Dream of Siam

On this page I show you how to plan your move to Thailand. This article should help you have a successful life in Thailand.

Introduction

So you’ve made the decision – you are going to live in Thailand! Sun, sea, sand and Singha! The perfect life. Six months later you arrive back at Heathrow, depressed, disillusioned, jobless and penniless. Far fetched? Over dramatised?

Unfortunately, it’s a scenario that happens far too often. In fact it was a recent email from a reader who found himself in exactly that situation that prompted me to write this article.

Usually this sorry state of affairs is down to one thing – lack of preparation. In this article I’ll cover some ways in which you can make your transition to
Thailand less likely to end in disaster.

This article aims to help you prepare mentally and physically for the move.

1) Read widely and listen to people you trust

Homework. It is very important to get as much relevant information as you can before you go to Thailand. You need to know where you are going to stay and for how long. You need to know where and how you will look for work and what type of work you will be likely to find. You need to find out about visas and what the right one is for you. You will need to know about the pros and cons of different locations and provinces within Thailand. In short you will need to do a lot of research. Luckily most of this can be done via the Internet – but don’t discount books. The more widely you can read, the better – soak up every scrap of information you can – but always try to double check its authenticity.

Also, talk with people you trust - family and friends. They can provide a much needed sanity check when you have fallen in love with either a Thai girl or Thailand itself. There’s a fine balance of course though – people can be afraid of change, and the fact that you might be heading for an exciting new life while they continue a drab existing in a rainy, grey part of UK, can make some people resentful. At the end of the day it’s your decision and your life.

2) Learn some Thai

You are probably planning your move (if you are doing it right) 6 months to 1 year ahead of departure. This gives you plenty of time to learn a bit of Thai. I would focus on listening skills – it’s very hard to learn the tones and get the right accent without the help of Thai native speaker to check your pronunciation.

One of the easiest ways is to start by getting a few Thai music CDs with lyrics. After listening for a while you can get to recognise words – even if you have no idea at this stage what they mean!

Also get a CD set from someone like Linguaphone. These are great as you can listen to them in the car – or convert them to MP3s to listen on your iPOD. With a 45 min commute you could be learning at least 90 minutes a day of Thai.

Learning Thai is slow-going but even understanding a few words of Thai can go a long way to stop you being ripped off. It’s surprising how Thai people always assume foreigners can’t understand or speak Thai.

3) Get your paperwork in order

Make sure you get all your visa paperwork sorted ahead of time. If you have any doubts make sure you contact the appropriate authorities. If you are in the UK contact the Thai consulate in Hull (see Links section of this site) – they are extremely helpful.

In addition to the visa paperwork there are a number of items that can save time and hassle if you organise them ahead of schedule. Have loads of passport size photographs. They are extremely useful. If you are going to be seeking work take your CV on CD – you will need to add your Thailand contact details to it.

It’s a difficult one but you should take your originals of items such as degree certificates, birth certificates and so on. But make sure you have details with you of how these can be replaced if they are lost.

Make sure you have a secure document containing data such as passport number, credit card numbers and all phone contact details. Also, don’t forget
things like account numbers for online banking.

4) Get a check up

Make sure you get a full medical and dental check-up before you go. While these services are cheap in Thailand, in the UK at least they are by and large free. It gives you peace of mind to know you are in full-working order, jabbed up and in decent health before heading out to the rigours of Thailand.

5) Tidy up loose ends

If you have any loose ends make sure they get tidied up before you leave for Thailand. There is nothing worse than trying to resolve issues by phone from the other side of the world. It’s far easier to get your slate clean before you head out.

For example, close off any unwanted insurance policies, cancel direct debits (goodbye council tax!) and make sure your utility bills are all paid up. If you are letting your house, make sure you have everything sorted with the management company before you leave.

6) Get your finances in order

Make sure you have enough money to tide you over until you get a job in Thailand. I suggest working out how much you need and then multiplying it by
three. It’s surprising how quickly you can get through the money at first. It might also take longer to get a decent job than you think too.

I always recommend keeping the bulk of your money out of Thailand and using Internet banking as much as possible. At some point you will create a local bank account in Thailand and perhaps transfer a little over to it – or use it as a place to have your local wages paid to.

Remember to be very cautious using Internet banking – especially in Thailand. Internet cafes have been known to have key-stroke loggers installed – you have been warned. Always make sure you log out correctly and if possible make sure the cache is cleared.

If you are in the UK you should investigate getting a Nationwide Flex Account. The Nationwide account comes with a debit card you can use without incurring the usual overseas charges of other cards.

7) Plan for failure

I’ve talked extensively in other articles about the importance of having an escape plan - that is enough money to get you back home if things go disastrously wrong. It’s also important to have a plan in mind as to what you will do once you do get back. How easy will it be to find another job? Where will you stay on your return until you find your own place again? Will you have enough money to support yourself until you get on your feet again? Don’t assume things – make enquiries and get a written plan in place.

8) Plan for the future

I’ve also talked before about the importance of having goals in Thailand – without them people tend to drift and waste time and money. I would recommend you have a six month, one year and 3 year plan before you go. These plans should be written down and should outline your goals. These plans are working documents - they can (and will) change. You need to make sure you are developing as a person, because if you are not going forward you are going backwards. I’ve talked in other e-books about possible objectives so I won’t cover that here.

Many people move to Thailand thinking “I’ll do teaching English for a while”, but never really think what they are going to do subsequently. I don’t recommend teaching English as a long term proposition in Thailand. Unless you are a dedicated teacher, who can work within the Thai teaching system and are happy on £500 per month then you will need to find an alternative after a while.

It pays to think in advance as to what that might be. Have a look at my e-book on making a living in Thailand for some ideas.

9) Prepare for culture shock

When people think of culture shock they often equate it with seeing poverty first hand. Unless you are going up (or down) to the dirt-poor provinces of Thailand you are unlikely to experience this kind of culture shock. However, the culture shock that so often catches unsuspecting foreigners out is what I more usually refer to as the “culture gap”. This is the number one killer of dreams in the Land of Smiles.

Foreigners always underestimate the psychological and social differences between themselves and Thais. The differences are very stark – but this may not be apparent on first inspection, as surface appearances are very important in Thailand and are to be maintained at virtually any cost. It’s when you dig under the surface of the Thai psyche that the gaps start to appear.

I cannot overstate how important it is to bear this in mind. Thais and Westerners are different at some fundamental levels. Knowing this ahead of time can help you keep both feet firmly on the ground.

10) Prepare yourself mentally

I think it’s important to prepare yourself mentally before going to Thailand. This doesn’t need to been three hours of meditation daily – although that might not be a bad thing in some cases ;)

What I’m talking about here is preparing yourself mentally to run a tight ship. It’s very easy to get carried away in Thailand when you escape these cold shores. Every fantasy you’ve ever had can be had in Thailand – for a price. Far too many people let rip in Thailand in an uncontrolled way. I’m not suggesting everyone should live their life like a monk – but it’s important to keep things in perspective and not go too far into a life of debauchery. Far too many westerners become virtually uncontrollable in Thailand and end up in pretty desperate circumstances (which is one reason you should always be cautious of westerners in Thailand).

Common sense and caution appear to get put into deep storage as soon as the metal bird lands at that spiffy new airport in BKK. You need to be a notch up from that. Keep yourself alert mentally at all times (OK there will be times when you can really relax). Keeping yourself physically fit can be a massive plus in Thailand. Not only will it keep you in favour with the ladies but it will help keep you mentally agile and generally feeling good. It’s too easy to eat too much food and drink too much beer in Thailand. You can have too much of a good thing. Keep things in moderation. Have fun though – after all that’s why you went to Thailand – it’s just a case of keeping things on the positive side.

Conclusion

It’s all about preparation – thinking ahead is very important. The role of having good, well-paid work is vital if you are going to get the most out of Thailand. You don’t need to live like a King, but you don’t want to be scratching a living either.

Keep your wits about you, have a good fail-safe situation and Good Luck!