mongatu Posted May 12, 2003 Author Report Share Posted May 12, 2003 To all: Interesting discussion. Many good points made. A lot to think about. Especially interesting to me to hear from those who are already living in LOS. I, for one, don't need or expect to live "like a king" but I would want to have a motorbike, a house or a two bedroom apt, and AC, and I wouldn't want to have to "count my beers." Eating as the locals do is my preferred approach to food. The issue of getting bored is the main area of concern for me. My goal is to settle down with someone and then not participate much (if at all) in the p4p scene, (so that would hopefully save some money). So I wonder if I would eventually be able to find some kind of work to do part time mainly to keep from getting bored rather than for the money. I am not quite ready to just sit on the beach every day. I suppose there is always English teaching. Sounds like it would be a grind if you have to do it full time, but it might be interesting and fun on a part time basis. Anyone have any other ideas on part time work for farangs? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted May 12, 2003 Report Share Posted May 12, 2003 I moved to BKK in august 2002 and relocated to Phuket Dec 2002. I sold everything i had to finance the trip, counting on the fact that I can always find a job. My gamble paid off. Heed the words of posters advice about not moving here for the girl scene. It gets old quick, and lingering in a 'situation' too long always creates a mass off headgames, hurt feelings, and confusion. As far as the comment about being 62 and broke, anyone who is planning on turning 62, better be 61. I'm 35 and have no concrete plans about anything. Alot of family members really disagree with my ideology but it works for me. As far as having a set monthly budget, and a rigid plan of what you want to do, I disagree. It is good to have some guidelines, but flexability is the key to relocating to Thailand. Shit just is not going to happen how you expect. Once you get over here and get used to living in Thailand a whole other side opens up. This is truly a magical place. Good luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tiger Moth Posted May 12, 2003 Report Share Posted May 12, 2003 mike1000, Congratulations - seems like you have struck it rich in terms of your lifestyle. I don't feel I could hope to be as fortunate as you but am still hopeful that I will find happiness in LOS. I am 56 and have spent most of my adult life in 7am to 7pm (including transportation), high pressured work situations. I will be in similar financial situation to you when I retire to LOS later this year (I recently tried to convince my boss to "let me go" on June 30th with separation benefits but may not happen and I might have another few months to retirement). Your biggest advantage must be that you have a Thai wife in addition to the other benefits of living in Thailand. Hope you have continued happiness! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thalenoi Posted May 13, 2003 Report Share Posted May 13, 2003 Says khunsanuk: Granted, life outside the main cities is much cheaper. Still are you considering health insurance, visa trips, trips back home, etc.? Sure, no comparison between life in London and some dark village, it's dirt cheap out here, but no nightlife nor movies (I do miss the movies, but then when I see what's on bkk theaters...) I do not bring all my income to LOS, limit this to 40k baht. Health insurance, I need to go back to home base every 6 months the lastest for check-up and have "6 months allowed away from home travel and health insurance covering 5 million baht medical bills" Some day I might need local health insurance, and the premium grows exponentially with age... Yes, trips back home are a bad cut in my budget. Visa trip to Ranong cost 1k baht, 2x/year no ploblem. I do have some savings, but lost a lot of money on stock exchange, could use that for the occasional flight ticket or house for the missus... I do have reserve funds I don't want to touch until I am 65. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thalenoi Posted May 13, 2003 Report Share Posted May 13, 2003 Says spirit_of_town_hall: Sounds like a nice life, do you get AC for that ammount?STH Euh, do you mean Aircon??? Installed one in bedroom at my expense (20k), increases electricity bill to 900 baht/month april/may. House is unfurnished, I bought for approx 150k baht furniture and fixtures. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thalenoi Posted May 13, 2003 Report Share Posted May 13, 2003 Hi Mike, Glad I am not alone to enjoy a quite life here after dumping the rat race. Sure you need to be carefull, I still have a house in Belgium, if desperate can try to sell it, but I would need to throw the ex out, which I won't and split 50/50 and I have also some savings. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
khunsanuk Posted May 13, 2003 Report Share Posted May 13, 2003 Hi, "increases electricity bill to 900 baht/month april/may." Wow. My elec. bill for April was 2,400 Baht (usually 1,400-1,800 / month) Sanuk! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thalenoi Posted May 13, 2003 Report Share Posted May 13, 2003 >The issue of getting bored is the main area of concern for me Write that book no one will read Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ultras67 Posted May 13, 2003 Report Share Posted May 13, 2003 Some things here I agree with and some that I dont. What you will find useful and what is not, you will only know for sure once you are here. What I went through is this what am I doing here? am I enjoying it ? why not move there ? why should I stay here? what can / will I do there ? how will I support myself there ? ( sometimes a different question ! ) How do you want to move - both feet first or a toe in the water? where do I move to - big city ( Bangkok), small city (Buriram ) or village list all the pros and cons and write them down. Then imagine you are a friend or get a friend to act as devils advocate. If you can then convince that person that you 1) know what you are doing 2) have researched it 3) have prepared for the move ( emotionally, financially etc ) 4) have logical answers to the questions they may asked then you may be ready. Speak to someone who has made it sucessully and someone who has FAILED. Why did it work, why did it not? Once you are here, you will face problems you will not have thought of or could not prepare for. Some things to watch out for are You have to remember you are not here on HOLIDAY ! you have to make as many friends or aquaintances as possible outside the BG scene ( and I mean westerners who go every night to bars ) - if you dont you will spend more money than you can imagine. You have to vary it, restaurants, cinemas, ten pin bowling, bridge, whatever you like. I have seen a few people do the BG scene every night and if they are working, they dont hold the job for very long. You have to find something to fill your time whilst waiting for the girl of your dreams to appear ( and be careful about that as well ). If you dont, well, just head to places like Pattaya and Phuket for examples of people who have too much time on their hands and too easy access to alcohol. You might think drinkers nose is a contagious disease. Spend as much as you can afford on your apartment / house. Its where you live and where you will spend a lot of your time. If you try and economise and only get a B3000 / mth flat, you will be out everynight to avoid it and therefore spend as much money as you would getting a nicer B7000 place. ( It can be done even in Bangkok! a guy I know has moved in a 2 bed thai style house for B6500 a month, just off Sathorn by Surasak BTS ) The first few months will be the hardest to cope with mentally. You are moving to a foreign land, halfway round the world to be alone and cut off from friends and family. The one thing you must have is a flexible attitude to life. If you cannot adapt you will be miserable and be home in weeks, learn to over come the little daily challenges then you might learn to enjoy living here. 1 year on and still here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
khunsanuk Posted May 13, 2003 Report Share Posted May 13, 2003 Hi, Excellent information. "Spend as much as you can afford on your apartment / house. Its where you live and where you will spend a lot of your time. If you try and economise and only get a B3000 / mth flat, you will be out everynight to avoid it and therefore spend as much money as you would getting a nicer B7000 place." Totally agree. Living in a nice place now I have a lot less desire to go out then when I lived in a small one room apartment, which saves quite a bit of money. BTW, I've started a poll where those living in BKK can enter their monthly budget. Might give those here a bit of an idea what it costs to live here. Sanuk! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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