Have you ever thought about living abroad? Of course, you have! Then, you must have weighed the living costs in some other countries, and you have found some of them are over your budget. Here, you can always think of Thailand and make your living beautiful there if you go for startup consulting services.
The Southeast Asian country, Thailand, is almost the size of the entire California, and the place is situated on the border of Cambodia, Malaysia, Laos, and Myanmar. If you love the sea, then you will get 2,000 miles of that with emerald water and white sand beaches. The warm sunlight will not give you the chilling feeling that you would have got if you had decided to live in colder countries. Also, you have heard of Thai food, they are very delicious. Also, you have tasted Thai pho in your country, but if you come to live here, you will get a better taste of pho in the original country. However, before you plan on living here, you need to know some pros and cons because it’s certainly not Norway where the crime rate has been reduced to none. Sex trafficking, child abduction, then some glitches in business startups are always there. So, here in this article check the important pros and cons of setting up business in Thailand.
Pros of living in Thailand
To start the discussion, it will be better to begin with the pros of living in Thailand. If you have ever visited the country for travelling purposes, then you know some of it-
- Natural beauty
Thailand is filled with splendid natural beauty. What wouldn’t you get here if you thought of settling here? From miles of seashores to rocky mountains, mesmerizing cliffs, isolated islands, and the local things to see. You can hike through the mountains, and enjoy a safari through the dense forest life of Thailand. It will all be a pleasant experience. Also, if you have bought or rented a house near where the natural beauty is, not one morning of yours will go to waste. You can always go to the city living, and it will give you all the facilities of town life.
- The incredible food
As mentioned earlier, if you are planning to live in this country for your business opportunities in Thailand, then you will be able to taste the delicious foods here. Do you like spicy food? You will get it in here. Coconut milk, chilli paste, with a salty and tangy touch to it. There are plenty of vegetable dishes you will get too. However, you need to check for MSG in food, which is not good for your health. You will get all the natural ingredients used in the foods. Also, if you are preferring your country food, you will get that option in the towns.
- Safe living
You can live safely in the country. If you are an American, you need to monitor the state website to check if there are any kind of alert moments in the country. However, this thing is very rare, and you can always go on living here for a generation and do your business.
Easy house option
If you have thought of living in Thailand’s countryside, you will get a less expensive living option, but in the towns, it will be a bit costly. However, this cost will not be over the head, and you can bear it easily. Most startup business consultants live in the cities and they prefer to rent a condo for themselves or they spend days in a resort at first. Also, you will get better deals for houses if you go outside the metro city areas.
- The language
The language is no bar in this country. If you speak English, you will find townspeople communicating in the same language. Also, you will get other options for speaking here. If you only prefer English, then it may be an issue outside the city but when you have decided to make a living here, you will learn the Thai language very soon. It is not very tough to learn another dialect, and considering Thai, which is easier than Chinese or any other Asian language.
- Transportation benefits
You will get affordable transportation within the country. If you are travelling from Bangkok to Chang Mai, it will cost you just $25 by an overnight bus. Also, the flight rate starts with only, $50. You will not get this kind of affordable transportation rate anywhere in the U.S. or Europe. Also, if you have to travel from one place to another inside the city, there are lots of buses and taxis. However, try to steer clear from the tuk tuk’s, they are very expensive and while you are not a tourist, you don’t need them.
- Be a vegetarian
There are so many authentic Thai dishes available which are 100% veg. If you have thought about becoming a veggie eater, then you will get the same here. So many people who come from America, they become vegetarian here. There is also a festival for veg eaters, where a yellow flag represents the festival and you can have a delicious platter from the venue.
- You’ll not be alone
When you come to live in Thailand, you will not feel lonely because Thai people are very friendly, and your neighbours will greet you on the day of your arrival. So many people who have come to live in Thailand have stated that they became a part of the culture after just one week. If you want to know the country better, you can join the fitness club, the rotary events and travel places on your feet. You will be able to make plenty of friends and your boring time will be spent like air.
- Have fun
Good food is a part of having fun, but having great nightlife is another thing. If you are living in Bangkok, you will find so many nightclubs, and bars there. Not only the tourists but the locals also visit regularly to these places. In some clubs, you can get VIP services if you pay for them. This way, your lonely nights will be a crowded one.
- Helpful people
You will get very much help from the people around you in Thailand. The locals will help you in every way possible. They will give you directions to the places you need to go, and when you are looking for a house, you will get helpful desks to guide you.
- Health benefits
If you are retired and want to spend the rest of your life in Thailand, then you have to know that in this country you will get everything you need. Starting from the health checkup to living life the way you want, all are available here. You will get experienced doctors and the cost of treatment is not so high compared to other countries.
Cons of living in Thailand
You have learned about the pros of living in Thailand, but what about the cons? Every country has some flaws and this one is no different. So, here they are.
- The qualification for living
If you want to live in Thailand, you have to at least earn 65,000 baht each month. You also have to keep 800,000 baht in your savings account. This is similar to $2000 to $2500. If you can cut off the luxuries, then you can earn $1000 per month. If you are thinking of living in a condo in Bangkok, then you must make $5000 each month. So, for luxury, you need to earn good, otherwise, live your days on normal veg phos!
- Humid weather
As mentioned earlier the weather is never too cold but will give you disturbing rain and it’s humid. You will get summer months relief from the rain, but the hot weather is not that suitable for everyone, especially when you are coming from the U.S. You may get 70% humidity and 100F temperature in the country and this can be a problem because not all the time you can roam around wearing shorts. So, this one is an irritating feature in Thailand.
- Health issues
The country is not void of diseases. So, before you come here, you need to take vaccines for Hepatitis A, tetanus, typhoid, varicella, MMR, DTAP, and polio. Also, Hepatitis B, malaria, and Japanese encephalitis are other threats living here. However, in the cities, you will get plenty of healthcare solutions but if you go to the countryside, you have to take heavy caution. It will depend on where you have decided to live.
- Political unrest
In here political issues are rife and for that, you may get to see violence on the streets. It’s not that other countries in the world is void of this, but in here, you may get to see it after some months. In 2016, there were multiple bombing incidents and 37 people died. So beware of that.
- Negative attitude
So many people ask if they can wear short clothes in the country, especially the Americans. Here, one thing you have to keep in mind is that the Thais, will not tolerate it if you wear short clothes on the street other than in your home. You can roam around like this in a hotel, but not on the streets or in the marketplace. This will be considered as an insult to the country, and you may face the wrath of locals.
- Language barrier
Yes, it has been mentioned earlier that people speak English but that’s in Bangkok and other major cities. If you go to the outer parts, you will not find many English-speaking people there and here, you will face a certain barrier in communication. When you have come here to do business, it will be an issue if you can’t communicate with local people. However, if you don’t want to face this problem, you at least have to learn some local terms.
- Organized crime
Starting from meth to drugs, all are available in this country. You will get to hear about the gangs in the cities who sell these in the high-tech clubs. Other than smugglers, you will hear about trafficking and then prostitution. The sex trade is one of the biggest crime businesses in Thailand. Some people get into these works just to put food on the table.
- Poverty issue
If you start living in Thailand, you will see people are not that rich and so many people suffer from extreme poverty. You can live luxuriously, but the signs of poor people will not go unnoticed.
- Heavy corruption
Now, where there is poverty, there has to be corruption. The government is not that stable and they are corrupting their ways to get rich. Here, you can get arrested for false allegations. All you have to do is to pay 200 baht and then you will be free without any charges.
In Thailand, you must not enter a place without removing your shoes, and you have to respect the monks highly. If you ever see a pile of shoes in the entryway anywhere, you have to remove your shoes.
So, everything has a positive and negative side. Now, it is up to you how you can turn your living in Thailand into a great experience.
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