Moving to Thailand in November!!!????!!!????***

[voodoo31]

Mate all I can say is go for it and have the time of your life.

 

You remind a bit of myslef 2 1/2 years ago. I was about your age and quit my job to go travelling around Asia. I told my friends I'd be travelling for three months and eventually look for work in Thailand or Japan.

 

All my friends said I was mad and I would waste my money and could not find a decent job - I too am in IT development. Anyway I decided on Japan and now I am earning alomost triple what I earned in the last job in my own company. One thing I realized is in a foreign country you can get away with a bit more bullshit and can sell yourself in ways that locals cant.

 

Anyway I dont know the IT scene in Thailand but you never know. In my opinion go their for a month and travel and enjoy. Then start looking for work. Keep English teaching firmly in your sites, it is really your best bet to get yourself established. Once established start researching and talking to people about job opportunities in the field of you interest, you never know, despite alot of negatve responses here you may have some luck.

 

You're at an age where you can still take a couple of years out of your life and do something different and unusual. Take the opportunity if its what you want.

 

Good luck and stay positive

[Guest]

 

Excellent info. Japan probably was not your choice of choices but picking a place that could pay a decent wage was a smart move. You can most likely still get to Thailand on long weekends and really enjoy yourself when you do get there. You could of decided Thailand was it for you and it was make it or break it.

I made a similar decision some years back. I took a risk of leaving a nice place for one that maybe I would not last long.

At least I did not have to compete with hundreds to make small wages and it turned into having several other options

to advance. I know several IT ( I am not IT) jobs open right now and they needed people yesterday at over 6 figures in $$$. It is only a few hours flight from Thailand too. A couple hard years can be 5 or more easy living years in Thailand.

Is It worth it, I think so.

 

If you are young and probably never see pension benefits like me you have to find your own way and the path most followed is probably not the best way. Just going with the flow is so boring.... Oh I want to go to that country it is so nice... Right, good move and probably brainless too. More than one way to skin a cat (make a living).

[short-time]

Hello Mnvinaz,

 

Slow down there cowboy. Must say I admire your pioneering spirit and respect your desire to live in Thailand. And it is not my intention to rain on your parade, but you need to rethink what you are about to do.

 

First off, forget about the 30 day on arrival tourist visa thing. Not the way to go for an extended visit (BTW, I believe you need a return ticket in your possession to get one - this could make for an awkward first arrival!). Go for the 3 month multiple-entry visa which you have to secure BEFORE you leave. I think these are still good (?) for a couple of 30 day extensions if you play your cards right. This way you won?t have to make those expensive visa runs as you will most certainly be out of money before that need arises... You will be very thankful you had the foresight to buy an open ended return ticket!

 

Anyway, you found the right place to ask questions and you got some good answers. As a fellow beer drinker, good luck trying to hold down expenses once you check into the Nana Hotel and sample the nightlife?

 

I?m just an occasional visitor so not much I can add to what others have said except that maybe you should take into consideration your present situation? breakup with GF of six years, now unemployed, with few job prospects on the horizon (hey, get in line)?

 

After reading some of the reports on this board and elsewhere - Thailand must seem like the perfect escape to paradise for you? and it could be, but only it you have very deep pockets. Forget about moving there without having a prearranged job or the resources to live there indefinitely without working. Great place to visit, but permanent residence, even with money in the bank and a good pension can be a challenge. Very, very difficult for a foreigner to land a high paying job there after the fact, even with advanced education and marketable skills.

 

Your best bet might be to get the hell out of SF (one of the most expensive cities in the US) and relocate elsewhere in the country, to wherever you can find a good paying job (do take into consideration the cost of living). Then, work hard, save some money, vacation when you can to Thailand and consider some additional education. After several visits, if you still think the place is for you, start looking for multinational companies with positions available in Thailand (few and far between). I realize this is a round about way to achieve your goal, but think it is a far less reckless approach than the one you now have with some options should things not work out.

 

Go ahead and take that first trip to Thailand - it may or may not be the paradise you envision. You will have a good time. The reality is you currently have about a snowballs chance in hell of making it there, most certainly anything beyond subsistence. To put it in perspective, a better bet might be taking all your money and buying California lottery tickets with the hope of hitting the big one! It does happen, but?

 

Not trying to be a smart ass here, just think you are headed for disaster. Best of luck to you and please keep us posted as to your progress.

 

ST

 

 

[Pharcyde]

Mnvinaz,

long thread you have started here, Obviously it seems that everybody has at least played with the thought of living in thailand, and more than some have actually done the deed. The ones who havent, well you see they have their plans, and so have you.

 

what is my advice? nothing new other than my opinion is that if you feel that you should go and check it out. so be it. who knows, you might be lucky and meet the right people with the connections at the right time, and be able to find something sustainable there. Or, you might fall and find the place horrible, and return to the US after just a short time.

But if you dont go, you wont know.

 

Concerning all the things that can go wrong, cultural miss- (pun-intended) understandings, scams, and other bad luck happenings. well...you can read about most of it here on the board, do when it happens it will not suprise you.

 

I dont know about the IT, not really my business, but i think that thailand is tightening up her act right now, and therefore it might be difficult to land yourself a job while you are illegal. Therefore, dont aim to high, but after reading your posts, i dont think that you do. take small steps. be an investigative tourist.

 

Important is, yes, to try and learn the language, get into the flow of things in thailand. find yourself an apt in the suburbs (maybe saphan kwai, or pradipat), you should be able to get something for less than 5-6 grand baht a month. Get to know some other farangs around you, they will have lots of success and other stories to tell.

 

And then if you only stay for an expanded holiday or make it an expat, youll see.

prove the pessimist wrong, and the optimist right.

 

Best luck

 

Just go.

 

PC

[Guest]

OK short-time..Lets just clear up a couple of non-entities and then we'll be fine

 

[color:"blue"] Go for the 3 month multiple-entry visa which you have to secure BEFORE you leave [/color] Don't exist for a tourist....or in technicallity for anyone else I am aware of. ?????

 

 

You will be very thankful you had the foresight to buy an open ended return ticket!

 

 

[color:"blue"] All tickets are open-ended if you follow the airline rules. Might cost you a quid or two, that's all. [/color]

 

BTW....the rest of your post is within sanity.....but then its just IMO

 

 

[Guest]

My brain is fried beyond belief, and I haven't even got a plane ticket yet. I can't even imagine when I get there.

 

So far, the plan is still to go, and this isn't changing.

 

Again, all your comments wether positive or negative to the move are taken in consideration. I absolutely needed to hear the anti-move side of the story so that I would not expect too much. I think I will be much more prepared in my mind.

 

I now have thought more about a backout plan. It was always my intent to get a round trip ticket. The longest they last is for six months. Actually that is about perfect if you think about it. If things are terrible, I pay 75 bucks and bump up the return flight date, I'm back in SF with a wad of cash to rebuild. No problem, a great vacation, and learned more than you can learn in any school.

 

As for savings and long term savings, if I lose two years not making much in Thailand, it would be almost the same as working in SF right now. I dont think many are really getting ahead right now in the states, again there are exceptions. but I believe my next two years in SF would be scraping by while watching all the limos drive by. Not much lost by leaving and returning when things are better. More of a chance to find my real calling.

 

Also, I will wait to go until I get the extended visa. That's a must. Does any one know how long it takes to get one if you mail it to the Los Angeles Thai consulate?

 

Chit chatted with a gal from Thailand today, she's helping me with the language. She also informed me of a furninshed apartment off Suhkumwit on Soi 56 for 150 a month. She said it was decent, without a kitchen.

 

I still see right now in my life as an opportunity, no attachments, lump of cash, freedom=embark on great adventure, maybe burn and crash in the meantime, but I'm prepared to whimper back to SF and rebuild.

 

you now may commence with smart ass replies :-)

 

Matt

 

 

 

 

[Guest]

mnvinaz

You do not know how lucky you are. You travel any where at any time, and you choose a country that its people have a hard time getting a visa to go any where especially on their own. Do you know why, (economics).

 

Now you want to compete with them for a job in their own country. Now being an american you are about the most disliked nationality by other foreigners there is at this time. You have a better chance with a thai than another foreigner to help you. Most other foreigners will do anything they can to make you fail just because your nationality. Thats a fact. Prejudice is very high with other foreigners in Thailand against americans. Sure they will edge you on here on the board and tell you go for it

but wait till you get in country and then try to get useful info on competing against them for work.

 

Americans are minorities in the foreign population in Thailand. Try to get a job teaching, you better hope a thai or another american has a say so or you have very little chance unless it is something everyone has already passed over. I will not sugar coat things for you and play these little nice guy games others do on these boards, I would rather have it put to you in hard facts. Of course you will need to find out on your own just do not feel like a failure when it does not turn out good, you will only be one of the thousand before you that failed.

 

You are probably not the type of guy that could handle owning 2 white shirts which one you will be wearing to work while the other one is getting the wrinkles knocked out of it for the next days work ( humidity is hell in Thailand). As far as drinking a few beers with the other foreigners, most times no problems at all. Depending on them to help you find work you better stick to finding elephants with wings. You will love the place anyway so give it a try.

[Guest]

 

 

[color:"blue"] you now may commence with smart ass replies :-)

[/color]

 

 

Good one dude.

 

If you can get past me and still wanna go.............super.

 

You've passed my test of courage.

 

Go for it. And should you really need a hand................don't call me..........

 

I'll buy you the first beer when we meet.

[jp1]

Now being an american you are about the most disliked nationality by other foreigners there is at this time. You have a better chance with a thai than another foreigner to help you. Most other foreigners will do anything they can to make you fail just because your nationality. Thats a fact. Prejudice is very high with other foreigners in Thailand against americans.

 

 

What are you saying here? On which facts do you base this comment? Some foreigners might not like the politics of the present administration but this doesn?t mean that they dislike Americans. Would you mind to please share with us some of your very negative experiences?

 

[mongatu]

As long as you don't expect to find employment that pays enough to be worth doing, and you have sufficient money to afford whatever quality of life you require, you should have a great adventure and it sounds like you can afford to take some time off at this point in your life/career.

 

On my last trip, I met a young American guy who had been teaching English in Bangkok for a year and a half. He had had a blast there.

 

I'm planning on spending a year or so over there myself in the not too distant future. Not planning on working though. Fortunately, they still have a visa designed for people in my situation (over 50, and at least as far as Thailand is concerned, "retired"). Really looking forward to it.