Thinking Of Moving To Thailand

[mushroomdave]

Being a Brit you would probably have a better chance at finding a teaching job, but IMO the MOE is at war with foreign teachers. They are moving the bar so schools can justify offering lower salaries so we can't qualify for a higher paying job. Look at ajarn.com now. How many jobs do you see over 30K? Very few. IMO you can't live on 30K.

Myself, I hope to leave Thailand in the next month. Much better paying jobs in other countries close to here. Been here for 6 years and I have had enough.

I am here for other reasons but you are correct. I just finished teaching 14.5 years in Taiwan and depending on how much you want to work, you could earn 60,000 (baht)/ month or more easily and fairly cheap housing/shared apt.'s. My first few years I did 100,000 and then slowed it down. Good luck.

[SICHONSTEVE]

Cannot fault you looking to settle in Chang Mai. But why bring the bulk of your cash. Personaly I would bring the £5000 and leave the rest in the UK.

You wont live a lavish life style on a teachers wage. By all means try it but do not burn your bridges in your home country.

Getting the dogs there might be easy. Getting them back at a later date could be another story. Can you not leave them with family until you are 100% sure that is what you want.

Dont forget no NHS you will need medical insurance.

Good luck and take care

Do you have a bachelor degree? If not, I would forget the teaching job as without one you cannot get a teacher work permit (TEFL/TESOL) are not sufficient!!!!

[Nautilus05]

Not sure on the quarantine requirements for dogs, but I can't see them being too strict. For example, I know with Canada all that's required is a rabies vaccination certificate in English / French, and that's it. There's no quarantine or anything, and I have a hard time seeing Thailand being more strict than Canada on animal control.

As for moving with them -- finding a long-term house rental that allows for the dogs will be no problem at all. Nearly everyone in Thailand seems to have a dog or two, so house owners allow them without issue.

The problem you're going to have though is with the initial short-term rental(s), while you're out house hunting, and trying to decide where you want to live. I tried tons of places in the Chiang Mai area, and literally couldn't find any short-term / vacation rental that would allow my dogs. Again though, long-term rentals that allow dogs are no problem at all, but that's 6 or 12 month lease.

[1130bobs]

all good advice. come over WITHOUT the dogs - its too big a barrier to EVERYTHING - housing, traveling (they are incredible here on scooters - but i never saw a farang w/ 2 dogs! ) make it a trial trip as advised - with a double entry visa from your country 1st. beaches are great - but look at the weather on google - pattaya is like average of 27 C in the 'cool' season, and 29 C in 'summer'. looks great - but you sweat in short time - especially dressed in teaching clothes. the school will NOT have a/c, and will expect you to stay around much longer than the assigned teaching times. up north is much cooler.

comming here to try to earn a living to stay is tough - you have to be the right person & make it happen for you. all the advice in the world won't help - must see / feel / touch it yourself 1st. only happy guys i see are the retirees - like me. Better to find something here that you know will work during a trial stay - and return home to wrap things up for good - or to stay. other country suggestion also good.

you need a 4 yr degree in anything from home PLUS the tesol or whatever. Research the differences. i did tesol - teach english to speakers of other languages, & did practice teaching in pattaya - great course - i am confident to teach in any situation - except-- i have no experience either -

finally, as a suggestion, financially you are too young to have a plan that relies on drawing down such small savings. consider it a buffer until you find a job, or between jobs. good luck -

[pauleddy]

From my own perspective, I would say that the caveats, rightly, outnumber the hopefuls.

In 2004 I was in exactly the same position, except that I had several degrees, a TEFL and no dogs. When I read my posts from Spain (where I lived) to this board, I just laugh at the dumb questions I asked...but everybody has to ask, self-examine, and find their way.

Taking 2 dogs is one of the most foolhardy things I ever heard of. I am not sure about quarantine stuff, but some houses and nearly all condos in cities=the owner will not let you have dogs. If your dogs are relatively "tame" UK dogs, they may not last 5 minutes with the pack dogs here, unless you live in a gated community. Most of the street dogs here are not speyed and have no injections. Ask yourself whether it would be crueller to the dogs to take them or to leave them.

Teaching is best done with at least a BA or BSc. There is some requirement for 'registered' teachers to show this. You need TEFL anyway. The old days of hiring anybody white have long gone. Teaching is a slog, the kids are ungrateful, there are politics, lousy salaries etc etc.

Chiang mai is one of the worst places to find a teaching job, there are a lot of "whites" there chasing too few jobs, so the salary is, er, competitive.

Let's face it also that some people come here to seek true love, or at least relaxation and refreshment of the, er, relaxing kind. Many people of all orientations have been taken for a ride, as it were (me included, at one stage). Be careful what you wish for.

After 8 years I am now within breathing distance of trying to get out.

While I would never say "avoid" your destiny, and get here if you want, it is never like a holiday once you live here. Many people think they can get a TEFL and then teach 20 year old girls (or boys) on the beach while sipping martinis under a coconut tree before spending all afternoon scuba diving to be followed by rice wine, crab claws and endless love (surrounded by smiling gentle people who, as buddhists, have no interest in personal gain)...jeez. Nothing like the sweaty, racist, grimy ****hole of Thai reality.

Eddy

Edited March 12, 2014 by pauleddy

[dotpoom]

I hope your plans work out well for you. But what concerns I would have is the apparent reliance you seem to have on your 15,000 pounds and at that you only intend bringing 10,000 pounds with you. That is not a lot of money when starting a new life in a foreign country and can disappear quickly. Another bad sign is the fact that before you even get here you are looking for free accommodation through voluntary work. The overall picture is not encouraging when you are already trying to save the pennies before you leave. Planning is always good and you have to be admired for that but it is my opinion that for the first year at least you should have sufficient funds to take life easy and find your footing.

[dotx]

I can't help with the teaching job, but I moved to Thailand with two dogs.

No quarantine here. You have to do some paperwork in advance (not difficult but a bit time consuming) but other than that, it's no big deal. Getting the dogs back to Europe does require more planning and it becomes expensive because they have to get tested for rabies (the entire process takes about four months, so you need to start planning this early once you've decided you're leaving). When I say expensive, I'm talking USD 500 per dog to get them into Europe -- so make sure you have the money.

Don't listen to anybody who tells you bringing dogs with you is a big deal. One of my dogs has lived with me in three different countries. If you really want to keep your dogs, you can. It's all about planning things well.

Never had trouble finding a house that would accept dogs (I've rented four different ones since moving to Thailand). In fact, I rented a house over the internet for one month before moving to Thailand so I would have a place to stay (a hotel would have been a nightmare with pets). Then I looked for something cheaper and long-term once I got here.

Edited March 12, 2014 by dotx

[notbkk]

To the OP: That's EXACTLY what I did, and I've never looked back...

But, I was 53 yo at the time and basically on 'pension' (voluntary severance package from company), so it was an easy decision for me. I sold everything I owned and arrived in Thailand with my Delsey suitcase and one backpack! It was (and still is) the best feeling in the world.

Got my TEFL, walked into a fabulous job with ฿35,000 pm, two medical insurances, a work permit (I don't have a degree), teaching children at a language school. And I love it. I've been with the same job now for three years. But I was extremely lucky. You won't easily find a job without a TEFL, even though most of them are useless and a total waste of time. Just close your eyes and do it!

฿35,000 is enough for me, I save a bit, drink a bit, etc. (no lady- or boy bars, though).

I would get stuck into it asap when you arrive here. Remember that every day that you don't work you are spending your precious cash. It tends to dry up here amazingly quickly. Forget about volunteer work, you need a work permit and you can still do it once you're settled.

Good luck and enjoy!

P.S. I used to detest kids, never thought in my wildest dreams that I would one day work with them and I just love it! Never had teaching experience before either.

[davejones23]

I would rent the house in the uk rather than sell if possible.

Well the house also belongs to me and my ex wife so need to sell it to split our last remaining joint asset.

Plus we would only get about £75 each a month after paying the mortgage which would be nothing if say the boiler blew for example.

But you'd have an appreciating asset. You need to take account of the capital appreciation as well, not just the rent. e.g. a £100K property rising at 5% a year would give an extra £400/month in capital appreciation. I think now is probably the worst time to sell.Just think what it could be worth in 10, 20 or 30 years time.

[davejones23]

Cannot fault you looking to settle in Chang Mai. But why bring the bulk of your cash. Personaly I would bring the £5000 and leave the rest in the UK.

You wont live a lavish life style on a teachers wage. By all means try it but do not burn your bridges in your home country.

Getting the dogs there might be easy. Getting them back at a later date could be another story. Can you not leave them with family until you are 100% sure that is what you want.

Dont forget no NHS you will need medical insurance.

Good luck and take care

I don't see why it should be a problem to get the dogs back to the UK. I know many people from the UK that travel with their dogs, including to Thailand. Follow the rules and I don't see what problems you could have. Perhaps you can be more specific about what problems you are talking about.

I also think it's good to burn your bridges. Always having a safety net often means people never actually fully leave and immerse themselves in their new life. You can always build a new bridge if you need to, but i don't see the point in keeping all the old bridges.

[davejones23]

Being a Brit you would probably have a better chance at finding a teaching job, but IMO the MOE is at war with foreign teachers. They are moving the bar so schools can justify offering lower salaries so we can't qualify for a higher paying job. Look at ajarn.com now. How many jobs do you see over 30K? Very few. IMO you can't live on 30K.

Myself, I hope to leave Thailand in the next month. Much better paying jobs in other countries close to here. Been here for 6 years and I have had enough.

30K is above average pay in Thailand, so of course you can live on it. The majority of the population would love to earn that amount of money. People live here on 10K or less. Whether you WANT to is a different matter, but you CAN LIVE on 30K very easily. Millions of people who actually do it are the living proof.

[strabel23]

Seriously if you are 38 years old and all you've got is 15,000 UK money then I would only consider going to Thailand for a short holiday until you can get over the shock and hurt of divorce.

In the first place leaving the UK to live in Thailand means giving up any accumulation of retirement benefits you might receive either from Government or employment while you are in Thailand.

Secondly Thailand has changed considerably over the past 20 years and it's not what it used to be in terms of road traffic, over crowding, corruption and not to mention rampant race discrimination.

I lived here before for 13 years from 1993 until 2006 and only recently returned but am seriously thinking that I might have made a mistake.

Almost everyday someone is killed in a traffic accident or seriously injured not far from where I now live and the cost of living has increased quite considerably especially when you take into consideration the two tier pricing system that even makes my wife so angry with her fellow countrymen she wants to leave.

You'll probably want to buy a motorcycle also as the cost of transportation (taxi's, tuc tuc drivers)= etc.) has gone way up for a Falang. If you're involved in an accident, highly likely given the traffic congestion and driving style here, you'll need to have some kind of health and accident insurance which also isn't cheap.

Unless you like living out in the sticks I wouldn't bother to move to Thailand. Go to Malaysia or Equador is better.

Living on 30,000 bht a month is not going to get you very far either considering you'll probably want to meet a few ladies and that won't come cheap.

Sorry, just telling it the way it is.

[davejones23]

There is a fee to pay but it is only £200 and you get half back on completion of 1 month volunteering, however I have been in contact with them and they are unable to accomodate my dogs so would have to pay for my own place which is not really feasible when only volunteering.

There is however a place you can volunteer in your free time in Chiang Mai so this may be an option later down the line.

I must admit I thought Chiang Mai was one of the cheaper places vs work availability? ie not as many jobs or as well paid as Bangkok but a lot cheaper to live and a reasonable supply of jobs, as opposed to the coastal places which, from my understanding, have very little in the way of jobs. Am I wrong?

Chiang Mai isn't set in stone but I do love it there and I have a farang friend who has been there for over 10 years who would be able to help me settle in, on the other hand the idea of living near a beach is very tempting!

Would I really struggle on 30,000bht a month given that I have my savings? I know I shouldn't be blowing them all but as long as some is put aside for if/when I return to the UK I'd rather have the lifestyle over there

I'm 38 now and really want to move on with my life, fed up of this country and always thought I would move to Australia but have really fallen in love with Thailand (and it's a lot cheaper/easier to move to!) and I'll be honest my biggest concern is job security in a foreign country (as already commented bringing the dogs makes it a lot harder to just up and move back here).

It depends what you mean by cheap. What's cheap to one person can be expensive for another. If you're coming from the UK, then Chiang Mai will seem incredibly cheap and much cheaper than Bangkok. I lived there for a couple of months with my gf last year. We spent about 60K between us and had a great time. To live the same as a single person I'd say it would take 40K, as there'd be one paying for accommodation, electricity, etc instead of two sharing it. But it's certainly possible on 30K. Alcohol is what blows the budget of many expats here. That's an expensive hobby. All depends what you want to do, what kind of accommodation standard you expect, etc.

[recycler]

I would advise you to look either in the UK or somewhere else.

Spending money is easy in Thailand, the whole country is geared up to help you with that and 30,000 Baht a month is miserable.

Making money is not easy in Thailand and you'll have a much better chance to get a job in a western country like Australia, Thais don't need us (at least that's what they think)

It's a misunderstanding that Thailand is cheap, only rental of a shitty house or room, simple outdoor food and fuel are cheap, most other costs are similar or even more expensive as in the UK. Just compare food prices in the supermarket or local market and you'll wake up rapidly! Many prices are increasing like hell so it won't get much better too.

If you really want to work here try to get an expat job while you're still in the UK, than you are relatively safe and if you really like it you can always decide to stay.

[davejones23]

I would advise you to look either in the UK or somewhere else.

Spending money is easy in Thailand, the whole country is geared up to help you with that and 30,000 Baht a month is miserable.

Making money is not easy in Thailand and you'll have a much better chance to get a job in a western country like Australia, Thais don't need us (at least that's what they think)

It's a misunderstanding that Thailand is cheap, only rental of a shitty house or room, simple outdoor food and fuel are cheap, most other costs are similar or even more expensive as in the UK. Just compare food prices in the supermarket or local market and you'll wake up rapidly! Many prices are increasing like hell so it won't get much better too.

If you really want to work here try to get an expat job while you're still in the UK, than you are relatively safe and if you really like it you can always decide to stay.

Yet more nonsense. Thailand is way cheaper than UK. A fantastic condo in Bangkok is way cheaper than a similar fantastic condo in London. You can rent a cheap, shitty house in Thailand, but it will be cheaper than a similar shitty house in the UK.

Restaurant food is much cheaper here than in the UK. In Bangkok for instance I've eaten at Mango Tree, where a meal for 2 including drinks cost around £25. They also have a branch in London. When I had a similar meal and drinks for two there, the cost was around £125. So London meal was 5 times more expensive for the same restaurant.

Goods in supermarkets here are cheaper than UK except for imported goods, but that's also true in the UK. Imported goods in UK are way more expensive that in the countries they come from. e.g. dragonfruit in UK Tesco is over £2, while it's around 20p here.

Healthcare costs are way cheaper in Thailand.

Optician and dentist costs in Bangkok are a tiny fraction of London prices.

Public transport - incredibly cheap in Thailand. A taxi costing £50 in London would cost £5 or less in Bangkok. Skytrain/underground in Bangkok are cleaner and more efficient than London underground an cost about 20-30% of London prices.

Entertainment of all sorts - much cheaper here.

In fact, I can't really think of much that's more expensive. I've heard that cars are more expensive, bit you don't need one. Education for children can be expensive, but you don't have kids, so not a problem for you.

I have a similar standard of living in Bangkok to what I had in London, but for a small fraction of the cost. I spend around £1,200 a month year here. In London I spent around £4,000 a month. I don't miss out on anything to save money. I essentially live like I lived in London. It's better here for me and cheaper.

For those that spend more here, I don't understand how. Unless they come from a cheap, shitty town in UK and move to an expensive town in Thailand. But that's not comparing like with like. All that proves is that some towns are more expensive than others.

For those that think it's more expensive here, can you give some real examples, excluding imported goods. If you want to live in any country and only buy imported goods, then of course it will be expensive.

Edited March 12, 2014 by davejones23

[SanukDii]

I have a similar standard of living in Bangkok to what I had in London, but for a small fraction of the cost. I spend around £1,200 a month year here. In London I spent around £4,000 a month.

If you're comparing like with like London isn't a good comparison. It's one of the most expensive cities in the world - almost everywhere is cheaper than London including every city in the UK.

I would agree with others, leave the dogs, it will be painful but nowhere near as painful as trying to find affordable and comfortable accomodation with them in tow.

Forget volunteer work...get earning asap because you may soon tire of the noodle, khao man gai, phad Thai, som tam diet you are about to embark upon. Decent western food is quite expensive in Bangkok, cheaper in Chiang Mai but you will be surprised how much you will have to fork out for a good curry (if that is your thing...assuming you can find a good one). If you can cook for yourself groceries are cheap apart from imported stuff - which may be the stuff you are used to....and after a few months trust me you'll be tired of eating spicy/asian food all the time.

Taxi's in BKK are super cheap. MRT (underground) cheap. BTS (Overground ) cheap. In Chiang Mai, Song Teaw, cheap and frequent.

Cinemas are the best in the world in Thailand in my opinion and not that expensive relative to admission overseas.

Thailand can be a rewarding and enjoyable place. It won't be if you're getting by on 30k..the shine will soon wear off....earn more!!

Some pointers when you arrive:

1. Never get a Tuk-Tuk anywhere (ok maybe in Chiang Mai but know the deal before boarding from a local)
2. Learn the language....say it again..learn. the. language.
3. You have probably not pulled if you meet a friendly girl in a BKK/CM disco. (Given your recent divorce this is golden advice and will save you a lot of your 10k savings)
4. If you get sick pharmacists are amazingly knowledgable here and anti-biotics cheap. Don't attempt to tough it out.
5. If you don't ride a motorbike in the UK don't assume it's as easy as the Thais make it look. They grow up on them. Falling off hurts.

Your life will be a bit limited on 30k but you'll never know if you don't give it a go. You can always go back to the UK if it doesn't work out.

Best of luck!

Edited March 12, 2014 by SanukDii

[davejones23]

I have a similar standard of living in Bangkok to what I had in London, but for a small fraction of the cost. I spend around £1,200 a month year here. In London I spent around £4,000 a month.

If you're comparing like with like London isn't a good comparison. It's one of the most expensive cities in the world - almost everywhere is cheaper than London including every city in the UK.

I would agree with others, leave the dogs, it will be painful but nowhere near as painful as trying to find affordable and comfortable accomodation with them in tow.

Forget volunteer work...get earning asap because you may soon tire of the noodle, khao man gai, phad Thai, som tam diet you are about to embark upon. Decent western food is quite expensive in Bangkok, cheaper in Chiang Mai but you will be surprised how much you will have to fork out for a good curry (if that is your thing...assuming you can find a good one). If you can cook for yourself groceries are cheap apart from imported stuff - which may be the stuff you are used to....and after a few months trust me you'll be tired of eating spicy/asian food all the time.

Taxi's in BKK are super cheap. MRT (underground) cheap. BTS (Overground ) cheap. In Chiang Mai, Song Teaw, cheap and frequent.

Cinemas are the best in the world in Thailand in my opinion and not that expensive relative to admission overseas.

Thailand can be a rewarding and enjoyable place. It won't be if you're getting by on 30k..the shine will soon wear off....earn more!!

Some pointers when you arrive:

1. Never get a Tuk-Tuk anywhere (ok maybe in Chiang Mai but know the deal before boarding from a local)
2. Learn the language....say it again..learn. the. language.
3. You have probably not pulled if you meet a friendly girl in a BKK/CM disco. (Given your recent divorce this is golden advice and will save you a lot of your 10k savings)
4. If you get sick pharmacists are amazingly knowledgable here and anti-biotics cheap. Don't attempt to tough it out.
5. If you don't ride a motorbike in the UK don't assume it's as easy as the Thais make it look. They grow up on them. Falling off hurts.

Your life will be a bit limited on 30k but you'll never know if you don't give it a go. You can always go back to the UK if it doesn't work out.

Best of luck!

Yes, London is quite expensive, but a nice 1-bed condo in Bangkok is cheaper than most 3rd rate UK towns, so the comparison still holds.

I agree that the novelty wil; wear off quickly if you only have 30K per month. It's ok for day to day spending, but doesn't really allow anything for extras. e.g. what if you need to fly back to UK for some reason, holidays abroad, clothes, medical expenses. There are lots of extras that people don't take account of when making a monthly budget. They see them as one-off expenses that don't count, but can add up very quickly.

It's possible to eat local food that isn't spicy. Just ask to leave out the chilies. I've been eating Thai food for 3-4 years and haven't tired of it. I sometimes eat Indian food, but very rarely eat Western food. If varies for each individual, but there's no real reason to get bored with Thai food. There is way more variety than with Western food. I find that the people that usually get bored of it the quickest are those that live here but still act as if they're back home. I think it's more of an attitude problem than a taste problem. They are they type that come here and want everything to be like back home. They are living a Western life in an Asian country. Those types will never be happy here. Most you'll find on here complaining every day.

[penwithcris]

Stay in UK with your beloved dogs.

Clearly your life has been far from happy recently with the break up of your marriage

Doesn't seem that you are working in UK at the moment, hence your low income. Is it derived from state benefits?

I would try to stabilise your life in UK first. I don't care where you live, there will be places for you to enjoy during the coming months especially with your dogs for company

You might try finding work. There's nothing quite like it for helping depression and it should give you more money. As a free agent you could try moving to areas of the UK where work is more plentiful. Meet new people, make new friends.

Then think about holidaying in Thailand rather than settling. You will enjoy the best of both World's then

I've done my fair share of moaning about UK but, on balance, I don't think there's a better place anywhere to live (crumpet aside)

[SanukDii]

It's possible to eat local food that isn't spicy. Just ask to leave out the chilies. I've been eating Thai food for 3-4 years and haven't tired of it. I sometimes eat Indian food, but very rarely eat Western food. If varies for each individual, but there's no real reason to get bored with Thai food. There is way more variety than with Western food. I find that the people that usually get bored of it the quickest are those that live here but still act as if they're back home. I think it's more of an attitude problem than a taste problem. They are they type that come here and want everything to be like back home. They are living a Western life in an Asian country. Those types will never be happy here. Most you'll find on here complaining every day.

Yes I think we all know people like that. Though to be fair some of us have been visiting or living in Thailand a very long time and prefer a varied diet which again is more difficult on 30k. I got a bit sick of Paella when I lived in Spain, though not Spanish food.

As much as we can give advice to the O.P a lot of it will be down to his own reaction to his environment. As you say it is down to the individual. CM might be a good bet for him. I lived there for 4 years and found some good friends there. IMHO the Thai food is better in CM but he may find it hard to earn a living. Learning the language is easier there.

Sent from my SGP321 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[BabyButton]

Hey

Just a little insight on Lanta. I live there and have done for the past 4 years. I guess your also talking about Lanta Animal Welfare right? They are a great place to volunteer =) we rescued our two little cats from there.

I am pretty sure you could just turn up there and offer to volunteer, they are always looking for people and I know there are alot of walk ins that don't pay any fee to help walk dogs and things.

As for teaching in Lanta, its not possible at all unless you speak swedish and then you could try to find something at the swedish school.

Like someone else said above, in low season there isn't much going on in Lanta, but I like it for the fact its a great chance to meet all the other local people who live on the island.

As for your budget, myself and my partner and son live off less than that but we do live a very simple life. Houses in Lanta are hard to come by and are way more expensive during high season, and almost all landlord's will want minimum 3 months rent in advance.

I understand you wouldn't want to leave your dogs, I wouldn't either, but just be warned that most the landlords in Lanta are muslim and will not accept dogs. However if your able to bring them to Animal welfare with you this wouldn't be a problem, but I would hate for you to arrive and find that situation difficult.

Koh Lanta really is a great island. Maybe you could join the Koh Lanta Local page on facebook and check for houses and talk with the manager at Animal welfare.

Good luck!!

[sirchai]

Hi all, I've been browsing the forums for a while now and thought it was time to say join up and say hello, and of course ask some advice!

My situation is this: I own and live in a house in the UK which I am currently trying to sell, once this is done the plan is to rent somewhere dirt cheap for six months then off to Thailand!

(oh and in this six month period I will be taking a TEFL course)

Hi Oliver,

Welcome to Thailand and teaching here. Here’s what I think when reading your post. Forget the TEFL course in your country, once you’d sold the house. Better you make one here, travel and see where you like to stay.

A TEFL isn't really necessary, I've got one, as my first school wanted to hire a guy who did not have anything, so they’d arranged one, where I joined in. That thing never helped me, honestly speaking.

Originally I was thinking Chiang Mai as I do love it there but I'm not 100% sure yet as obviously being near the sea would be lovely also.

There’re too many guys in Chiang Mai area looking for a job. Even highly qualified guys with experience could have problems to find a good paid position.

One thing I have thought of doing is working as a volunteer in a animal charity (I love animals and it's my passion to work helping them), I've found one that provides free accommodation on one of the Ko Lanta but I have never been there so wondered does anyone have any thoughts?

On this line would I need a volunteer visa and would I get that once there or before I go?

Even being a volunteer, you'd have to have a work permit. Laws are pretty different here. Great to see that you love animals, while others would just eat your dog here. ( Middle, and upper northeast)

After doing this for a few months I would want to look for paid work, probably teaching as I appreciate there is little else to do, at this point I may have to look at moving as I don't know what sort of work there is on Ko Lanta.

Don’t focus on Ko Lanta, there’re plenty other good places in Thailand.

Another question for you: Would I be better off forgetting about the volunteering thing, moving over to Chiang Mai and then looking for a job and then maybe look into the volunteering thing during school holidays?

Why don't you just travel a bit and find the right place, where you’d like to live? Yes, look for a teaching position, the new school year starts in May, midterm is in October. Best time to look for a job would be in April, or September.

Next question: If all goes to plan I will have around £15,000, I would like to leave £5000 in a UK account so if it all goes horribly wrong I have something to come back to. Realistically would £10k last me a good long time (ie whilst volunteering with plenty left over for luxuries)?

Why volunteering, that would only eat up your savings. Go for a real job. “Lostinsurin"is worth to send a private message, as he seems to know how to get a job, even not having a BA, as I didn't read anything that you’ve got one.

Ideally I would love to work part time for a while and enjoy the easy life but from what I understand it is not possible to get a work visa unless I work 30 hours or more, is this the case?

There’s no work visa. If you’ll find a job, you'll have to apply for a Non-B visa in a nearby country. Would you find a decent job, you could possibly make between 20 and 30 something K, “upcountry”.

Ok sorry to throw all this out there but one more question before I shut up.

I have 2 small dogs that I will be taking with me, I've already looked into the ways and means of getting them into the country but will I have a problem finding somewhere to live with them in tow? I can't bear to leave them so it could be a deal breaker.

I really love animals, as you do, but would never even think of taking dogs to Thailand. That would only cause you troubles. Better to look for a good home for them. And I’m honest with you.

Thank you so much for any advice you can give, hope I haven't bored you stupid!

There’s nothing boring in your post. Guess all of us who’re living/ working here had to start somewhere and some advice is always worth gold. Finally, when you arrive, please don’t leave your commons sense at the airport and fall in love with a bargirl. Best of luck. Cheers-

- Oliver

Edited March 12, 2014 by sirchai

[slipperylobster]

Follow the advice of those who do not burn their bridges, once they arrive. Get a furnished place, and rent a scooter. Try not to buy anything, until you tried it all out. Leave enough in the bank back home to settle back in if you have too. Leave the dogs with a friend for six months. You might find it easy to bring them in, but almost impossible to get them back. I did that when I move to SE Asia 18 years ago. Flew in a pedigree German Shepard, paid over 1000 dollars for shipping and customs, then got divorced and left my dog there. He was happier in California. Came to Thailand with a laptop and a small backpack.....that was a happy time. Just staying in those one month apartelles for 10,000 baht a month. Some were half that. Now my 3 bedroom house is 2500 baht per month... tried almost every location, but chose Udon..... I hated the touriist scene.. Met a decent lady who owned a resort a furniture shop. It is so simple to travel.....800 baht for a flight to Bangkok and from there go anywhere else for about the same. Truthfully, I would not spend the rest of my life in Thailand. I am getting urges for other places after 2 years.

[ozyjon]

As the saying goes,,sleep on it,, it could go belly up,, mu friend sold up (overseas) divorced his wife, moved to Thailand, bought a house, car, motor bike now the GF has gone absolutely nuts, throws tantrums, smashes things, the land of smiles is not all it seems to be, you have read it here millions of times so don't do it,, i have some friends who left their home sold up and today are so poor they can never move back, what will you do then ?

You can wake up now.

[PaiMei]

To the O/P I would say that you are not "fresh meat" and the only trap you need to worry about is listening to cranky old farang who assume everyone is as clueless and helpless as they are. If you've been browsing these forums for awhile, you probably are aware that high pitched whining and moaning is an unfortunate constant on many threads..

Over the top rude and uncalled for. Advice to spend 6 months in country prior to making a more permanent commitment is sound. Will also give you a better idea of where to go.

OP: Just returned to my own country after after spending a year in the kingdom to test the waters and travel. Didn't intend on volunteering but did anyway to help a friend and it was a bit anarchic. Fortunate to have a job where I can work remotely and will return to Thailand in 2016 for several years as long as life doesn't gum up the works - my outlook now is much different than it was 18 months ago. Explore the country and feel it out for yourself, then make the big decisions. And good luck

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[kimbathewhitelion]

Question, why Thailand? What are your motivations?

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[kimbathewhitelion]

Thailand is overcrowded with Foreign teachers & only 1% or less are any good according to the educated Thais whom went to schools abroad.

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[davejones23]

As the saying goes,,sleep on it,, it could go belly up,, mu friend sold up (overseas) divorced his wife, moved to Thailand, bought a house, car, motor bike now the GF has gone absolutely nuts, throws tantrums, smashes things, the land of smiles is not all it seems to be, you have read it here millions of times so don't do it,, i have some friends who left their home sold up and today are so poor they can never move back, what will you do then ?

You can wake up now.

Just because you friends can't make sensible decisions doesn't mean other people can't. Friend 1 - why doesn't he dump his gf? Seems like a crazy friend to put up with that kind of behavior. Other friends - what did they spend their money on and why did they spend it all? Seems like money management problems and nothing to do with Thailand. I suggest you find better friends. Most people don't have a whole bunch of friends that are so incompetent.

[kimbathewhitelion]

As the saying goes,,sleep on it,, it could go belly up,, mu friend sold up (overseas) divorced his wife, moved to Thailand, bought a house, car, motor bike now the GF has gone absolutely nuts, throws tantrums, smashes things, the land of smiles is not all it seems to be, you have read it here millions of times so don't do it,, i have some friends who left their home sold up and today are so poor they can never move back, what will you do then ?

You can wake up now.

Just because you friends can't make sensible decisions doesn't mean other people can't. Friend 1 - why doesn't he dump his gf? Seems like a crazy friend to put up with that kind of behavior. Other friends - what did they spend their money on and why did they spend it all? Seems like money management problems and nothing to do with Thailand. I suggest you find better friends. Most people don't have a whole bunch of friends that are so incompetent.

Think the point was to take a closer more researched look & seriously consider your options. For me looking back, I would've listened to the TV members & avoided this country as a living destination.

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[davejones23]

As the saying goes,,sleep on it,, it could go belly up,, mu friend sold up (overseas) divorced his wife, moved to Thailand, bought a house, car, motor bike now the GF has gone absolutely nuts, throws tantrums, smashes things, the land of smiles is not all it seems to be, you have read it here millions of times so don't do it,, i have some friends who left their home sold up and today are so poor they can never move back, what will you do then ?

You can wake up now.

Just because you friends can't make sensible decisions doesn't mean other people can't. Friend 1 - why doesn't he dump his gf? Seems like a crazy friend to put up with that kind of behavior. Other friends - what did they spend their money on and why did they spend it all? Seems like money management problems and nothing to do with Thailand. I suggest you find better friends. Most people don't have a whole bunch of friends that are so incompetent.

Think the point was to take a closer more researched look & seriously consider your options. For me looking back, I would've listened to the TV members & avoided this country as a living destination.

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I'm very happy with my choice of moving here, so I'd be interested to know what you don't like about it and where you think would be better. Also, why don't you move to a better if it's not so good for you here.

I suspect that a lot of people that don't like it here wouldn't like it anywhere. I don't mean you, but many on this forum come across as not liking anything, always complaining, etc. I can't imagine them being happy anywhere. They want the world to change to suit them instead of adapting to the world.

[kimbathewhitelion]

As the saying goes,,sleep on it,, it could go belly up,, mu friend sold up (overseas) divorced his wife, moved to Thailand, bought a house, car, motor bike now the GF has gone absolutely nuts, throws tantrums, smashes things, the land of smiles is not all it seems to be, you have read it here millions of times so don't do it,, i have some friends who left their home sold up and today are so poor they can never move back, what will you do then ?

You can wake up now.

Just because you friends can't make sensible decisions doesn't mean other people can't. Friend 1 - why doesn't he dump his gf? Seems like a crazy friend to put up with that kind of behavior. Other friends - what did they spend their money on and why did they spend it all? Seems like money management problems and nothing to do with Thailand. I suggest you find better friends. Most people don't have a whole bunch of friends that are so incompetent.

Think the point was to take a closer more researched look & seriously consider your options. For me looking back, I would've listened to the TV members & avoided this country as a living destination.

Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

I'm very happy with my choice of moving here, so I'd be interested to know what you don't like about it and where you think would be better. Also, why don't you move to a better if it's not so good for you here.

I suspect that a lot of people that don't like it here wouldn't like it anywhere. I don't mean you, but many on this forum come across as not liking anything, always complaining, etc. I can't imagine them being happy anywhere. They want the world to change to suit them instead of adapting to the world.

Specifically your quote, "I'm very happy with my choice of moving here". You slipped, didn't take long. I'm done.

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