what would you do if you were suddenly broke?

[sawadee1947]

I would ask my embassy for a flight home and would work again. Easy but unconvenient...

an embassy wont pay you for a flight home

they would, God sake. However I have to pay back

[soalbundy]

you land at Heathrow Airport, 1 bag of clothes for 3 or 4 days, UK passport in hand, no cash (lost all in a Thai house or Thai business) , totally broke(1£ in your pocket that you found when exiting the plane) , you are 50 or 60 years old so no retirement benefits , what next? where you go? no friend, no family, ...only 1£.

If it was that easy there would be no homeless people sleeping on the streets of London.

[soalbundy]

no way. became a terrorist and blow up everything around you. this is all the system's fault and not yours. lol.

someone has forgotten to go to his mindfulness lessons.

[soalbundy]

How about ;

Dear God, i know i haven't spoken to you for a long time now but.......

[Civilnow]

Happened to me in Viet Nam, Had a really good time. Then got home and sent her some money.

Having no money or options in Thailand was the best time of my life. It's what you do in those times defines you.

[Sutty]

As a good few have said always plan for the worst have enough money lodged with daughter in UK to get me back if required. Plus I have an open ended ticket which yes I paid well over the odds but it's there if needed just keep shifting dates back a couple of months before flight. But I hope and am pretty sure 99.9999999999% I won't have to use either. Unless it's to fly my ashes home LOL

[micmichd]

If you have been married for a long time and live among Thais you will be cared for... they take care of their own.

I had health problems and was unable to work anymore. My wife and grown children along with the extended family came through for me.

I've always loved Thailand - in spite of the many aggravations here - and now that love is being reciprocated.

up and until the immigration wants to know how you are going to apply for your next visa extension without funds.

This is a question about a (hopefully fictive) worst case scenario: no bank funds, no income, no pension.

I would take Farangs as hostages in order not to have to go back (and eventually get locked up forever)

[Dustdevil]

My Plan B would be very simple. Have a credit card I never use except for emergencies (and occasionally, to keep it valid). Use credit card to return to my home country. For most of you Commonwealth and European people, you can just slide right back into welfare, right?

[Benmart]

This sounds like a real-life scenario from two months ago. A down and out, lost everything, living on the beach Englishman crossed my path. Alcohol played a big part in this man's sad and dark experiences.

Fortunately for him, the fellowship of service minded individuals stepped forward to help get this man back on his feet enough to make it back to his home country and his family.

Having a support network, both at home and here, seems a prudent measure. Those that scoff at the thought that they too could be faced with similar circumstances, are but one minute away from a future they cannot predict.

One Day at a Time

[dieseldave1951]

Good question, if I end up broke I would hope my wife will support me as I have helped her when she was down and out, I have saved her losing 2 blocks of land, 30 rai of farming land and her 5.7 tonne Hino truck by paying off a debt with the factory she delt with.

ii think the same as i have done this too but it looks unlikley but i have a plan B have a house going to auction soon in ubon with the blessing of the Thai justice system (first wife tried to <deleted>> me and steal the house) and my pension starts next year

but i getting really low just hope i can last till the sale

[micmichd]

Company pension + state pension,

At worst I can only be broke for under 4 weeks.

Not long enough for them to cut off the water and leccy ........ food I can get free from the temple.

How bad could that be?

Sounds good, 2 pensions. I have that, too.

But - surprise surprise - "my" (German) bank refused to hand over *my* pensions.

What would you do in a situation like this?

Edited September 21, 2015 by micmichd

[BKKSnowBird]

Never keep all your money with one bank and always have multiple credit cards. I could live off credit cards for a few years if I had to.

[micmichd]

Do like any normal person would do. Set up a gofundme account.

How much would you donate?

[Stevemercer]

I've got an Australian credit card (my home country) with a $1,000 limit. I can upgrade the credit limit to $5,000 using internet banking with instant approval. If I suddenly lost everything, including my contingency funds, that would be me lifeline to return back to Australia.

[micmichd]

We all know that Thailand has no safety net for foreigners, we all know that if you crash and burn in Thailand you are on your own.

But we also know that its not uncommon for foreigners to leave their brains at the airport on the way in.

Worse still, for every person offering good advice, there are those eager to invite others into making the same mistakes as they themselves make - and there are far too many on the hunt for the gullible to relieve them of the burden of their life's savings.

Loosing it all to a Thai woman is a common enough story, but I'm of the opinion that the biggest danger to any foreigner's financial health is other foreigners.

A common response in the answers to this thread is "I'd ask my family for help", this may be their new Thai family or their own family back home.

But there's the rub.

How many are unwise in their choice of a Thai family? And how many burned the real bridge back home, dumping family and friends back home to come to Thailand?

How many stating 'I'm never setting foot back in the old country' have anything to go back for, property, friends or family?

Talk to charities working with homeless people in the UK (Soldier's Off The Streets is my own favourite charity), they'll all tell you the same thing, the common precursor for winding up on the streets is a breakdown of family ties.

Your family should be your plan A, B and C. Likewise you should be their Plan A, B and C.

I'll wager every single foreigner who winds up destitute in Thailand has broken ties with their family back home, either before they arrived in Thailand or sometime soon after they arrived.

If you have broken your family ties, hang on to your money because its only your money keeping you off the street.

Regardless of all that, I would advise anyone moving to Thailand to, at the very least, have emergency health insurance and an account with sufficient funds for a ticket home and the deposit + 3 months rent on an apartment back in the old country. If you ever dip into that account, know you are heading for the street.

In a place with no safety net, you need to be able to get up and go back home when and whenever you need to.

That freedom to take a risk and know you can go home to be taken care of is what the 'nanny state' has given you.

Count your blessings.

So, what would be your advice for a homeless orphan?

[Nemesis7]

You actually got me into thinking and my brain isn't working at all ( truly ) can't imagine how hard that will be and if there was no plan B, I guess I will be sort of the most unfortunate of all

Edited September 21, 2015 by Nemesis7

[mogandave]

I assume for most, losing it "all" would take a little while.

I can't imagine a scenario where I would dead broke overnight.

I couldn't imagine a scenario like this, but it happened.

So how do you plan for something you can't imagine?

I got an education, I work, I save money, I own a shop here, I buy insurance, I pay my bills, I diversify, and l am on good terms with my friends & family.

I can imagine a lot lot of things happening, just nothing I haven't planned for.

[mogandave]

We all know that Thailand has no safety net for foreigners, we all know that if you crash and burn in Thailand you are on your own.

But we also know that its not uncommon for foreigners to leave their brains at the airport on the way in.

Worse still, for every person offering good advice, there are those eager to invite others into making the same mistakes as they themselves make - and there are far too many on the hunt for the gullible to relieve them of the burden of their life's savings.

Loosing it all to a Thai woman is a common enough story, but I'm of the opinion that the biggest danger to any foreigner's financial health is other foreigners.

A common response in the answers to this thread is "I'd ask my family for help", this may be their new Thai family or their own family back home.

But there's the rub.

How many are unwise in their choice of a Thai family? And how many burned the real bridge back home, dumping family and friends back home to come to Thailand?

How many stating 'I'm never setting foot back in the old country' have anything to go back for, property, friends or family?

Talk to charities working with homeless people in the UK (Soldier's Off The Streets is my own favourite charity), they'll all tell you the same thing, the common precursor for winding up on the streets is a breakdown of family ties.

Your family should be your plan A, B and C. Likewise you should be their Plan A, B and C.

I'll wager every single foreigner who winds up destitute in Thailand has broken ties with their family back home, either before they arrived in Thailand or sometime soon after they arrived.

If you have broken your family ties, hang on to your money because its only your money keeping you off the street.

Regardless of all that, I would advise anyone moving to Thailand to, at the very least, have emergency health insurance and an account with sufficient funds for a ticket home and the deposit + 3 months rent on an apartment back in the old country. If you ever dip into that account, know you are heading for the street.

In a place with no safety net, you need to be able to get up and go back home when and whenever you need to.

That freedom to take a risk and know you can go home to be taken care of is what the 'nanny state' has given you.

Count your blessings.

So, what would be your advice for a homeless orphan?

Get a job.

[soalbundy]

I assume for most, losing it "all" would take a little while.

I can't imagine a scenario where I would dead broke overnight.

I couldn't imagine a scenario like this, but it happened.

So how do you plan for something you can't imagine?

I got an education, I work, I save money, I own a shop here, I buy insurance, I pay my bills, I diversify, and l am on good terms with my friends & family.

I can imagine a lot lot of things happening, just nothing I haven't planned for.

As prime minister Mac Millan once said, ''Events old boy, events''

[micmichd]

We all know that Thailand has no safety net for foreigners, we all know that if you crash and burn in Thailand you are on your own.

But we also know that its not uncommon for foreigners to leave their brains at the airport on the way in.

Worse still, for every person offering good advice, there are those eager to invite others into making the same mistakes as they themselves make - and there are far too many on the hunt for the gullible to relieve them of the burden of their life's savings.

Loosing it all to a Thai woman is a common enough story, but I'm of the opinion that the biggest danger to any foreigner's financial health is other foreigners.

A common response in the answers to this thread is "I'd ask my family for help", this may be their new Thai family or their own family back home.

But there's the rub.

How many are unwise in their choice of a Thai family? And how many burned the real bridge back home, dumping family and friends back home to come to Thailand?

How many stating 'I'm never setting foot back in the old country' have anything to go back for, property, friends or family?

Talk to charities working with homeless people in the UK (Soldier's Off The Streets is my own favourite charity), they'll all tell you the same thing, the common precursor for winding up on the streets is a breakdown of family ties.

Your family should be your plan A, B and C. Likewise you should be their Plan A, B and C.

I'll wager every single foreigner who winds up destitute in Thailand has broken ties with their family back home, either before they arrived in Thailand or sometime soon after they arrived.

If you have broken your family ties, hang on to your money because its only your money keeping you off the street.

Regardless of all that, I would advise anyone moving to Thailand to, at the very least, have emergency health insurance and an account with sufficient funds for a ticket home and the deposit + 3 months rent on an apartment back in the old country. If you ever dip into that account, know you are heading for the street.

In a place with no safety net, you need to be able to get up and go back home when and whenever you need to.

That freedom to take a risk and know you can go home to be taken care of is what the 'nanny state' has given you.

Count your blessings.

So, what would be your advice for a homeless orphan?

Get a job.

Good idea, I still have my skills and I am willing to sell to *anyone*. Germans say I'm too old for a job.

Next idea?

Edited September 21, 2015 by micmichd

[empireboy]

you have plan b, ok, but if plan b not working, what would you do?

Some options might be (not in order of importance):

1. make a list of EVERYONE you know
2. Seek assistance from friends - some may have had similar experiences and feel charitable (I remember years ago in a similar situation, a friend I hardly knew gave me a job and it turned me around)
3. Seek assistance from family
4. Go to a temple and see if they will at least feed and shelter you
5. Go to your embassy and seek help
6. Do not sit in the corner sucking your thumb and doing nothing! There is ALWAYS something you can do and action leads to outcomes. It's an immutable law of physics... of course it does not always lead to the outcome we might wish for but certainly inaction doesn't either!
7. Pray... if you have faith

[empireboy]

you have plan b, ok, but if plan b not working, what would you do?

Some options might be (not in order of importance):

1. make a list of EVERYONE you know
2. Seek assistance from friends - some may have had similar experiences and feel charitable (I remember years ago in a similar situation, a friend I hardly knew gave me a job and it turned me around)
3. Seek assistance from family
4. Go to a temple and see if they will at least feed and shelter you
5. Go to your embassy and seek help
6. Do not sit in the corner sucking your thumb and doing nothing! There is ALWAYS something you can do and action leads to outcomes. It's an immutable law of physics... of course it does not always lead to the outcome we might wish for but certainly inaction doesn't either!
7. Pray... if you have faith

[coulson]

Happened to me in Viet Nam, Had a really good time. Then got home and sent her some money.

Having no money or options in Thailand was the best time of my life. It's what you do in those times defines you.

Proof that for some people, getting laid is like being reborn.

[timendres]

you have plan b, ok, but if plan b not working, what would you do?

Wow. I would grow a pair.

[empireboy]

Some options might be (not in order of importance):

1. make a list of EVERYONE you know
2. Seek assistance from friends - some may have had similar experiences and feel charitable (I remember years ago in a similar situation, a friend I hardly knew gave me a job and it turned me around)
3. Seek assistance from family
4. Go to a temple and see if they will at least feed and shelter you
5. Go to your embassy and seek help
6. Do not sit in the corner sucking your thumb and doing nothing! There is ALWAYS something you can do and action leads to outcomes. It's an immutable law of physics... of course it does not always lead to the outcome we might wish for but certainly inaction doesn't either!
7. Pray... if you have faith

[Sutty]

If the worst came and it was the worst of the worst no back up plans nothing then I would live as best I could I would not worry about immigration or the like chances are you will have dropped well below there radar and if not soon would do. I would then do whatever was nessasary to be able to start putting my life back together if I had to work illegally then so be it my life and well being are of greater importance to me than staying leagal that's for sure. I'm pretty sure I could manage to get back on track given time

Edited September 21, 2015 by Sutty

[fireplay]

After my first 3 months in thailand i found myself in siem reap with my buddy and suddenly flat broke. I couldn't pay the girl i met at the club the night before the 10 bux I promised her. She felt sorry for me and let me stay in her apartment for 2 days until my friend and I went back to bkk. My buddy was pissed. He bought my van ticket home and i had to walk from khoasan road to suk soi 22 where my apartment was. I come from a family of tough lovers. They offered to buy me a plane ticket home but wouldn't send me 20 bux. I refused. I told them all i needed was 400 bux to get a suit and some walk around cash until I scored a job teaching.

In the meantime i took my apc40 midi controller and my macbook pro and i started to hustle dj gigs at the little street bars on sukhumvit...soi 11 and soi 22. I actually got some regular gigs doing this...and was paid a commission...got free drinks and some food.

One night after 3 weeks of living like this i was rocking a dj street party all night when i noticed around 7 am things were hitting me. After something shattered my laptop screen i realized someone was sling shotting tamarind nuts at my screen. My source of income. Gone.

A girl in the crowd took me home to her room. She became my girlfriend. She bought me a suit. I finally got my first job 3 weeks after that. I survived from the kindness of a massage girl...who i broke up with 9 months later because she was bat shit crazy. I still love her like a sister. That was 6 years ago.

Edited September 21, 2015 by fireplay

[Cypress Hill]

I've put way too many failsafes in place to go broke but if faced with that scenario, I'd ask myself how badly I wanted to remain in Thailand.

10% chance I'd consider working illegally but, to be honest, London is still an amazing city and I've got lots of friends with very successful companies that'd give me a job in a heartbeat.

[a99az]

The old cliche saying holds true....Don't spend more (invest) in Thailand than you can afford to safely walk away from. The clothes on your back, credit card and passport is all you need to walk or in my case drive away. If you don't abide by this simple rule then Sum num na when it falls apart.

In fact the saying goes "don't lend what you can't afford to lose".

[Litlos]

Set up a second bank account, not the one you regularly operate or which is linked to your TGF, sorry I mean ATM card. Sock away enough to get the hell of out of Dodge in 24hrs. Do not ever never ever ever never touch this account before the fat lady sings.

How much do I have? Honestly, I don't know. Because I set it up years ago - I think it was 50K but I forget - and never looked again.

If you have not done so, do this now.

If you have not touched the account for one or two years then it is probably locked or closed. Had it happen to me and it was my visa funds account, first I knew was when I wanted the letter. The bank swore blind they contacted me, they had mailing address, email and mobile and not a word heard. Then had to go back to the original branch where I opened that account to sort out.

So I move some funds around all my accounts every 6 months. This is also for Australia as they changed the inactive period from 7 to 2 years a few years ago when the Dudd was looking for funds. Moral of the story keep the funds active or risk them not being available when needed.

Cheers