Just met a guy here in Thailand.. (AMA!)

by 116 replies
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Just met a guy here in Thailand and thought I would share it. I was sat in a nice quiet coffee shop on my laptop going through my mornings work emails and got chatting to another 'falang' sat nearby working away. It turns out he makes enough to live out here just from small freelancing jobs.... and his lead generation technique is 'easy entry'... I asked him if I could share his technique (or method.. whatever you want to call it) and he said yes, as he has niched down so much and has a strong client base...

So yeah... living here costs nothing.. rent is 7500 baht per month.. this is about 160GBP.. which is about 250USD (i think)... this is for a nice condo with aircon.. TV with a few English channels, and of course strong WIFI ... my Internet connection here is quicker than it was back in the UK!

Food can be 500 Baht a day (if you want it to be - and this would be healthy food!). Of course, you can easily live, and eat expensively.... but I'm just trying to say how much it is to live here, work and relax.

So about $1500 a month and your relatively comfortable.. $50 a day... provide 3 customers $16 of value everyday...

Okay, so back to this guy.. I asked him what he would recommend others just getting started in IM that wanted to move away from the US or UK and live in Thailand for a bit like we do...

He said first niche down on a very specific service and become an expert at it. Get the software, learn the techniques from others, practice and practice. Buy a domain and blog all your latest work. Starting from the start. Then get chatting to others interested and share techniques. Network with them and others in similar niches.

Now work out a scaled down service of this technique and offer it for sale on Fiverr.com. Offer some 'Upsells' that they've introduced. Now work your *** off and provide value to these first customers (I know this sounds obvious)... but yeah 'underpromise and overdeliver'... ask these extremely satisfied customers for testimonials....

He said after doing this for a few weeks he'd build a group of customers that would always come to him for work, referred him to others, and asked him to do other close related work... sometimes it wasn't close related and he'd refer it to friends he'd networked with earlier... and of course they'd return the favor. And my favorite part of it all, last month he trained up (1 on 1 via team viewer) an Indian guy to do the main time consuming parts of the process, this Indian does that and forwards him what he's done, then he does the 'creative part' (this is how he worded it), and forwards it to the client... he has this outsourcer working 3 hours every evening, and his work is ready every morning (the outsourcer was from odesk and he uses the screenshot facility to make sure the guy his working fully for those 3 hours!).

So that's it... (have no worry) there will be no WSO on this as I only chatted to him quickly and have no interest in this business model myself. I just thought it was a positive way for people that are struggling, and looking to come live in such a cheap country as Thailand is whilst doing some sidework while they travel along...

Sorry for the bad grammar and spelling, I decided to rush this out!

I've lived here 2 years now and love it!

If you have any questions feel free to ask me!
#main internet marketing discussion forum #ama #guy #met #thailand
  • Living in Thailand for $1500 equal to me here in Seoul. That's sound good and interesting though.
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    • To be honest you can live off a lot less than that. I have a friend who comes every year for the Winter period back in the UK (his apartment in the UK rented out whilst he is in Thailand). Usually for 2 or 3 months depending on how he's feeling.

      He gets a basic room with a fan, WIFI and TV for 4000 baht a month, that's $135 a month, spends $10 a day on food - and most of his time is spent either reading and writing at Lumpini Park (which is gorgeous I need to add), and running at the other parks dotted around the city. Then at the end of 3 months he heads back to the UK.. that's about $500 a month accommodation, electricity, internet and food... $17 a day... I personally couldn't handle that lifestyle.. but he is happy with the weather, reading, productivity, lifestyle change... and being away from horrible London for a little while!
      • [ 2 ] Thanks
  • Yep many of us living the dream here in Thailand and its true you do not need much of an online business to live here comfortable but its also a fantastic place is you have enough to live like a ROCKSTAR which is a fraction of that it would cost in the west

    kickin it on Amazon

    Gaz Cooper
    Amz Training Academy
    • [ 1 ] Thanks
  • Sounds like a great idea for someone without any kids or family
    • [2] replies
    • That is true. I don't think I'd recommend it if you had kids. It wouldn't be fair. I've got tons of family all back home in the UK, either they come out or I go home for a week or 2 to catch up.

      Lots of professionals with family (not kids) work away from home!
    • Agree with this. Would be great for someone without family or kids.
      Family and kids = much more responsibility!

  • I got family and Kids although I got mine here in Thailand but if you are familied up already yeah might be too much of a move as it certainly will not suit everybody and not everyone can adapt to a new culture.

    Kickin it on Amazon

    Gaz Cooper
    Amz Training Academy
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    • [1] reply
    • I guess if you've enough money then the move wouldn't be so bad. There's some excellent English schools here.
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  • The only Western guys who don't like Asia are the ones who haven't been here.

    As for kids and family, it's totally doable. Don't let yourself be limited. Kids are more adaptable than you are; they'll fit right in and learn the language to boot. Now you have bilingual kids - a huge advantage in life. As for your wife, admittedly, not every woman is going to like a particular country, but then that's true anywhere. And you might be surprised at how enthusiastic they can become when they can get 90-minute foot massages for a dollar or two.
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  • Maybe a great lifestyle while you are young, free and single, but for us married folk with a mortgage and kids, in my opinion is no do able....maybe in the next life!
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    • That sounds really frustrating, don't know why :rolleyes:

      Yeah you are right, Europe is only good for money making, not for living! (except the southern part) Asia is where the living happens
    • If that's what you believe then you are probably correct.

      It of course IS possible - but you would need a change of mindset and that is in your control, so if you believe you cannot do it then you will be correct.
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    • I'm also a guy set in my ways. I'm also thinking of the medical situation. I'm Medicare eligible here.
      • [1] reply
  • I've lived in Bangkok and whilst Thailand is cheap if you want to live the rockstar life style (as I did and do) then it's not as cheap as people make out. $1,500 would be the absolute minimum you'd be able to live that sort of life on to have the nice air con apartment with fitness centre and pool, maid cleaning your room few times a week, partying / dating several nights a week and so on. Going out partying in BKK can be expensive, there are many clubs where you'll pay the same price for a drink as you would in somewhere like London.

    If you're just happy to go somewhere cheap, sit around all day not spending money, only eating street food 3 times per day and drinking Chang from 7/11 then you'll live on peanuts but the whole point (for me) in going to somewhere like Thailand to live is that it's cheaper than back home meaning I can live a life of more luxury that wouldn't be possible back home.

    Great place for internet marketers and freelancers to live though. Great internet most places, decent transport, cheap, not too bad visa rules. Chiang Mai is full of online business owners.
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  • Asia is cheap if you indeed want to live on the cheap. If you want to live up to European/American standards, it gets closer to European/American prices than you'd think.

    That being said... I love Asia and I "escape" there whenever I need a month or two off. I just cannot do it on a shoestring anymore (I used to do the whole "backpack around the globe under $1000/month" thing back in my 20s).
  • I'm off to Thailand in April, looking to explore the greener grass. I'm at a point in my life where I can leave the cold shores of the UK for somewhere sunnier.

    My plan is Middle East, India or Far East. We haven't decided yet.
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    • Yeah exactly. There are a lot of things that are expensive out in Thailand. Some stuff even more so than in Europe and America.

      I used to do the whole backpacking thing in my early 20s too. Traveled all over the world on a budget, staying in hostels etc, and loved it. A must have experience for anyone at that age IMO but I wouldn't do the whole hostel n backpacking thing now.

      I'm not flash by any means but there's little chance of me sleeping in a room with 12 other people and sharing a bathroom with 25 folk etc. Prefer a little more luxury than that.


      Why Middle East? Most countries are quite restricted in what you can do. SE Asia is a playground, I'd recommend it.
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  • What was the biggest dorm you stayed in? Think it was Singapore for me, 40 bed dorm BUT set up in a clever way and not full so didn't seem too bad.

    And longest bus journey? Think it was 28hrs in Chile. Actually wasn't that bad even if my seat was broken.
    • [2] replies
    • Joe,

      Congratulations on taking the plunge. I wouldn't say no to being away from the UK for a few months, especially in the winter.

      Are there any websites you could recommend to look at the apartments so I could see what to expect for the money? I've looked at some but can't help thinking I'm seeing inflated prices based on what I've heard, maybe you could suggest some.

      Thanks in advance.
    • 40 people?! WOW! The biggest I've been to was a 24-bed dorm, but there were only 17 or 18 beds occupied that night

      I was once 40 hour stuck in a bus across rural China. It was supposed to be a 24 hour ride but the damn bus broke like 3 times along the way. Terrible, terrible, terrible ride
  • I'm a hermit who still lives in my childhood home strictly because it's sentimental to me.

    BUT...if I was adventurous, I'd be going to Thailand, too. My friend Paula moved there (she does lots of Kindle) and she's living her dream. Great food porn she posts on FB of the yummiest stuff - and an HOUR massage for $6.

    SIX dollars.

    Sounds like Heaven for a non sentimental, non hermit.
  • If you decide to home educate your kids then you can travel. And travelling, they say, is the best education. Something I am planning to do in the future. Just because kids are at school from nine til three in the UK doesn't mean you have to do that when you are home educating. Think of all the time in assembly, moving from class to class, break times etc. Even government provided schooling is only 22.5 hours of education per week.

    Take into consideration that you can teach your children much more if you are in a one-on-one situation, and it suddenly makes everything a bit more do-able.

    Ruth
  • Where do you want apartment listings for? If it's Bangkok I could give you some short term lease suggestions for places that take on foreigners and have websites.
    • [1] reply
    • Sure, throw them my way via PM if you can. Much appreciated.
  • Btw you'll find some blogs online where people claim they are living like a VIP for $300-$500 a month in Thailand. Don't listen to them, their VIP lifestyle consists of sharing a thai style apartment with squat toilet, no aircon and no hot water with multiple people, they can't afford to have a social life anything other than going outside and walking around and they have to eat street food three times a day every day (which isn't bad but sometimes you don't want some cheap noodles or curry). IMO no point in going to Thailand to live a worse lifestyle than you do back home considering it's such a cheap place.
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    • I agree with this.

      No point in moving to a developing country to live under developing standards. That means that you should have some acceptable income already at your disposal so you can enjoy a western lifestyle at your destination country.
  • I've always wanted to go to Thailand, my wife's from Japan and I've dated many dozens of women from Japan, China/Beijing, Hong Kong, Singapore etc in my earlier years... I would have a tough time staying faithful though if I went there, so I probably won't... too much temptation, lol.
  • We're off to Bangkok and then Krabi....9 days of relaxation. The missus has told me that no SEO will be allowed but we'll see about that...
  • Btw - April is a great time to visit Thailand. It's super cheap and the temperatures run into the 30s (celsuis).
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    • Actually in April it gets up into the 40s. It's the hottest time of the year. Then in May, the rainy season starts which is refreshing after all the heat. Until the floods start. But wouldn't change it for the world.
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  • A good way to earn more is to invest and buy properties in asia. I live in the Philippines and the property sector is booming here. What I do is I invest part of my income in different properties then get a light payment term. I usually flip my investment for a profit then buy more. My last deal made me around $34000. That is after the transfer fees and all. Make money online then invest it in property, specially in the Philippines. PM me if you need advise on where to buy, etc.
  • Ouch. Haven't been to China yet but I'd like to soon enough. Maybe later in the year.
  • That's interesting, I live in Seoul and spend about $1500 a month but I don't have to pay for rent. Thailand is great though and that strategy sounds great. Thanks for sharing!
  • This sounds great. I had always assumed that it would be more to live there. Maybe it really is affordable and I just did not know it.
  • WOW! It is really amazing to see how many freelancers are moving over seas. I am from Portland, Oregon and have been living in Ukraine for over 5 years just working at home online. Low cost of living allowing to do what you love.

    I live in a suburb of a large city here in Ukraine. Away from the center and touristic areas. The other day I was outside just standing on the street, and a man approached me saying you need Jesus in your life. I say WTF, start talking with him, and he says there is another American who lives in this building also couldn't believe it. So days went by with this on my mind. Sure enough some time later, I met him. Our buildings are joining each other. We both lived next to each other for over 5 years and both are freelance programmers and internet marketers. Who new? Insane, absolutely insane.
  • There are tons of single women out there working, teaching, volunteering, travelling etc...the ones I've met love it.

    I don't get it. If you were single you'd live in the village instead of BKK? :confused:

    Bangkok is THE place to be for a single man in Thailand (don't get me started on anyone who says Pattaya, that place is an awful dump) and the fact there are beautiful girls everywhere is great.
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    • Quote:
      Originally Posted by writeaway
      Is it mostly single men who dig Thailand? Or would single women find it as appealing as their male counterparts?
      There are tons of single women out there working, teaching, volunteering, travelling etc...the ones I've met love it.

      Quote:
      I could see myself in the village if I was single but not in Bangkok. I would go insane. I'm like one of the other guys here who stated he dated a lot of Asian girls.
      I don't get it. If you were single you'd live in the village instead of BKK?

      Bangkok is THE place to be for a single man in Thailand (don't get me started on anyone who says Pattaya, that place is an awful dump) and the fact there are beautiful girls everywhere is great.


      You probably don't get it because you don't have Asian fever.
      In the village where my brother lived for 8 years, there are many beautiful women. They don't jump all over you like they do in Bangkok. Yes they love the white dudes but they are not going to try to drag you into hotels by force. Happens to my bro all the time in Bangkok. His best friend, who would jump on any girl within five feet of him...just about put himself in the hospital with all the booze and girls. He really did lose his mind a bit.

      Living in Bangkok, with millions of beautiful Thai women, would probably give me a heart attack. I worship Asian women. Hope that explains it a little better.
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  • interesting observations...

    I visited Thailand for the first time in 1989. BAck then it was a beautiful place, as was Koh Samui. Undiscovered, unspoilt.

    Haven't been back there since 1998 and I have to say that it has gone to the dogs in my opinion. Still the same beautiful people, but BK is soo over crowded and congested, I just don't see the appeal any more.

    Besides it is constantly humid and smells very unique.

    Not dumping on the place, but I can think of much better places to live to be honest. although expensive by comparison, I'd take Singapore any day of the week.

    But it's horses for courses. I now have 2 kids and their stable education is first priority for us.

    Sal
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    • Very cool thread!

      I hear Ecuador is the new Costa Rica

      I plan on checking both out...was thinking Costa Rica first and Thailand is def on the docket

      Was planning Costa Rica this spring but an emergency room visit delayed those plans a bit

      But yeah, this thread is basically why I got into IM in the first place

      Can anyone else comment on Ecuador?

      One of my friends(who is 75, but looks 60) here in Seattle absolutely loves Cuenca Ecuador...says it is one of his favorite cities in the world

      He is well traveled and originally from Mexico City...and when I mentioned Ecuador, he wouldn't shut up about it...so sounds like a great spot
      • [1] reply

    • If you haven't been back there since then how dya know??
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  • Great thread, enjoyed the read.

    I've always wanted to do something like this, in regards to Thailand and those types of place whats the VISA situation like?

    Are you going there as tourists or?
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    • People do the typical visa hop: return flight to either Kuala Lumpur, Singapore or Ho Chin Min, getting a fresh new 30 day tourist visa. Flights are cheap ($100'ish). You can do it as many times as you wish.
  • Singapore's great, it's like "Asia for beginners" since most people speak English fluently. Orchard Street's good for shopping. ... my favorite cultures are in the east, by a long shot.
  • Besides bangkok, can anyone recommend a great place to live in Thailand. Of course, your recommendation must have a fast Internet connection.
    • [3] replies
    • Things change. I'm sure there were people who went there 10 years earlier than you and were saying the same "it's spoilt, it's gone to the dogs" stuff in 1989. There are still plenty of unspoiled and idyllic islands to visit but most of the mass tourist ones are over developed, polluted and run being destroyed for tourism. Happens the world over. I'm not keen on Samui, Ko Tao, Ko Pah Ngan etc, i.e. the main ones.

      BKK must surely be less congested now with improvements in transport, i.e. the MRT (underground) and BTS (skytrain) because I've seen videos of traffic before the skytrain and it was insane. It's still insane now but not a patch of Saigon or Hanoi.

      Singapore is sanitary and boring IMO. There's nothing to do, it's over priced, the people are unfriendly, it has no character. A place to spend 2 days then move on.

      Most people will get a 60 day tourist visa, extend it in country at immigration before it runs out for a further 30 days then when your 90 days total is up leave the country to go to Malaysia, Cambodia or Laos for a couple of days and sort out a new 60 day visa and repeat over and over again. If you study Thai at a language school you can get a year long visa. If you're retirement age and have enough cash in the back you can get a retirement visa.

      A lot of people doing IM and freelancing online live in Chaing Mai in the north. Fast internet, modern city, easy to get around, not too chaotic, lots to do in the surrounding areas (hikes, treks, zip lining, off road biking, sky diving, elephant treks, hill tribe visits etc). I personally find the city a bit boring, I prefer the chaos of Bangkok. I like to be able to party 7 nights a week if I want to and BKK has that option.
      • [1] reply
    • I'm in the North of Thailand, Chiang Mai there are quiet a few IM's up here, the internet connection is pretty good fast enough for my needs.

      Living in Chiang Mai is a lot cheaper than Bangkok, it has pretty much everything a westerner needs for a comfortable life, Multiplex cinema, western restaurants, bookshops etc and it's easy to get around.

      It's only a short jaunt to get out into the countryside and there's plenty to do fo the active.

      The main downside to living in the north and in a valley is come March/April when the farmers are burning the rice fields the region can be covered in a thick smog that clears with the first rains in late April/May. Some years are worse than others.
    • It depends what you're looking for.. I lived in Koh Samui last year for a small amount per month - small room, small kitchen but lived 5 minute walk from such a beautiful beach. It really depends what you want. What you looking for?

      Most developed parts of Thailand now have a fast Internet connection.
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  • It's great hearing all of your stories about living in Thailand. It's something I've been thinking about a lot the past year or so. I'm in my twenties and really want to get away and backpack around southeast asia while I'm still young. Just need to take the plunge while I'm still unattached!
  • Great idea on making money online by providing services to other people. If one is willing to work hard and most important work smart in their online business, they will be able to make income online.

    I have been to Thailand before and I love it because you can get the same quality of life at a fraction of price compare to western country. It will be great to make money online and have a great time in Thailand
  • Great post and valuable advice!

    My business partner is actually living in Thailand right now so it's possible you may have met him....
  • I live in Thailand, down south on the Islands. I moved my ebay dropship business over here in 2003 and then started doing well enough to buy a chunk of land and build my own house near the beach in 2005. I absolutely love it and will probably stay here for the rest of my life :-)
  • To those of you working on your biz in Thailand, how do you take payments?
    Are you using Paypal, CB or something else?

    Thanks,
    Andrew
  • @Pavster - Almost EVERYTHING is "doable" -- if you're willing to shift priorities.

    Many of the things I thought were "must haves" in my early life were in hindsight "thought I should haves" -- without ever really taking time to truly evaluate and assess what my priorities were or should have been (other than my kids!)

    While a house you own (and are a slave to for 15-30 years) seems to be the aspirational dream for many (including one I bought into), relinquishing preconceived notions of how we "should" live frees you up for the boundless possibilities that exist in the world -- if you're OPEN to them, and not holding yourself back by DEFAULT thinking and paradigms.
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  • Wow I wish I did that during my 20s. But home based wasn't 'in' during those times though. It really is different when you've got your own fam. Kids and wife must also go where ever you are going. But, Thailand is really a great place me and my wife had a few days vacation in Bangkok for a week and its really affordable. Everything's affordable.
  • Having recently returned from a backpacking trip in the southern hemisphere, I prefer trips rather than moves. I would rather go somewhere, backpack for a few months and spend all my money, and return to my home country. At least, in my field, I can make considerably more money by saving in my home country and vacationing than working from SE Asia.

    Then again, I don't make my primary living via IM.
    • [1] reply
    • This has been my approach over the last few years too: work hard in my home country, living a "normal" live, and then grab the backpack and get lost for one or two months somewhere far away.
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  • I'm moving back to Bangkok in a couple months (May 2013). It would be great to connect with some other interneters. Anyone interested in meeting up?
  • Single or not it's a fantastic city. I want to make it VERY clear that I'm not one of these typical guys who go to BKK and ends up spending their time in Bangkoks red light districts hanging out with hookers. A friend from home came out to visit me last year in BKK and after a few days he asked me "where are all the hookers and ladyboys I expected to see?" because in 3-4 days of being in BKK he had not seen a single one. The guys who go to Thailand who end up hanging out with hookers have done it wrong, they've messed up, there's really no need.

    Getting out to recover? Sounds like you are not hardcore enough.



    CM is cheaper and more laid back but also it's more boring (IMO). In BKK I can go out 7 nights a week and party 24/7. CM has something like 160,000 people where as Bangkok has 8.2 million. There's no comparison. I found CM quite dull. I

    I don't really know what you mean by you can 'find places to have fun' but whatever it is you can have it x 10 in BKK.
    • [3] replies
    • Horses for courses......I'm with Gaz on this one, Bangkok is an interesting place to spend a few days but I couldn't live there. Chiang Mai is certainly quieter but no way would I describe it as boring.
      It certainly has more of a village feel and has some great countryside and leisure pursuits to indulge in as well as enough nightlife, western restaurants, shopping malls, cinemas and Western Deli's to feed any materialistic cravings!

      For Sheer Hedonism yes head out to Bangkok or Manilla and indulge your heart out but for a more balanced lifestyle I'd go for Chiang Mai any day.
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    • Sounds like you know a bit about thailand Rocking but your way off base on CM population since we have 1.7 Million living in the city and that does not include surrounding areas.

      You are right BKK is action city and it really depends on what your looking for if you want party 24/7 BKK or Pattaya, Phuket are the places to head for, if you want to get away from all that crazyness then Chiang Mai is a great place and just like you said about having some locals show you around in KK its the same here mate , plenty of hip places to go if you are in the know but admittingly nothing like BKK but certainly enough unless you are a real party animal

      Gaz
    • I agree with you: BKK is a world capital whereas CM is a provincial city. Apart from the cheaper prices and the laid back expat community, I found CM a bit bland.
  • Interesting conversation guys. I'm in Melbourne at the moment and thinking of heading to Asia. I've got myself sorted out reasonably OK over here and should be OK to earn about $3000-5000 per month net from my Australian business interests. There should be hardly any need to travel back to Aus, perhaps twice a year.

    My work is mostly offline Marketing work. Could I drum up business in Thailand or is that going to backfire?

    My question, is that OK for a decent lifestyle in Thailand or any other place other than BKK? My living standards are reasonably high and find that cost of living in the big city is killing me. Paying $40 for a carton of beer is starting to get old fast.

    Also do you guys drive and own a car? Should you?
    • [1] reply
    • $3,000 net is more than I live on a month and that's with a family of 4 so if you lived somewhere like Chiang Mai yes you could easily live on that.

      As for doing business offline business in Thailand, I would try to avoid it until you have been here a while and it would involve a lot of legalities.

      I personally don't drive a car out here but there are plenty of westerners who do, the roads are a bit more manic to say the least but a car would be a safer option than a motorbike.
      • [1] reply
  • I like Huahin... don't know how to compare it to other places though. I've only been there and Bangkok.
  • How do you guys living in Thailand manage the visa situation? Student visa?
    • [1] reply
    • You will need a business visa and work permit to stay and work legally. You can get that by setting up a Thai company.

      You can stay on Education visas and tourist visas but you will still be working illegally, but that said, there is little chance of getting caught when doing internet marketing using your own countries banks for your transactions.
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  • I spend 2 months every year in the philippines. after 2 years of lazy efforts to learn IM I am now actively and seriously trying to learn to make money online. I am hoping to have my online income to a point in the next 18 months where I can afford to move to asia full time.
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    • I <3 the Philippines. I am thinking of moving there next year.

      • [1] reply
  • I think the OP right now is living the dream, how nice is that. Outsourcing in odesk is a good move, that place is the best place the find good quality contractor with below average cost. Thailand seems like a comfortable place to live as an internet marketer. I just curious about the language OP using everyday, I think Thailand language is quite hard to learn, is that okay with OP?
  • Blogging alone can take a long time to get off the ground and get some good traffic as you all know. This sounds like just a successful fiverr guy you met. I do know a few that this is all they do is sell on fiverr. Seems like to much work to me. :-)
  • I did the same too I left the UK at 20 years old and back packed all over but had no inclination to ever return so I have lived in 4 countries in the last 27 years and travelled extensively from each of them.

    The thought of going back to UK is actually painful to think about and thank god it will never happen

    Gaz
  • Yep, you're right, about $252.

    500 Thai Baht is about $16.81

    A very good web based currency converter. I use it all the time.

    Currency Exchange Rate Conversion Calculator

    Joe Mobley
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    • I checked too as 1.7 mill didn't sound right to me at all. I'd guess that's for the whole province. On wiki it said 960K for the metro area, so that's closer to what he's talking about. Often when people talk about city sizes they go with metro area. I'd always heard the Chiang Mai metro area was about a million, so sounds about right.

      I lived in Thailand for 3 years. The first two years I used minimal Thai. I could order street food and ask directions, etc. that was about it.

      The last year I lived there, I slowly learned more and more Thai and was just about to start becoming more conversant when I had to leave abruptly. If you want to live in another country I think you should learn the language, even an Asian one where you have no frame of reference for the language and everything will be completely new. Yes it's a hard language but not impossible, and we all have the ability to learn new languages. I found I liked being there so much more when I could start conversing with more people, and not just those who spoke English. It's completely doable.

      I'd recommend the Pimsleur CDs/audios as a start. I wouldn't recommend Rosetta Stone, at least not for Thai.

      Also there are tons of Thai language schools for foreigners especially in the bigger cities.

      But if you really want to live somewhere where there's a different language and are determined to live there, why not learn the language at least to a decent level? It's not impossible and helps in many ways to live there more comfortably and to enjoy the people more.
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  • You are paranoid.

    Like in many countries *some* of the locals are suspicious of foreigners especially in somewhere like Thailand where you get so many sex tourist and other undesirable tourists visiting but it's not a major issue. Crime against foreigners is pretty rare and mainly happens in major tourist hubs like Phuket and Pattaya but Bangkok is one of the safest capital cities in the world. The police are corrupt as in every 3rd world country but that can work in your favour too because if you do something you shouldn't you'll be able to pay your way out of it.

    Man up a bit eh.
  • Chris,

    I agree you are probably best off staying at home.

    I've been coming to Thailand for 17 years and probably spent around half that in country. I have never had one run in with the police, or been robbed or knowingly had any racist behavior directed at me.

    Yes the Thai's are certainly nationalistic, in certain tourist areas there have been some rather dubious suicides and there is corruption but 99% of people will have no problems as attested by the millions of tourists who have a great time here every year.
  • Man, this thread has got me seriously thinking again about moving to Thailand... great posts!
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    • Seriously same here. I just read this entire thread from the beginning and completely enjoying all the exchange of opinions.

      Honestly, i just turned 30. i've never left america, i've never been on a vacation ever!, i've worked 5 days a week minimum, every week for the past 12 years. I've never had fun or lived life, I dont have any random girl hook-up stories (like all my guy friends do). my life is driving me mad (maybe almost quite literally :-( ). internet marketing I feel like is the only hope i have of creating a lifestlye i only dream about. I think this thread changed my life, i'm going to make this internet marketing business work, and i'm going to BKK, at least for 3-4 months as my official first ever vacation, and decided if i want to move there. I dont think i've ever felt this much ambition in my life. thank you all for an AMAZING thread/post.
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  • Im here in Pattaya, so if any of you guys are down here lets meet up for a beer :-)
  • I'm pretty sure i know the guy you met!

    I'm doing exactly the same thing and am making a good living here in Thailand, even living in Pattaya where it gets quite expensive.


    It's hard work but it keeps me here in this nice sunny climate.
  • Thailand? Try India. Even cheaper, true ROCKSTAR level!
    • [2] replies
    • Could you ellaborate on that?
      My colleague is from India and invited me to her wedding this summer. Don't really know what to expect
    • Never been to India, but yeah, I know it's cheaper. I'll probably go there next year or perhaps this one if I can fit it in. Most people might argue that Thailand is more comfortable, though.
  • I'm on my way back to China... I used to live there (5 years). Cheap like Thailand but harder to breathe in!
  • 1500$ is enough to live in my country but still we have here high cost of living.
  • Thanks for the story. Very interesting. I am in South Africa , JHB.

    Me and the wifey have been looking at leaving. Our usual choices were Mid East and Australia. Mind you I love the beach and my heart was set on Mauritius which was a 4 hour flight from SA.

    I been looking at other places around the world but never did I stop to think about Thailand. Now I just got to research the cost of International School in Thailand and see how much more $$ I need to make to afford that

    Nonetheless thanks for the share.
  • Yea if I was not married, I would totally do it.
  • In any 3rd country I'm always concerned about medical. what are the dr's and hospitals like? We are or have been (obamacare might end that) with the best medical care in the world and we Americans are spoiled...with many other things as well )
  • I've had a second home in Malaysia since 2010, and spend a lot of time in Thailand as well - especially on the island of Pha Ngan, which is a fav place of mine. Making enough money online to live in these countries is not hard at all, and it's a great lifestyle - fantastic climate, lots of amazing food, and the fact that you meet a ton of interesting and cool people... It's the best. If you're thinking about it then don't think and just do it.
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  • There are quite a few places in asia that you can live comfortably on a budget like Thailand, Vietnam And Malaysia. Needs a little adjusting to the culture through but these countries are pretty accommodating. Noodles for about a USD$1. Beautiful places and people....

    That's the beauty of IM business. With a laptop and Wifi. You can practically work from anywhere. Thats's why i love this business.
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    • [1] reply
    • Heh, yeah, that's what got me into it. If it wasn't for the fact that it made me location independent and thus fulfilled a lifelong dream, there is no way in hell I would have spent this much time with a computer. I've grown to hate these things at times, and I do feel that this kind of work can be rather lonely at times, but damn... is it ever worth it. There is no life like it, and I have no idea why more people aren't doing it.
  • If we all had that attitude then no one would go anywhere.

    There is crime and corruption the world over. If you live in your little bubble always worrying about that stuff, you'll live a pretty dull life.

    The fact is you probably have more chance of dying in a car accident... but I bet you still drive your car each day... right?
  • I don't have kids right now and I'm looking for a good place to live... M aybe Thailand is the right answer... Thanks for share it...
  • Chris Kent does have a point, I think. Thailand's homicide rate is equivalent to that of the US (around 5/100000 ) and it definitely has its darker sides that may not be that apparent to first time visitors. I once got kinda involved in a murder case there myself and it probably left me a little disillusioned, to be quite honest . And westerners are targeted by criminals, for good reason. However, as WillR says, bad things can happen anywhere, and I personally love Thailand - it's a great country to both travel and live in, and most of the people you meet there are friendly, helpful and genuine. You just have to spend your time in the right places - don't complain if you get robbed by a bunch of meth-crazy ladyboys on your way home from some seedy Pattaya underground gogo bar at three o'clock in the morning. Also, show some respect to the country and culture you're visiting - if you do that you're unlikely to run into much trouble, and Thais will respect you back. What they don't have much respect for is how a lot of westerners choose to conduct themselves while there. Understandably so.
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    • Also you have got to take into account that around 500 of the deaths last year were in the Southern Insurgency.
      I've said this before if you are reckless, a heavy drinker, drug user or have any mental health issues, the chances are that taking a trip to Thailand could escalate these problems.
      For the average person with a bit of common sense Thailand is a safe place. I actually feel much safer in Chiang Mai at night than I do in my home town of London.

      I'm a family guy with 2 kids and to most of the young guys on this forum my life would seem very dull in Thailand. I work from my office, take the kids to school, walk the dog, water the garden, watch 'Breaking Bad' on DVD in the evenings, pretty much what I would be doing in the UK, Just cheaper,warmer and more laid back.
  • To be honest, $1500 a month is expensive compared here in Philippines. But the story and the techniques are worth considering..
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    Just met a guy here in Thailand.. (AMA!)

    Just met a guy here in Thailand and thought I would share it. I was sat in a nice quiet coffee shop on my laptop going through my mornings work emails and got chatting to another 'falang' sat nearby working away. It turns out he makes enough to live out here just from small freelancing jobs.... and his lead generation technique is 'easy entry'... I asked him if I could share his technique (or method.. whatever you want to call it) and he said yes, as he has niched down so much and has a strong client base... So yeah... living here costs nothing.. rent is 7500 baht per month.. this is about 160GBP.. which is about 250USD (i think)... this is for a nice condo with aircon.. TV with a few English channels, and of course strong WIFI ... my Internet connection here is quicker than it was back in the UK!