Living In Thailand!

[vallillo1983]

Hey guys, i am 25 fesh faced out of uni and heading to thailand to settle as i hate the Uk and the western world!! I was wondering if there is anyone who like me left for thailand at a young age and is still there so can offer me some advice, such as regrets, pensions, saving etc! Just any thing really,

Hope to hear from you soon and cheers!

[gburns57au]

Hey guys, i am 25 fesh faced out of uni and heading to thailand to settle as i hate the Uk and the western world!! I was wondering if there is anyone who like me left for thailand at a young age and is still there so can offer me some advice, such as regrets, pensions, saving etc! Just any thing really,

Hope to hear from you soon and cheers!

Would suggest you visit somewhere before you settle somewhere....

Thailand??...lots of regrets, no pensions and no savings, only spendings....

[trt]

Hey guys, i am 25 fesh faced out of uni and heading to thailand to settle as i hate the Uk and the western world!! I was wondering if there is anyone who like me left for thailand at a young age and is still there so can offer me some advice, such as regrets, pensions, saving etc! Just any thing really,

Hope to hear from you soon and cheers!

Humm sounds like me a few years ago.. My first year in thailand was when I was 17.. went back to study the language when I was 25 with plans of landing a good job which pays reasonable money... I found it was easy to get a job, but you would never get enough money to make it worthwhile (unless you have your own business where you might make some good money)..

I don't think it is wise to settle in LOS at such an early age unless:

1. You are already rich enough to retire,

2. You can land a good paying job, or

3. You don't mind living on a low salary.

I chose option 4. - I work in Africa as an expat and earn great money, then spend my 1 month off (after 2 away) in the LOS.. its great...!!

Anyway let me know how you go with things!

[HarryHerb]

Hey guys, i am 25 fesh faced out of uni and heading to thailand to settle as i hate the Uk and the western world!!

How sweet.

I was wondering if there is anyone who like me left for thailand at a young age and is still there so can offer me some advice, such as regrets, pensions, saving etc! Just any thing really

I'm afraid pensions and savings (strange concerns for a fresh-faced and rebellious youth) are actually much better in the western world you so despise.

Regrets are not something I can offer you; you'll find you can make those for yourself.

Anything else? Some questions for you: why Thailand? What are you planning to do here? Where do you want to settle? Do you have any savings?

[vallillo1983]

Thailand as its a place of my dreams!

I am planning on Teaching, living somewhere nice and having a life i could no way afford to have here in the UK.

I would like to live in BKK.

I have £5000 savings!

so what d'u reckon?

[DeathbyDurian]

Sounds like me a year ago. Found a good job, good friends and a good place to live. No regrets or plans to leave.

Go for it.

[Belfastboy]

Thailand as its a place of my dreams!

I would like to live in BKK.

I have £5000 savings!

so what d'u reckon?

are u for real ??... i don't live in thailand yet..but £5000 savings is drop in the ocean mate.

if you honestly wanna spend the rest of your life there, more like £500,000 ...now that wud be a nice packet to sit on.....

but £5k mate wont go very far, unless u plan to eat stall food everynite. no offence but i earn more than that in a month.....and im no way rich......

[Donz]

It all depends, 5000 pounds can set you up in Thailand if you are smart and ambitious.

If your looking to party all the time then you will get in trouble.

You can open your own business for that money (nothing fancy) like importing things from China and selling at the markets (but its not easy to get in).

I know a few people who have been very successful starting out small in thailand.

I say go for it, but plan well, do you have a de-facto in the UK who is Thai??

How do you plan on getting a permanent Visa is what i think may be your biggest challenge

[Backpack_thailand]

I would like to live in BKK. I have 5,000 savings

A few days into your time in BKK, you'll meet the sweetest girl in the whole world who makes you feel so special. You'll set up home together and she'll rob you of that in no time!!!

There's one gets off the plane every day!

[N&M]

5000 pounds can set you up in Thailand...yeah set you up for a big fall.

[britainmal]

If you are a real English Teacher, Thailand is not your place because of two reasons.

1. Money-low salary

2. Jobs- Most schools just want a Native English teacher to be clown in class and perform, so I you think you would need an acting degree not a teaching degree.

I think you should come to Thailand to experience it yourself, but please be aware don't fall in love with Hookers or the girls who look at you as income. Don't think the money girls are only the bar girls either, even a lot of office or normals girls fall under this category.

[Old Croc]

I would like to live in BKK. I have 5,000 savings

A few days into your time in BKK, you'll meet the sweetest girl in the whole world who makes you feel so special. You'll set up home together and she'll rob you of that in no time!!!

There's one gets off the plane every day!

Unlikely, Vallillo's gay

post

Edited February 13, 2006 by Old Croc

[skylar]

please be aware don't fall in love with Hookers or the girls who look at you as income. Don't think the money girls are only the bar girls either, even a lot of office or normals girls fall under this category.

and

A few days into your time in BKK, you'll meet the sweetest girl in the whole world who makes you feel so special. You'll set up home together and she'll rob you of that in no time!!!

There's one gets off the plane every day!

I can't recall seeing in any of his posts anything that warrants this kind of comment...?

[Donz]

Villano,

Dont listen to the negative comments on here. If you want to teach you will have to have abit of luck on your side to land a job before your 5000 pounds runs out.

I think your best bet is to start your own little business. But with little money you need to really nuckle down and not go half asses into it or your gone.

It really depends on yourself (also abit of luck) on how successful you are.

Like i said before i know a few people who started with less then 5000 pounds. Some have failed but lets not get into that.

[Neeranam]

Thailand as its a place of my dreams!

I am planning on Teaching, living somewhere nice and having a life i could no way afford to have here in the UK.

I would like to live in BKK.

I have £5000 savings!

so what d'u reckon?

I'd say, go for it mate!

I spent 5 good years teaching in Thailand, then another 5 wanting to get out of it. The chances are that a good opportunity will come, whether you are young and motivated or not.

Keep 4000 of your savings and buy a condo eventually. I could save about 3000 pounds a year teaching, but I blew most of it.

Like you, I left in my 20s for similar reasons and have never ever regretted it.

The longer you leave it to come to Thailand the harder it will be to make it.

Learn the language.

You may have a few financially low years but they will be better than being in the UK.

Many of the old guys who say otherwise probably regret not coming earlier.

If you don't like it you can always go back to the UK. Like someone else said, travel first.

good luck.

[NovaBlue05]

Thailand as its a place of my dreams!

I am planning on Teaching, living somewhere nice and having a life i could no way afford to have here in the UK.

I would like to live in BKK.

I have £5000 savings!

so what d'u reckon?

At your age. Take your 5K and move there for a year or so. Then, when the reality of life there becomes more apparent, you are still young enough to can go back home and start a 25-30 year grind toward a normal retirement.

Cheers!

[zzap]

There is no way with 5.000 quid to meet the legal requirements for starting any business here. It is hardly enough to justify an extended stay as a tourist.

Some adventurous people do start with this sort of money, and worry about licenses and permits later. But you'd put yourself at great risk, and don't expect any sympathy or advice regarding this on this forum.

[richard10365]

In the USA, you can join the military at 18, retire by the time your 38, and live off your pension for the rest of your life. I'm not sure when UK military retirement starts.

But if I would have known then, about the US Army, what I know now, I might have studied harder in school and not had to go through that torture.

But I did, and it pays my way to live here comfortably.

Since you have no major commitments in the UK, I would say come over and see how far you can get with the money you have saved. Then you will know for sure how much monthly you need, with your lifestyle, to get by from week to week. If things don't work out, you can always go back home.

Edited February 13, 2006 by richard10365

[Old Croc]

Give it a go mate!

[allthaidup]

I did a similar thing last year. I went on my first holiday to Thailand the previous year and fell in love with the place. On returning home i thought **** it im going away for a while but knew i was going to return. So 7 months later after saving my pennies i went back to Thailand with 5K in my back burner. It lasted 6 months but man, what a 6 months it was. I was 26 but at the time wish i'd used my money more wiseley which would of allowed me a longer stay.

I would say just go ahead and do it, have the time of your life. It will open your eyes and give you food for thought but i doubt you have enough to think long term.

I know where i want to be now, i feel Thailand is my domain and where i feel alive. Many people may think another one bites the dust but your young, nothing to lose and you can always head home if it doesn't work out.

I'll just use it as a holiday destination for the moment but im sure racking my brains for the future.

Thailand has changed me big time, sometimes i wonder if for the better but life is for living.

Have fun!

[Luke06]

Hi vallillo1983,

I read your postings with some interest but I am surprised how some people have reacted.

The reality is that 5K is a reasonable sum of money and does give you some freedom. I assume from your post that you have some teaching experience, given that then I also assume you have all your necessary documents ie. TESL cert and degree, and if you are looking at a new job over here should be very straight forward. If you are sufficiently experienced check some of the websites like Ajarn or UK based English teaching sites and you may even be able to get a ticket out here as long as you do your one year contract. You should earn enough money to live on and try to keep the savings for emergencies as for pensions then that is definitely for the back burner. I would recommend doing some traveling first before making a firm decision to settle here. As for setting up a business there is plenty of time and in reality you will probably not get very far with 5K, particularly important is that you probably do not have sufficient business experience to give yourself a fighting chance so I wouldn't consider that route if you ever were.

For myself I went traveling around the world (spending the better part of 15K) and whilst I knew that Thailand was where I really wanted to give it a go, I felt it was very important to see a good part of the rest of the world. I even ended up living in Peru for 6 months. I also had about 5 years of work experience. I could have used that money now but mai pen rai, I had a very good time on it. Now I have been here for coming up to two years, I started off with a crappy job that paid relatively good money and have just started a far better job that pays around 60 000 a month which is more than sufficient for my daily needs as well as the occasional crisis, savings are limited but if I want an opportunity to make some decent money out here then it is not going to come and find me in the UK. Generally my life is good and far more enjoyable than it was in England, things can be hard but if it was easy there would be no point.

I believe you only really regret the things that you didn't do so go for it, you only have 5K to lose, but I would consider broadening your horizons first so that you have something to compare Thailand with. Also some decent work experience would help your chances of landing a better job but if you are unhappy then leave.

Chok dii

[ThaiPauly]

I would like to live in BKK. I have 5,000 savings

A few days into your time in BKK, you'll meet the sweetest girl in the whole world who makes you feel so special. You'll set up home together and she'll rob you of that in no time!!!

There's one gets off the plane every day!

You are not wrong Backpack,

But those guys probably never had the foresight to check out a site like TV before and actually LISTEN to what us "old timers" are saying to them.

If he started out somewhere like CM, then he might possibly have a chance. 5k goes a long way up here especially when you can rent somewhere basic for around 2.5 thousand baht a month.

In the Big Mango it can be gone very very quickly. If he is prepared to live a Backpackers lifestyle until he sorts himself out a teaching job, he could do it IMHO.

As long as he does not blow the lot on Wine , Women and Song and is frugal with his pot of cash.

Anything is possible, ''Live your dream man" If you try you might ,if you don't you won't

Chok Dee Fella

Edited February 20, 2006 by ThaiPauly

[Cpt_M0ney_Sh0t]

Ok lets see 5000 pounds whats that something like 340,000 baht. Hmm thats awfuly light, BUT if you swing it right you may be able to work it. I came with around 600,000baht in 2002 at 27 years old off a govt contract in the middle east. I pissed most of it away and got caught in all the usual scams but I eventualy met some good friends that I trusted and we started up a number of small endevors, hamburger stands, a shop for shwarama onWalking street in Pattaya... even a Corn dog stand. I had my ups and downs with them all, and I still worked to suplement my income and save money to open more shops. I never did the teaching thing before. I made 4 times that money selling Time Share and it was more fun. In my opinion anyway. I would say Go for it, and grow, and learn. Then come back later hardned a lil and with more experainces so you know what to do with your money next time.

Like me for exsample I'm working in Iraq now and I plan on going back with serious money and seeding something big and new. I would have never known how had I not played around with my hamburger stands when I was yonger.

Edited February 20, 2006 by Cpt_M0ney_Sh0t

[Tippaporn]

Seems you've been getting quite a bit of encouragement, vallillo. That's nice to see on TV. Throw in mine, too - go for it. No matter what you do once here or what happens just make sure you keep enough in reserve for the trip back home if things don't work out.

There are the cautious and there are the adventurous ones. Sounds like you're the latter. There's always the possibility that even without a concrete plan once you make the move you'll figure it out from there. Which I believe you'll do.

Regrets? Life is too short for that, only long enough to live your dreams. Choke dee mak mak.

[The Dan Sai Kid]

but £5k mate wont go very far, unless u plan to eat stall food everynite. no offence but i earn more than that in a month.....and im no way rich......

I don't think earning more than £5000 a month is anything to sniff at - and to a lot of people you would be considered rich!

[bkkmadness]

A few days into your time in BKK, you'll meet the sweetest girl in the whole world who makes you feel so special. You'll set up home together and she'll rob you of that in no time!!!

There's one gets off the plane every day!

I can't recall seeing in any of his posts anything that warrants this kind of comment...?

Backpack Thailand got ripped for I think about 2 million baht before, and he seems to think everyones that stupid.

Man, give it a go, I come over here with a lot less than that and still here and happy now. You gotta take chances in life, and you're young enough to do so.

From my experience the people who have done better over here are the ones that turned Thailand into a home rather than an extended holiday as soon as possible ie. not out every night drinking/partying but happy enough to sit in and just watch a film or tv or something like you would at home.

It seems so tricky for a lot of people to do and I've seen a lot of people that just couldn't stand staying at home every night, far too attracted to the bright lights of the city and now, they are all back in their home countries saving for holidays here.

[solo siam]

I say do it as well, I know people that spend 5k on a 2 week holiday, You could probably make that last for a 6 month trip and hope to meet some contacts that could get you a job.

Make sure to buy a return ticket, If it all goes pear shaped you've only lost a few months salary on something you will never forget.

[sendbaht]

It's good to follow your dreams son but remember "you take you with you". Whatever you hate in the UK and the western world you will find in LOS. Find the good the UK and the western world has to offer then bring that attitude to Thailand.... You will love Thailand a whole lot more...

[Tippaporn]

It's good to follow your dreams son but remember "you take you with you". Whatever you hate in the UK and the western world you will find in LOS. Find the good the UK and the western world has to offer then bring that attitude to Thailand.... You will love Thailand a whole lot more...

Excellent and absolutely important point to bring up, sendbaht! You can't run away from any place or anything. You can only run away from yourself. The problem is you can't help but follow yourself around. Believe me, there's a lot of people who don't understand that at all and the multitude of implications completely escape them.

Truly words from the wise, sendbaht.

Edited February 20, 2006 by Tippaporn

[Gary A]

I think probably most of us have dreams and desperately want to break out of the rat race. I know I did. When I was young I could get a good paying job nearly anywhere. HOWEVER, I always had this nagging thought in the back of my mind. What happens when I get old and can no longer work or no one is willing to give me a job? It takes a lot of years of working and saving to provide a livable pension for being able to enjoy your retirement years. Just knowing I was getting closer to that financially independent goal each year kept me going. I didn't feel I had any choice. TRAPPED is the right word but the years pass quickly even if it seems that time is moving VERY slowly. One day you wake up to discover that you are in your fifties. I think at age fifty I realized that I needed to get 100% serious about saving all the money I possibly could. I'm glad I did.