There are advantages and disadvantages living abroad and living in a country which is cheaper and the weather is wonderful.
With all the good points , you have to understand there are negative points too
Being 1000’s of miles away from your family and loved ones, well can be good, but can be bad too. It’s been a hard few weeks and it is during this time you sit and think of the what ifs and maybes that you could have taken along the way, So I have put into print some of the things that I have experienced and have come across.
Don’t get me wrong I am not trying to stop you or persuade you not to live abroad, either for work or retirement, but we should be aware of all the factors that are in play and it can make it easier to live abroad if you know the benefits and pit falls that are here.
CULTURE. /. LANGUAGE
I think I have mentioned this before in my blogg, but it is very important to know and understand the country you are moving to. If you , like a few of my friends, have moved to Europe or an english speaking country, it is easier. The language can be a problem, but of you move to Europe, a lot of the people their already speak a bit of english so it is a start.
Some languages are harder than others and I would say Thai is one of them, like a lot of languages in east Asia, its tonal, and my ear is not use to listening to the different tones , but I am trying. The good thing here is that a lot of people do speak english , even though most will not admit it.
Moving to Europe or the states etc, is easier as the culture is the same if not similar, so you will not be upsetting the locals by doing something that will upset someone.
If you are going to live in Thailand , you have to understand the culture, you can do things that are not polite here but are in say the UK, like holding hands, the showing of affection, the touching of another persons head.
I think the best way to understand the people is to understand their religion , Christian country’s have a similar cultures and customs, and the same goes for Buddhist countries, so understand the religion and you will start to understand the people.
The Thais are laid back and do not rush , and it can be very frustrating, but Buddhist countries are similar. I was given some very good advice, don’t fight it , you wont win, just get busy to it and work with it. It works, but now and then It does get to me.
I have written a blog about this as well as the do’s and dont’s for thailand , its more in-depth if you are interested.
The culture in Thailand is big and beautiful, and I love every minute of it, the people are happy regardless of their circumstances and it is called the land of smiles for a very good reason.
THE DISTANCE
I have no problem flying, in fact i like to fly, but I am 6 or 7 hours ahead of the UK, so half the day, I am asleep or my friends are in the UK. If I need to get back home quickly, it costs quite a bit not to mention a whole day just to get to the UK.
I subscribe to skype and pay £12 or so a month so I have unlimited land line and mobile calls to the UK. Yes you can use what’s app and messenger and the like, but they need wi fi on either end, and the coverage is not always good,
It’s also frustrating to try to sort out things over the phone, I have to wait until around 4 pm my time to call the Uk to sort bank things out etc. Plus if you have a family crisis in the UK, its so annoying and you feel so ham-stringed trying to sort things out or help someone. This is the reason I have put finger to keyboard. Most of the time things are Ok and NT here is no hassle, but you are 1000’s of miles away and disconnected. So this is something you just take into consideration
If you have a close family or friends, living 1000’s df miles away will be hard, you will need some support, as its only natural, but where ever you decide to move you will need to start forming some sort of circle of friends. I know from speaking to friends here, things start to go wrong here if you don’t have some friends etc. I know men here have got into trouble and started to drink and other actions because they are bored and have no friends or someone to talk to.
VISA’S
This section may not apply to you, those of you who are in the UK and moving to Spain etc, no not need a visa, but we will have to wait so see how things go with Brexit.
Those of you who are thinking of moving to Thailand , well you will need to find out what you need. If you are only visiting Thailand, well a tourist vis will be stamped on your passport on entry and it will give you 30 days
Thai Marriage visa : This is the visa I have applied, and I advise you to do your research before coming over. You will need a 90 day visa (It can only be applied for in four own country, at the Thai embassy or consulate). This will give you time to sort out the things you need to apply for the marriage visa.
You will need ( A rough guide)
A marriage certificate, ( If married to a Thai citizen) If you have a choice , having a Thai marriage visa is earlier. I have enquiries , I am unable to get married in Thailand as I am already married in the UK, Even if I am marring the same lady.
To get married in Thailand you need to get a certificate from your embassy stating that you are single.
If married in your own country The marriage certificate has to be certified as real, and then certified by the Thai embassy in your country as being real.
A thai bank account
Proof that you have Bht 400,000 entering your bank account in Thailand. This can be done in three ways
A) Your proof of pension from your employer , etc, and that proof certified by your country’s embassy in Bangkok.
B) Bht 400,000 in a savings account in your thai bank, which as been untouched 3 months prior to your application,
C) a combination of a and b Remember they will calculate the exchange rate on the day of the application. That is about £9,200 at todays rate. But the exchange rate has been all over the place over the past few years and the £ dropped a lot when they decided to Brexit. I know a lot of brits have problems complying with the money part due to the dropping POV the pound so be aware of it.
Your marriage has to be recorded at your local Amphoe (the local government office)
Photographs of you standing outside your house showing the number of the house, a photograph you you both inside the house.
A map showing your house, and a hand written map of your house location. Must be hand written
A photograph of you passport, the 90 day visa, and the entry certificate . ( The one you filled in on the plane.)
You must register where you are living at the immigration office Withings 24 hours of arrival. If you don’t you will get fined and cannot get your visit without it.
Proof from the immigration office that you are legally here.
2 photographs , not passport size , but smaller, go yo the local photograph shop they will do it.
The application form
You will have to do this every year, and register every 90 days at the immigration office.
Now once you have completed this, you will need a second facsimile Go to the office early say 7am as they only take 10 or so applications a day.
You can get other visa’s, a retirement visa, similar to the marriage visa. ( Without the marriage) but you have to prove an income of Bht 800,000, the same rule apply as the marriage visa.
A Work visa, this is were the com play or university sponsor you, but they normally do the work.
FOOD
I love the food here, but I also love the food from home. I love to cook and I cook food from home. I have tried to cook several things and have been unable to find the ingredients i needed to cook what i wanted. Being an Ulsterman, I have found that they have a grand total of about 2 types of potatoes , unlike at home, so its restricted. Thailand has Burger King, KLFC and McDonalds, so if you want to eat these then its here but expensive compared to the local food. Different parts of Thailand has different food and in the east is very spicy.
Believe it or not, I know some people who have come here to live who do not eat Thai food, they can but if you are not into the local food, make sure that you live near places that you can get European food. For example, I hate the bread here, its very sweet, and i cant eat it, so I do make my own bread but I also know were to get some I like. The problem I had to start was finding yeast, but now I ask friend who come over to bring some over.
TELEVISION
The main thing you need here is wi fi, you can get satellite or cable in Thailand, so find out what choices you have in the country you will live. I have got a TV box and watch my TV on KODI, an app called FilmOn is very good for live UK programmes.
If you want to watch, say the BBC, you will need a VPN (Virtual Personal Network) This is an app where you can change the country of your wi fi, as you will not be able to watch programmes from the UK for example , unless you are in the UK.
Hope this helps in a little way.
My Personal Journey to Thailand 