Moving To Phuket...some Practicle Advise Apreciated

[Rebeckah]

Hi all..

My partner and i are packing up and moving to Phuket at the beginning of October....

For all of you who have already embarked on this adventure you will know that however well

one can plan something like this there will of course be much we have forgotten to look into, consider and think about further before making the move...so maybe you could help by reminding us of a few of those....

I was also wondering if anyone could tell me a)how dificult it is to find a job such as bartending,waitressing, cleaning etc.... and if i would be abe to apply for a work visa with such employment....

Also i have been looking into TEFL courses to help my job prospects when i get there..... any opinions, ideas...advice?

There is ofcourse much more i would love to ask you all but i will ait and see if i get any replies on this first....

Hope you can help....... and hope to see you in Phuket soon

Rebeckah

[khall64au]

Do your homework on the jobs that foreigners are legally permitted. Start with the Jobs, Work Permits, etc, forums right here on Thai Visa.

[retirednavyman]

Hi all..

My partner and i are packing up and moving to Phuket at the beginning of October....

For all of you who have already embarked on this adventure you will know that however well

one can plan something like this there will of course be much we have forgotten to look into, consider and think about further before making the move...so maybe you could help by reminding us of a few of those....

I was also wondering if anyone could tell me a)how dificult it is to find a job such as bartending,waitressing, cleaning etc.... and if i would be abe to apply for a work visa with such employment....

Also i have been looking into TEFL courses to help my job prospects when i get there..... any opinions, ideas...advice?

There is ofcourse much more i would love to ask you all but i will ait and see if i get any replies on this first....

Hope you can help....... and hope to see you in Phuket soon

Rebeckah

Hi Becky,

You might also try www.phuketgazette.net (it's in English by the way) and check the employment listings there as well.

You will first have to register for an account with phuketgazette first but you can do it online.

Good luck

Mike

[Rebeckah]

Thanks retirednavyman...had tried phuketgazette but hadnt realised i needed to log in Doh!! ....good advice though..it´s very informative...cheers

[jdinasia]

Rebekah ....

you decided to try and move here before doing the reseaarch?

Get busy with the forums and LEARN!

If you are young and cannot survive here well for MONTHS without working you may want to reconsider your choices

[retirednavyman]

Thanks retirednavyman...had tried phuketgazette but hadnt realised i needed to log in Doh!! ....good advice though..it´s very informative...cheers

Glad to be of service m'lady (he takes a bow) and please call me Mike

[Rebeckah]

Rebekah ....

you decided to try and move here before doing the reseaarch?

Get busy with the forums and LEARN!

If you are young and cannot survive here well for MONTHS without working you may want to reconsider your choices

Thanks for the advice.... noted..and agreed with..... which is why i am here on this forum; doing my "homework" .....We are not thinking of moving until much later in the year so have still quiute a bit of time for my research....just thought that as much guide books etc i can read the advice i will/may recieve here from people who have already made the move may be more realistic and "human"

thanks again.... but no worries ...am no youngster anymore ...and will continue my research

[skydancer]

Rebeckah,

Great picture!

The two things that have been hardest for me to adjust to is the weather and the bugs.

My husband and I moved to Thailand 4 months ago. We moved from a high-desert climate (in the US) to a small island off of Phuket. I don't know what type of climate you will be moving from but in Phuket you physically need to be able to withstand high humidity and heat for half of the year and less heat but even higher humidity for the other half. Before moving here I had no experience with tropical living and it is getting me down. This is our first rainy season. Every day I seem to find something else that has mold on it - my Birkenstocks, eye glass case, camera case, wallet, the mattress we are sleeping on, pillows, our luggage, basically anything that can absorb moisture. We have fans in every room to keep the air moving but only screens on the windows. Everything feels damp to the touch. I'm having to throw away a lot of things and rethink my idea of how many personal possessions I really need.

When we first arrived I only left out a small amount of clothes and put the rest in air tight bags. That worked great. I put our books and anything else I thought would mold in plastic boxes. Then I bought some towels and bedding and put them in a plastic dresser. I guess there isn't enough air flow because everything that I store in the dresser molds. Aargh! I can't use a wooden dresser because it will be eaten by bugs. Guess I need to go buy another plastic box. They are stacked 4 deep around my bungalow! I had a beautiful house in the US with nice art work and furnishings but here I have bare walls and lots of plastic boxes.

I haven't been here long but email me if you would like to talk.

Skydancer

Rebekah ....

you decided to try and move here before doing the reseaarch?

Get busy with the forums and LEARN!

If you are young and cannot survive here well for MONTHS without working you may want to reconsider your choices

Thanks for the advice.... noted..and agreed with..... which is why i am here on this forum; doing my "homework" .....We are not thinking of moving until much later in the year so have still quiute a bit of time for my research....just thought that as much guide books etc i can read the advice i will/may recieve here from people who have already made the move may be more realistic and "human"

thanks again.... but no worries ...am no youngster anymore ...and will continue my research

[jdinasia]

hmmm mold hasn't been an issue for me in 3 yearsliving in Thailand ... bugs on the other hand ... well if they bite ... i get bitten by them!

I moved from Denver to the beach ... then the beach to bkk ... and now BKK to Phuket ....

My biggest thing to cope with is climate! ... I sweat! ... almost all the time! But I love it here! Get on the bike and it dries ... jump in the ocean and .....

[Goldenbead]

This is our first rainy season. Every day I seem to find something else that has mold on it - my Birkenstocks, eye glass case, camera case, wallet, the mattress we are sleeping on, pillows, our luggage, basically anything that can absorb moisture. We have fans in every room to keep the air moving but only screens on the windows. Everything feels damp to the touch. I'm having to throw away a lot of things and rethink my idea of how many personal possessions I really need.

When we first arrived I only left out a small amount of clothes and put the rest in air tight bags. That worked great. I put our books and anything else I thought would mold in plastic boxes. Then I bought some towels and bedding and put them in a plastic dresser. I guess there isn't enough air flow because everything that I store in the dresser molds. Aargh! I can't use a wooden dresser because it will be eaten by bugs. Guess I need to go buy another plastic box. They are stacked 4 deep around my bungalow! I had a beautiful house in the US with nice art work and furnishings but here I have bare walls and lots of plastic boxes.

There are small packets of dehumidifier available at many shops around Phuket now. I saw some today at HomePro. All you do is open the top, put it wherever you want and it absorbs the moisture. Not sure how long they last but they do keep the damp down.

Mold isn't a big problem for us. There are lots of bugs but the screens should keep them out.

[skydancer]

Thanks Goldenbead. Husband just bought a dryer today. That will help with the clothes molding and I will make a trip to Home Pro tomorrow to pick up some dehumidifier packets.

This is so different than living in the desert. I need some coping skills.

Skydancer

This is our first rainy season. Every day I seem to find something else that has mold on it - my Birkenstocks, eye glass case, camera case, wallet, the mattress we are sleeping on, pillows, our luggage, basically anything that can absorb moisture. We have fans in every room to keep the air moving but only screens on the windows. Everything feels damp to the touch. I'm having to throw away a lot of things and rethink my idea of how many personal possessions I really need.

When we first arrived I only left out a small amount of clothes and put the rest in air tight bags. That worked great. I put our books and anything else I thought would mold in plastic boxes. Then I bought some towels and bedding and put them in a plastic dresser. I guess there isn't enough air flow because everything that I store in the dresser molds. Aargh! I can't use a wooden dresser because it will be eaten by bugs. Guess I need to go buy another plastic box. They are stacked 4 deep around my bungalow! I had a beautiful house in the US with nice art work and furnishings but here I have bare walls and lots of plastic boxes.

There are small packets of dehumidifier available at many shops around Phuket now. I saw some today at HomePro. All you do is open the top, put it wherever you want and it absorbs the moisture. Not sure how long they last but they do keep the damp down.

Mold isn't a big problem for us. There are lots of bugs but the screens should keep them out.

[kasi]

I was also wondering if anyone could tell me a)how dificult it is to find a job such as bartending,waitressing, cleaning etc.... and if i would be abe to apply for a work visa with such employment....

Getting a job isn't impossible. Wages for bartender, waitresses, maids range from 5-10K baht a month. Not really liveable for a foreigner.

Lots of opportunities to entrepreneurs but it takes money to make money. It's also very easy to loose your a$$ here.

TEFL isn't a walk in the park either.

Judging from you picture you might find success with a running a private BDSM club. There is a market here. But you would need money, contacts and most importantly experience.

I think there is also a market for "personal concierge" work. But you would need to speak Thai and know your way around.

There are many elderly retirees here that need company/assistance.

Bon chance!