Internet marketing in Thailand...

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I've seen the topic of running your business from overseas pop up a few times on the forums. I'm currently doing it so I figured I'd start a new thread and answer any questions people may have.

I was backpacking SE Asia for about two months while running my businesses from coffee shops and working about two hours per day. I was just maintaining what I already have in place and spending my free time taking in the culture. I went trekking, learned to scuba dive and explored the islands.

My plan was to spend 3 months here and then fly back to NY but once I found Chiang Mai (in northern Thailand) I decided I'm extending my trip for 3 more months and staying out here until the holidays.

This place is PERFECT for internet markers.

What's so great about it?
  • Fast Internet
  • Great Weather
  • Amazing Food
  • Nice People
  • Gorgeous Scenery
  • Great Culture
  • HUGE "lifestyle business owner" Community
  • Low Cost of Living

The main reason I decided to stay here longer is because there is a great coworking space that you can pay a monthly fee to have 24 hour access to. At any given time during the day there are 20+ internet marketers from around the world in there working on things from software programming, to mobile app development, to building eCommerce stores, to podcasting, etc, etc, etc. Everyone works on their own startups but if anyone ever has a question about something they are working on there is usually someone else here who can and will help. Just yesterday I got about an hour worth of free consulting from an Adwords expert who manages accounts for HUGE clients.

Besides the networking and connections with other like minded business owners I've got to say I'm really starting to love this low cost of living.. especially when coming from NY! I'm basically living the same lifestyle I did back home (granted, I'm driving a motorbike instead of my Audi ) but I'm spending soooo much less. If you're just getting stating with on online business and looking to keep expenses low or if you're already killing it and just want to bank some extra cash this is the place to do it.

Here's a breakdown of my expenses:

$400/Month Rent - I live in the nicest condo that I could find in the nicest building that I could find. I'm on the 11th floor overlooking the city with a great view of the mountains. Everything in here is high end and modern. I have a huge balcony. My building has 2 pools (including one on the roof), 2 restaurants, laundry service, room service, a gym, sauna, steam room... just about everything you could want. (if you wanted to a look for a cheap place there are plenty for around $150/month)

$115/Month Membership to Coworking Space - 24 hour access to a coworking space with the use a private conference room, free coffee, and the ability to network with like minded internet entrepreneurs from all over the world.

$80/Month Crossfit Membership - If you want your mind to perform at a top level your body has to as well. I work out 5 days/week at Crossfit Chaing Mai for $80 month and it's equivalent to having a personal trainer everyday!

$80/Month Motorbike Rental - You can rent a car here if you want but no one does. Everywhere you want to go is 5 - 15 minutes away. Motorbikes are efficient and the weather is amazing enough to always ride them.

$700/Month for Food & Entertainment - and I'm eating steaks at 5 star restaurants a couple nights each week. If you wanted to eat a local Thai places you could easily get by spending $300 or less per month on food.


So if anyone has been here, is here, or is planning on coming here I'd love to talk.

If anyone has any questions about internet marketing here in Thailand just ask.

- Anton
#main internet marketing discussion forum #internet #marketing #thailand
  • My friend Paula is there doing the same thing! Well she's traveling around but started out there. She loves it - talks about $6 hour massages, $1.50 NICE meals, great place to stay, etc.

    If I wasn't a hermit, I'd go for it once my kids are all in college!
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    • Ahhh yes, the massages. I don't take advantage of it enough but there are plenty of places to get a 2 hour massage for $9 USD.

      It seems like a lot of people "start" here and then move on. I think that's because it's a great place to focus and really build or grow a business. I'm working on finishing a project right now which is why I "settled down" but after my work is done I plan on visiting Vietnam, the Philippines and going back to Bali. All of the flights out of Bangkok are under $100 USD!
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  • Haha, everyone moving over to Thailand, jeez. While I understand how much cheaper it becomes, it ultimately lies in the governance and safety of the country - which I'm not very confident about. Perfect for a vacation though!

    James Fame
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    • I'm positive the crime rates in Chiang Mai (where the OP is based) are lower than in NYC.

      I'm past my backpacking years craze, but it sounds like a wonderful experience!
    • Hey James

      I have been living in Chiang Mai for 7 years now.....it's a great place to live and work, cheap cost of living, much safer than most Western countries, fab weather and locals that actually smile .

      I run 150+ sites and honestly I would NOT want to be anywhere else.

      Cheers....Kevin
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    • Before I came I didn't know what to expect in terms of safety but like others in this thread mentioned this place (Chiang Mai) feels safer then a lot of places back home.

      I honestly haven't felt unsafe at all since I've been Thailand and I haven't heard any stories of anything bad happening to anyone that I've met while traveling. The only time I've felt even close to threatened was when a guy from the US who had about 10 too many beers was trying to fight everyone at a bar that I was at.
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    • I have been vacationing in Thailand every year. It is generally safe for tourist and I have been driving around as well. However, you have to be extremely careful with anything to do with the Royal family. A Thai-American was jailed recently because there was a link on his blog to a publication deemed insulting to the Royal family.

      Another thing you have to watch for that the local population is not as wholeheartedly welcoming for foreigners as advertisements suggest. There is a undercurrent of resentment towards Farangs and other tourists for disrepecting their culture. This includes topless and nude sunbathing and scanty clothing around town and religious sites, as well as drunken and disorderly behavior. Also, many resent the fact that their country is regarded as the biggest brothel in the world where foreigners think they can behave in any way they want as long as they have money.
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    • And you live where???

      Joe Mobley


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    • I lived there for 5 years as well. Right now I'm in Cambodia.

      Honestly, it's probably far more unsafe to come there on a temporary vacation than it is to live here. Much of staying safe in a place like this is knowing the lay of the land and the way of the locals. It's the tourists who most often get in trouble, in my honest opinion.

      Definitely are risks involved though. Basic street smarts can do you a bit of good.
  • Sounds like an awesome experience Anton. Definitely something I'd would have considered doing 10 years ago before the wife and kids came along. Unfortunately at the time I was too busy working a JOB to take much thought for something like that...

    Jon.
  • I also lived in Thailand for a while - not so much for just cultural experience/travel, but to help at orphanages and different ministries in the country.

    Nevertheless, I experienced a lot of what you did about the country, which I loved: low prices, great food, awesome scenery. Most of all, I loved the people.

    I would imagine it would be a great place to work for a while. Of course, the only places I ever had internet were the internet cafes, which I don't necessarily recommend for being able to concentrate.

    ...and yes, the massages (as long as you are careful in where you go) are pretty awesome too
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    • Been to several places in Thailand but never Chaing Mai yet, curious if it's cooler temperature wise (compared to say Bangkok) since you're up near the mountains?

      Sounds like a great environment to work but that "coworking space" where you mention there's so many others with different skills all together, that sounds like a great place to work!
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  • I lived there for 4 years, and have been living in Asia for 16. Now I live in Myanmar (Burma) and have been here for some years.

    I have to go to Thailand every 70 days or so on a visa run and for shopping, etc.

    I'm always on the lookout for any Mastermind groups or networking events in Thailand when it's time for me to be there, but haven't found anything yet.

    I'm in Asia permanently I suppose (half of my life already). I would be super interested in bigger networking events, if someone else put it together. There are some big players in South Asia as well, like Mind Valley in KL, etc.
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    • I'm another Chiang Mai resident though I will be in the UK during this event

      which you should really check out if you are so close

      FusionHQ Live

      I do the visa run in the other direction every 90 days or so

      Regards

      Steve C
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  • I currently live in Bangkok. It's epic.

    Live a much better standard of life than back home for much cheaper.

    I pay $230USD per month for my apartment in the centre of town beside the main transport hubs. It has all mod cons, swimming pool, fitness centre, restaurants etc.

    I eat out every night of the week and get great local and international food for ridiculously cheap prices like I took a date to a Japanese restaurant the other night total cost for both of us with a drink was less than $10USD.

    I can party like a rockstar 7 nights a week without breaking the bank.

    There's really no better place to live for me right now.
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  • Also a popular place chic lover!
  • Hey Anton, the coworking space alone sounds like it's worth the price of admission. Not that you need to convince most dudes to stay in a gorgeous, cheap country with great food, amazing weather and beautiful, feminine women.

    I'm in BKK now but you've got me thinking about spending a few months up in Chiang Mai. It would be great to network and surround myself with likeminded dudes and dudettes. Only so much inspiration I can auto-generate working naked in my apartment. That's right, nekid.

    Also saw your VSL for dropship lifestyle. Looks really cool man and the no hype copy got me really interested. I used to work for a pretty big dropshipping operation out of L.A. and they were banking. Until Google slapped them.

    Ping me on skype = vtotheyouknow and maybe we can grab a beer and shoot the shizzle when we're in the same place.

    Peace!
    Vic
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    • lol.. I was just thinking the same thing! My wife and I are in Koh Samui getting our Dive Master ticket and I'm working a couple of hours a day writing articles... it's a bit more expensive than Chiang Mai, but great fun!
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  • The locals are welcoming if you don't act like a uncultured idiot who's always drunk and offensive. Be respectful and most people will respect you. Be polite and most people will be polite back. Don't bother anyone and very rarely will anyone bother you.

    Act like a drunken idiot and wander around badly dressed, looking for trouble and being disrespectful and you can get a whole lot of problems.

    The prostitution thing though...the Thai's were pimping out their women and visiting hookers long before any foreigners turned up. They are the biggest users of hookers in the country, not farangs, and even the small villages have brothels. The tourism sex scene is a very small part of the countries sex scene. And the reason a lot of foreigners think that because they have money they can do what they want is because the Thai's facilitate that and will pretty much allow them to do as they please as long as they'll get paid for it.

    Anyway that's all very easily avoided if you just stay away from the red light and tourist areas. Where I live in BKK I never see any hookers, ladyboys, bar girls or any of that other tourist bullshit like touts, suit salesmen, aggressive tuk tuk and taxi drivers hustling, scammers etc.
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  • The locals are welcoming if you don't act like a uncultured idiot who's always drunk and offensive. Be respectful and most people will respect you. Be polite and most people will be polite back. Don't bother anyone and very rarely will anyone bother you.

    Act like a drunken idiot and wander around badly dressed, looking for trouble and being disrespectful and you can get a whole lot of problems.

    The prostitution thing though...the Thai's were pimping out their women and visiting hookers long before any foreigners turned up. They are the biggest users of hookers in the country, not farangs, and even the small villages have brothels. The tourism sex scene is a very small part of the countries sex scene. And the reason a lot of foreigners think that because they have money they can do what they want is because the Thai's facilitate that and will pretty much allow them to do as they please as long as they'll get paid for it.

    Anyway that's all very easily avoided if you just stay away from the red light and tourist areas. Where I live in BKK I never see any hookers, ladyboys, bar girls or any of that other tourist bullshit like touts, suit salesmen, aggressive tuk tuk and taxi drivers hustling, scammers etc.
  • Great post topic! I'm also in Thailand as I see a handful of you guys are. Been here almost 7 years now.

    One thing I didn't see anyone mention yet is the HUGE tax break you get for being an American expat. If you are considering moving out of the US (which I highly recommend) look into the tax advantage of staying out of the country.

    When I was in Chiang Mai two weeks ago I saw an ad for the shared office you are talking about. It looks great, especially if it doubles as a networking center to meet like minded people.

    Chiang Mai itself is fantastic. Personally, I love the beach but the surrounding mountain views in Chaing Mai are amazing, especially if you live in one of the higher buildings. Doi Suthep is also nice for stargazing in the cold season when the sky is clear. Just make sure you bundle up because it gets COLD up there.

    The city is also a bit slow which can be nice if you don't like to party all of the time. But be warned, no pizza delivery after 10pm on week days and midnight on weekends...lol
  • Chiang Mai or Bangkok?

    I visited Bangkok a couple of years ago around this time of the year and it was waaay to hot for me. Could barely go outside.

    But I guess I could manage it...I'm homeless at the moment while I'm waiting to get my U.S. Visa processed (which will take at least a couple of months). My first thought was going to Thailand.
    But I figured Bangkok or some of the islands in the south (Koh Samui, Phuket etc).

    How is Chiang Mai? Lots of things happening? Climate (compared to BKK)?

    What are you guys doing day to day? Would be cool to meet up some fellow marketers if I come over there.

    OP: The Philippines is really cool. I lived there for a couple of months. However, be prepared to experience something radically different to Thailand. I've never been to South/Central America but I would guess it's comparable to El Salvador, Guatemala or Mexico.

    Basically, it's shady. Pretty much wherever you go. People stare at you, point fingers etc. Just be careful when walking outside. I'd recommend you take a cab if you want to go somewhere, especially after dark.
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    • It's definitely something I'd consider after the summer is over here in the UK.

      I'd love to see photos of your accommodation to get a better feel for what you get for $400. Are there any photos online?

      Thanks in advance,
    • I`ve lived in Thailand and seen most of the Phillipines. (Better than Thailand IMO is Palawan region) (Belize) though really has my interest over all of them for many reasons. I think that place can become the next big hub for online entrepreneurs.
  • CM is quite dull IMO. Not much happening in the city. Nightlife quite dead during the week. Cooler than BKK it can actually be cold in the morning in CM.

    Weather in BKK has been OK the past few weeks not really been an issue for me.

    If you want a really happening 24hr city with so much going on that you can't possibly do it all then BKK is the only place to be in Thailand. Man I ******* love this city.
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    • I agree.

      BKK is a monster capital: pumping, busy, crowded, noisy, electric, dynamic, overwhelming.

      CM is a province city: relaxed, cooler, friendlier, duller, sanier.

      It depends on what you're in the mood for I guess. I myself would grow bored in CM after a few weeks... but then again I've always been a city bug
    • I beg to differ.

      I lived in Chiang Mai years, and while the sentiment you've asserted here is common, it's not exactly true if you get in with the local crowds. Plenty of fancy restaurants, local discoteques that go off every single night of the week, and other seedier bars and laid-back beer gardens that will keep you going until early morning if you so choose. It's very much a 24hour city if you want it to be (not that this always ends up being a healthy thing lol).

      Just got to break away from the tourists crowds in the center and infiltrate the local culture. A lot of people show up and stick mainly to the center, wander over to Nimanheimen and Huay Kaew Rd area - maybe even visit Airport Plaza, and proceed to assume it's a small town. It indeed does have a very small town feel at first glance, but there's over 900,000 people in the metro area, with nightlife options sprinkled across the whole lot of it.

      But yes, nothing can compare to Bangkok. That's an international level destination and sure to keep you spinning with options - if you want to spin with options, that is.

      Agreed. No offense to the author, but she really should get out more.
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  • Living in Thailand is great ... I have been living in Khon Kaen NE Thailand with my beautiful Thai wife for the past 3 months after being forced into early retirement due to health issues. I had planned to retire next year.

    Bought a nice 3 bedroom detached home with balconies. Swimming pool a hundred yards away and a river 500 yards away. Security guards too. For £30k, I am living in paradise.

    As I now have no income until my pension begins next year, I am now trying to make this Internet Marketing thing work for me.
  • I like BKK because there're many chic there and are the way cheaper than here $250/1hour for messaging.

    As said above, CM is a relax place when I want more quiet and weather.
  • I always dreamed of doing the same by my local offline business keeps me from doing so. I love travel and being an Internet Marketer is a huge advantage compared to those employed people..
  • Sounds really great! I've always wanted to travel to Asia and I will definitely keep this place in mind. The next 2/3 years I'm planning to grow my online business to a level where I only have to work a few hours a day. In that 2/3 years I can also save money to stay there for 6 months or something .

    I do have a question, aren't the prices rising really quickly as a lot foreigners are traveling to Asia these days?
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    • I've been regularly traveling back to Thailand over the years for the last decade, and the problem has not only been raising prices but rather the falling of the dollar exchange rate.

      When I first traveled to Thailand in 2004, the Thai Baht exchange rate was at 40 Baht per US dollar. Now a days it's at 30 baht per US dollar. So, high inflation plus worse exchange rates make Thailand almost twice as expensive to the traveler as it was 10 years ago. That applies to most of Asia actually.

      Still, what could be consider an average salary in the Western World (say US$ 2,500 per month) can buy you a rock star life style is Thailand.
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    • Where in the world isn't getting more expensive but it's still very cheap. You'll have a much higher quality of life than back home for much less.

      I've been all over the world but I keep coming back to Thailand time and time again. It's incredible.

      P.S.
      Avoid Pattaya like the plague. It's a sex tourist dump.
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  • Sounds like an amazing place to do business... I'm not to flash with the heat so it probably wouldn't suit me, but I can see why some people would love it.
  • I've done this lifestyle for about 7 years now starting in Australia and then living in a multitude of countries in South America, I'm starting to find there is a great and growing group of people doing this kind of lifestyle.

    Would be awesome to get more connected to people doing this, does anybody know like a forum or so specifically for the 'homeless' worldly entrepreneurs like us?
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    • Nice! I'm heading back to NY late in November and staying through the new year but after that I'm doing central and south America where I'll eventually end up in Brazil for the World Cup next July!

      It seems like a lot of people on here are already living this type of lifestyle. A lot of people who work in the same coworking space as me actually have accounts on here but I'm not sure how active they are...
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  • Yeah, you should setup your base there. A lot of well know IMs are there already.
  • Sounds like a DREAM
    waiting to go with my Family to the Big Travel as well
    probably in 2-3 years
  • I lived in bangkok the last 11 months as a pro poker player. yeah its awesome!
  • Twenty five years ago, before the online business boom, I tried 4 cities: Miami, Dallas, San Diego and settled on... Waikiki. problem with Waikiki is that it is expensive and being around tourists gets old.

    Thailand has always been in the back of my mind as i think that would serve as a great hub to the orient!
  • Is the weather FL hot n muggy? or southern CA?


    My buddy got into the Startup Chile program where the country gives you $40k(reimburse expenses) during a 6month program in Santiago Chile working on your biz, networking, collaborating etc.... Pretty cool gig, gonna go down and check it out probably this winter which is their summer. I think they are taking applications for the next round now.
  • one of my rooms, $150/month with pool and two restaurant that deliver thai food too your door from $1.25. In Bangkok. This is the low end for apartments.





    I would recommend to live there, its amazing, even more so if your a guy
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    • Damn. It is very cheap and tempting

      I'm planning to go to europe to stay for 1 year to improve as much as i can my english habilities.
      After that my next stop certainly will be in Thailand, 6 months living in this paradise would do very good in my life.

      I love asian food, beach, cheap sports, etc. Plus the opportunity to network with internet marketing and like-minded people would be awesome.
      Perhaps JV with somebody who wants to scale their business beyond english speaking countries, since my country Brazil have one of the largest internal-market (200 million ppl) in the world. It's a whole new market to sell to.
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    • is this your own private place or do you have to share facilities with others

      also is there a washer/dryer on the premises and are utilities included in the 150$
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  • Wow seems like a great country to be in. I have been there for Holiday before and I do agree that the people there are very nice and the cost of living is low. Looking forward to the day when I can stay in Thailand
  • I was finally able to make my way up to Chiang Mai last October for a week or so after a conference I was at in BKK...really nice, laid-back town. There were a TON of expat entrepreneurs in town when I was there which made it even more interesting - no end to the things to do, people to hang out with, etc.

    I'm actually heading to HCM in September and then over to Thailand (BKK) again in mid-October. I'm planning to head down to Phuket this time, though, and enjoy the beaches a bit. :-)

    OP - is the co-working space you mentioned run by a guy named Ian B.? I know a guy that was setting up his co-working space in the area last year...I was wondering if it was the same place. (If so...small world!)

    For anyone looking at an opportunity to work and check out SEAsia, I'd definitely recommend looking at our latest apprenticeship position. We're looking for someone to head out here (to the Philippines) and help us grow our business...might be a great opportunity for you.

    For anyone else on the fence about checking out Chiang Mai I'd definitely recommend it. It's a little less wild/crazy than Bangkok, but a great place to put your head down and knock out some work. (And stretch your dollar like a champ!)
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  • Wow... living the dream, man! Thanks for this post, gives a great view of what life might be for an online marketer in Thailand. And it even comes complete with an actual monthly budget.

    I've always wanted to soak into Japanese culture and maybe work in Tokyo or Osaka, but man, the cost of living is quite high! Bangkok or Chiang Mai they both seem like very viable options right now. Hopefully I get enough money to live that dream. I hear Thailand has awesome beaches too!
  • CM is a bit quiet for me, I like to drink and go out clubbing, for that Bangkok is the best option. CM is more laid back though and alot smaller. Bangkok has a list of amazing restaurants and so much to see and do. But im a bkk fanboy
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    • It's in Bangna that room, right?

      Same CM is just too quiet. I like the madness of BKK and that I can go out any night of the week and party or find something to do.

      Always tons of stuff going on. There's a beer festival on today which I would go to if I wasn't so hungover. Tomorrow I might have a day at the races.
  • I really need to visit this place!

    When the living cost is so cheap...let's visit this place
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    • Any of you guys in Koh Samui?

      Thinking of moving there in October - been living in Asia for 4 years now but fancy a change of the big city - Samui seems perfect for our needs!

      Drop me a PM if on the island and maybe we can catch up!
  • Looking to soon move from the Canadian cold winters... Thailand is on the list.
    Thanks for all the input guys! Maybe one day we'll be grabbing a beer together!
  • Wow, reading this thread and all of the responses makes me want to pack my bags and travel to thailand or bangkok
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  • I started following this thread a few days ago. Then this afternoon I came across this thread on foxnews.com - couldn't stop laughing.

    American tourist killed in Thai beach town after refusing to stop singing with bar's band | Fox News


    Moral of that story....don't sing with the band at the local bar.
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    • Violence is commonplace here. It seems to be the first solution to deal with problems. In Chiang Mai for example they had a shooting a few weeks ago...

      Rejected student shoots at restaurant in Chiang Mai, three foreign tourists injured | Bangkok Post: news

      Unless there was an update, another article mentioned the foreigner who got shot won't be able to walk again.

      HOWEVER, violence is obviously everywhere, not just Thailand. The only downside of here is there isn't much accountability. If the violators family has money in most cases they will walk free after a small media parade.

      The exchange in lifestyle is totally worth it though. In my years here I have only had a few problems with locals.
  • Thanks for the post! When I am able to send PM's (soon, soon . . . ) I will definitely send you a PM to ask more questions of you.

    Cheers

    E
  • Hey buddy, great thread!

    I just moved to Phuket from Australia a couple of weeks ago and I am absolutely loving it! Best decision I've made in years

    I pay about $500 a month for a really nice condo - swimming pool, gym room, fast internet, housekeeping twice a week and very central to everything. The most delicious meals across the road for around $1-2 a plate. You can't beat REAL thai food! And there is a really nice group of expats living in my complex to hang out with when I'm not working.

    I had originally planned to live in Bangkok while building my online business but I did a little research and found that I could get a much nicer living space down here in Phuket for the same price I was paying in Bangkok. Plus, things aren't as hectic here in Phuket as it is up in Bangkok. Everything moves at a much slower pace which suits me a lot better. However, it is the rainy season at the moment so it's not all sunshine and pina coladas just yet But I still feel like I'm living the dream!

    I highly recommend this place for anyone who is thinking of moving somewhere affordable to concentrate and set up there online business.
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    • Hi Victor, I read in another forum that Phuket is a little too slow paced. Is this not the case. Im not looking for party central being 45 and with my wife but I was thinking of Phuket as a location as well as Chian Mai

      Thanks
  • Oh, one quick tip I forgot to add... Learn how to barter (respectfully)

    It's part of Thai culture to negotiate a price on pretty much everything here, so learn how to barter. But don't be an a**hole about it. One thing that irks me a bit is when I see tourists being really disrespectful when bartering and trying to agree on a price for something. You gotta be firm when you negotiate but always remember to be respectful. Just the same as you would when doing business with anyone in any country
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  • Hi,
    Do you know of any people that do outsourcing work for Internet marketers? They must have a command of the English language. PM me if you need to.
    Thanks,
    Geri Richmond
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    • haha, I've never seen that blog before but I was actually living in the same building as her for the first month that I was here.

      Awesome man. I haven't been to Phucket yet but I'm actually planning on spending some time there in October.

      It's probably a good thing that it's the rainy season now while you're building your business so that you can actually get some work done! When I was traveling around the islands I barely opened my computer.

      I don't... it's funny because I work in a coworking space in Thailand and no one that works there is Thai! I spoke to a guy that uses interns from Chiang Mai University but most people outsource to the Philippines.
  • Damn you made me think about the trip to Thailand. Anyway currently I was planning trip to Russia but kinda found language problem is huge in Russia and things are pretty expensive too. Maybe I will cancel trip to Russia and go to Thailand instead. I was just worried about Internet access but you cleared that so great may be we will meet each other in Thailand.
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    • I have been to Russia many times in the last 3 years as my regular job means i travel a lot around Europe.

      I can say that yes language is a big problem as very few people speak English especially outside of Moscow or St Petersburg but i wouldn't say its overly expensive, it depends where you are the center of Moscow yes that is pretty expensive but suburbs and other cities are cheaper than Europe.

      However, Thailand rocks so i know where i would rather be.
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  • This is something i wanna do for years !
    but we have a small kids, so it's a big problem.
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    • Really? I'll bet there is no age restriction in the Land of Smiles. :rolleyes:

      Joe Mobley


  • I would love to travel and be able to work at the same time. Sounds like my ideal lifestyle. Now I just gotta make it happen!
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  • Hi,
    Thanks for the post. I have been living in Thailand for about 1 year now. I need some advice. I want to start making some money on the Internet and I am thinking about affiliate marketing. Do think this is a good idea, or is there an easier faster way to start making money IM? Thanks for any advice. I am new to this IM game and have sold for years on eBay, but would like to find other ways of making some cash. :rolleyes:
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    • 7 days and counting and I'll be there... China, you were a blast, but it's time for a new adventure.... no more VPN!
  • WOW . . . Awesome. Sounds like an incredible lifestyle and seems really like the
    way to go. What would you say is the best part of your adventures in Thailand.

    And . . . what are the things you prefer to avoid ???

    Best Wishes

    Be seeing you.
  • Sure, but it's very difficult.
    What to do with kids garden/school ?
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    • Not another one of these "the grass is greener" threads.

      Let's be honest here. If I was to leave the US for a third world country like Thailand, I'd be giving up all kinds of first world amenities, including the best medical care in the world, highly regulated food/water/etc. so I don't get food poisoning every time I eat a snack, politically stable society with the legal rights that are afforded Americans in the US, generally civil/modern society, no language barriers, no hassles that comes with living in the country as a foreigner (bureaucracy to wade through etc.), good speedy customer service, very fast reliable internet that never goes out, no visa hassles every few months, not removed from my family/friends back in the US or having to make Marco Polo-esque 24 hour flights every few months to see them, no moving costs, etc.

      Also the rental savings are overrated. You get what you pay for. That $250 a month "apartment" in Bangkok is not going to be anything remotely similar in quality to the $1200 apartment in Atlanta.
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  • Low cost of living, awesome people, awesome food.

    I don't live there myself, but I do have family there. You can live like a king on not too much money.
  • Sounds like a very good place. I think I am going to try this in south-america. Really want to explore south-america.
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    • I'm going back home (NY) for December and then traveling around Central and South America, eventually making my way to Brazil next July for the World Cup.

      There are a lot of internet marketers here that are doing the same thing. We're actually thinking about renting a MASSIVE house in Costa Rica for a month or so.
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  • i swear as soon as i starting earning a consistent 1500 bucks a month im going to go to thailand and live with you guys.
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    this is a great post. I went out to Thailand a few years ago and had a blast..
    you can live like a king on there on a shoestring budget.
    just watch out for the lady boys
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  • Not quite Thailand but In early 2014 Im off to live in Penang, Malaysia, same kind of this you describe
  • $1k per month seem like enough to have great lifestyle in thailand. Can you post some pics of your condo?
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    • To western standards? no, you won't have any great lifestyle with $1,000/month.
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  • Arrghh I can't read any more! traveling and meeting like minded people is one of the best educations you can get. Let alone lifestyle, I shall have to wait until my 2 children move out!! Have fun - Nick
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    • That's fantastic. One day ill be packing up from to uk and moving somewhere hot. Me, my beautiful wife, my 4 young kids and my girlfriend!! My girlfriend is my laptop lol MrG Freedom Fighter
  • what's the visa policy from thailand wrt canada/u.s. ?
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    • Last time I was there (2 years ago), it's 30 days if you come by plane, or 15 days if you come overland.

      Anyway, you can renew them as many times you want, so a quick weekend trip to Singapore, Vietnam, Kuala Lumpur or HongKong (cheap flights!) will grant you another month.
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    • I lived in the center of Bangkok and spend on average $900 a month in a air coned apartment with fridge tv and wifi

      I played tennis 5 times a week
      Football twice a week
      went out and got drunk once a week
      ate out daily

      A Farang Abroad - Travel information about Bangkok and Thailand

      If you read my posts I have information about Visa types, some apartment reviews, the cost of living in Thailand and many other things people would be interested in.

      It really depends on your wants and needs, but $1k a month in Bangkok is more than enough, after you find your feet and know where to go and what places to avoid. Some of my friends have greater needs than me and spend in the excess of $3k+ a month, it all depends on the lifestyle you want to live. If you dont drink and dont want to get drunk and party as much, even as low as $800 is enough, if you live further away from the city center perhaps even $700, although I would not recommend less than $900.
  • Are the majority of people working at PunSpace in Thailand on a tourist visa or a business visa?
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    • I would assume tourist but I can't speak for anyone else. Most people are just passing through spending a few months at a time here so the tourist visa makes more sense.

      Some people complain about having to leave every 90 days to get a new one but I actually like it (it's a good excuse to travel). Last time I had to apply for a new visa I spent two weeks laying on a beach in Bali and this time I'm going to do the same in Vietnam.

      - Anton
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    • Nice try, Thai Immigration Official! :-)

      There seems to be quite a bit of interest in this living/working in SEAsia thing as so many have mentioned wanting to try it out.

      While we're at it - let me make my pitch for the Philippines. I live in this house in Davao City:



      It costs only $1K US per month for rent and it's in a gated community, right next to the pool/restaurant, clubhouse, etc.

      In fact, we're currently looking for a Marketing Apprentice to join us here in the Philippines! This is a paid position and it has to be the right fit - More details here.

      Your food, rent, etc. are all included + you'll get spending money in the months that you're here. We're really looking for an apprentice that can take on a piece of our business and run with it. :-)
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  • all kinds of e marketing need more efforts
  • Wow, it looks very perfect, but you ever thought of the safety problems there? Or consider short-term holiday there is better.
  • Didn't scare of tsunami?
  • Obviously there is always a tradeoff when living in a non-first world country...but lets be real...Thailand isn't exactly the third world. Sure parts of it are but the major centers often have more services then many western cities...just checkout Bangkok...better medical care then what i've seen here at home.

    Anyway...the warmth of the Thai people definitely make up for some things I miss out on when I spend my winters there
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  • Woooow I don't know there are many of IMers in Thailand. That's a surprise for me. I thought there are a few. I am Thai by the way and definitely I would say Thailand is a good place to live if you have a lower budget. I see one comment said about medication. That's not true ! The medication in Thailand esp in famous hospital have a good doctor with the nicest service you can get. You will be treated like a king there. It is a lot better than Australia, the developed country. The hospital don't have enough resource and crazy expensive. I try to avoid to go to hospital but happen that I need to go there two times. First time I wait for 4 hours without any ice bag for my leg. Another time, I wait from 6 pm till 1 am and got only pain killer. lol Such a painful service here. So that's why said, Thailand is way better. On average should be 15-30 mins waiting and the worst case might be 1-1.5 hours. No more than that.

    In Thailand, we really treated customers as a king. If they have bad service, it is unlikely that the business can survive since we treat it as a significant part.

    However, I would say not to mess up with local esp the teenagers. The young generation is more and more outrage (actually in any countries). I personally didn't go to pub and bars since I think it is quite dangerous place to go. What I can say is do some research which place you should go and not go. What kind of people you shouldn't have problem with? I can say I think US is more dangerous than Thailand though. I thought US has gun problems. Seems like a lot of people have it and use it. Also, from news, the psycho people randomly shooting students and people on the street. At least, in Thailand, there is none as such or if I don't know.. may be one.

    It is funny that I move to Australia now. The thing is since everything is cheap in Thailand. It means the average income is very low. Just enough to survive each month for some people and struggle for it. As the foreigner, it definitely paradise. If you come from US or Europe, you used to pay more and so when you come to Thailand, you can spend without thinking that much.

    In Australia, the cost of living is ridiculous even more than US. Every thing is so expensive but better income here. Less crowd (20 millions here) less traffic, less crime. But .... I missss the shopping and food in Thailand. The price is incredibly low and with quality. I used to go to China and buy things there. It is cheap but the quality is the worst and in China, you have to be careful what you eat. Even my Chinese friends said they will not eat milk products there including yogurt bc you never know it is the real yogurt?? or chemical stuff and then make it taste like yogurt.

    Nice to know you guys love Thailand. I am proud of that I hope to see you guys if I come back to Thailand
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  • Yes Hi i have been living in Chiang Rai bought some land and building a house love it here I go back to the UK and then back to Chiang Rai two three times a year when i am here like you work in the cafes it's Great been doing this about five years now
  • Hey Ramona and others...

    Chiang Mai is well known as an awfully cheap place to live on the cheap while you build your biz. Here's a nice apt for only $300/month. I took 5 minutes with a quick Google search and found a few... Here's another for less than $200/month.

    I've heard of a few new entrepreneurs making their way up there on around $1K a month and claim to live quite well, actually. I was just there visiting for a week when I went, so my costs were quite a bit higher! :-)
  • That sounds like a really cool place for a vacation. Gotto add it to my to-go list once I got a business running.
  • Thanks for the post. Internet marketing is everywhere now not just thailand. Philippines are also in teh game now. It's an international thing and this is why I love IM
  • People who claim "you can get an apartment in the US / UK for that price" are missing the point.

    The types of places you can get in those countries are not comparable to what you get for that price in Thai / Phils.

    I don't know anyone back home who has a pool with pool side bar, 3 restaurants that deliver to your apartment, a super market, massage place, hair salon and barber etc in their apartment complex.

    I have all that here in Bangkok right in the centre of town in a good and lively area (without being touristy or too rowdy) at $350 for rent and bills.

    Let's see what you can get in the UK or USA for that price and what area you'd need to live in.

    Third world? Please. I live in a major capital city with first world amenities and infrastructure. Fast internet, great transport, epic night life, some of the best food in the world, 24/7 city...need I go on?
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    • I just did 4 months in Costa Rica and Nicaragua. The beaches are amazing, the people friendly and if you are a surfer and a fisherman it's heaven.

      I really enjoyed Nicaragua as Costa is becoming very touristy and it's also very expensive. In nicaragua I got a straight edge shave and a haircut for like $4. Food is cheap and so is rentals.

      Language barrier can be an issue. Good thing my wife understands decent Spanish but don't let that deter you as it is part of the adventure.

      As for that guy who mentioned how the US is the greatest. Pls! I've had much better health care here in South Africa than you ever will.

      Internet in these places are god as well but the major thing is the lifestyle. It's just so much better than most western countries ( rat race, keeping up with the Jones's etc)

      Cheers
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  • i have been living in cambodia the last 3 years now and run my business fine from there. True the cost of living is cheaper which is always a good thing but the thing that keeps me here are the people and the lifestyle.
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    • I hear you on that. I was just in Vietnam for ~2 weeks (I went to Hanoi, Ha Long Bay and Saigon) and I found myself really missing the Thai culture and the locals here.

      Don't get me wrong; Vietnam was fun and all but I had a HUGE smile on my face when I plane touched down back in Chiang Mai. People just seem to be happy here.
    • I just got back from a trip that included a week in Cambodia. While I loved SR, I thought Phnom Penh was just ok and the internet sucked everywhere I went. It was surprising too...especially since Thailand and Vietnam both have (relatively) blazing internet speeds.

      Don't get me wrong...I loved the people and had a good time, but thought it might be tough to run an online biz when the internet wasn't very stable for me. Still...I'm guessing if I lived there I'd have a nice setup, know the places with faster internet, etc. Is that about right?

      I missed Sihanoukville this trip, but have heard it's an awfully nice place. Will have to check it out next time I'm there!
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  • Been here for five years now. Like any other place, Thailand has its ups and downs. Enjoy the ups and prepare and be willing to deal with the downs and you will be ok.
  • I lived there with my wife in Thailand for so many years till we move back home in Australia. To tell you the truth, I really missed Thailand. It's such a great place for me, especially in doing some internet marketing stuff.
  • Better to know this before you plan to travel to Thailand.

    Things you need to know before going broke in Thailand
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  • I'm another foreigner living in Bangkok. I live in a good part of town and pay rent of just over $300 a month. There are loads of studio apartments in Bangkok which are perfect for anyone who just owns a laptop and a single suitcase.

    Bangkok feels pretty safe. Although a lot of foreigners get into trouble here, if you do some analysis you'll see that if you don't go into the sea or get on a motorbike then you'll avoid the two most common ways of meeting an untimely end here. Also most problems occur in Pattaya or Phuket - the party capitals of Thailand.

    The biggest problem for me are stray dogs and noisy dogs, and the archaic transportation system compared to some of the Chinese cities like Guangzhou (which currently has 10 new metro lines under construction!)

    The other downside is that it's not as cheap here now as it once was, although the baht has slumped quite significantly lately. And if you're not of retirement age and don't want to work for an employer then it's a hassle getting a visa to stay here long time.

    Anyone know if there's a mastermind group here? It would be nice to meet up and exchange ideas.
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    • Agreed - motorbikes can be dangerous and so can the ocean (though I partake in both).

      Most of all, it seems that being a bit more sensible than most about the partying goes a long way towards staying out of trouble. Motorbike tragedies especially are often alcohol-related. Not sure if that applies to fatalities in the water too, but I do know that the most dangerous spots are well forewarned in travel guides, so always pays to do a bit of research about when it's safe to swim there, etc.

      Mastermind sounds great. I'm in Cambodia right now but might look you up next time I pass through. Interested in meeting some more online business folk out here.
  • Interested in getting a mastermind group going in Bangkok. But there's probably a lot of related groups already. I'm kind of wary of meeting anyone in this city anyway.

    The internet is slow in much of Asia (except for Korea I guess).

    There are jobs for expats in Asia - my choice would be Kuala Lumpur. A great city except for if you're a big beer drinker (prices are scary).

    Just don't come here expecting your life will be better. Asia isn't that cheap anymore. And there are plenty of annoyances from extreme weather to stupid locals (like the staff in my hotel who thought it was a good idea to light a fire under my room).
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    • Banned
      That's kind of the issue I run into here as well, damn slow internet, even with fixed lines.

      First I had a DTAC wireless which was hell slow, later on I moved to TrueMove which was perfect for a while but hell expensive ($30/day) and now that they promoted this one a bit more it also turns out to be slow most time of the day.

      It's definitely not so cheap anymore, people talk about spending $800/month, what can you do for that really. When I don't go party too often I still spend about 1500 euro/month. That's like $2300,- or something?

      Have to say that $1000,- of that is rent.

      When I take a group of Thai friends out I spend about 6000-8000 baht (that's like 150-200 euro) or maybe $250,-, do that 4 times a month and there is another $1000,- gone.

      Total $2000,- on rent and going out 4 times a month with Thai friends, obvious the bottles of whisky flow fast but 6 bottles is nothing special with 4-6 people

      Now what I'm gonna do the other 26 days? Get my drift

      If you want to live in a basic studio and don't go out partying, yeah then you can live for $1k/month comfortably here but that's not really my way of the Thai lifestyle.

      Definition of going out:

      - Going to some bar at 6pm, play some pool
      - Dinner
      - Bar again
      - Going to a club around midnight till 5am
      - Move to the beach to drink & play volleyball
      - Go home 10am (perhaps a breakfast in between).

      Yeah call me crazy, I love it here

      Going out with farangs would obvious be a lot cheaper but still, you play around with the ladies etc so it will never be a cheap night out.
  • That sounds very nice , the lifestyle and adventure!
  • This thread motivates me to get my ass out of bed and earn MORE!! this is my dream! **** THE UK!
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  • Sa wat dee krap! Its so awesome that you made this post OP. I loved Siam too when I went there. After my trip I brought home a Lao girl... now she's my loving wife Its a great country and everyone should know it.

    Passa Thai is easy to learn, but if you don't know it most of them over there speak English. In fact, it used to be a British colony, and many of them are at least 50% or more european. Some people are 100% european. So its unique in that you won't feel out of place. Pretty much everything over there is exactly like in the US... they even have tv shows that are exact copies of their western counterparts, just in thai.

    Its a perfect place for an IM-er too
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  • Hey guys I'm going to be in Bangkok December 5-8, 2013 for my first time. Afterwards I'm heading to Pattaya the 9th then to Phuket 10-13th (where I will meet a friend for 2 days) and then Koh Phi Phi 14-15th. If anyone wants to meet up in any of these places let me know because I'd definitely like to meet some fellow IMer's. I'm 30 year old guy from the US. I've been involved in internet marketing about 1.5 year so definitely not real experienced but I'm getting there. I work as a stock trader, a tennis pro, and have a few websites. PM me

    Thanks,

    -Dan
  • Well I just had a delecious spagetti carbonara, now drinking a coffee in my local cafe all for 70 baht, just over $2. back in Dublin I'd be lucky to get a bottle of water for that, and I'd be freezing my nuts off right about now
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    • Sitting at a motorbike repair shop right now getting a flat tire patched up. It's going to cost me about 5 US. I've kept a bike the whole time I've lived here and the maintenance is very cheap. A lot less than the $500 per month I used to pay in the states for car and insurance.
    • Yeah it's wet, windy and cloudy here and getting colder and darker. We only really had a couple weeks of consistent warm weather this summer and then the constant variability that drives me mental because you can never plan anything. Dining out in London you're doing good if you can stay under $20.00 and that's for a very average restaurant, nothing special.
  • How do you guys get your money cashed in from your online business? You get send a check to Thailand?
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    • I've been wondering how to best handle finances to.. can an American with the 1 year multi-entry visa get a Thai bank account? I have been thinking about Chang Mai myself.
    • I still have all my US accounts and all of my funds get directly deposited into my bank accounts.

      If for some reason I ever had to get paid by check all of my banks allow me to take photos of the check with my iPhone and deposit it digitally via their apps.
  • Have money sent to your bank or paypal. Who uses cheques these days?
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    • Thai bank accounts are a bit of a pain in the hole.

      You need a res permit... which is not impossible, but, a pain in the hole.

      Right now, I'm using paypal and sending money to my online account, and using my debit card.
    • What about Amazon? They pay in checks right? And Clickbank? Been always a bit of a problem for me to cash checks.
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    • Solutions:

      1. Have checks sent to an address of someone you can trust and have them deposit them for you into your home account. Pull from ATM (expensive) or wire it over here as needed.

      2. Open an account here and have your money wired over (if the companies you work with offer wires)

      3. Paypal. You can send it to your home bank, use a card to pull it out or if you have a Thai account you can send it to a Thai bank.

      4. Carrier pigeons. Have the companies you work with tie your checks to the ankles of carrier pigeons and let the birds do their thing. (not serious on that one but 1-3 work)
  • Yeah you'll not be able to open a bank account on a tourist visa.
  • You can open a bank account with tourist visa in Bangkok Bank.

    And transfer money through New York or London branch for free international transfer.

    Done the first, been told about the second. I always just used Aeon cash machines because they didn't charge.

    "What if I don't have an account?
    Go to your nearest Bangkok Bank branch with your ID card or passport to open a current or savings account, and you will be offered a Be1st Debit card."

    http://www.bangkokbank.com/BangkokBa...s/default.aspx
  • Be interested in hearing about a few beach resorts. At the moment I think I will just go to Bali because I've been there before, but does anyone know about:

    Sihokville
    Langkawi
    Boracay

    ?????
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    • Sihanoukville is really nice, cheap, relaxed. But slow Internet. It's being discovered by tourists and getting busy, lots of building going on (noise). Nice BBQ on the beach for cheap.

      Langkawi I have never been, but stayed in Penang for 5 months. Penang is great for food and multi cultural. Langkawi I heard is nice. Malaysia is pretty cheap nowadays and living standard is high. Cheap flights to from Penang to Phuket. When I was there you could have a 3 months visa for Thailand in Penang, that was the only place, other places you could only get a month. Not sure how it is now. I liked Phuket, around Kata beach area, lots of backpackers but 2 years ago i saw many Russian tourists. That made the scene different.
      Malaysia is really easy to travel, good roads, good cars, cheap and beautiful nature.

      Boracay is a dream! Stayed there a few times for a couple of months. One beach you can kite surf or windsurf and when you are finished you just walk 10 minutes across the island to the other side for a beer and watch sunset, many restaurants bars on the beach, live music, white sand beach, english speaking people, not many western tourists. It's paradise! For me anyway More expensive than Thailand but beer is cheaper. BBQ on the beach was around $3 I think.

      Palawan was amazing. Philippines is pretty much undiscovered yet by tourists, compared to Thailand which just full of tourists. I don't have anything against Thailand but I hate it when you go on a tour to a secluded beach and it's full of western people It's crazy in Thailand, especially in high season.
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  • Lots of great info in this thread and I was planning a move to Penang early next year but now maybe CM is an option. And as I am taking my first steps to IM I maybe better placed with all of the experts there :-)
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    • Penang is a nice experience, but not really a cool place to hangout for a long time I think. Or depends what your wishes are. I stayed there for different reasons for so long. Beaches are not so nice in the main area and polluted. Traffic is pretty crazy too. If you go north it's more nature but more expensive resorts. It's definitely worth a visit.

      I liked CM also, only bad thing about it is that it's not close to the sea Otherwise I would be there all the time. For me, I cannot live too long without the beach, especially in Asia.
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  • I'm an Amazon affiliate, and I have no choice other then getting checks by mail. Maybe because I'm from Holland. Clickbank same thing.

    I was in Bali last year. Bali disappointed me a bit, for me it's just a great surf island. The traffic is too crazy, beaches are not nice and too expensive. I was in rainy season though, that's in december /januari. I liked the spirit of Bali, the Temples and artefacts. The arts are best I have seen in Asia. Indonesia is much more dirty and underdeveloped with a high price I think. Infrastructure is not keeping up with demand. Of course there are nice things in Bali, but looking at the price and quality of living. If you like art, spiritual things, Yoga then Bali is great. Bali was for me pretty expensive. In high season I couldn't find a decent place for under $30 a night.

    Yes, I think the prices are comparable between the two. Depends a little what you want. Boracay's beaches are so much better. Bali is much more to do. Cliffs are nice, things to see good surf.

    Boracay is just a small island with great beaches, just little paradise.

    I would rather go to Thailand than Indonesia. Compared to the Philippines.. I would feel more home in Thailand somehow. But Philippines is a place not discovered yet, with amazing places to see and discover. Thailand is discovered by the crowd. It's difficult right? hehe
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  • I have two Thai bank accounts that I opened with no problems. I'm a UK citizen living in Chiang Mai, I use Payoneer for my Amazon Payments and can withdraw the money from Thai ATMs though with Payoneers fees and a 150 baht fee for each use of the ATM it drains some of your commissions though it is still better than check.

    I visited Sihanoukville back in 1998 with the idea of setting up a business there I could see it had a lot of potential even then but I met a Chiang Mai lass soon after who I eventually married and that was the end of that!
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    • There's no other option to be paid when you don't have an US bank account it says. My only other option will be a gift card. How can Payoneer be a solution? Do they act as a US bank account?
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  • Do you guys have any problems using your Paypal accounts in Thailand/SE Asia?

    Thanks,
    Andrew
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    • No problem at all, thought it was originally set up in the UK and is linked to my UK bank account.
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  • Lots of people are talking about that place, I'll be in Thailand in January, might have to check it out.

    My long term partner is from Germany, I lived there for about a year back after we first met, we made the decision to come back to and live in Melbourne as it was a better lifestyle as opposed to where she is from in Germany.

    One of my ultimate life goals is to earn enough so that we (daughter too) can go back and forth from Melbourne to Germany so that she can be woth her friends and family as much as I am with mine. This whole Chiang Mai thing sounds awesome though!

    I suppose one of the very reasons we all got into the online thing is geo-freedom it offers I think IMers would be silly not to travel or routinely holiday and for those with family's, anything can be done and believe me, your family ain't going to complain when you tell them your taking them to an exotic location to live in for a few months!
  • My wife and I are thinking about doing this Teach Away in Abu Dhabi program so this really helped gain some understanding
  • Hi, Anthon.

    I couldn't resist this thread.

    Glad to hear that you love Chiangmai. Great place for internet marketers.
    ... and Welcome to Thailand. :-) .. kinda warrior's welcome.

    I'm Thai and I live in HuaHin. Small quite town along southern coast.
    Many tourists. Great spot for internet marketers too.

    Have fun + Good food.
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    • I did not know there were a lot of Internet marketers in Thailand.... I knew Indonesia and Singapore had a lot, but not Thailand. Is it a pretty big community?
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  • You pay for a group of Thais when you go out, why dont you spread the bill 6 ways, 200 euros there is just a total waste unless they are business clients or something.

    in Bangkok if I go out with a group of 5-6 friends, I can get 2 bottles of whiskey with mixes and only spend 1,000baht/£20

    when people live in Thailand they also are partying everynight, they maybe go out once a week. Living for $900-$1300 a month is very doable in Bangkok, I lived there for over a year and my budget was never higher than $1100 a month.
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    • Just stay away from the spicey food or your hospital bill will take over your budget
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  • I am so jealous right now! I wish I could have known about this when I was single and had no family...a decade or so too late. What an amazing lifestyle for you!
    To your success!
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    • Just because your married and have a family does,'t mean you stop to live.....come on be adventurous 1!
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  • Having a family is no excuse not to travel around Asia. I see many families here, and they're not just on vacation.

    People often focus too much on MMO, but there are actually jobs throughout Asia if you want to live here. Smart people are needed in Thailand, and English teachers are needed in China.

    Kind of enjoying my build websites by day, party by night lifestyle
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  • What a deadly thread!

    Lots of good info!
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    • It's hit and miss whether they give you one. Mostly not IME.

      Sihanoukvilles main beaches and the surrounding area is a dump. Filthy beaches with rubbish strewn everywhere, polluted water, dirty streets, aggressive street kids and beggers harrassing yo, lots of young backpackers drunk on buckets at beach shacks (maybe some people like that thing and I did a few year ago too but bores me now)

      Some of the more remote beaches are very nice though.

      Clickbank pay me direct into my bank.

      I've never heard of anyone moving to Singapore (very expensive) to run their online business nor Indonesia. Thailand is a hub for IM'ers and online business people.

      Thailand IS cheap if you want it to be but if you want to spend a fortune you can too, especially in Bangkok.

      It's the great thing about BKK that even though it's a capital city there's very affordable and decent apartments with all mod cons, pools, fitness, restaurants on site in decent parts of town close to BTS.

      Food is super cheap and very tasty. Alcohol IS cheap unless you go to high end bars and clubs. My local bars do big bottles of Leo for 70-95B and large Sangsom and mixers for around 400B.

      Transport cheap and plentiful.

      Bills not too high unless you have aircon on 24/7 I guess. I get free wifi and cable at my place which cuts costs.

      Really it IS super cheap here unless you are frivolous or want high end luxury and lots of Western goods.

      If you're going to party in Ekkamai and Thong Lor every night eat top steak dinners, drink wine and over priced imported whisky and pay for bar girls then yeah you'll spend a lot.

      Why are you taking Thai people out and paying for their nights out? Why can't they split the bill? I have Thai friends and they wouldn't dream of letting me pay for them, we split everything evenly.

      A standard night out for me is over 20hrs of continuous drinking and partying. Sometimes I don't stop for 2 days.

      I still don't spend anywhere close to 6,000 to 8,000B. Maybe half that at most.

      Farang or Thai it shouldn't matter they should pay their own way.

      Personally I don't "pay to play" with the ladies.

      I always found it strange that anyone under the age of say 40 (give or take a few years) would pay for sex in a place where there's so many beautiful, young, single and lonely women around who'd love a gik / boyfriend / casual dating partner.

      Even the guys over 40 I think could get it for free if they approached it properly.

      I agree it's a waste of money to take 6 people out who aren't going to contribute. No need. Get better friends with money. Not all Thai's are poor and if they are good friends they won't expect the "rich farang" to pay for everything.

      I don't party every night because that would be counter productive and I'd get no work done. Wouldn't want to either tbh.

      I spend about similar to you and I don't exactly count every penny or scrimp and save.

      I drink too much, I spend too much on food (1,500B today in Villa Market), I have big nights out (3,500 at Soi 11 on Wed night) a couple times a week, spend too much in coffee shops on cappuchinos and sandwiches, date new women often and pick up the tab for dinner / drinks / ice cream / whatever and don't fee like I'm denying myself anything yet I don't spend that much money.

      A lot of people I know spend much less than me and are perfectly content. They enjoy just eating Thai food, work during the week so don't drink or go out until the weekend, and don't feel the need to throw money around. Hard to spend their wages.


      Nah the food is just fine being spicy. No ones ends up in hospital because it's spicy and I've yet to meet anyone who's had food poisoning surprisingly despite the often poor hygiene standards in street stalls at local restaurants.
      • [4] replies
  • Banned
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  • Philippines are very well-known of a good and cheap outsource services there. When I went to singapore I think one of the cheapest employee there is Philippine, they're nice too. Most of them are.
  • I'm also working on web business to move to Bangkok, hopefully in 3 months from now.

    Spend 3 months on that city winter 2012.. it was amazing!
  • Yes I live in Bangkok and I eat street food all the time. Never got sick so far thankfully. Don't know anyone who has either.

    I agree lots of unhygienic practices but maybe in the West we are just too obsessed with it?

    Most of Bangkok is eating this stuff every day and are fine so best not to worry about it and just get on with it.
  • I wonder how many people are in Thailand currently doing IM, freelancing, building online businesses, making money online (traders, poker players, gamblers etc).

    Would be good to know a rough figure.

    There's a market for an apartment block / hostel / hotel to open in BKK or CM that caters to them I am sure.

    One place in Bangkok was being pitched as that by the SE Asia magazine but if you look at their website or speak to them about it they don't mention it at all so I think the magazine just made that twist up by themselves.
  • You can save a load of money here by being selective on where to party. The cheaper bars charge 70 baht for a big bottle of Chang beer - it's 55 baht in a 7-11. But some of the farang bars on Soi 4 will charge you 200+ baht for a small Chang.

    If you're a party animal then Pattaya is also way better than Bangkok.

    Once you've been here a while then you're gonna grow wise to the Thais/other fartangs who want to party with you because of your ATM card.
  • What kind of place could you get if you are willing to pay say 2000$ for a place in Chang Mai?
    • [3] replies
    • 4 - 5 bed luxury house of a luxury penthouse apartment I'd imagine.
    • $2,000/month = 60,000Thai Baht/month gets you 4-5 bedroom including private swimming pool in a gated community within 10-15 minutes of the center of Chiang Mai....I own a house in one of them.

      Alternatively if you wanted a condominium you could get something really nice located within the city itself.
    • haha yeah $2k/month could get you whatever you want... I've only seen one place priced that high and IMO it was wayyy overpriced for what you get.
  • a mansion for $2k a month in CM
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  • I would really like to stay in Northern Thailand and experience their culture. I have traveled across the world but haven't got to Thailand yet, but I will soon so I would definitely keep in touch so you can tell me about the local spots to visit.

    Thanks for looking out.
  • Banned
    Food tip:

    Avoid those red colored spare ribs that they smoke in these wooden tons, I can eat literally everything here but once i eat that I always have to visit the toilet a dozen times a day in the days after. No idea what they do with it but there's definitely something wrong with the smoking process.


    Laos money tip:

    In case you go to Laos, make sure you have enough cash with you, I had to try almost a dozen different ATM's to be able to withdraw money and it only gave me 1 million KIP which equals about 100 euro I think. Quite nasty when you are staying in a somewhat expensive hotel. There was only 1 bank where I could with draw money and that was the France/Laos bank if I remember correctly. Later on someone told me you can also withdraw 2 million but then you have to ATM twice afaik and after one time it's done for the day, at least with my bank. If you have a CC it will probably be easier but if you only have a bank card with the Maestro logo you won't get far.


    Visa tip:

    Be careful with those 60+30 days visa's, they can put a red stamp in your passport and make problems when you plan to stay a couple of years. At the Laos embassy they aren't that tough on it but there go a lot of stories around that the embassy in Cambodia is getting quite strict. An education VISA for 1 year would solve the problem btw. Not that expensive, about 20k baht/year. Better then a business visa where you have to pay a minimum of 15k baht/month tax (min. income 60k, 25% tax).


    Wireless internet tip

    Truemove is hell expensive, when you have to do extensive, bandwith eating work on the internet you'll easily run through 1k baht/day.

    DTAC on the other hand is hell slow most of the time.

    Best solution for me is working at night, especially cause I live in a hotel/bar area where the WIFI codes get shared massively so in day time you easily share the connection with a dozen or more people playing poker and watching Youtube and cause of the dozens of WIFI signals the aircard isn't going to work very well either. It seems to conflict all together.
  • Hey Niko, how much do you reckon the minimum would be to live comfortable there? I dont drink or smoke but would want to live by a beach.
    • [3] replies
    • check my blog, I have answered that question in good detail.
      • [1] reply
    • Banned
      I suppose you can get around for $1500/month when you don't smoke and drink, not sure if you go out often? If so I would aim at at least $2500/month.

      You can rent a condo (studio or 2 room apartment) near the beach for about 10k-15k baht here, that's about 250-375 euro/month but when you come in high season they are probably not available anymore. If you like Thai food you can easily eat for 200-300 baht/day.

      Keep in mind that they charge quite heavily for electricity, 9-10 baht/unit is not unusual in the big condo complexes. I mostly had an electricity bill of 6000-7000 baht, often we forgot to put the airco off in the bed room or when we left, that type of things so then it adds up quickly.

      You also need a motorbike I think, which is 2500 baht/month when you rent it on month to month basis.

      So total:

      15000 for condo (studio is not always available)
      6000 baht for electricity (airco)
      6000 baht food if you don't care about fancy restaurants
      2500 baht for motorbike
      3000 baht for visa

      (you need to take those visa trips every 90 days, and then you need to wait there 2 days in a hotel and pay a for the entry visa to Laos or Cambodia, pay for the Thai VISA, pay for transportation, so a visa trip will easily cost you 9000 baht with all included / 3 months = 3000/month, assuming you don't fly to a nearby country, otherwise more expensive)

      That's 32.500 baht in total or slightly over a thousand dollar and then you only live, eat and have transportation.

      An education VISA costs you about 20k baht/year, business VISA is more expensive cause then you have to start a company and hire yourself and pay 25% tax over your minimum income of 60.000 baht).

      Anyway, that's how far I know it.
      • [ 1 ] Thanks
    • This was when I stayed in beach bungalow on Koh Phangan:

      Accom - 12000-15000pm (stove, hot shower, fridge, etc)

      Electricity - 700pm (no aircon, don't need it because of the sea breeze)

      Food - I cooked in my little kitchen and food from market is peanuts. 100bht+ depending on where you go if you eat out.

      Moto - 2500pm + very cheap gas

      Laundry - 30bht per kilo wash and dried

      I guess those are the basics then you just have to add on luxuries.

      And cheapest visa run is Penang. You can actually hand in your passport to a company on the main street and they will take it away and bring it back with a visa stamp by 4pm.

      Just get boat to Surat Thani and train straight to Penang.
  • all your figures are way off, who pays 6k a month for aircon/electric unless your in a 4 bed room apartment with aircon on all day. Your getting ripped off if that's not the case. I never had a bill over 1.2k, although I stay in a studio and use a fan sometimes.

    IF anyone is charging you 9/baht a unit, you should not stay there. You can find condos near Hua hin/ Pattaya and Phuket from 8-12k range.

    Visa is once every 3 months, and if he enters with a tourist visa, he will only need to do a visa run which are like 2100baht (every 3rd month)

    some examples of cost of living

    Bangkok Prices, Thailand - A Farang Abroad

    The Cost of Travel in Bangkok, Thailand - A Farang Abroad

    one can live in Thailand for under $1100 a month and have a great time, I did it for over a year. Sorry if I come across as pushy/arrogant, I would hazard a guess at around $600 would be the minmum amount of money needed for a wesntern to stay in Thailand each month (excluding visa runs), but I would not want to live in Thailand on a $600 budget.
    • [2] replies
    • Banned
      It are quite standard rates, although a bit expensive but that's what you pay in most condo complexes in Pattaya.

      Right now I pay 4 baht/unit and sell electricity to the Thai owned bars at the opposite for 6 baht/unit. They are totally fine with that. Before I came one of them used to pay 7 baht/unit. So paying 9 baht/unit as a tourist is not that far sought.

      You seem kind of delusional about visa costs, do you actually stay in Thailand or are you just basing your thoughts on theories? You can do a visa trip for 2100 baht as advertised, but that doesn't take you to the Thai consulate/embassy where you have to wait 1 or 2 days for your visa, the 2100 baht also doesn't include the price that you pay for the visa. The 2100 baht visa trips are with a minivan where you cross the border and go back straight away, good for a two week visa with 1 week extension.

      If you want to live like cheap charlie over here at $1100/month then I won't stop you!

      Hey. maybe you should read your own blog post again about VISA's that you posted a few posts above, there you talked about ED visa coming down to 3000 baht/month:

      "Staying in Thailand this way works out at an average of around 3,000 Baht per month."

      And now you're accusing me of making up numbers, it shouldn't get funnier then that

      And no visa trips do not turn out cheaper:

      - Taxi from Pataya to Bangkok and back 3000+ baht
      - Two way plane ticket 5000 baht
      - 2 nights hotel: 4000 baht
      - Taxi's inside Laos: 500 baht
      - Visa at Thai embassy: 1900 baht (or close)
      - Entry visa for Laos: 1200 baht (or close)

      That's nearly 16.000 baht, sure you can stay at a cheaper hotel or sit in the bus for many hours, and not take taxi's but then it still comes down to about half, so still close to 3k baht/month.

      Besides, what the heck are you arguing about a lousy 100 bucks LOL


      Hey for the record, you can also live here for $150/month

      - Share a room with 2 people for 2500 baht/month = 1250 baht/month
      - Eat from food cars for 100 baht/day or cook with some people to bring it down to 50/baht a day = 1500 baht/month
      - Take the 10 baht bus to the beach twice a day = 600 baht /month or better walk, I'm 200 mtr from the beach and still have a room for rent upstairs. Perhaps if you find a Thai girl she likes to share it with you same like the other guys upstairs, I don't hear them complaining.

      Done for 3250 baht same like the Thai people who work at bars and that don't get taken off.

      Heck you could even work in my bar but you must be taken of at least twice a month and get drinks on regular base. I pay 100 baht/day, then you live for free

      Any way I congratulate it how you managed to stay 1 year in Bangkok, the hottest city on earth, with most of the time a fan and only going out partying once a week, what the hell you did there for the rest of the week in such crowded polluted city? Sounds like Hell in Bangkok, I think they even wrote a book about it.
      • [ 1 ] Thanks
    • Banned
      Nope when I stayed in a 4 room bungalow I paid 10k baht/month with the same airco schedule, there I did get ripped off for sure yes. Probably unit price at 12 or 15 baht, didn't stay long there though, but that was more caused I took over a bar and live above it now.

      Offer for the room stands, we're not far from the beach so you might get some breeze

      Fan included!
      • [1] reply
  • in previous post I stated if you got a triple entry visa, you just have to use a company like Bangkok buddy and they will drive you over and back for 2,100 baht. Or you could do it yourself for a bit less, but with more hassle.

    But its quite clear we live two different lifestyles, for example you go and take a whole group of people out and pay for them. I on the other hand am more sparingly with my money.

    I stayed in central bangkok for over a year and my budget was around $1100 each month. Sometimes as low as $850. I had a great time went out clubbing once a week. gym/sports every day. Your numbers on some things are way off, no one ever pays 6k for electricity, like I said unless your getting scammed or live in a huge huge house with everything plugged in all the time.

    bus from Pattaya to Bangkok is 125 baht so im not sure why you mentioned taxi fares when the guy said he wants to do it on the cheap.
    you can easily find hotels in any city in SEA which will charge you 400-500 a night refer to agoda). The guy asked for what is the minimum needed. your estimated of 2k a night for a hotel is once again WAY off.

    Remember he asked for the minimum amount of money needed, he didn't say he wanted to ball out of control. Anyway I guess we can just agree to disagree, and people can use both of our information and take what they will from it.
    • [1] reply
    • Banned
      True point about the minimum.

      Not so true about the electricity, almost everywhere you pay that kind of amounts when you rent things as a tourist, you can easily end up with 6-7k/month when you have 2 airco's running almost 24/7. We're talking about March, April, May here, it's bloody hot at that time of the year so it's only convenient to keep them running so that when you come home you enter a nice cool house. The huge plasma TV, which was also on a lot of the time to provide music lol, gives of a ton of heat as well and I bet it also eats a nice chunk of electricity. But yeah with some thinking and using the fan more often you can cut down in costs so the minimum applies there as well.

      Yesterday I had a chat with someone from my country at a bar and he also says he pays around 1500 baht/month for electricity but he rents a condo that's rented to Thai people mostly and 4-5km out of the center. He spends all his days on the beach and puts the airco off, in the evening he uses a fan and 1-2 hours before he go's to bed he puts the airco on and then puts it off again.

      The costs don't stop at 2100 baht, no matter what transportation you use, you have to wait there 1-2 days for the VISA, it's never done a la minute and you also need to pay for the VISA, all costs that you chose to ignore.

      Yes there's a bus going for 125 baht, I took it several times before but it's not always convenient as it only go's once an hour and when your plane leaves early there's no bus going yet.

      In my younger days I also thought, when I have a passive income of $1500/month I go live in Thailand. Nowadays I think completely different about that, sure living in Thailand has some benefits like the weather so it's a great place to stay during the cold winter months but if I had only $1500/month to spend I think I would rather stay in my home country during the low/rainy season for several reasons:

      - the weather isn't that great, many people say it rains 30 minutes a day and then clears up, not really true, I've seen 2 weeks of non stop raining here in Pataya and when it wasn't raining the sun didn't break through either due to the clouds

      - the costs of going out don't differ that much from my home country, in Holland we also pay 2 euro for a beer

      - it's overall kind of quite in the low season, almost feels like a deserted city, sure exagarating a little bit here but that's how I felt it, especially in the area where I stayed back then, you could hear a needle drop on the streets, all restaurants and bars kind of empty.

      - with such few money there isn't a ton you can do, what I did in the low season was travel around a bit, to Nongkhai, Buen Khan (or however you spell it), Laos, Macau.

      - in my home country I would have all my friends, family, and the weather is ok there when it's raining half of the time during those months in Thailand.

      So if I have to give an advice to people on a budget, just go there from November till April and go back with great memories instead of getting bored to death in the low season. Especially if you depend on your life savings for your 1 year break. If you depend on an online income then your work will provide a good distraction.

      Some other things that people tend to ignore:

      - health and travel insurance
      - risks of accident

      For example when you make a motorbike accident and crash into a car the bills can add up quite a bit, and not just the hospital bill, you're also supposed to pay for the damage to the car and/or motorbike. Those motorbike insurances don't cover much.

      So last tip: Make sure you have enough backup money or you can get yourself in serious trouble.
      • [ 1 ] Thanks
  • So many places around the world where you can get absolutely LUXURY accomodations for a fraction of the price it would normally cost
  • Who here remembers George Montague Brown? He dropped out of the scene after his latest product (which got a lot of scrutiny) but I really like the guys personality. He lived in Thailand and I developed a love for the place from him.
  • This thread info is killer
  • I have been wanting to live in Thailand too. This country is one of the best of Asia.
  • How are places like Chiang Ma for families?

    I can understand the appeal for the YFS crowd, but what about expats with families, children.

    Anybody doing the family thing out there?

    What's possible for say $1,500 a month in rent , I would need a 4 bed house with gardens and ideally a separate office , parking for 2 cars in a decent area, doable?

    What's the overall feeling about the education system and healthcare, are their reciprocal arrangements with any countries like the UK or US or do you just pay as you go?

    Anybody got kids in an English school there?
    • [4] replies
    • There is a link on page 1 or 2 of this thread with a link to local property place. lots on offer. and Like you I am looking for a nice quiet (ish) place for myself and wife, I'm 45 and not looking for club lifestyle but people say its fine for us elders :-)
      • [ 1 ] Thanks
    • In fact

      Chiang Mai Real Estate | Condos for Rentin Chiang Mai - 10,000 To 15,000 THB/Month

    • If you PM me I can put you in contact with a woman from South Whales who lives here with her husband and children while running her business full time.

      I know there are a lot of great international schools here because I have friends from the states and from all around the world that teach here but she would be the one that can provide the most info.
      • [ 1 ] Thanks
      • [1] reply
    • [DELETED]
    • Yes you could rent something matching your requirements for that sort of money though you'd have to live a few KM's out of town.

      I have kids but being half Thai and growing up here they go to a school with a bilingual program which is probably 70/20 Thai orientated. International schools are fairly expensive here. I'd say you are talking somewhere between 100,000 - 300,00 baht a year, not including exam costs,books, uniforms etc.

      Healthcare is good but can be expensive, you'd be probably best checking out BUPA or similar and getting a family health insurance plan of some sort.
  • If anyone knows of an RC helicopter club in Chiang Mai let me know!
  • Im a member in this ex pats forum, it will help some more

    Thailand : British Expat Discussion Forum
    • [ 1 ] Thanks
  • This thread has been a great overview of travel to Thailand and has put Chiang Mai on the map for me as a very likely destination for early next year.

    I'd be interested to hear more about Davao City in the Philippines as well.

    I am hoping to accomplish three things when I visit (and most likely it will just be for a month or so at first)

    1. Focus on my online business and writing projects and maybe network a bit with others.
    2. Mix some songs I am recording in a good studio with low rates (I have seen one in Chaing Mai already)
    3. Have plenty of sunny weather and some place to fly my RC helicopter.
    • [2] replies
    • How much are the studio costs out there?
      • [1] reply
    • Yep, he just arrived in Davao on Sunday! I've been getting him up to speed the last couple of days...we talk about it a bit in our upcoming podcast on Thursday.

      He's a sharp dude and we have some big plans for him in the coming weeks and months. He'll start off with some of the more basic tasks (podcast show notes, pre-interviews for podcasts, etc.) and we'll involve him more and more as time goes on.

      I gotta say, I love the apprenticeship model...a true win-win, I think.

      In addition to the post I wrote about it, I'd be happy to have a chat with you when you make it out to Davao, for sure. Shoot me an email a week or two before you're heading out and we'll set something up. We regularly meet up for a "social dinner" on Thursday nights and there's a more formal meetup every third Thursday of the month. I'd be happy to answer your questions, plug you in to the scene, etc.
  • that sounds like a great way to live, alksense. i like the idea of maintaining your business while backpacking (or whatever you find pleasure in) which is something Tim Ferris preaches in his books. it appears you have found yourself and niche. i have outsourced some business abroad but never considered making it a lifestyle by fully automating and traveling extensively. bravo sir. you are a real inspiration.

    i would be interested in your current program when it becomes available again.
  • How do you guys deal with US clients, the hours are a total mismatch ?
    • [2] replies
    • We very rarely do any consulting (if at all), so there's not much need to be online during US hours. We do have staff up at night, though, that can handle customer service inquiries. Most of our customers know/like/trust us, are comfortable purchasing online, and we have a process post-sale that's (usually) pretty smooth and explains the process every step of the way.

      The few times we do have to talk to someone in the US (Australia and the UK aren't too difficult) we just setup the call in the morning our time (evening US) or night our time (morning US). These aren't sales calls (usually podcast interviews, finalizing a larger purchase or site to list, etc.) so we're not stuck on their timetable and can find a mutually agreeable time.
    • I use a call center in the states for my eCommerce businesses but I was using them even when I lived there... if there's any questions that they can not answer they send me an email and I respond in the morning so that they can call the customer back.
  • What is strange about it? Why is there a need to go out for fancy dinners and nights of drinking?

    Swimming pool dates, ice cream dates, coffee dates. Quick and cheap.

    Why do you feel the need to impress them?

    Girls who work at a hotel or bank are hardly high on the social ladder, they probably make min wage of 300B a day, and even if they weren't and were 'hi-so' and earning a fortune still no need to try and impress with fancy dinners and expensive bars etc.

    If you start out down that road they'll expect it every time.

    If a girl is only interested in meeting me because of my money or because I'll take her to fancy restaurants etc then I'm not interested in going out with her anyway.

    800+ for a bottle of Sangsom or Blend is crazy. I can get a big liter bottle of Red Label for 1,100B in a few places I visit but I'd rather just drink Sangson or other cheap shit because we're going to add ice and mixers to it anyway so what's the point in spending more?

    I've not heard of people getting a red stamp in their passport denying them from being able to come back to Thailand or get future visas.

    If they don't want to give you another visa they will just say no. Usually if you've got too many back to back tourist visas they'll just issue the single entry rather than double or refuse you completely.

    Yes they can and do speak to you in Thai to check you are studying and often check with the school to make sure you're going.

    Why not go and actually learn? Don't you speak Thai?

    Things are definitely getting stricter with visas but I'm not too worried about it. I'll do the EDU visa if getting double entry visas becomes too much hassle or simply go somewhere else.
  • Banned
    All I have to say is what an incredible cheap ass are you lol.

    Anyway each to it's own, I might spend a bit too much but I definitely ain't gonna avoid places cause a bottle of whiskey is a few 100 baht cheaper somewhere else.

    I speak a tiny bit of Thai but I live in a night rythm so it's hard to free up time to go to school. Anyway I'll buy my way out one way or another.
  • Got a 1 year ED visa. This is the easiest way for you guys to live here, unless you're older in which case you can get a retirement visa.

    You need to apply for the ED visa outside of Thailand (so I had to go to Malaysia and back - hmmm, KL is a nice city!).

    Anyway, you have to extend your visa IF YOU STAY IN THAILAND FOR MORE THAN 90 DAYS. They didn't ask me if my Thai was any good. 6 months here and I know half a dozen words. Ah well, I'm a true digital nomad and if they crack down I can go somewhere else.

    The clock resets if you leave and come back - easy to do if you live near a border.

    I'd learn more Thai but there doesn't seem much point. It's not an important international language, and I only know one farang who can read the written language. I found Chinese easier to learn, and much more interesting.
    • [2] replies
    • I'm by no means cheap but I don't see the point throwing money about trying to impress people or spending it people who just want to leech off you.

      500B difference in a bottle of whisky is considerable in Thailand so why pay that extra when you don't need to. Just makes no sense.

      Excuses excuses for not learning any Thai. No need to go to school practice just do some self learning or practice with some Thai's you know.

      Yeah why bother to learn the language of the country you live in, eh? :rolleyes:
      • [1] reply
    • Banned
      Yeah I went to Laos as we visited the GF's parents in Nong Khai first so that was a short trip.

      Good to hear they didn't ask if you spoke Thai, and even if they do I bet there's a way out, I used to only pay for 3 months visa multiple times, without ED/Business/Retirement or anything like that.

      I didn't feel very comfortable about that when I left and re-entered the country later on as I could only do that twice (good for 9 months stay) and I never read anything on the internet about it even being a possibility to stay for an extended time period with no leaving or sending passports to the border. I bet it made up for a nice/lucrative side business. At the immigration in Bangkok they didn't even seem to frowns up on it.

      Actually, some people here in Pattaya advised me against learning the Thai language as Thai people LOVE to gossip a lot. Lately I made a (light) sexual joke about a fat lady and her response was: "Ma mai dek". My response: Same you!

      So actually I do know a few words of Thai

      Ma mai dek - literally translated - dog no eat

      (not suitable to use in restaurants
  • Banned
    [DELETED]
  • I think learning some of the language makes it easier on us and we are not seen so much as typical ignorants
  • Banned
    and the Thai girls, hehe
  • You know what bothers me even more?

    Sexpats and sex tourists making things more difficult for guys who aren't interested in whoremongering and giving all farang a reputation as being hopeless, seedy, losers who come to Thailand to have sex with the lower rungs and poor of Thai society.

    They ruin it for everyone. These people are MUCH worse than a few IM'ers on a budget.

    BTW you are assuming that because I don't splash the cash and buy expensive things I'm broke...that's not very wise.

    Hijacking away the cheapest places to live? What does that even mean?

    Who cares if some tourists don't want to buy hookers a drink. They are paying for sex not to sit around making small talk. The less sitting about drinking and talking the girls are doing the more customers they can get, so surely that's a win win for them?

    Boasting about how you (over)pay prostitutes is embarrassing btw. I hope you're an old man or otherwise I find it quite sad you need to pay for sex with girls at the bottom of the social ladder in a 3rd world country.

    I know dozens of bars where Sangsom / Blend / Hong Thong is UNDER 500 baht. My local does large Sangsom for under 400B.

    There's no girls dancing around on stage with next to no clothes on or girls you can pay for sex in these venues so perhaps that's why you don't know them?
  • Let's not ruin a great thread and get it closed, Cheap Charlie and Randy Ross.
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  • I'm probably missing out on a lot of the networking opportunities because I live around 10km out of town and work from my home office but I try to meet up at least once every couple of weeks with my mentor who lives here in Chiang Mai.

    I've been all over South East Asia and I've visited some great places but Chiang Mai has been the only one where I have wanted to settle.
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    Internet marketing in Thailand...

    I've seen the topic of running your business from overseas pop up a few times on the forums. I'm currently doing it so I figured I'd start a new thread and answer any questions people may have. I was backpacking SE Asia for about two months while running my businesses from coffee shops and working about two hours per day. I was just maintaining what I already have in place and spending my free time taking in the culture. I went trekking, learned to scuba dive and explored the islands.