can’t tell you how much money you have or what you can’t live without.

If you don’t speak Thai and really understand how things work here, you are likely to lose your place as pack leader in your family, and find yourself at the mercy of your wife and her family. If you are in a new and as yet untested relationship, most things will be beyond your comprehension or control.

In your home country it fell to you to help your wife navigate daily life made more difficult by language, customs and government bureaucracy. Chances are roles will be reversed in Thailand. If your language ability is that of a 2 year old then you will be treated accordingly.

Farangs overestimating the vocabulary of their wives and underestimating the pressure of being placed in the middle between husband and family or trades people, can lead to frustration and desperate posts on TV.

So yes I should have more sympathy but clearly I don’t. Too often I have found that unless you tell people what they want to hear they simply get annoyed and argumentative. Realistically all I can say is good luck and I hope you are one of the lucky ones.

With so many doing it, is it really that difficult to move to Thailand?

[David48]

Many here will know that you have spent nearly half your lifetime here in the Kingdom ... and seem relatively happy.

I wonder how your expectations have mitigated over the intervening years since first arriving at the shores?

Directly to your question ... most times it's relatively easy to physically move here ... then the realities that you allude to above kick in and then I wonder if you are ‘happy and here’ as opposed to just 'here'?

I wonder how necronx99's big adventure will play out over the years?

[BigJohnnyBKK]

Very wise words IMO, and if your desire to move here is fueled by dreams planted by a Thai wife then I can pretty much guarantee reality won't seem nearly as rosy.

You are the man, do as you think is best for the family unit. Obviously do your best to keep/make her happy as well, but that should not include moving to anywhere less than six hours' travel to her family seat or you will lose your rightful place as head of the house.

And it's quite possible you'll lose a lot more than that. She agreed to go along with you in your life, be careful you don't turn the steering wheel over unless you're willing to become a passenger.

[brit1984]

Moving to a different country can be rather daunting for many people, especially if they have school-age children, ageing close relatives back home or have established themselves in a particular career.

I think the threads where people are asking for advice on huge life decisions are among the most interesting. Obviously few people will directly follow the advice we give, but at least it gives them something to think about.

Sent from iPhone; please forgive any typos or violations of forum rules

[villagefarang]

Many here will know that you have spent nearly half your lifetime here in the Kingdom ... and seem relatively happy.

I wonder how your expectations have mitigated over the intervening years since first arriving at the shores?

Directly to your question ... most times it's relatively easy to physically move here ... then the realities that you allude to above kick in and then I wonder if you are ‘happy and here’ as opposed to just 'here'?

I wonder how necronx99's big adventure will play out over the years?

Having been here for roughly 35 of my 58 year of existence puts me a little over half I think, and yes quite happy. You are spot on with your wondering about how things change over time. I often refer to it as aiming at a moving target. Each step you take moves the target and each day that passes changes aspects of the target.

Isn’t that the way life is supposed to be? You can’t book a move to Thailand the way you book a holiday package. It is a big adventure, as you say, and at some point you just have to make the first step. Everything changes with that first step as you are suddenly in a whole new scene or a whole new play.

There is no way of knowing how things will turn out in advance. As young as I was, I’m not sure what expectations I had other than to follow that piece of wood I used as my divining rod. The thing is you can’t know until you try and even then things change at every fork in the road.

[villagefarang]

Moving to a different country can be rather daunting for many people, especially if they have school-age children, ageing close relatives back home or have established themselves in a particular career.

I think the threads where people are asking for advice on huge life decisions are among the most interesting. Obviously few people will directly follow the advice we give, but at least it gives them something to think about.

I suppose I was expressing my own annoyance with the overly vague and open-ended cries for help. There seem to have been many of late. If posters can compose a question specific enough to be answered, there is a chance of helpful replies. Otherwise it is garbage in, garbage out. It is not hard to get off topic when the topic is vague to begin with.

Since I no longer work and don’t have children those aspects of moving never really enter my mind but you do have a good point there.

[jamescollister]

Think there is a big difference between moving here to retire and moving here to live and make a living. Retirement means you can go back on your pension, if the going gets tough. If you intend to move here and make a life, it's an all or nothing. If you come with a get out of jail free card you will run at the first sign of problems. You only get one life and you are allowed to screw up as many times as you want, but planning to fail at the start is a guarantee that you will fail.

If you want to try then go for it boots and all, then when the shit hits the fan it's adapt of fail. Jim

[Pseudolus]

Moving to Thailand is easy. Very easy. But just because something is easy does not make it the right thing to do. Like all countries and cultures, Thailand is like an onion, that is ever growing. As soon as I identify and peel off one layer there is something new below to learn, understand. Some of these are rotten, some are sweet and tasty (no rudeness inferred by the way). Like an onion though there is no end to this process and I guess people will just take longer and longer peeling back each layer until they either give up and throw it away, or die.

[GuestHouse]

If you wrote down the various aspects of Thailand's political turmoil, those presently in play and those that will inevitably arise, one could not with any certainty say that Thailand offers a secure future for expatriates.

If this is the case, then we might look to the OP posting vague questions asking for help in making a decision on where to next.

As the OP notes, life is a moving target - a little humility is always a good thing to carry along.

Edited June 23, 2012 by GuestHouse

[villagefarang]

Think there is a big difference between moving here to retire and moving here to live and make a living. Retirement means you can go back on your pension, if the going gets tough. If you intend to move here and make a life, it's an all or nothing. If you come with a get out of jail free card you will run at the first sign of problems. You only get one life and you are allowed to screw up as many times as you want, but planning to fail at the start is a guarantee that you will fail.

If you want to try then go for it boots and all, then when the shit hits the fan it's adapt of fail. Jim

You make good points which are generally true. I’m kind of a strange exception in that I came here right out of university and now after all these years I am retired here but without a pension or get out of jail free card. Self-reliance and adaptability are key in my opinion.

[samsiam]

Moving to Thailand is easy. Very easy. But just because something is easy does not make it the right thing to do. Like all countries and cultures, Thailand is like an onion, that is ever growing. As soon as I identify and peel off one layer there is something new below to learn, understand. Some of these are rotten, some are sweet and tasty (no rudeness inferred by the way). Like an onion though there is no end to this process and I guess people will just take longer and longer peeling back each layer until they either give up and throw it away, or die.

Onions make me cry.

Edited June 23, 2012 by samsiam

[Pseudolus]

Think there is a big difference between moving here to retire and moving here to live and make a living. Retirement means you can go back on your pension, if the going gets tough. If you intend to move here and make a life, it's an all or nothing. If you come with a get out of jail free card you will run at the first sign of problems. You only get one life and you are allowed to screw up as many times as you want, but planning to fail at the start is a guarantee that you will fail.

If you want to try then go for it boots and all, then when the shit hits the fan it's adapt of fail. Jim

You make good points which are generally true. I’m kind of a strange exception in that I came here right out of university and now after all these years I am retired here but without a pension or get out of jail free card. Self-reliance and adaptability are key in my opinion.

Not really retired then by the sounds of it and a whole new onion is about to relieve itself to you soon I think. Perhaps time to write a decent book?

Moving to Thailand is easy. Very easy. But just because something is easy does not make it the right thing to do. Like all countries and cultures, Thailand is like an onion, that is ever growing. As soon as I identify and peel off one layer there is something new below to learn, understand. Some of these are rotten, some are sweet and tasty (no rudeness inferred by the way). Like an onion though there is no end to this process and I guess people will just take longer and longer peeling back each layer until they either give up and throw it away, or die.

Oniona make me cry.

Made me on the verge of crying many times. A shift regularly between wanting to dive into an expat only community but then I think why bother being in Thailand then? Also, I find these types particularly boring as well. However, I am far too stubborn to blindly accept some things purely because I am in someone else country.

[villagefarang]

Moving to Thailand is easy. Very easy. But just because something is easy does not make it the right thing to do. Like all countries and cultures, Thailand is like an onion, that is ever growing. As soon as I identify and peel off one layer there is something new below to learn, understand. Some of these are rotten, some are sweet and tasty (no rudeness inferred by the way). Like an onion though there is no end to this process and I guess people will just take longer and longer peeling back each layer until they either give up and throw it away, or die.

I like you onion analogy. I have written of it as entering a cave or tunnel. If you don’t get lost or turn around and go back, you may come out the other end a changed person but with the cave no longer being an overpowering presence and something to fear. It becomes no more than a familiar backdrop to a life of your own choosing.

[villagefarang]

Not really retired then by the sounds of it and a whole new onion is about to relieve itself to you soon I think. Perhaps time to write a decent book?

I haven’t worked since I was 40 so I have been retired for quite some time. I think I will stick to writing my blog, though I am working on an eBook version of the blog.

[Gary A]

I had an advantage because I made the move three times. The first move was because of a good job offer. I stayed and worked from 1991 until the economy crashed in 1997. The second move was because I despised Los Angeles even though I had a good job there. The second time I stayed in Thailand for a little over two years. It occurred to me that I would eventually run out of money. Thailand is a great place to live unless you have to exist on a shoe string and watch every baht. Another five years in Kalifornia was planned very carefully. I had another good paying job, lived frugally and was able to top up my savings, Social Security account, build another company pension and a 401K plan.

I think the biggest mistake expats make is underestimating their financial needs for the future. As mentioned, Thailand is NOT a good place to live for farangs with no money.

As far as the minor things, I knew that certain items were difficult or very expensive to get here in Thailand. I love to tinker and good hand tools are scarce here. I brought a suitcase over each trip and left them with a friend here. I ended up with four large suitcases stored with my friend that were full of various items including sets of good hand tools, drill bits, etc. Since the voltage is different here, the only electrical items I brought were a desktop computer, monitor and laptop that were all dual voltage.

With the airline rip off baggage schemes, you now cannot bring much with you and since you are planning on living here, you will likely be making a number of trips before the final move. That is the time to bring and store most of the items you want to have here. I can't imagine making the move without a lot of prior planning. I am conservative by nature and can't imagine getting off the plane with two suitcases and no idea where to go.

[villagefarang]

Gary A

I was the suitcase guy for a decade or two but then again I was very young and didn’t have anything that wouldn’t fit in that suitcase. I can understand it being very different for those in deferent circumstances. The trick is to know what you need and what you don’t. Multiple moves has clearly helped you get that sorted.

[saorsa]

I made the decision to move here after visiting on holiday a few times. DItched my bird with an email while I was offshore, got home, packed 4 sportsbags and my fishing rods and got a one way ticket. That was 4yrs ago and I've never regretted it.

[skybluestu]

Not really retired then by the sounds of it and a whole new onion is about to relieve itself to you soon I think. Perhaps time to write a decent book?

I haven’t worked since I was 40 so I have been retired for quite some time. I think I will stick to writing my blog, though I am working on an eBook version of the blog.

Mind sharing your secret VF, with limited jobs for foreigners in Thailand you must have had a very successful business here and worked very hard so that you could retire at 40?

[villagefarang]

Not really retired then by the sounds of it and a whole new onion is about to relieve itself to you soon I think. Perhaps time to write a decent book?

I haven’t worked since I was 40 so I have been retired for quite some time. I think I will stick to writing my blog, though I am working on an eBook version of the blog.

Mind sharing your secret VF, with limited jobs for foreigners in Thailand you must have had a very successful business here and worked very hard so that you could retire at 40?

Ever hear of the stock market? Edited June 23, 2012 by villagefarang

[Rsquared]

Making the move is easy as previously mentioned, deciding to move is harder, then it is a mindset once you are here.

We are all different and if want to enjoy the ride, lean into the corners and the ride will be that much smoother.

We had our house built 2 years before we moved here and each time I came over I would lie in the hammock, gazing down the backyard of 6 rai with the mountains in the background..........and seriously ask myself...."can I do this for the rest of my life?"

Well I've been here 15 months now and treating it like a whole new adventure. Unfortunately we don't have the superpower of going back in time and righting all our wrongs, so life is a one way ticket and those of us who are fortunate enough to be able to choose where we want to live should grab it with both hands and enjoy......wherever that may be.

[Rsquared]

Not really retired then by the sounds of it and a whole new onion is about to relieve itself to you soon I think. Perhaps time to write a decent book?

I haven’t worked since I was 40 so I have been retired for quite some time. I think I will stick to writing my blog, though I am working on an eBook version of the blog.

Mind sharing your secret VF, with limited jobs for foreigners in Thailand you must have had a very successful business here and worked very hard so that you could retire at 40?

Ever hear of the stock market?

I've always been scared of the stock market, to me it's just another form of gambling.............and I am a hopeless gambler.

Maybe if I understood it, I would not be so scared.......oh well. Mai pen rai.

[samsiam]

For what is on the mind of many guys when they move here...I imagine it would be very hard.

I retired at 39yo....beat you by 1. But now I want to do something. I moved here with a few suitcases...one was alive with a 9 month old child in it.

[villagefarang]

People take different paths through life. Some take on more responsibility than they can handle or before they are ready. Some boast of how hard they work while others are proud of how smart they work. Some are jealous of the good fortune of others but that can be seen as a very unattractive trait. We are all responsible for the choices we make in life. Self discipline and self control don’t always payoff but I know I would not be where I am without them. Some people buy into the myth of how things are supposed to be done while others look for alternative routes through life. No guarantees and no browny points for trying hard. It is all about results.

[villagefarang]

I've always been scared of the stock market, to me it's just another form of gambling.............and I am a hopeless gambler.

Maybe if I understood it, I would not be so scared.......oh well. Mai pen rai.

My gifts as a child were more likely to be a few shares of some company instead of toys so I got used to stocks gradually and over a very long time. Over the years many of those stocks split and split again. Eventually I went against advice and took a more active role in managing my small holdings. I never spent any of that and added to it with whatever I earned. Do I feel guilty for what I have now, hell no. I lived quite frugally for many years with no debt and no vices, except for women. I didn't even get married until I was 45 as I wasn't ready before then.

[skybluestu]

I've always been scared of the stock market, to me it's just another form of gambling.............and I am a hopeless gambler.

Maybe if I understood it, I would not be so scared.......oh well. Mai pen rai.

My gifts as a child were more likely to be a few shares of some company instead of toys so I got used to stocks gradually and over a very long time. Over the years many of those stocks split and split again. Eventually I went against advice and took a more active role in managing my small holdings. I never spent any of that and added to it with whatever I earned. Do I feel guilty for what I have now, hell no. I lived quite frugally for many years with no debt and no vices, except for women. I didn't even get married until I was 45 as I wasn't ready before then.

Well fair play to you then VF, you've done well for yourself and the frugal living has paid off for you! That reminds me about a guy I heard a story about recently who, while living frugally many years ago in BKK, often purposefully befriended off-shore workers for the sole reason of keeping their wife/GF company while they were away while living rent-free in their house/apartment. Lower than a snake's belly!

Edited June 23, 2012 by skybluestu

[Geekfreaklover]

Very wise words IMO, and if your desire to move here is fueled by dreams planted by a Thai wife then I can pretty much guarantee reality won't seem nearly as rosy.

You are the man, do as you think is best for the family unit. Obviously do your best to keep/make her happy as well, but that should not include moving to anywhere less than six hours' travel to her family seat or you will lose your rightful place as head of the house.

And it's quite possible you'll lose a lot more than that. She agreed to go along with you in your life, be careful you don't turn the steering wheel over unless you're willing to become a passenger.

I agree about the six hours distance from the family if it is an Isaan bargirl hoax marriage, but if it is a genuine partnership then the parents being nearby can be a great advantage especially if there are kids and child-care opportunities. My partner's mother has never asked for a bean in six years, has loaned me money in times of need, and helps out with the kids every week when she is not working.

[villagefarang]

I've always been scared of the stock market, to me it's just another form of gambling.............and I am a hopeless gambler.

Maybe if I understood it, I would not be so scared.......oh well. Mai pen rai.

My gifts as a child were more likely to be a few shares of some company instead of toys so I got used to stocks gradually and over a very long time. Over the years many of those stocks split and split again. Eventually I went against advice and took a more active role in managing my small holdings. I never spent any of that and added to it with whatever I earned. Do I feel guilty for what I have now, hell no. I lived quite frugally for many years with no debt and no vices, except for women. I didn't even get married until I was 45 as I wasn't ready before then.

Well fair play to you then VF, you've done well for yourself and the frugal living has paid off for you! That reminds me about a guy I heard a story about recently who, while living frugally many years ago in BKK, often purposefully befriended off-shore workers for the sole reason of keeping their wife/GF company while they were away while living rent-free in their house/apartment. Lower than a snake's belly!

I may have heard that same story but the version I heard was a bit different. Your persistence and inventiveness is remarkable. Perhaps I could borrow your shovel sometime. Edited June 23, 2012 by villagefarang

[RGDB]

I didn't even get married until I was 45 as I wasn't ready before then.

True. Starting a family requires maturity. Some people mature later than others.

[Rimmer]

Personal Attack removed

[villagefarang]

I didn't even get married until I was 45 as I wasn't ready before then.

True. Starting a family requires maturity. Some people mature later than others.

I wish more people would wait and I wish it actually required maturity to make babies. I have a very long wish list.