IT emigration to the Land of Smiles, to Thailand
Against the background of a series of topics from expats, I decided to share it too. I do not mind, but someone will be interested.
My name is Vlad, I was born in Vitebsk, Belarus. At 23 he emigrated to St. Petersburg, Russia. Currently I live in Bangkok. I own PHP and technical SEO skills. 2 days a week I work in an American company, the rest of the time I am engaged in my projects. I have been going to move nowhere in Thailand for a year now.
So, I came to Thailand quite by accident. By that time, I had been doing freelance php in St. Petersburg for a year. I was offered to update a website of an American company in Bangkok. It so happened that I showed them how smart I am, experienced, and ... lazy. Therefore, they offered to come to BPC for two months, because they were tired of working remotely with me.
It was scary. Despite the successful experience of emigration to St. Petersburg, Asia seemed to be a poor, dirty, culturally alien, third world country. I refused for two weeks until I was offered payment for everything (apartments, tickets, food) and 2k per month.
')
The first month I went with my mouth open
Thailand is a country with a strong inclination to Buddhism (90% of Buddhists), and this is very pronounced in relation to life (May Pen Paradise - “but don't care, do not pay attention.”), And in tolerance towards everyone. Now living a year here, I clearly understand why I did not like it in Malaysia. The attitude towards Asians, in particular in Russia, is rather skeptical and wary. Everyone has heard of tricks, that they can lie, they rarely wash themselves, etc. Now I understand that this is true and applies to most Asians. For example, Indians or Malaysians. But not the Thais.
In personal hygiene they have no equal. For example, walking in the same T-shirt for the second day in a row is a stigma. Own Thai girl generally fail under the ground, if he finds out. Smoking is also very bad, it is too bad smell. Approximately 99% of Thais do not smoke, unlike in neighboring China or Malaysia.
There are serious differences in checks and balances, the morality of society compared to the post-Soviet states.
Firstly, the society here is Buddhist (up to 90%), and caste, makes people relate very respectfully to others who secretly belong to a higher caste than you yourself. Therefore, a lie in the salvation of the person of the boss, or of the parents, or of the person to whom you owe is sacred.
Secondly, the society is loaded with the concept of karmic. If you showed a stupid foreigner how to get to the library, get balls to karma. I caught up with a drunk foreigner and gave him a forgotten bag with money and a laptop - get more. Sending 80% of earnings to parents get a huge boost to karma, and universal respect in your village.
For example, quite a large part of young women travels from the provinces, and work on their backs in Bangkok, not so much because their parents are in poverty, but because they need a new cool car. In the next life everything will be reckoned, and most likely you will be a rich, healthy, white person.
And thirdly, it is the phenomenon of losing face. Especially nothing to tell, if briefly: the girl who tucked her skirt into panties, most likely, will change work and maybe even the city. Persons who have committed crimes, or stupidity, especially in front of foreigners, will be stigmatized all their lives.
Street where i live
Despite personal hygiene and huge beautiful skyscrapers, the entire capital is cut by channels with stagnant water, if it enters, there are very few chances to survive. Last year, one pop star fell there by car, and later died from an infection. The streets are constantly cleaned and washed (about the same as Belarus), but due to the fact that everyone eats here on the streets and the population of the capital is very large, in the evening there are smelling heaps everywhere.
The city of Bangkok itself is very big. I was very impressed by the availability of personal transport options.
- taxi. Usually this is a new and clean machine with a license. Landing + some distance there = 35 batt. (35 rur / $ 1) further around the city is very cheap.
- motosay. A boy on a motorcycle, in special clothes. Cheaper than a taxi in 2x, and very comfortable in traffic jams between cars to drive.
- ground train. It looks like a subway at a height of 10 meters above the ground. Very clean and nice train, walks very often and quickly. It costs from $ 1 for 3 stations.
- Underground subway. Unfortunately somehow did not get. But apparently it also ride on the countryside.
- personal car. I do not, and in principle is not needed. But parking is enough. Usually condos come with a personal place in the garage. Russian expats say that it is very convenient to have a car, refuel it, etc. Here I am not in the subject.
Thailand is a monarchy, and the king is loved and respected. Despite the fact that 80% of the population live in poverty, there are no hungry people. As my friend American said, he likes it here because the state allows people to live. The state is trying to keep the population at a low level of income and education, but full. As I found out, at school they are not even given a multiplication table. Because there are calculators. This explains the large number of foreigners in leadership positions.
IT technologies are well developed. For example, by turning on the laptop in my favorite cafe, I get 3 free Wi-Fi lines (one of this cafe, two from neighboring ones), two dozen private or office lines, and three paid ones that are caught in the whole city.
Any latest iron is in big stores. Any pirate software on the street and in stores. Prices are the same as in Russia. (I looked after the GF260).
Any Russian can come to Thailand without a visa. Stamped for 15 (30?) Days at the border. Belarusians and Ukrainians should get a visa for three months (now for free). You can extend a visa visa once a month (2 + 1 total 3m), but Russians can easily, even on foot, cross the border with Laos, for example, and get a new one. I had to fly to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (the only close visa-free country) to get a new one when I lived here on a tour visa. I don’t tell you about the visas, the company did everything to me, and I didn’t go deep into it. But there is a wonderful forum farangforum.ru, where you will be prompted.
Work is a vicious circle, like everywhere else. To find a job, you need to have permission for it, and to have a permit you need to have a job. Therefore, it is difficult to advise something. Read the forums. I was lucky, although I did not want to emigrate to the Thai.
A lot of foreigners work here, due to the fact that local education is very poor. Yes, and people are lazy. I think you can find sites where you can leave your resume.
If you already earn on the Internet from $ 1000, here you will be very comfortable. The banking market is very developed, ATM machines at every turn. Government, as long as you do not apply for a retirment visa, or a bank loan, until Paraguay on what you live. Documents on the street with Caucasoid foreigners no one checks.
The office of the company where I work is located in the center of the CCL. Normal office. It differs from St. Petersburg only in that it usually eats everything together at lunch, right in the office in the large kitchen. We have 5 taekas, I and the American boss, he is the owner. The girls at the office take great care of me, at any moment are happy to make me a coffee. The work they have is completely shitty, and by and large, I would be alone with the boss, would have kept this business. But according to Thai law, in an office, 4 Thais should work for 1 foreigner.
By and large, and my work is spit. I maintain the website through which products are sold. Girls take pictures and put new products.
When I worked full day, I was paid 2k cu. Now for 2 days a week I get paid 1k. And most likely soon will be reduced to $ 700, due to the crisis. As such, there is no crisis here. Rice as grew 4 times a year, so be it. Only American businesses have suffered, because Americans are not buying anything now, and a little tourist, because it has become less frequent.
As you can guess, the police very harshly suppresses any crimes against foreigners, protecting one of the major components of the budget sectors of the country. In public or tourist places I did not observe any excesses. Walked at night in the city. While looking through the local newspaper, I see that murders and robberies occur as in any country. Around every bank, store, condominium, many guards are on duty around the clock. This reduces the likelihood of crime, day and night.
Attitude is first striking. People smile at you, but not from what is so accepted (as in the US), but from the fact that people in the bulk are in harmony with themselves and with those around them. I will not say that they are glad to see you on the street just like that. Half of you are a damn, and half of you are just fun.
I have never met aggression or rudeness towards myself. After all, raising your voice is a loss of face. And a foreigner is, above all, a funny cute animal that spends money here and does not create problems. I smile to everyone in return, always speak not loudly, use the local language - and I am welcome everywhere. And in the shops and passers-by. I am always happy to help with directions or advice, because by helping, they earn points for karma. In addition, white-skinned foreigners are something of a slightly higher caste than the average citizen.
Argued that Thailand - is the capital of debauchery. In fact, the society is very puritanical. For example, both men and women bathe in the sea dressed. In shorts and T-shirts. Because it is not accepted to bare in public places. Not taken to kiss on the street or even hold hands. All debauchery takes place in legal, specially designated places. There are bars, saunas and short-time hotels. Any girl met there can be taken to this very hotel. Prices depend on your experience. On average, if you take a girl in a bar, you pay 600 bar, 1 girl, 300 per hour in a hotel. If on the street, then only the girl.
Normal young women, of whom there are millions (I wrote that there is a gender advantage in Tae), will also be very happy to meet you. It depends:
- from the recognition of the Western way of life as super cool and correct;
- from white skin, which is considered a reward for a good previous life;
- from a fairly high white foreign caste, as is customary in Asia;
- from a fairly high level of material condition of foreigners, in front of local;
- and from the fact that local guys are very lazy and do not take care of themselves.
So it turns out that the cream of society becomes expats. Educated, purposeful, self-conscious people. They look normal, speak and behave. Therefore, any Thai girl going with a white foreigner, makes everyone jealous. But, as I have already noted, the society is very puritanical and do not expect anything serious, either on the first or second date.
Thailand I really like the differentiation of benefits. On a par with these boutiques from Prada, etc., on any street or one of the hundreds of markets you can buy clothes. T-shirts, shorts, etc., cost a penny, because they are locally produced.
You can eat at a Western-style restaurant for about 300 baht (300rur / $ 10), or at McDonalds for 120 baht, or on the street, like everyone else, for 40 baht - local food.
The apartment can be rented close to the subway for 20k but, or for 80k. If you are ready to go to the subway in 10 minutes by taxi, then remove the small studio for 10k. I have an outdoor pool in the house on the 9th floor, in which I swim every day after work, and 2 minutes to the subway. But my apartment is expensive.
Thais are generally able to live in places where a foreigner's leg does not go for 1k batt.
Bangkok is considered an expensive city. The city is the hero of Pattaya, where the overwhelming majority of Russian-speaking expats live, prices are much lower. My friend lives in a small town in the north of the country, for 300 dollars a month, and is not going home.
I, realizing how much money I have in my pocket, can go karting, swim in the water park with my girlfriend, or spend the whole day with my website.
As a country expatriate Internet geek, Thailand completely suits me. There is only one minus: to see the parents I need to buy a ticket for 1k green and fly 10 hours. I spend less here than in St. Petersburg, but I earn more. My health condition is also much better due to constant swimming, because I do not smoke, and because no fresh fruit is now exotic.
In general, there are probably disadvantages, but there are fewer of them than in my past life.
PS The rights to the photos belong to www.bangkok-photos.com .
PPS To the spiteful critics who decide that I am stupidly lucky, I will note. This is my second emigration, and even when I was in Russia, without being actively seeking my place in Thailand, I had good English, customer base, professional experience, and communication skills.
PPPS Do not be afraid to dream.
My name is Vlad, I was born in Vitebsk, Belarus. At 23 he emigrated to St. Petersburg, Russia. Currently I live in Bangkok. I own PHP and technical SEO skills. 2 days a week I work in an American company, the rest of the time I am engaged in my projects. I have been going to move nowhere in Thailand for a year now.
So, I came to Thailand quite by accident. By that time, I had been doing freelance php in St. Petersburg for a year. I was offered to update a website of an American company in Bangkok. It so happened that I showed them how smart I am, experienced, and ... lazy. Therefore, they offered to come to BPC for two months, because they were tired of working remotely with me.
It was scary. Despite the successful experience of emigration to St. Petersburg, Asia seemed to be a poor, dirty, culturally alien, third world country. I refused for two weeks until I was offered payment for everything (apartments, tickets, food) and 2k per month.
')
The first month I went with my mouth open
Thailand Features
Thailand is a country with a strong inclination to Buddhism (90% of Buddhists), and this is very pronounced in relation to life (May Pen Paradise - “but don't care, do not pay attention.”), And in tolerance towards everyone. Now living a year here, I clearly understand why I did not like it in Malaysia. The attitude towards Asians, in particular in Russia, is rather skeptical and wary. Everyone has heard of tricks, that they can lie, they rarely wash themselves, etc. Now I understand that this is true and applies to most Asians. For example, Indians or Malaysians. But not the Thais.
In personal hygiene they have no equal. For example, walking in the same T-shirt for the second day in a row is a stigma. Own Thai girl generally fail under the ground, if he finds out. Smoking is also very bad, it is too bad smell. Approximately 99% of Thais do not smoke, unlike in neighboring China or Malaysia.
What society keeps
There are serious differences in checks and balances, the morality of society compared to the post-Soviet states.
Firstly, the society here is Buddhist (up to 90%), and caste, makes people relate very respectfully to others who secretly belong to a higher caste than you yourself. Therefore, a lie in the salvation of the person of the boss, or of the parents, or of the person to whom you owe is sacred.
Secondly, the society is loaded with the concept of karmic. If you showed a stupid foreigner how to get to the library, get balls to karma. I caught up with a drunk foreigner and gave him a forgotten bag with money and a laptop - get more. Sending 80% of earnings to parents get a huge boost to karma, and universal respect in your village.
For example, quite a large part of young women travels from the provinces, and work on their backs in Bangkok, not so much because their parents are in poverty, but because they need a new cool car. In the next life everything will be reckoned, and most likely you will be a rich, healthy, white person.
And thirdly, it is the phenomenon of losing face. Especially nothing to tell, if briefly: the girl who tucked her skirt into panties, most likely, will change work and maybe even the city. Persons who have committed crimes, or stupidity, especially in front of foreigners, will be stigmatized all their lives.
Street where i live
Capital
Despite personal hygiene and huge beautiful skyscrapers, the entire capital is cut by channels with stagnant water, if it enters, there are very few chances to survive. Last year, one pop star fell there by car, and later died from an infection. The streets are constantly cleaned and washed (about the same as Belarus), but due to the fact that everyone eats here on the streets and the population of the capital is very large, in the evening there are smelling heaps everywhere.
The city of Bangkok itself is very big. I was very impressed by the availability of personal transport options.
- taxi. Usually this is a new and clean machine with a license. Landing + some distance there = 35 batt. (35 rur / $ 1) further around the city is very cheap.
- motosay. A boy on a motorcycle, in special clothes. Cheaper than a taxi in 2x, and very comfortable in traffic jams between cars to drive.
- ground train. It looks like a subway at a height of 10 meters above the ground. Very clean and nice train, walks very often and quickly. It costs from $ 1 for 3 stations.
- Underground subway. Unfortunately somehow did not get. But apparently it also ride on the countryside.
- personal car. I do not, and in principle is not needed. But parking is enough. Usually condos come with a personal place in the garage. Russian expats say that it is very convenient to have a car, refuel it, etc. Here I am not in the subject.
A little more about the country
Thailand is a monarchy, and the king is loved and respected. Despite the fact that 80% of the population live in poverty, there are no hungry people. As my friend American said, he likes it here because the state allows people to live. The state is trying to keep the population at a low level of income and education, but full. As I found out, at school they are not even given a multiplication table. Because there are calculators. This explains the large number of foreigners in leadership positions.
IT technologies are well developed. For example, by turning on the laptop in my favorite cafe, I get 3 free Wi-Fi lines (one of this cafe, two from neighboring ones), two dozen private or office lines, and three paid ones that are caught in the whole city.
Any latest iron is in big stores. Any pirate software on the street and in stores. Prices are the same as in Russia. (I looked after the GF260).
Visas
Any Russian can come to Thailand without a visa. Stamped for 15 (30?) Days at the border. Belarusians and Ukrainians should get a visa for three months (now for free). You can extend a visa visa once a month (2 + 1 total 3m), but Russians can easily, even on foot, cross the border with Laos, for example, and get a new one. I had to fly to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (the only close visa-free country) to get a new one when I lived here on a tour visa. I don’t tell you about the visas, the company did everything to me, and I didn’t go deep into it. But there is a wonderful forum farangforum.ru, where you will be prompted.
Work and housing
Work is a vicious circle, like everywhere else. To find a job, you need to have permission for it, and to have a permit you need to have a job. Therefore, it is difficult to advise something. Read the forums. I was lucky, although I did not want to emigrate to the Thai.
A lot of foreigners work here, due to the fact that local education is very poor. Yes, and people are lazy. I think you can find sites where you can leave your resume.
If you already earn on the Internet from $ 1000, here you will be very comfortable. The banking market is very developed, ATM machines at every turn. Government, as long as you do not apply for a retirment visa, or a bank loan, until Paraguay on what you live. Documents on the street with Caucasoid foreigners no one checks.
The office of the company where I work is located in the center of the CCL. Normal office. It differs from St. Petersburg only in that it usually eats everything together at lunch, right in the office in the large kitchen. We have 5 taekas, I and the American boss, he is the owner. The girls at the office take great care of me, at any moment are happy to make me a coffee. The work they have is completely shitty, and by and large, I would be alone with the boss, would have kept this business. But according to Thai law, in an office, 4 Thais should work for 1 foreigner.
By and large, and my work is spit. I maintain the website through which products are sold. Girls take pictures and put new products.
When I worked full day, I was paid 2k cu. Now for 2 days a week I get paid 1k. And most likely soon will be reduced to $ 700, due to the crisis. As such, there is no crisis here. Rice as grew 4 times a year, so be it. Only American businesses have suffered, because Americans are not buying anything now, and a little tourist, because it has become less frequent.
Security and attitudes towards foreigners
As you can guess, the police very harshly suppresses any crimes against foreigners, protecting one of the major components of the budget sectors of the country. In public or tourist places I did not observe any excesses. Walked at night in the city. While looking through the local newspaper, I see that murders and robberies occur as in any country. Around every bank, store, condominium, many guards are on duty around the clock. This reduces the likelihood of crime, day and night.
Attitude is first striking. People smile at you, but not from what is so accepted (as in the US), but from the fact that people in the bulk are in harmony with themselves and with those around them. I will not say that they are glad to see you on the street just like that. Half of you are a damn, and half of you are just fun.
I have never met aggression or rudeness towards myself. After all, raising your voice is a loss of face. And a foreigner is, above all, a funny cute animal that spends money here and does not create problems. I smile to everyone in return, always speak not loudly, use the local language - and I am welcome everywhere. And in the shops and passers-by. I am always happy to help with directions or advice, because by helping, they earn points for karma. In addition, white-skinned foreigners are something of a slightly higher caste than the average citizen.
Women
Argued that Thailand - is the capital of debauchery. In fact, the society is very puritanical. For example, both men and women bathe in the sea dressed. In shorts and T-shirts. Because it is not accepted to bare in public places. Not taken to kiss on the street or even hold hands. All debauchery takes place in legal, specially designated places. There are bars, saunas and short-time hotels. Any girl met there can be taken to this very hotel. Prices depend on your experience. On average, if you take a girl in a bar, you pay 600 bar, 1 girl, 300 per hour in a hotel. If on the street, then only the girl.
Normal young women, of whom there are millions (I wrote that there is a gender advantage in Tae), will also be very happy to meet you. It depends:
- from the recognition of the Western way of life as super cool and correct;
- from white skin, which is considered a reward for a good previous life;
- from a fairly high white foreign caste, as is customary in Asia;
- from a fairly high level of material condition of foreigners, in front of local;
- and from the fact that local guys are very lazy and do not take care of themselves.
So it turns out that the cream of society becomes expats. Educated, purposeful, self-conscious people. They look normal, speak and behave. Therefore, any Thai girl going with a white foreigner, makes everyone jealous. But, as I have already noted, the society is very puritanical and do not expect anything serious, either on the first or second date.
Prices
Thailand I really like the differentiation of benefits. On a par with these boutiques from Prada, etc., on any street or one of the hundreds of markets you can buy clothes. T-shirts, shorts, etc., cost a penny, because they are locally produced.
You can eat at a Western-style restaurant for about 300 baht (300rur / $ 10), or at McDonalds for 120 baht, or on the street, like everyone else, for 40 baht - local food.
The apartment can be rented close to the subway for 20k but, or for 80k. If you are ready to go to the subway in 10 minutes by taxi, then remove the small studio for 10k. I have an outdoor pool in the house on the 9th floor, in which I swim every day after work, and 2 minutes to the subway. But my apartment is expensive.
Thais are generally able to live in places where a foreigner's leg does not go for 1k batt.
Bangkok is considered an expensive city. The city is the hero of Pattaya, where the overwhelming majority of Russian-speaking expats live, prices are much lower. My friend lives in a small town in the north of the country, for 300 dollars a month, and is not going home.
I, realizing how much money I have in my pocket, can go karting, swim in the water park with my girlfriend, or spend the whole day with my website.
Minuses
As a country expatriate Internet geek, Thailand completely suits me. There is only one minus: to see the parents I need to buy a ticket for 1k green and fly 10 hours. I spend less here than in St. Petersburg, but I earn more. My health condition is also much better due to constant swimming, because I do not smoke, and because no fresh fruit is now exotic.
In general, there are probably disadvantages, but there are fewer of them than in my past life.
PS The rights to the photos belong to www.bangkok-photos.com .
PPS To the spiteful critics who decide that I am stupidly lucky, I will note. This is my second emigration, and even when I was in Russia, without being actively seeking my place in Thailand, I had good English, customer base, professional experience, and communication skills.
PPPS Do not be afraid to dream.
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/299162/
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