ways to live permanently in thailand with my girlfriend

[Tombuk]

Hi I know this question has been asked a thousand times but has anyone got any advice on how I can live there permanently?

From what I have read most of the advice is for older people who have savings and assets. I am only 23 and have been with my Thai girlfriend for 4 years, of which 2 years I lived with her and her parents in Bangkok. I have recently come home to the UK and am struggling to see a way of how I can return to Thailand permanently. I have no degree or qualifications and am just working in a dead end factory job and living with my parents.

So if anyone has any advice it will be much appreciated.

[ryanhull]

Hi I know this question has been asked a thousand times but has anyone got any advice on how I can live there permanently?

From what I have read most of the advice is for older people who have savings and assets. I am only 23 and have been with my Thai girlfriend for 4 years, of which 2 years I lived with her and her parents in Bangkok. I have recently come home to the UK and am struggling to see a way of how I can return to Thailand permanently. I have no degree or qualifications and am just working in a dead end factory job and living with my parents.

So if anyone has any advice it will be much appreciated.

Hey, you could search for jobs in Thailand and contact some recruitment agencies in bangkok?or you could try and find a remote position either freelance or within a company. Aside from that you could consider starting an online business or doing something online.

One thing I will say is try to be positive and not listen to negative people too much

Your 23 so age is on your side, when my son grows up I will onourage him to start his own business good luck, cheers mate

Edited September 7, 2015 by ryanhull

[beachproperty]

OP ...you state ..."2 years I lived with her and her parents in Bangkok".....

What type of visa did you have so you could do That......Why not continue to live with her at her parents house in Bangkok as you did before?

Edited September 7, 2015 by beachproperty

[rwdrwdrwd]

Very few options mate....

I did manage it in a similar position to you, left school at 15 with basic qualifications. I taught myself programming from books, got a job as a junior programmer and then spent 5 years improving on my skills in a full time job back home before I was able to work remotely for the first time and earn anything like decent money. I did leave the UK at 24 and worked remotely very successfully, but it was the initial 5 years experience that enabled it to work out.

Whilst income did rise, I was still on a mid level UK salary (around 40k) after 4 years abroad - to get to the next level I had to go back and put another 4 years onsite work in as a consultant in London for some big name companies, only then did it become possible to easily find remote work on full senior western rates.

It is an option, and if you naturally have strong IT skills it could be an avenue to pursue, but it's certainly no quick fix - you need to be considered senior to really get a look in these days on a remote basis, unless you want to earn peanuts and be competing on price (trust me you don't, it really is a pittance).

If you have strong computer skills, and the ability to teach yourself, you could quite possibly get yourself to a 20 - 30k job in the UK within a couple of years as a programmer, and make it feasible to build a career where you can work remotely for a lot more a few years further down the line. I'm happy to point you in the right direction for learning if you want more information.

Edited September 7, 2015 by rwdrwdrwd

[Cypress Hill]

23 and wanting to burn your time in Bangkok?

If you had a skill, I'd be encouraging you but you say you're working a dead-end job in a factory.

Get trained, mate. Learn a skill that you can make money out of anywhere in the world then you've got a choice.

Spunking your youth away in Bangkok on your bird's mum's couch isn't cool.

Failing that, the new multiple entry tourist visa should be available soon and that gives you a year at a time I think.

£500 and you're sorted

[Crazy chef 1]

23 and wanting to burn your time in Bangkok?

If you had a skill, I'd be encouraging you but you say you're working a dead-end job in a factory.

Get trained, mate. Learn a skill that you can make money out of anywhere in the world then you've got a choice.

Spunking your youth away in Bangkok on your bird's mum's couch isn't cool.

Failing that, the new multiple entry tourist visa should be available soon and that gives you a year at a time I think.

£500 and you're sorted

Even if I don't like to admit it...best advice so far...

[fey]

if your that serious about it, then the best options for you as a couple is to bring her to your home country where you have a job and income.

you already tried things out and it's working. try bringing her to you.

it's really wasted time that gets you in thailand. once that gap is there it's that much harder to develop a career or worthwhile work experience in your home country that will lead to better jobs.

advancement in thailand is a no go, just won't happen.

Edited September 7, 2015 by fey

[big carl]

There are people living here and working on the oil ships and platforms. Have a look at that.

[oncearugge]

OP

Sorry

You are fantasising !

At the age of 23, with little or no education or skill the chances of living in Thailand permanently range between zero and nil.

I apologise for being the the one to tell you the truth.

[rwdrwdrwd]

I wouldn't go that far. had a mate move out to asia with zero qualifications at 18 and put away 100k GBP savings by the time he was 25.

Timeshare though..... ugh. And he got out of it, and moved back to put himself through college, eventually doing an MBA - I suspect it's very much a young man or gangster's game.

Edited September 7, 2015 by rwdrwdrwd

[oncearugge]

I wouldn't go that far. had a mate move out to asia with zero qualifications at 18 and put away 100k GBP savings by the time he was 25.

Timeshare though..... ugh.

Nowadays the police (at least where I live ) quickly sweep time share touts off the streets .

£100K ......................Really ?

Edited September 7, 2015 by oncearugge

[rwdrwdrwd]

Genuinely! He worked in Thailand and Bali mostly.

7 years work mind you, so it's an not extravagant amount really... basically putting away just over a grand a month.

This was 10 - 15 years ago though, I strongly doubt that there's still as much potential money in it though. And certainly not a career.

Edited September 7, 2015 by rwdrwdrwd

[oncearugge]

Genuinely! He worked in Thailand and Bali mostly.

7 years work mind you, so it's an not extravagant amount really... basically putting away just over a grand a month.

He was also 6'5 and built like a brick shithouse, I never asked what 'aspect' of timeshare he was involved in

Really !

All work in Thailand completely legal with the required visa and work permit ?

[rwdrwdrwd]

Doubt it.

[ryanhull]

OP

Sorry

You are fantasising !

At the age of 23, with little or no education or skill the chances of living in Thailand permanently range between zero and nil.

I apologise for being the the one to tell you the truth.

Bit negative really... ou've got to go through being broke/hardship to finally appreciate and manage money properly, and atleast the OP has a job and a roof over his head with age on his side so can potentially save whilst working on another plan/venture. I have read posts on this forum of people in alot worse situations and alot older then this lad.

Get a realistic plan, stay positive and work on it I say. Plus you know youve got a keeper if your strapped and she sticks with you.

Cheers

[zierf1]

I'm in a similar situation as you are. Just returned from living in Thailand after several years. Got a job on the assembly line in my own country and I'm looking to move back to Thailand next year with 1-2 million baht saved. Having property bought and paid for will help make up for my low income. I make some money online but it is just enough to pay for food and some basic travel expenses. Unfortunately, there are not many jobs in Thailand available to foreigners other than teaching. For me, teaching is not the right way to go. But I hear you can still get a teaching job without a degree.

Edited September 7, 2015 by zierf1

[ukrules]

Very few options mate....

I did manage it in a similar position to you, left school at 15 with basic qualifications. I taught myself programming from books, got a job as a junior programmer and then spent 5 years improving on my skills in a full time job back home before I was able to work remotely for the first time and earn anything like decent money. I did leave the UK at 24 and worked remotely very successfully, but it was the initial 5 years experience that enabled it to work out.

Whilst income did rise, I was still on a mid level UK salary (around 40k) after 4 years abroad - to get to the next level I had to go back and put another 4 years onsite work in as a consultant in London for some big name companies, only then did it become possible to easily find remote work on full senior western rates.

It is an option, and if you naturally have strong IT skills it could be an avenue to pursue, but it's certainly no quick fix - you need to be considered senior to really get a look in these days on a remote basis, unless you want to earn peanuts and be competing on price (trust me you don't, it really is a pittance).

If you have strong computer skills, and the ability to teach yourself, you could quite possibly get yourself to a 20 - 30k job in the UK within a couple of years as a programmer, and make it feasible to build a career where you can work remotely for a lot more a few years further down the line. I'm happy to point you in the right direction for learning if you want more information.

Becoming an expert in something takes an enormous amount of time as you've found. It's not the easiest of things to achieve for instant results.

[bendejo]

23 and been with the same girl four years?

Go out and get it while you can, young man! You won't have such opportunity 30 years from now, outside of pay-for-play, and you can end up hanging around Nana Plaza trying to make up for lost time. Take it from an old fossil.

Take a trip to Australia, get a job to make some dosh. The Aussie gals will take care of you, god bless em!

Edited September 7, 2015 by bendejo

[NOC]

Here's some direction for you. All free.

https://www.thenewboston.com/

http://tv.adobe.com/

https://www.livecoding.tv/

http://www.w3schools.com/

[jspill]

OP ...you state ..."2 years I lived with her and her parents in Bangkok".....

What type of visa did you have so you could do That......

There's no official limit on back to back tourist visa stay, people use those to remain here as a perpetual tourists for many years. http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/788273-is-there-any-limit-on-back-to-back-tourist-visas/

[jspill]

I came here at 22 and am still here seven years later. I just googled around / searched forums and Craigslist for freelance writing work, got good at it, and eventually found a fixed position writing content for one company. Nothing in the Alien Labor act prohibits supporting yourself through online work, transferring USD to a Thai bank account to live off. Many do that with zero issues.

Google r/ freelance writing, r/ freelance, r/ work online, and start researching.

[Tombuk]

I came to Thailand on and ED visa as i studied Thai language for 2 years and was also teaching English in a kindergarten but it was only 15k baht a month as I only reached 3 days a week. Before I came to Thailand I was in the army but just as an infantry soldier. So I used the money I had saved and money from my settlement to stay here.

Obviously I came back to the UK when my funds got low.

I have thought about bringing my girlfriend here but her father is critically ill so she spends all her time caring for him whilst her mother is the one who goes out to work.

I am not looking at trying to get back to Thailand as soon as possible but trying to see what opportunities there is to live there. I am not really bothered what country we live in as Thailand and England both have pros and cons. My girlfriend is still at university at the minute so has no income.

I am open to going to college to learn new skills but I'm not sure what I could do that is in demand in Thailand. ( I don't want to do something that is going to get me nowhere)

Edited September 7, 2015 by Tombuk

[autanic]

OP

Sorry

You are fantasising !

At the age of 23, with little or no education or skill the chances of living in Thailand permanently range between zero and nil.

I apologise for being the the one to tell you the truth.

a bit harsh mate

[kannot]

Do what I did, although you will need some capital, set her up in a business, sit back and do nothing, however it needs to be the right business for the time and the right girl. PS it wasnt a noodle stall.

[itsmylife]

Do what I did, although you will need some capital, set her up in a business, sit back and do nothing, however it needs to be the right business for the time and the right girl. PS it wasnt a noodle stall.

Thats what i looking for right now but i will not sit and do nothing.

[kannot]

Do what I did, although you will need some capital, set her up in a business, sit back and do nothing, however it needs to be the right business for the time and the right girl. PS it wasnt a noodle stall.

Thats what i looking for right now but i will not sit and do nothing.

My Capital was 5 million baht.

PS you will have to sit and do nothing, best you can do is offer advice on that business but not get involved any other way.

Edited September 8, 2015 by kannot

[Cypress Hill]

There are people living here and working on the oil ships and platforms. Have a look at that.

Hell of a lot of people been let go from those jobs with oil at $40-50 a barrel.

Back-breaking work in very inhospitable conditions.

[Tombuk]

23 and wanting to burn your time in Bangkok?

If you had a skill, I'd be encouraging you but you say you're working a dead-end job in a factory.

Get trained, mate. Learn a skill that you can make money out of anywhere in the world then you've got a choice.

Spunking your youth away in Bangkok on your bird's mum's couch isn't cool.

Failing that, the new multiple entry tourist visa should be available soon and that gives you a year at a time I think.

£500 and you're sorted

What would you suggest I get trained in?

[beachproperty]

23 and wanting to burn your time in Bangkok?

If you had a skill, I'd be encouraging you but you say you're working a dead-end job in a factory.

Get trained, mate. Learn a skill that you can make money out of anywhere in the world then you've got a choice.

Spunking your youth away in Bangkok on your bird's mum's couch isn't cool.

Failing that, the new multiple entry tourist visa should be available soon and that gives you a year at a time I think.

£500 and you're sorted

What would you suggest I get trained in?

And therein lies your problem......You DON'T have a clue.

At 23 I was already married with a child on the way. Worked since I was 13 in numerous unskilled labor jobs ....BUT always willing to work and do what it took to get by. It's called "work ethic"!

Paid my own way thru school (night school) while working during the day...... and things worked out for me good. FOCUS!

At least now you seem focused ....problem is ...ONLY YOU can determine what it is you want to do or have you just always had things handed to you and haven't really had to think about until now?

Only advice I can give you is do something you "love doing" .....then it won't seem like work and over time the money will come. Otherwise ....working at a job you hate will seem worse than prison ....only you get to go home to eat and sleep.

Edited September 8, 2015 by beachproperty

[circusman]

OP

Sorry

You are fantasising !

At the age of 23, with little or no education or skill the chances of living in Thailand permanently range between zero and nil.

I apologise for being the the one to tell you the truth.

Best advice yet.