Ready to make the jump to Thailand

[Nakmuay887]

56 minutes ago, Andrew Dwyer said:

Yes, totally agree with all the sentiment above .

The OP comes across as someone with a passion for his sport and now has the chance of living that passion with the added bonus of living a Thai lifestyle that he yearns for too .

He has the experience and foresight to understand that his fighting days are limited and that he has a fallback situation back in Canada if he needs it .

Go for it man , live your life !!
Who wouldn’t with the chances he has available ??

The visa situation is the only big stumbling block I can see but as he has a year ED visa nailed on he has time to sort the long term options out .

Drove through and stopped in Lampang a few times, looks like a decent city , great strawberries

Many thanks for your input. I still have alot of planning and work to do which is why I told myself I wouldn't leave here before October even if I felt prepared. That gives me four more months to learn, prepare, save, research and then do it all over again. I'll continue to do so right up until the day I get on the plane. 

 

Intangible problems always come up no matter how much you prepare and some can't be avoided. But I'd like to take as much of the trial and error out of the move as I can. I'd like to always be aware of the concerns and hurdles upcoming that I may face. 

 

Cheers, 

[sixlegs]

Dude, u missed the fun by at least 5 years.

[sotonowl]

7 hours ago, Nakmuay887 said:

Their careers end before 30 because they have had anywhere from 150-300 professional Thai boxing fights by that age with limited health care in terms of rehabbing their bodies. 

 

My last trip to Bangkok (4 months ago) I fought 4x in 6 weeks, winning all 4, 3 of which by Knockout. My oldest opponent was 27 and looked 40. The other 3 were 18, 21, and 22. You can't Guage an athletic career off of a forum post. I'm fighting better at 31 than I ever did in my twenties. 

 

The average age in Australia or England for a world champion at the highest level is 34.

 

Not trying to come across as hostile or confrontational but that's just silly to think of such a thing. I don't know what you do or did for your career but I'm going to immediately know more than you about it by typing "Muay Thai retirement age" into Google.. Once I start slowing down and losing a step we can check my age and find the average. 

 

I understand the career of a prize fighter. I've been heading back and fighting at the same stadiums in Thailand for the last 15 years. I'm absolutely "Ancient" though so I must be fighting tuk tuk drivers. The thread you posted was from someone who had no idea of Muay Thai and was looking at it from a Thai perspective. I'm a 2x amateur world champion. 3x national champion and have held 4 smaller stadium belts in Thailand in the last decade. I didn't come to Thailand and discover Thai boxing. I was a dozen Jr fights into my career when I first landed in BKK 

 

The visa is my biggest concern without a doubt. I will continue to do my due diligence before I make the move without a doubt. The ED visa will be my first year with extensions. I'm sorting out the work visa now. 

 

I secured two sponsors that will be giving me 2500$ Canadian a month for the first 16 months I'm there so that will help keep me a float in emergencies. It will all be going into an account not being touched as ill have enough to live off the first year simply fighting as the family is feeding and sheltering me. I'll look into an online business that I could run as it's an instructional video series and it would employ Thai's as they are the ones who will be in the videos. I spoke to an attorney via email email this evening who's located in Thailand and I will be hiring him to help me with making sure all my bases are covered that first year and the following years if I stay longer. 

 

I'll be retaining enough equipment in Canada and will store it a friends house in his attic. If something unforseen happens and I fail in Thailand I will have enough back in Canada to open up another gym doing the same thing I am doing now 

Crack on with it, sounds like your minds made up and you're only here for some sort of validation for what you're about to do, if I'd have known that I'd have just told you to chase your dream.

Will you keep us informed? Or just disappear if it goes belly up? I hope it goes well for you.

6 hours ago, thaiguzzi said:

Dude, don't listen to the naysayers and non risk takers (plenty on this forum).

Life is what you make it and we all live only once.

I reckon you are "already to make the jump".

I moved here aged 43, ran out of proper money 10 year later, still here after 16 years. Have great Thai family & friends around me, kids go to decent schools (& university), food in the fridge and beer on the table. No debt and everything paid for.

Best of luck.

Risk lends itself to mitigation, Risk= Probability X Consequences, Risk is better controlled prior to entering into something than waiting for the worse to happen, fools rush in where angels fear to tread and all that.

[moe666]

How old are you, if still fighting it would appear you are way to young to be making this big of a move depending on the good will of a Thai family. Yes I know thais are great have my own family. Are you sure you would want to live in a Thai household for a long time. Lamphang is a great area but not to many farangs to hang with when you get tired of the Thai family. What ever you do best of luck.

[rumak]

11 hours ago, Nakmuay887 said:

On 7/8/2019 at 4:52 PM, Captain 776 said:

Lolol.  Geeeee this sounds so familiar.

 

I can list your next 5 posts

Do tell? 

First thing to learn about thaivisa.   Don't get caught up in the BS .   I give that advice,  but don't always follow it myself .  And BTW... i'd like to go a few rounds with you !  oh, forgot, you don't drink   ????

[ThomasThBKK]

4 hours ago, moe666 said:

How old are you, if still fighting it would appear you are way to young to be making this big of a move depending on the good will of a Thai family. Yes I know thais are great have my own family. Are you sure you would want to live in a Thai household for a long time. Lamphang is a great area but not to many farangs to hang with when you get tired of the Thai family. What ever you do best of luck.

I came here the same age, i have friends that came here when they were 18, now we are nearly 40.... The earlier you leave your home country the better, i went to to the states before thailand, teneriffe, spain, korea....You are only young once, use it.. once you are stuck with family somewhere it will get harder to just move because you feel bored at your old place.

 

 

For healthcare op, there's stuff like ACS Expat, gives you expat healthcare for around 9xx USD/Year which is not bad, it includes the most necessary options, tho i am not sure how they react about a professional fighter, on the other hand they never asked me if i do sport either, read the fine print. 

Pacificross is also often used, but i don't know their rates, other here might tho.

[beau thai]

Clearly the op has given this a lot of thought.

 

You know Thailand and how it works and if it feels like the right thing to do, then go for it.

If you need to, or decide to, bail out, you are still young enough to do that, and start again someplace else.

 

If you dont come now you will always wonder what if? and feel maybe you have bottled it. 

 

You have a positive attitude that will carry you over the inevitable speed bumps,

 

Very best of luck, and I hope we read more from you and how things pan out, once you are here.

[Nakmuay887]

6 hours ago, sotonowl said:

Crack on with it, sounds like your minds made up and you're only here for some sort of validation for what you're about to do, if I'd have known that I'd have just told you to chase your dream.

Will you keep us informed? Or just disappear if it goes belly up? I hope it goes well for you.

Risk lends itself to mitigation, Risk= Probability X Consequences, Risk is better controlled prior to entering into something than waiting for the worse to happen, fools rush in where angels fear to tread and all that.

I'll definitely keep you all informed, I'm sure I'll have questions and concerns and I love reading all the posts. You can kill alot of time reading other people's mishaps on this board lol. 

 

I'll try to keep you updated on fights as well so if any of you folks are near by you can come watch one. 

 

I'm nowhere near finished with my research and planning, I'd say yes my mind is made up but I have plenty of work to do still regardless. 

 

When you guys were my age could anyone talk any of you out out of doing something you had your heart set on? I've been speaking with Ken alot as he's been a huge help with everything so far. 

 

Gave me a quote from Cat Steven's that said "You will still be here tomorrow but your dreams may not". After I read that I figured why keep telling myself that I'm still just talking out loud about the idea. My minds made up and my hearts made up. 

 

And in my last post there about fighting and my age. I got a bit defensive there and acted like a dick so my apologies 

[Gecko123]

The "go for it" brigade appears to have won the day, and it's pretty clear that the OP's mind is made up.

 

While I fully understand the appeal of taking a one or two year sabbatical to the homeland of muay thai, my confusion and reservations about the long term viability and advisability of trying to move to Thailand indefinitely in your circumstances remain.

 

I worry that a number of posters who advocate charging forward are over-relying on their own nostalgic memories of past adventures, seemingly having forgotten that the travel environment has changed dramatically since then. In the past one could do endless border-run visa renewals without ever being asked to show means of support, and could walk into just about any school and get hired as an English teacher on the spot. With few of these 'survival mode' options available today, thinking you can just wing it seems a little half-baked to me.

 

I would just like to hear from you or anyone else what your long-term plan regarding visas, finances, and employment might look like. Perhaps it's a failure of imagination on my part, but I continue to struggle to visualize this.

 

I do wish you the best, and above all, stay safe.

 

[mercman24]

not going to browse 5 pages but i bet it has been said before, that is a job reserved for Thai only, you can bet your life someone will be along to dob you in to, the authorities, if you have been following thai visa then you will know, that if a farang is seen doing a job reserved for a Thai, ie, helping out the misses at the market, even a car wash, they will soon be rocking up at ypur door, but you should know this already

[villagefarang]

Life is what happens when you are busy making other plans, or so the popular saying goes.  I think you can prepare yourself to deal with what comes up but you can get locked in a state of inertia and inaction if you are trying to control what will happen far in the future.

 

I was told countless times that I would have to return to the real world at some point and that I would be sorry.  I soon realized that this is my real world and the old world I left behind was the fantasy.  Many people lack imagination and the ability to adapt.  I don't see the OP having that problem.  He knows he can't see far into the future and will have to take his bearings at various points along the journey.  Some bridges you simply can't pass until you get there.

 

I have seen people who have planned out their whole lives become despondent when something goes off script.  I consider the ability to adapt much more important than some notion that we can predict the future.

[Gecko123]

3 hours ago, villagefarang said:

Life is what happens when you are busy making other plans, or so the popular saying goes.  I think you can prepare yourself to deal with what comes up but you can get locked in a state of inertia and inaction if you are trying to control what will happen far in the future.

 

I was told countless times that I would have to return to the real world at some point and that I would be sorry.  I soon realized that this is my real world and the old world I left behind was the fantasy.  Many people lack imagination and the ability to adapt.  I don't see the OP having that problem.  He knows he can't see far into the future and will have to take his bearings at various points along the journey.  Some bridges you simply can't pass until you get there. 

 

I have seen people who have planned out their whole lives become despondent when something goes off script.  I consider the ability to adapt much more important than some notion that we can predict the future.

 

You make it sound like people are asking the OP to plan out all his bathroom breaks for the next 10 years before he gets on the plane. The feasibility of meeting visa requirements, meeting cost of living expenses, identifying sources of income, and finding legal employment are easily  assessible beforehand. Saying 'we'll cross that bridge when we get to it' is like NASA telling the astronauts 'we'll worry about the lunar landing part when we get near the moon.'

 

Everyone on this forum took a leap of faith when they moved here. What makes doing so at an early age and successfully remaining here so uncommon is that the bailout failure rate is so high.

 

If someone is going to hold themselves out as an example of how one can move to Thailand early in life and successfully live there their entire adult life, don't you think some detail about how they were able to do this would be useful to the OP? For example, what visas, income sources, or employment were available to you? Were you living on the lam, living off an inheritance or trust fund, borrowing money from friends and family when money ran low, working as a drug mule, working for a multi-national corporation, etc.? This would help the OP make an assessment of whether they would even want to or be able to follow a similar path, or if those options were even still open to them today? I invite other posters who vouched for the feasibility of relocating here early in life to do the same.

 

I'm not trying to pry into anyone's privacy, and I know you have said your story is too long and convoluted to recount, but I wish you would share more specifics about how this might be accomplished in today's environment. I'm sure the OP, along with many others, would appreciate any insights you or others might care to offer.

 

[villagefarang]

I don’t presume to tell others what they should do or how they should do it.  I simply encourage them to keep their own counsel, follow their dreams and to not live a life filled with regret.

 

I was never on the lam, never in debt, never borrowed money, did not drink alcohol or take drugs, didn’t get married until I was in my forties, didn’t have any kids, didn’t inherit any money until a few years ago when my parents passed away. I was not sent here by military, government, god or corporation.

 

My first savings account was opened in my name with thirteen dollars at the ripe old age of four months, a gift from my mother’s bridge club.  I have always been a saver, not a spender.  I started owning stocks at a young age with the assistance of an uncle who was a stockbroker.  I started off very small with only what I had managed to save from birthdays and Christmas gifts.

 

My ability to live within my means and not follow the typical path of marriage, kids, career, mortgages, car payments, kids education, healthcare, vacations, debts, divorce, retirement, obesity and other self-inflicted health concerns, are probably examples of why others are not likely to follow my path.  If one insists on buying into what others think is the way you should live, then I agree a lot of people will fail or at least struggle, as the old paradigms don’t seem to work anymore.

 

Adaptability is the key.   So much has changed over the last four decades, the world, Thailand and me, and none of it was planned for or expected.  When visa rules changed, I adapted.   When I finally decided to get married, I adapted.  When I got older, I adapted.   When I moved to Chiangrai after thirty years in Bangkok, I adapted. Sure things are different today than they were in the past, just another reason we need to be adaptable.

[Gecko123]

@villagefarang

 

You went on this somewhat amusing tangent about the importance of living within your means which really goes without saying. The key questions are where your money came from and what kind of visa you were on, issues you didn't directly address.

 

As far as the importance of "adaptability," how would that help the OP's visa dilemma? Unless you are talking about fraud or overstaying, I'm having trouble seeing how the OP is going to "adapt" to Thailand's currently restrictive visa eligibility regulations, let alone any changes which might be coming down the pike?

 

He can't renew an ED visa endlessly, can he? He can only renew a tourist visa so many times, right? If he tries to get a work visa, would someone with a degree in criminal justice, a love for kick boxing, and limited Thai language skills readily be able to find an employer to file the necessary work permit paperwork?  Is a marriage visa the answer?

 

Am I missing something? Maybe not thinking enough outside the box? Help me out here. Talking in vague generalities doesn't really help.

 

[Pharoticus]

54 minutes ago, villagefarang said:

I was never on the lam, never in debt, never borrowed money, did not drink alcohol or take drugs, didn’t get married until I was in my forties, didn’t have any kids, didn’t inherit any money until a few years ago when my parents passed away. I was not sent here by military, government, god or corporation.

 

My first savings account was opened in my name with thirteen dollars at the ripe old age of four months, a gift from my mother’s bridge club.  I have always been a saver, not a spender.  I started owning stocks at a young age with the assistance of an uncle who was a stockbroker.  I started off very small with only what I had managed to save from birthdays and Christmas gifts.

 

My ability to live within my means and not follow the typical path of marriage, kids, career, mortgages, car payments, kids education, healthcare, vacations, debts, divorce, retirement, obesity and other self-inflicted health concerns, are probably examples of why others are not likely to follow my path.  If one insists on buying into what others think is the way you should live, then I agree a lot of people will fail or at least struggle, as the old paradigms don’t seem to work anymore.

 

And per your Facebook post dated January 3, this year:

 

https://www.facebook.com/villagefarang/posts/10156910644111774?__tn__=K-R

 

So I have ended up with only one person I can truly call a friend in my life, and that would be my wife. Even after twenty one years together, she is the only one I can talk with and be with everyday without getting bored. She is probably the only one who could possibly put-up with me, too. I feel like all our “friendships and social networks” are really her’s and all I do is show up when I feel like it or she wants me there.

 

Why not be more honest and admit that ultimately you've ended up lonely, friendless and unfulfilled. No career, no accomplishments, no children, no grandchildren. 

 

I wouldn't wish your empty life on anyone, and nor should you. 

 

Please try to be a bit more realistic when giving advice to youngsters. 

 

 

 

[ThomasThBKK]

Ok guys, back to topic ????

 

https://www.interactivethailand.com/labour/restricted-jobs-for-foreigners/

 

I don't see anything there that would not allow him to get a proper work permit and work as a muay thai teacher, personal trainer, gym instructor etc later after his ED Visa is used up?

 

Not going to be easy sure, but if he can run a gym in canada why not somewhere else...sure it's harder here, lots of paperwork, more bullshit - but possible.

[villagefarang]

29 minutes ago, Pharoticus said:

Why not be more honest and admit that ultimately you've ended up lonely, friendless and unfulfilled. No career, no accomplishments, no children, no grandchildren. 

I wouldn't wish your empty life on anyone, and nor should you. 

Please try to be a bit more realistic when giving advice to youngsters. 

I am honest.  I am not lonely, even when I am alone, and I have a few Thai friends and many Farang acquaintances but none I would call true friends. I have a long lasting and deep love affair with my wife.  I don't feel unfulfilled and have done everything in life that I have wanted to do.  Not having a career or children, I see as accomplishments and a break from normal, which I consider boring and unimaginative.  I wouldn't wish your view of life on anyone but I would not deny them the opportunity to choose, either.????

[Muzarella]

1) Learn to speak Thai perfectly before doing anything that will require full understanding, like marriage.

2) Get a good Health Insurance.

3) Do not buy anything or share any bank account on a Thai´s name, and do not share info about your bank account, earnings, or savings, with anybody. Do your immigration paperwork by yourself.

4) Do not spend more than a $500 US a month on basic expenses including housing and entertainments specially living on a small town like Lampang where you can rent a very good home paying $150/month.

5) Do not open a business of any kind with a Thai partner without consulting a lawyer, a CPA, and Labor Dt.

6) Any questions send me a message. I know the area very well.

7) Good luck.

 

 

 

 

 

[gk10002000]

Forget it.  You are woefully under funded capital wise.  You most likely will not get any substantial income,  You do not have and most likely will not qualify for the proper visa and without a work permit, you can't get paid legally.  What are your plans for medical insurance?  Take some time off, enjoy the country on a long sabbatical maybe, but selling out is not going to work well for you in the long run

[Nakmuay887]

4 hours ago, Muzarella said:

1) Learn to speak Thai perfectly before doing anything that will require full understanding, like marriage.

2) Get a good Health Insurance.

3) Do not buy anything or share any bank account on a Thai´s name, and do not share info about your bank account, earnings, or savings, with anybody. Do your immigration paperwork by yourself.

4) Do not spend more than a $500 US a month on basic expenses including housing and entertainments specially living on a small town like Lampang where you can rent a very good home paying $150/month.

5) Do not open a business of any kind with a Thai partner without consulting a lawyer, a CPA, and Labor Dt.

6) Any questions send me a message. I know the area very well.

7) Good luck.

 

 

 

 

 

Tons of great stuff here thank you so much! 

[madmen]

life here is nowhere near as tough as expats on TV would make you believe. You just need real $$$ and not a pathetic 20k pension and your life involving multiple girls per week will be a dream !

[wisperone]

On 7/7/2019 at 1:37 PM, Nakmuay887 said:

So I'm looking at making the jump

Stay away from Central Festival and Pattaya condo's with balconies.

[Nakmuay887]

21 hours ago, wisperone said:

Stay away from Central Festival and Pattaya condo's with balconies.

You won't find me anywhere near Pattaya. Ever. 

[thaibeachlovers]

On ‎7‎/‎8‎/‎2019 at 5:37 AM, Nakmuay887 said:

Based off my large Novel above do I sound like I am better equipped and suited for this than most people who come up with the idea of packing up and moving to Thailand?

 

 

On ‎7‎/‎8‎/‎2019 at 5:37 AM, Nakmuay887 said:

So I think I have a pretty good grasp on life there, the culture, the way of life etc.

Do you also say you understand women? No man will ever understand women and likewise no farang will really, IMO, understand Thainess.

 

IMO, no farang is ever ready/prepared for life in LOS. No matter how many times one is surprised by something there is always another surprise coming. I always learned from my surprises, and was prepared for the next time, but next time was always different, so a new learning experience.

 

Other than saying that the immigration situation is fluid at the moment and not burning any bridges in case you have to go back, no reason not to go for it.

You don't say how old you are, but do you qualify for a long term visa situation? Too young and either have to get married or live on ed visas. I don't think assisting at a boxing gym cuts it with immigration.

 

On ‎7‎/‎8‎/‎2019 at 5:37 AM, Nakmuay887 said:

the majority of the money I earn will be from Thai boxing.

Work permit??????

 

On ‎7‎/‎8‎/‎2019 at 5:37 AM, Nakmuay887 said:

It's in Lampang, which is one area I know very little about. Thoen district to be exact. Most of my time spent has been in Pathum Thani, Bangkok, and Rawai (Phuket). I've seen Phuket change immensely over the years and it's not for me. I want something small, intimate and with minimal tourists acting like idiots.

I know Lampang a bit. It's big, so unless you are on the outskirts expect big city living.

Not 

big on farang tourists, but plenty of hotels.

It's on the main rail line north, so that would be your best way to visit Chiang Mai, or go south to Bangkok.

On ‎7‎/‎8‎/‎2019 at 5:37 AM, Nakmuay887 said:

The biggest point in my rambling above is I don't intend to live like a Farang.

but you are and always will be. If you think you can become some sort of "Thai" IMO you will be disappointed. Just accept that you are a farang, don't try and act like a Thai with the wais and all that sort of thing, and you should be fine. The Thais by and large don't care that you are farang. Just don't PO any of them. 

[thaibeachlovers]

On ‎7‎/‎16‎/‎2019 at 2:30 AM, Muzarella said:

1) Learn to speak Thai perfectly before doing anything that will require full understanding, like marriage.

2) Get a good Health Insurance.

3) Do not buy anything or share any bank account on a Thai´s name, and do not share info about your bank account, earnings, or savings, with anybody. Do your immigration paperwork by yourself.

4) Do not spend more than a $500 US a month on basic expenses including housing and entertainments specially living on a small town like Lampang where you can rent a very good home paying $150/month.

5) Do not open a business of any kind with a Thai partner without consulting a lawyer, a CPA, and Labor Dt.

6) Any questions send me a message. I know the area very well.

7) Good luck.

 

 

 

 

 

Good post. I forgot to include learning conversational Thai ( and reading Thai ) in mine. Health insurance- essential and expensive for a non Thai.

[thaibeachlovers]

On ‎7‎/‎10‎/‎2019 at 7:28 PM, ThomasThBKK said:

Ok guys, back to topic ????

 

https://www.interactivethailand.com/labour/restricted-jobs-for-foreigners/

 

I don't see anything there that would not allow him to get a proper work permit and work as a muay thai teacher, personal trainer, gym instructor etc later after his ED Visa is used up?

 

Not going to be easy sure, but if he can run a gym in canada why not somewhere else...sure it's harder here, lots of paperwork, more bullshit - but possible.

Does Muay Thai teacher qualify for a work permit? It's not like there is a shortage of Thais to do that.

[thaibeachlovers]

On ‎7‎/‎8‎/‎2019 at 6:38 AM, Nakmuay887 said:

That seems to be the biggest hurdle so far, my plan is an ED visa which is a total of 12 months if I get the proper extensions? 

 

They have a business where they rent out boxing rings and cover the areas in Lampang within a few hours each direction. Set it up, take it down. Drive to the next city and do this over again. That seems to be the main way the family supplements their income. The youngest daughter speaks English fairly well and said they looked into a work permit for me and that it is possible for them to help me get one. I'm still researching this myself as it's a bit of an obscure business. 

 

I've got alot of friends in Canada who would help me if I had to return home because I fell flat on my face in Thailand. I'm well known enough in my career here that there's alot of gyms that would be happy to hire me assuming I came back. 

You can't work on an ed visa far as I know. Forget doing anything that can be regarded as work without one. Unpaid work is not exempt. Volunteering is work.

[lust]

You already missed the boat on Thailand.  Look elsewhere, IMO. Cambodia/Laos/Vietnam.

[thaibeachlovers]

On ‎7‎/‎8‎/‎2019 at 6:39 AM, Nakmuay887 said:

There must be some way to do it successfully as friends of mine have lived and fought in Phuket for years now. One of them for the last 4 years. I don't think he's doing it in an illegal way as he's traveling in and out to fight in China and Holland from Thailand. 

 

It's a nervous thing when I break it down in my head but I think that keeps me sharp in some regards. And considering I'm moving there for the opposite reason and lifestyle most people my age are headed there for I think I could pull it off. 

There's no law against living and fighting in Thailand. There is against doing it as work, and you say you want to earn money doing it.

I suggest you do a lot more research before committing to anything.

[thaibeachlovers]

On ‎7‎/‎8‎/‎2019 at 6:53 AM, Nakmuay887 said:

It might seem silly to some but living in the middle of nowhere in Thailand with very little appeals to me in a big way.

Lampang is a big city. It is no way in the middle of nowhere. It's rather like Bangkok without the Skytrain. Big shopping malls etc- it's got the lot.