17 replies to this topic

[rocketrocket223]

Hello all,

 

I have met many of you and wanted to start this off by saying thank you to everyone for helping me feel like I am not alone and that I belong to the group.

 

That being said, I am looking to become an expat and move to Thailand. Hopefully within the next 2 or 3 years.  BKK, Pattaya, and Khon Kaen would be the most likely places we look to settle.  I prefer BKK and Pattaya, but, my wife is from KK and has family and friends there.

 

Why?

     To put it quite bluntly, I have become disillusioned and need a change.  Every day I spend where I currently am, seems to crush my spirit more.  My wife is from Thailand and I absolutely love her and her family and friends.  I am not sure if she knows about my predilection for ladyboys, but, I think she may have an idea.   I have been to Thailand many times and I absolutely love Thailand.  I actually feel more accepted in Thailand than I do in the USA.  

 

     I am 47 and will be 48 before the end of the year.  I return to Thailand in January and hope to stay for about 6 weeks and would cherish meeting anyone who would like to hang out with me.  

 

Main concern:   

     A I am only 47 and do not have a pension of any kind at this point, I will need to find work.  My wife is a teacher and looks to return to that field, but, we will need more income than a teacher's salary.  Though we are trying to contact a friend in the education department that may be able to help her land a better income teaching job.

   Still, I really do want to work as well.  I believe you all know what one of my expenses would regularly be when I live in Thailand.  LOL

   

     Also, to be brutally honest, I really do not know what I will be getting myself into and would appreciate any and all advice here.  I will admit that this looks to be a daunting undertaking and I go into it with some trepidation.

 

     I mainly seek advice in how to find work or maybe even buy into a business(ladyboy bars would be nice...lol).  Unfortunately, my Thai is currently merely rudimentary and exclusively phonetic.  

     My background includes 13 years of Accounting experience(I possess a Bachelors degree) and, currently, 12 years(and counting) of working in the field of psychology as a counselor at a group home.  I am also a competitive power lifter and could train people in that area as well.

 

     I look forward to any and all advice and comments from you all.  Any and all information would be greatly appreciated.

 

[jimbo34]

Well, i quite understand your disillusionment with the West, rocket. Its oppressive, whereas the Land of the Free really gives you a sense of, well…..freedom!

 

 But you're stepping into a world of financial pain by moving to Thailand. Just setting up home can be quite a cost. I know your wife has family here, but even if you move into their place there'll be things you need: aircon, a comfy bed, tv, fridge, motorbike etc etc. I'm ignoring the burden the family may put on you, as you're probably used to that. 

 

 You're right about a teacher's salary being unable to support you both. It'll barely support her, and a thai lifestyle never mind a westerner.

 

 I don't think your years in accountancy will secure a job here, nor the psychology.

 You might have some luck with the fitness thing in one of the gyms or Muay Thai boxing training camps. 

 

 The bar business is strewn with failures, but you might have some success buying an established bar, although that will, of course, cost you plenty. Do you have some capitol? Are you really prepared to risk it?

 

 I can tell you're anxious to change your life, but you're at a critical age, and with no pension accrued you'll be putting everything you have on the line. It might be better to rethink your programme with a few more years in the U.S., saving everything you can into an investment fund. There would be nothing worse than getting to 60, and having nothing left.

 

 Sorry, not very positive contribution, i know. But think long and hard before taking the plunge.

[Spyder Rocket]

The biggest factor will be what type of visa you are eligible for. I have no idea if spousal visas allow you to work or not, so I think you should get a good idea about your visa situation first.

The job market for farangs is very limited in Thailand, and I would say that your best bet for a high paying job is to look for a job with a company in your home country that has postings in Thailand.

To get hired by a Thai company directly is probably not a option for you. The skill sets are extremely limited for farangs.

I don't know much about the fields that you have experience in, but for counseling jobs, I would try looking for a position with a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO). However, most NGOs offer nominal salaries as their missions tend to be non-profit charitable type operations.

Since you have a BA degree, I would get a certification to teach English as a second language (TESOL) as English teacher is about the easiest job for a farang to get in Thailand. The pay isn't great and the working conditions can vary greatly. The good news is that there are an abundance of websites and web forums out there about teaching English in Thailand.

If I were you, I would get a TESOL certification regardless of what your primary plan is and use that as a backup plan.

The bar or restaurant option is too risky in my opinion. If I was going to attempt that in any country, but especially Thailand, I would be prepared to lose my investment money.

I'm not saying that you can't make it work; however, I would approach it with the mindset that failure is a very real possibility. Don't risk anything that you aren't prepared to lose.

PS

My situation is a little different than yours, but check out the thread I created on becoming an Expat, it might give you some ideas or things to consider.

http://ladyboyforum....oming-an-expat/

[rocketrocket223]

Thank you Jimbo and Spyder.  Very much appreciated.

Believe it or not, my wife's family is actually a positive.  They have property and so does my wife.  Also, we may have a connection who has some pull  in the education field.  My wife's family actually has some pull in KK as well.

I was actually thinking of getting my teaching cert in Thailand as well as a fall back option Spyder.

I have looked into embassy worl, but, no luck thus far.

Spyder, I have considered looking for a US firm based in Thailand as well.  In fact, currently, a friend fron the gym is in Thailand and offered to gather some info for me.

What do you think about buying up condos in BKK and renting them out? 

Jimbo, do you have any idea of who I could contact for possibly landing a strength and conditioning job with a muay Thai project?

Thank you very much for your advice and honesty my friends.

I know it is not an easy change at my age, but, I really do need to get out of the US before it stresses and/or depresses me to death.  I am afraid that the dollar will be fairly worthless by the time I am 60.  Also, I worry that I may slow down a little too much for ladyboy fun if I wait that long(LOL).

Jimbo, I know that you are in Phuket and I hope to meet you someday.  Do you ever travel to BKK or Pattaya?

Spyder, are you in living Thailand now? If so, where?

I would cherish having the opportuinity to hang out with you both and have a couple drinks when I return to Thailand in January through to the beginning of March.

[rxpharm]

A couple of my colleagues are planning something similar and are just a bit older than you. I will share their plans as they are different than many you read about on this and other Thailand forums.

 

The key to both of their plans is to have a healthy amount saved before permanently moving to LOS. If it is at all possible try planning on working in the US for another 5-7 years and try to save as much as possible.

 

Colleague 1 has saved up close to 200k. He has a Thai wife, and has a nice house built in Chiang Rai - and is debt free. He is planning to move permanently next year. To make money while he is in LOS, he is running an web based copy service. He will proof read and correct novels, textbooks, he also writes copy for the book jacket summaries or brief synopsis for the promotion of new books. He has started this and is building up this client base.

 

Colleague 2 has also saved up close to 200k. He also has a Thai wife and has built a nice house in Udon Thani. They have also some land that is currently rented out to a farmer growing sugar cane. He has been researching how to set up a craft whiskey distillery. His plan is to import a small whiskey distillery from Germany, and use sugar cane to make, promote, and sell custom blended whiskey.

 

Both these plans required considerable research and planning and there is no guarantee they will be successful, however I feel their chances are probably better than the average plans I've seen posted on various forums.

 

Another major challenge you face is your Thai wife vs: your attraction to lbs. It may be problematic if she finds out and then wants a divorce, so you seriously need to think this part over as well.

 

Good luck!

[rocketrocket223]

Thank you for the info rxpharm.

 

Yes, we are trying to save as much as possible as well.  

I like both of their ideas for income.

I have actually thought about possibly starting a micro brewery in TH myself.  

My wife actually has property in KK and we have a couple storefronts to rent out.

I think my wife may know about my predilection for lbs, but, not sure.  But, thank you for the heads up on that one as well.

[jonnieb]

Thank you for the info rxpharm.

Yes, we are trying to save as much as possible as well.
I like both of their ideas for income.
I have actually thought about possibly starting a micro brewery in TH myself.
My wife actually has property in KK and we have a couple storefronts to rent out.
I think my wife may know about my predilection for lbs, but, not sure. But, thank you for the heads up on that one as well.

Do you think asking her to wear the strap-on was the giveaway?

[rocketrocket223]

Do you think asking her to wear the strap-on was the giveaway?

LOL

No need for that, I'm a top.

[jonnieb]

LOL
No need for that, I'm a top.

Maybe your constant entreaties for anal sex?

[rocketrocket223]

Maybe your constant entreaties for anal sex?

Let's attempt to stay on subject. 

[sharkdog]

Be aware that foreigners are not allowed to hold many jobs in Thailand.  Accountant being one such position (and since there are numerous Thailand specific accounting practices / rules and just about everything is done in Thai language you would have a hard time in that field anyway).

 

In general, any company that wants to hire you has to be able to say you have some specific ability or skill set that makes you unique and that they cannot find a Thai person to do the same job (I would think that rules out Personal Trainer as Thailand has many).  You could probably own your own Fitness Studio, though there is a lot competition in that market.
 

You might be able to get a job teaching English at a private language school (for little money).  I've heard though that there is a new regulation stating only people with a Bachelors Degree in Education are eligible to teach in public schools.

 

There are many hotels and other businesses that hire 'farang', but they are required to have x number of Thai employees for every Farang.  For small businesses I heard it is 4 Thais.  For hotels though one guy working in a hotel told me he thought it was 50 Thais.  I don't really know.

A spouse visa will allow you to live, but not work, in Thailand.  To work you will need a Work Visa and Work Permit, and there is a fair amount of red tape to go through for both.

 

If you have your own business, then you can get a Work Visa & Permit.  Be prepared to file lots and lots of government documents, annual audited financials, etc, etc. and you will need the help of a Thai accounting firm for all that.

There is a company in BKK called Sunbelt Asia that assists people like you for Visas, Work Permits, etc.  They also act as a brokerage for businesses and have a listing of many small businesses for sale (including quite a few bars / massage shops / coffee shops etc - my guess is many are NOT really profitable, but I don't really know).  I'm sure you can google them and find their website for more info.  I'm not recommending them or saying I don't recommend them - I've just heard about them.

Don't mean to discourage you.  You might get lucky and strike it rich.  The odds are long against that though.

[rocketrocket223]

Thank you for the information sharkdog.  Very much appreciated.

I will check Sunbelt Asia out.  It should be a decent starting point at the very least.

I have been considering the possibility of dealing in export/import

Luckily, my wife's sister is an accountant.  So, given what you have told me, that should help a bit.

As for the laws and regulations, it just makes me hate my inept government(the idiot obama and his corrupt admin) even more.

Thank you again for helping me out here.