Moving from Canada to Lampang, Thailand

Hey everyone,

It's been so very informative to read alot of the posts and content on here. Seems like a great community.

So I'm looking at making the jump to move to Thailand. In an ideal world I'd stay forever but there's always a chance life can get in the way.


I've been to Thailand 11x now generally staying a month or two at a time. My first trip was 04 and I've been back most years since.

I own and operate a Muay Thai gym here in Canada and have had it for 4 years now but I've grown restless more recently and ever since my last trip to Thailand I knew in the back of my mind that Thailand has always felt more like home than Canada ever has.

Coming up from the Muay Thai scene I've seen ALOT of the good and bad that the country has to offer. Been extorted by police officers, scammed by crooked cabbies, you name it. I've experienced first hand the corruption and gambling that goes along with Muay Thai. And I'm in no way deluded enough to believe that every Farang is beneficial to the country.

I understand the culture well and I love the people like they are my own family. So I think I have a pretty good grasp on life there, the culture, the way of life etc. Obviously I'm much less experienced in the politics, red tape and the headaches than come along with it.

My plan currently is to liquidate my business, sell what I can and land there either October or December of this year. I have a bit of a support system and am probably luckier than most who take this leap as a long time mentor and Muay Thai coach of mine has lived back and forth between Thailand and Canada for the last 18 years. He has a daughter aged ten who's Thai and she still lives there fulltime. So I'm not going into this process completely blind and clueless or at least I don't think so lol.

The gym he fought out of and still trains at is taking me on fulltime as a fighter and student. I'll help out where I can and in return my room and board and meals are free. So my overall expenses would be quite a bit lower than most people's.

Obviously I cannot fight forever so I'd need to plan to eventually have a business or stay on at that gym as long coaching and helping as long as I'm able to.

It's in Lampang, which is one area I know very little about. 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. The gym is pretty unknown, off the beaten path and probably the last gym in the area a Farang or tourist would go to. They have no foreign fighters, I'd be the only one at this time. Which I'm happy about because I want to be able to live as close to the culture and country as possible.

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?

I need to research the visas more but the woman who runs the camp said I can get 6 months from Canada and a student visa for Thai boxing and then renew as needed once there. I have their help and since they are Thais that have never strayed from the area their entire lives they seem to be know absolutely everyone needed in the general vacinity.

I'll be coming with some savings. Maybe 20k Canadian for emergencies and what not but the majority of the money I earn will be from Thai boxing.

In an ideal world I would do this for 3 years and if I'm successful I'd start working at staying forever and setting down roots here.

Thoughts? Opinions? Questions? Concerns? Suggestions?

I'm all ears and would love to hear what those who have experienced this and been through it think. Obviously I have rose colored glasses on as I'm eager.

Cheeers,

Joshua