Hi from Bangkok, Thailand

[britinbangkok]

Wow, I just stumbled on your NFS website and it's amazing - can't wait to start listening to the podcasts ;D .

I'm currently living in Bangkok, Thailand (I've been here for 3 1/2 years) and am considering moving to Spain next year (don't know where yet - Barcelona, Valencia or Madrid probably as I love cities). I've been teaching English in Thailand for 3 years at a private bilingual school (teenagers - and Thai kids are amazing to teach - funny, sweet, polite, respectful etc. - although very very very lazy ;D ). I don't really want to teach English in Spain (I'm a bit burnt out by it) but might have to at first I suppose. I've also just begun to teach myself Spanish and hope to be able to learn enough to be quite fluent within a year.

I've recently quit my teaching job here, and opened an EBay store selling clothing, Thai silks, bags etc from Thailand. I'm hoping to make enough money in the next year to save enough to move to Spain. I'm also trying to persuade my parents to move from the USA to Spain (they love Spain and keep talking about buying an apartment there) - in which case, I might also be able to persuade my father to go into business with me - bookshop/cafe - maybe.

Lots to think about - but the main info on me is I'm British (lived there for first 20 years of my life) and also American (lived there for 22 years, but never really liked it very much), then I've been in Thailand for 3 1/2 years.

Hope to meet some people from this forum - unlike the forums of the same type in Thailand, this one doesn't seem to be full of gross 'sexpats' :D .

Michelle

[Ben]

Hi there, I'm actually very jealous of you being in Bangkok. I first went to Thailand when I was 18, when I spent 2 months travelling around with 2 friends - an unforgetable experience that has made me obsessed with travelling in far east asia ever since. I spent 3 months in Koh Tao after graduating in 94, learning to be a Dive Master, and Marina and I went to Bangkok briefly last year on the way back from a short trip to Vietnam. If I had to choose another country to spend a few years in, it would almost certainly be Thailand. We have good friends living in Mae Sot and Bangkok, and long to visit, but it looks tricky for the foreseeable future!

[Marina]

Hi Michelle and welcome to the forums.
Your plans about moving to Spain and set up a business sound really interesting.

Please keep us updated about life in Bangkok
Marina.

[britinbangkok]

Hi Marina and Ben, thanks for the welcome - and GREAT JOB on this site! It's wonderful.

Ben, I know what you mean about Thailand. Ideally, I would love to be able to spend a few months a year here, as well as in Spain but not sure if that's financially feasible (although I guess it could be if I could still run the EBay business from here, and my Dad could run the business in Spain :-)

The great thing about Thailand is the cost of living (and Spain was horrendously expensive for me on a Thai salary!). For instance, I pay $250 a month (about 195 Euros) for a really nice furnished 1 bedroom apartment WITH maid service and cable TV. Rent in Spain is going to be a shock after this. Everything here is cheap to buy and shopping is the best in the world. I can buy t shirts for $1.25, dinner for 75 cents, a latte at a coffee stall for 50 cents. It will be hard to give up!

I also love Thai culture. Thais are the nicest people I've ever met - very welcoming and friendly. The big problem for me though here is that, no matter how much you try, you will never really be accepted as 'Thai'. You're always going to be an outsider, which seems pretty common in most Asian cultures unfortunately. It's also becoming much more difficult to get visas and work permits to live here, and Westerners can only buy apartments (cannot buy houses, as we're not allowed to own 'land' here). Plus a myriad of other little annoyances that makes it very difficult to settle and create a life.

The big thing for me though, is that I will probably always remain single if I stay in Thailand. Probably 99% of Western men here are looking for Thai women (and most of them are looking for very young Thai women), and Thai men are not very aggressive, so most Western women aren't likely to even get a date with a Thai guy! In Spain, I was being checked out by half the guys on the street, and being flirted with all the time. Loved it as that just doesn't happen here in Thailand. ;D The average that most Western women stay in Thailand is about a year. Very few stay longer and very very few stay permanently. I've been here almost 4 years, which is rare for women here. And there have been SO MANY things that I've loved - and will miss. I'm just realizing that Europe is probably where I've always belonged, and it's almost time for me to get back there.

[britinbangkok]

By the way, Ben, just wanted to let you know that I just downloaded your book and can't wait to have time to read it (off to the local market this morning - 8,500 stalls - so it takes a while to get through ;D ). Will tell you when I've read it. But so far, it looks great!

[Ben]

Thanks BiB, I look forward to hearing what you think about it. That market sounds great. If we ever pull off another trip out your way I'll defintiely ask you for a few tips on the secret side of BKK.

[que]

By the way, Ben, just wanted to let you know that I just downloaded your book and can't wait to have time to read it (off to the local market this morning - 8,500 stalls - so it takes a while to get through ;D ). Will tell you when I've read it. But so far, it looks great!

8,500 stalls! :eek:

Thats a lot of shopping to be done. Will def. have to make Thailand on my top list of places to visit!

Again, welcome to the forum. And we look forward to hearing about your potential move to spain. Sure we'll see you around in the forums!

[Marina]

I'd love to check out that market. What did you get in your visit Michelle?

[britinbangkok]

Que, thanks - don't forget, if you do ever get to Thailand I can give you some great tips on places to stay and places to go. :-)

Marina, I sell Thai products on EBay and I usually buy from vendors at 4 or 5 different local markets. I sell T Shirts, Thai silk scarfs and shawls, handmade bags, yoga pants etc. Chatuchak Market has some amazing things. They sell everything you can think of from clothes to jewelry, to bags, to silks, to animals, to food, to flowers, to furniture, to plants, to dried fish etc. etc. It's a weekend market so it runs on Saturday and Sunday, and I only live 5 minutes away. I usually go both Saturday and Sunday and sometimes I end up going back twice in one day, just because I can't CARRY any more stuff, and have to take what I've bought back home :-)

This weekend I found a new t shirt vendor and got some fabulous shirts, some new handmade, hand-embroidered bags, some Thai handmade pants, and some silk scarves. I also bought cream cakes for breakfast, 3 big plants for my balcony (I usually KILL every plant I ever have, but because of the humidity and heat here, they all survive! Amazing!!) fruit, some new silk beaded flipflop shoes (it's so hot here, I live in flipflops - never wear real shoes!) and some Thai pottery.

Don't know WHAT I'm going to do with all this stuff when I move to Spain. ;D

By the way, totally different subject - out of Barcelona or Madrid, am I correct in assuming that Madrid is more expensive to live in ???

Also, if anyone is interested - I've been writing a blog about living in Thailand - it's at http://britinbangkok.blogspot.com/ - I have some great photos and info on there for anyone who might be considering a vacation here.

[Ben]

By the way, totally different subject - out of Barcelona or Madrid, am I correct in assuming that Madrid is more expensive to live in ???
I would say they are as expensive as each other these days... I shouldn't imagine there is much difference between them.

I would LOVE to do a podcast from that market, it sounds amazing. My ambition is to get to Thailand or India some time next year, though no idea when yet. Great blog by the way, and you should put a link to it and your ebay store in your forum signature (I'm very nosey, sorry! would love to see what you have in the store!!!:))

[britinbangkok]

Ben, thanks. I'm probably going to make a trip to Spain again sometime early next year to check out more about moving, and I'm leaning towards Barcelona right now (simply because I love being near the ocean - lived in Los Angeles for years - and Madrid is a bit far inland for me I think, although the city looks fabulous.)

Don't forget to let me know if you get to Thailand while I'm still here. I'd love to meet up and show you around.

And, I'd love to put my EBay store in my forum signature - I just didn't want to promote it without permission, as that's NOT why I'm at NFS. I do have some great stuff though - I've had quite a few customers from Spain already, I think because my prices are pretty cheap for beautiful quality stuff. :-)

By the way, Ben, I'm halfway through your book and absolutely LOVE it. It's very funny, yet really informative. I can tell from your 'voice' in the book that you're someone I'd like.

Marina, let me know more about what type of yoga mat you want. What prices are they in Spain? What type of material do you NOT like? What colors do you like? I've never seen any, but I'll definitely look for you when I go back to the market next weekend - they HAVE to sell them, as so many people do yoga here.

[Ben]

I'm glad you are enjoying the book and really hope to get to Bangkok I can tell you, though no idea if it will be possible or not yet... I'll certainly let you know if we ever get some tickets!

[Marina]

Marina, let me know more about what type of yoga mat you want. What prices are they in Spain? What type of material do you NOT like? What colors do you like? I've never seen any, but I'll definitely look for you when I go back to the market next weekend - they HAVE to sell them, as so many people do yoga here.

Thanks Michelle,

I'd like a yoga mat bag. I've already have the mat. I've Private messaged you the details.

[deecree]

And, I'd love to put my EBay store in my forum signature - I just didn't want to promote it without permission, as that's NOT why I'm at NFS...

Ben and Marina are no strangers to a spot of capitalismo, so I doubt they'd mind. :D

I would like to do something similar here in Peru, but unfortunately people are too ignorant of the weird and wonderful things that exist here, it just wouldn't register with people and no-one would know what to search for in the first place. What would be the demand for Inca Inchi oil for example? Nada, though about 6 billion if anyone knew what it was.:(:'(

[Marina]

So what is it Inca Inchi oil?

[Ben]

I would like to do something similar here in Peru, but unfortunately people are too ignorant of the weird and wonderful things that exist here
Well, there's a challenge for you then! How about ponchos, do they come from Peru? Everyone knows what they are!

[georgelondon]

hi,

i go to bangkok every year. next trip in feb. have just returned from puerto banus spain

[britinbangkok]

Deecree, definitely look into doing it from Peru - if there aren't many people selling from there, you could do very well. There's a guy in Nepal that's selling a lot of stuff every month - simply because not many people are selling from there.

My problem is that I'm competing against a lot of people here in Thailand as there are thousands of people selling - Thais and Farangs (Westerners).

George, give me a shout if you come in February and we can hook up for a drink.

[deecree]

So what is it Inca Inchi oil?

A brand of Sacha Inchi oil.
http://www.incainchi.es/

(Everything exported from here has to be called 'Inca' something, otherwise people just stare blankly at you trying to give them this "strange foreign stuff". Whereas if it is an Inca product you can trust it to be wise, ancient etc)


Perú is blessed with most things in the world that are "the best..." in this or that. Many things here are the most something-est something.

Who needs cashmere when you have baby alpaca? (or Vicuña if you can afford $700 per kilo)

[deecree]

Well, there's a challenge for you then! How about ponchos, do they come from Peru? Everyone knows what they are!

I wasn't a poncho man before I came here, but if you saw some of these handwoven masterpieces on sale in the indigenous markets in the mountains your mouth would drop. I should have taken some photos - they soon become worn and dirty on people. :(
Imagine these (http://enperu.blogsyte.com/gallery/viewblogimage.aspx?p=2100&b=204) new and brilliantly bright and splendidly woven.

Problem is, who in London, New York or Madrid is going to want an authentic Andino Poncho? Could I make a living and pay the rent in Cuzco (i'd have to move to source the best) by selling them on ebay? I'm not so sure.:'(

[deecree]

Deecree, definitely look into doing it from Peru - if there aren't many people selling from there, you could do very well. There's a guy in Nepal that's selling a lot of stuff every month - simply because not many people are selling from there.

My problem is that I'm competing against a lot of people here in Thailand as there are thousands of people selling - Thais and Farangs (Westerners).

George, give me a shout if you come in February and we can hook up for a drink.

If I could do it alongside something else, it might pay enough to live on. I'd like to do something like that. I hate my current work.