I think I want to move to Thailand... Any advice?

Hello jasonjfournie.

Welcome to Expat.com!

I hope other members will provide you with some useful informations.

In meantime, you can go through the various threads on the Thailand forum.

Thank you,
Aurélie

Thanks!

You'll want to sign up with http://thaivisa.com. If you don't have reliable friends here and ship your household effects, make sure you have your Non-O or B visa fixed before entering Thailand - the shippers may use it as an excuse to steal your stuff. Be CERTAIN that you file US 1040 tax returns as needed, and if you EVER have more than the equivalent of $10,000 baht in a Thai bank account, you MUST file an FBAR form with the US department of treasury. If you don't know what an FBAR is, TDF 90-22.1, start googling and find out. Also, hopefully you've met Jesus Christ, you'll find some good friends in Christian churchs in Thailand.

Health care, for me, has been hit and miss.  Talking about ENT, dermatology, eyes, gp only.  When I have had poor service, or good service, they have reached the extremes at either end of the scale.  Dr. Nick is an American and 100% dedicated to you and to his profession, at Mission Hospital in BKK.  He is a gp and tropical disease expert.

Location---Chiang Mai works for me, feels the safest.

Teacher----if you mean ESL, I personally chose not to accept the working conditions here.

This is all my subjectivity, so you, as an individual, might see thing a little differently.

Great Information thank you! I was considering teacher but I have  experience in different fields.

Cusanus thanks for your reply. Thank you also Laughing Brook.

If you can teach in a university, or willing to put up with certain hassles on other levels, might work out.  There is a 50,000 word essay on the experience in TH if you want, but it is at a girlie site, and I would not want to distract you---a very dangerous road here in my estimation........Salary is lower here........My buddy is happy teaching in Vietnam.
    My experience teaching in China was the best year of my professional life, yet not everybody who teaches in China feels positive about it.

Do not move here unless you already have a job.  This country is full of expats looking for work and many end up spending all their savings and are forced to return home.  If you do take a job make sure it includes visa and work permit for you, and they allow you a dependent so your wife's visa will not be a problem.


The teaching profession generally pays very little with a few exceptions.  The best paying position will require a degree along with a teaching background.  You can check   http://www.ajarn.com/   for detailed info on the teaching profession in Thailand.

If you do eventually move to Thailand I would forget about shipping your house hold goods.  In my opinion its a waste of time and money for anyone much less someone that doesn't know how long they will stay.  Remember if you take your time you can find fully furnished apartments or houses that are cheap to rent.

The medical care in Thailand is cheap when compared to the US but you need to be careful where you seek treatment.  You will have a selection of government or private hospitals and doctors private office.  Most doctors in Thailand will practice at all three locations.  The biggest problem will be selecting a doctor because unlike the US they do not seem to have any GP's. They all want to be a specialist in some field.

Health insurance is available here but like most insurance companies they will not cover pre-existing conditions.

Where to work and live is not an easy question to answer.

Thanks for the information. I think teaching can be quite rewarding and I am looking forward to taking on new challenges in the near future.
     I agree that having a degree is advantageous in a number of ways. If I make the jump I plan on getting a teaching degree sorted.
     I recognize that Thailand is a hot/warm country.... My wife would want me to ask about air conditioning in homes, is it available or not widely used?

Thanks for the thoughtful replies!

You should have no problem finding a place with air cons but if you plan to run 24/7 your electric bill will be high.  When inquiring about rentals you need to ask about the electric rate per unit because some owners tack on several extra baht above the government rate.

Thanks for the information. I am trying to get my life planned out a little so that I can make this jump the right way. I am thinking of completing my criminal justice degree before embarking on this.     
I am not sure if I can get a teaching certificate or some additional coursework to qualify me as a degreed teacher. The goal of course is to qualify myself with as high a possibility as possible to earn a better than normal wage/salary.

Jason here is a link to website with good info on teaching in Thailand.

http://www.stickmanbangkok.com/teaching.html

my advice: choose another destination thailand is not what it used to be. if you like tourists scams, dirty beaches, drunken tourist and open-air prostitution, yeah, this is the place to be

Northern Thailand, Chiang Mai Province, is a much better place IMHO, but the smoke is bad between Jan and May. Can always hope for better in the future, though.

I would be looking at northern thailand. The website you mentioned is a great resource. Now I am trying to complete my degree in Criminal Justice before I look at making the jump

yes the north is better. i believe your degree will be useless there as this is a business area reserved to thais.

Right about the degree.. But it can help me obtain a better salary or am I not correct in that?