Moving To Thailand
Six years ago, I would’ve never thought that I would be where I am today. Six years ago, I thought I would already have my own house and possibly get married or have already gotten married with a kid. However, life did not happen that way. My 30-year-old brain wanted something but had no clue how to obtain it. I wanted to travel and write. I wanted to already have a book out published and I wanted to make a lot of money with said book. Back then I had just graduated college, and I was looking for a job where I can utilize the degree I just paid for. That did not happen. I was able to get a job, but I was stuck in the customer service side and was unable to use my degree. Fast forward six years later, I still have not been able to utilize my degree and I ended up working in the travel industry but still on the customer service side. I still don’t have a husband or children and I have yet to build my own house. My life and body changed and I was not happy with it.
When I traveled to Thailand last year in 2023, I absolutely loved it. I knew that traveling was something I had always wanted to do, and that trip solidified my feelings. When I came back home, I was miserable, and I needed to change. So, I decided to move to Thailand for a short amount of time.
Why Did I Make This Decision?
It wasn’t a hard decision to make, to be honest. I was looking for something new. My life didn’t have meaning, and I needed to look for myself. I felt like everything was bothering me, from family to work. I needed to get away from everything. I needed to heal and get back to me. The was a time where I would go into a depression and wish life would just start over. I even developed burnout because all I did was work, visit the family I lived with, pay bills, eat and sleep. I would try to leave the house so that I can have a different scenery, but even that did not work. I knew I needed to get a way from my current life and start fresh. Even it was just for a short amount of time.
Also, life in the US was too expensive and I needed a cheaper life for a while. I was gaining too much weight sitting at a desk all day and working. I had gained over 100lbs on top of the weight I had already gained for working food service for a while, and it was all from not moving around. I felt like if I could leave and do what I needed to do then it would be easier for me to lose weight.
Relationship trauma also played a small part in my decision to leave. I was in a relationship for 10 years and the only thing I got out of it was that I was able to go to school while I was in that relationship. Even though many people say that is a big deal, the trauma came in when I started to feel like no one would want me unless it was him. He only really had his own agenda in mind and most of my dreams got put on the back burner. We broke up during the Pandemic and I can truly say I have been able to heal some but I know I still have a lot of healing to do.
With all of these things, leaving and moving to Thailand was a no brainer. It was something that needed to be done.
Process Of Moving/Traveling To A Different Country
The process of moving was tedious. I had to save as much money as possible. I tried to find a job that I could work remotely but I was not successful in finding it. Therefore, I had to save at least $10,000 to be able to live while I tried to find a remote job. I had to figure out where I wanted to live and for how long. There were options such as Japan, China, and the Philippines, however, I decided to move to Thailand. Mostly because Thailand is a cheap place but also very modern. Everyone in Thailand is really nice and welcoming and the land itself is very beautiful. I how much it would cost to stay in Bangkok, Chiang Mai, or Pattaya and what is needed to stay there.
I also had to figure out what I wanted to do with the stuff I had. I had to make sure my passport was valid and up to date and I had to get an International Drivers Permit so that in case I decide to drive in another country then I can legally. I had to make sure all legal documentations were taken care of before I arrived.
I got the correct visa that was needed for the length of time I wanted to stay in Thailand. I got my hotel at the Grande Central Point Sukhumvit 55 in Thong Lo, Bangkok, Thailand. This hotel was a bit more expensive then I wanted but it was so beautiful and the view was gorgeous. I figured out what I wanted to bring and also calculated how much I needed to spend a month to stay out the country. Once all of this was done then I was ready to go. I would still suggest having a fully remote job or some sort of income before you go if you decide to do this process.
Process Of Getting A Visa
When trying to get in the country legally, one process that is a must is finding out if you need a visa for that country or not. When I decided I wanted to live in Thailand, I had to find out how long I wanted to live there. With that information, I had to find out what visa I was qualified for. The main one that stood out to me was the Tourist visa. The thing about the tourist visa is that I was not allowed to work or earn an income while on that visa. I could only use that visa for tourist things only. I could not use the visa and tried to make money. Luckily, they had to type. They had the single entry visa and the multi-entry visa. I chose a multi-entry visa. So, I was able to go in and out of the country until April of 2025.
Temple in Phuket, Thailand (don’t remember the name of it)
Struggles I Faced While Trying To Move To Thailand
Some of the struggles I faced were saving money and finding a remote job. I, very much, had a small life back in the US, so, I had a bad spending habit. I really struggled with buckling down and not spending anything and saving as much as possible. I wanted to keep my lifestyle and hold back on going to Starbucks or Target served to a hard task. I also struggled with finding the right flights and where I wanted to stay. Everything I found was above the amount I wanted to spend. I was finally able to find something.
I also had trouble finding a remote job. I would countless hours applying for fully remote jobs in the fields I wanted to change my career to. I even asked my boss at the time to see if another department was open so that I can transfer to it and just be on a laptop instead of a full desk top. Eventually, I decided to quit my job because it would not allow me to travel, move around, and be creative. The hours I worked did not work for me, either. I was tired of working customer service and wanted to get into something that I can move around and travel with. So, I quit. I am trying to focus on my own business. However, I was hoping to find a new job to help supplement my living while I start my business, but I’m looking for one now.
I will say these are not major struggles but I believe that if it is something that God and the Universe says it’s the right time then everything will go pretty smoothly. I have yet to try and find a place, but I have a feeling that I will when the time is right.
Sunset view at Jomtien Beach in Pattaya, Thailand
Lessons Learned And Where To Go From Here
So, I have learned a lot about myself. I have learned that I can be very lazy if given the chance. I have learned that I need a schedule. I need to schedule my time and work my day off of that schedule. That is the only way I will succeed in the things that I want to do. I have learned that I have a lot of bad habits that I need to break. Maybe this was part of my healing journey. Maybe I needed to use this time to find out the bad things about myself. Find out what I needed to change and where my focuses should be. I have also learned that I need to do more research and calculations when it comes to traveling. I have fell short in some of my calculations but I have made it work so far.
I have also learned that I truly don’t know what my passion is. I know I love to write but I also like to do other things. I like working on digital art and also painting. There are some many things I would like to create and I have a few ideas I would like to see come to fruition. I just don’t know where to start.
Where to go from here is up? The things I can do now are use my time a lot better than I have. I can schedule, organize and create the life I dream of having. Instead of being lazy or letting burnout stop me from moving forward, I can use this time to figure out what talents I truly have a leverage them to get to my dreams mentally, physically, emotionally, and financially. I have to get started and this move was step one in the process. Now it’s time for step two on