Another Question for the Experts; To Relocate or Not To Relocate (Lengthy Post)

[Guest]

Teach,

I feel exactly the way you do and have made the big jump and enrolled on the TESOL course starting in October.

For me it was not just that I wanted to enjoy on a permanent basis the great social scene, but that I wanted to try something different on the job front.

I am 40 and too old in the UK to try something different so I am going to see if I can enjoy teaching English for a living and be reasonably good at it.

Obviously I have some doubts but at least I will be able to say to myself that I have tried.

It seems that women in the USA are just the same as here in the UK and when you are bored with the social side as well as the work side then its time to do something about it.

There will be times when I will wish that I was back in the UK I`m sure but you never know whats round the corner so enjoy your life you do not get a second chance.

Regards

Kevan

[khunsanuk]

Hi,

Can't really give you much advice, seems that you have gotten lots of it already, some of it very good.

All I say is that for me the main reason for deciding to make the move was that I realized that if I did not try to do this, I would most likely ask myself the rest of my live "What if I had gone?".

One thing though, whatever you decide, don't regret the decision, and don't burn any bridges if you can help it.

Sanuk!

[Guest]

To ALL of you:

THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU! I can't thank you enough!

The various views are sincerely appreciated, and a big help!

A few additional notes:

1. Some asked about my profession. I'm an analyst, engineer, and program manager in the U.S. Intelligence Community (please don't hold that against me!). I'm proud of my work and contributions to our friends and allies all over the world!

2. I've got four personal messages. I'll get to them as soon as I finish here (it's currently 2:15 a.m., July 26, 2001, in LOS).

3. Fortunately, many of my skills can be used outside my current profession, but things are probably limited, for the most part, in Asia.

4. I am strongly considering taking the TESOL Course in Ban Phe (did I spell that correctly?).

5. I'm leaning toward a "trial" residence in Asia, with the option of returning in a few months without (hopefully) significant detriment to my career.

6. Yes, I'm very lucky, I'm a testimonial to saving and investing for many years, and I can afford a residence in both countries without additional employment.

PLEASE KEEP THE ADVICE COMING! No need to stop now!

t'wannabe

[Guest]

T'wannabe,

Well my situation is very different to yours, but I'm also intending to make the big move in the New Year. I've enrolled on a TESOL course and intend to teach English in LOS.

I'm still quite young by the standards of this board and the question whether to move or not has been nagging at me for a couple of years now. I've come to realise that if I don't do this now whilst I have no ties then I'm going to be kicking myself for the rest of my life wondering what might have been.

The clincher for me was that I am stuck in a rut with my job in the UK, the pay is not enough to live well or ever be able to retire to LOS. On a teacher's salary in Thailand I could enjoy a better standard of living than I currently have in the UK.

I have some experience of teaching/training from my work here, very different from teaching a language of course but enough for me to have at least some confidence that I will be able to do the job and actually enjoy it.

I am in the position of working for myself so I would be able to restart my business in the UK if it all goes disastrously wrong in LOS and I find I hate teaching or can't get a decent job in that industry. That's not something I expect to have to do, however.

It sounds as though you will have no money worries and you just need to work to keep you busy! In that case why not? If I was in your shoes I'd probably retire early but in any case I'd go for it, I know I would have been unhappy in my life in my home country if I'd carried on wondering what would have happened if I'd moved to LOS when I had the chance. I decided to get off my ass and make it happen!

[Guest]

quote:

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Originally posted by teacherwannabe:

PLEASE KEEP THE ADVICE COMING! No need to stop now!

t'wannabe[/QB]

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As I see it, these are your options in ASCENDING order of prererance.

1) Stay where you are and perhaps come to LOS on holiday. This is the worst choice. As many people have pointed out you will always wonder what it would have been like. The things we regret are normally the things we didn't do. Some people come here and it doesn't work out, but i don't think any of them would say "i wish i'd stayed home and nere tried."

2) Quit the job, sell up and move here. This may or may not work out, but it does reduce your options - lose a job you like, much less income, etc. And i dont think Thailand is really the answer to many of your problems.

3) Work freelance or part-time - if not possible in the current job you may need to look for a new one. Spend your free time in Thailand. This is a good option firstly because the people who seem to enjoy LOS the most are those who come here several times a year but live elsewhere. Also this alows you to have an interesting job and make good money - teaching in Thailand does neither.

4) My top recomendation however would be take a 1 year sabatical - or quit if necessary, if you are smart and hard working you can always get a job later. Live in Thailand for 6 months and see how you like that. But also travel as much as you can. Brazil or Cuba are arguably just as good for sanuk, Europe for culture, Australia for wide open spaces. There is almost certainly somehere where you will much happier to live, and its probably not Thailand. And if you don't do some traveling you will never find it. Good luck.

[bgtp]

Teach

Have you considered doing contract work in the USA? You could quit your job now and travel for x numer of months, return to USA and get a contract position for x number of months. Working 6 months a year and taking the rest of the time off is very doable for many analyist/engineers and by working some part of each year you'll keep your skillset current, your brain challenged and also develop a growing network of employment connections.

[bibblies]

Bangkok Phil said 'good thread', but I think it could be summed up as:

"I have to move because these western women's arses are getting just too darn fat"

Come on, be honest.

[Guest]

This really is one of the best on-line communities I have encountered - the support really is there.

For what its worth, I am 30 and some years from having a warchest but do often find myself pushing that bit harder to make the money a bit sooner (I too own my own business).

Teaching appears the most common path but there are others - they all require some talent but also can be tought/learned...

- Trader. High risk, but if you devote the time to it you can get high returns. Many people enjoy it thoroughly and seem to do very well.

- Writer. I know of many renowned authors who have an intelligence background - John Le Carre springs to mind. Similar, but different is journalist, commentator. Could you get a legitimate posting to the LOS?

- Internet. The specifics of what you could do are not as relevant as the fact that you don't have to be anywhere near where your employer is!

One other point (which may merit a thread of its own). I do not know the situation with regard to US tax law, but you can become a perpetual traveller and legitimately avoid tax in all jurisdictions. I once spent a year employed but travelling and managed to not reside anywhere for more than 3 months so paid no tax. This can be a big boon, particularly for those traders from jurisdictions with painful capital tax regimes. That warchest will go 40% further, so need be 40% smaller...

My ideal is 3 months Australia, 3 months US, 2 months UK, 3 months LOS and 1 month checking out the 99% of the world I haven't seen, all done without paying anyone any tax. Just a thought to add to the mix...

What ever you do, good luck and although the grass always looks greener on the other side, sometimes it actually is!

[Guest]

Seems like the question really is how attached to your career are you? Sounds like that is the only bridge you'd be possibly burning. Other than that, what have you really got to loose? Maybe you'd like living in Thailand, maybe you wouldn'

t. If not, you will have had an interesting experience. You can always go back home. And not having to worry about money too much you can find yourself a new career. Maybe even one you like more.

 

quote:

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Originally posted by teacherwannabe:

Should I move to Thailand?

Before you open up on me with the flames, please consider the following:

1. In my current profession, if I live overseas for any length of time, I become "suspect" in the eyes of the security department, and it's unlikely I can return to my current position or similar positions.

2. So much of my life is my work and my current profession. I fully realize my job has been my escape mechanism for years. Thus, with no social life, it's been easy to bury myself in work and feel somewhat satisfied.

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[Guest]

I spent six weeks in the Philippines last Feb. and Mar., (my fifth trip, overall) and I didn't want to leave this time (my social life was extremely good, of course!). Even though the squalor, poverty, and constant attempts by the people to squeeze every dollar they could out of me affected me considerably, I started feeling comfortable and able to overlook the down sides of the country. This six weeks was an important test for me.

I "think" this was not a very important test. It's actually a rather bad test and I'm not dreaming this up. It's an established pattern amongst expats in any part of the world. From personal experience: I considered Nigeria quite agreeable after six weeks and a year later I was in need of a stray jacket. Same Phils: As soon as you're actually settled somehwere, you will likely stick out like a sore and become a target one way or the other. There are some 50 syndicates in Manila alone dedicated to kidnapping for ransom. Unless you keep a very low profile, things in the province will not be all that much better. Frined of mine lived in Mindanao on a song and still had some difficulties from time to time. How are you going to cope ? Who are you going to believe and trust ? It's the *bad* stuff you can't really judge within 6 weeks. Will you still consider those people very nice when they still treat you like a walking talking ATM after 6 month ? And-so-on.

I think you will not find out unless you realy go and live there for at least 6 month or so. And than again I think it will be unlikely you will want to stay in BKK and not explore some other options. Insofar you're not really a publican, perhaps you will enjoy places like Chiang Mai much more or Kuching in Sarawak or perhaps Penang.

Perhaps you also want to read Miechael Ziesing's "I walked away". He did just that some 12 years ago and still lives in Isarn. An infatuation with slender Asian women might ware off fairly quickly by the way and divorce rates amongst mixed couples are *much* higher. I think you really want to research that too. Perhaps you should think about Sydney ... Australia is a totally different ball game from the US and plenty of Asian women in Sydney.

Take care