Moving to Thailand Fresh out of University

[Davis Knowlton]

When I lived in LOS, I knew a number of foreigners who described themselves as 'fluent'. When they spoke, Thai just gawped at them - no idea what they were trying to say. I lived in LOS for six years - three in Aranyaphathet, where almost no English was spoken. On my most linguistically fluent day, I would have called myself a novice. I had some friends who spoke very good Thai, but only one would have really been considered fluent, and he had studied Thai for years, and lived in the country for decades - in fact, he is buried in Chiang Mai.

[Norton]

On my most linguistically fluent day, I would have called myself a novice.

Was that the day you actually got the food you ordered?

[Davis Knowlton]

^Pretty much.

[forreachingme]

Work for her dad is a good choice.

Look for a Job in Thailand from where you live and not once there, better pay and benefits added.

[Attilla the Hen]

Don't even think of living here until your 30's.
You need to build a good CV and get plenty of experience first.

If you don't you'll be unemployable in a first world country. As soon as professionals see Thailand on your resume at such a young age, only one thought will go through their head and it won't be a good one.

[Bolo de Mel]

This sounds like a very problematic thing to do. Are you so set on being there quickly at the likely expense of your entire future?

Why doesn't your girlfriend go to the US for a year or two? It might make her become a better wife in the future.

[Rural Surin]

Work for the girls Daddy....

Seems obvious.

Familial contacts are everything...

[Davis Knowlton]

^To impress on readers that they didn't meet her in a bar, and that she is not a whore. Kind of obvious, Prat.

[DJ Pat]

^Well that says a lot about what our Victorian members think of Thai women

[Norton]

The OP seems to have disappeared. Reckon he didn't like our sage advice. I'll try again. Here's a good option.

Don't bother with finishing uni. Get over here as fast as you can. Plenty of high paying jobs teaching English. No experience required.

[Davis Knowlton]

^Well that says a lot about what our Victorian members think of Thai women

Says a lot more about insecure posters who, of course, did meet their Thai "GF" in a bar.

[DJ Pat]

^Well that says a lot about what our Victorian members think of Thai women

Says a lot more about insecure posters who, of course, did meet their Thai "GF" in a bar.

Most who feel the need to mention details are 99% likely to have met their GFs in a bar or house of ill repute

[komsan6063]

I find it amazing that a 20yo who's only lived her a short time is 80% fluent.

I've been here on an off for 23 years and can read, but I would call myself close to 80% fluent.

Fluent after all is fluent.

When i was 15 i went to Thailand as an exchange student. I went to a Thai government school for 1 year and lived with Thai families that didnt speak English. I was also the only exchange student within a few hours of Laemchabang so it was necessary to learn.

[komsan6063]

This sounds like a very problematic thing to do. Are you so set on being there quickly at the likely expense of your entire future?

Why doesn't your girlfriend go to the US for a year or two? It might make her become a better wife in the future.

Shes been here before. Shes actually going to be taking english courses at my university this summer and fall. She doesn't want to live in USA because she doesnt want to lose her land and family business in Thailand.

[friscofrankie]

Thailand is a dead-end, third-world shit-hole; for most people. Not to say that a few people haven't made their fortunes there, but fresh out of college? Stay in the states and get some experience you want to try beating the odds and coming here to make your fortune It would be best to have some state-side experience to back you up.

I wasn't getting rich in Thailand but I kept the bills paid and made enough to improve my position as time went by. I still began to find Thailand limiting. Not necessarily in career opportunities, but at so many other levels Thailand just became a boring bad joke.

Don't bother with finishing uni. Get over here as fast as you can. Plenty of high paying jobs teaching English. No experience required.

If you can read the sarcasm between lines, this is very good advice. If you are not Asian, your 'opportunities' will be locked to your GF's family. Out side of that you're pretty fucked, even then coming here to find work your pay rate is going to be shit.

She doesn't want to live in USA because she doesnt want to lose her land and family business in Thailand.

Moving to the US will cause her to lose her land??? Is her family that cut-throat? You're gonna tie your future to that?

[DJ Pat]

Why do guys who mention their 'Thai GF' always feel the need to mention where and how they met? Who cares what social class the family is? Most of us don't care. Don't worry we aren't gonna assume she's a skanky hoe with a needy family in Isaan..

You have a Thai GF. That's all you need to tell us.

Yes but the reader knowing that my girlfriends family has connections to business in Thailand could potentially help me in the long run. I added it in order to give a better background of the situation.

Tell you what, go to Thailand and use those connections to make your fortune. You'll probably start just running numbers and collecting small debts to show your prowess, then you'll get elevated to driving one of the bosses around whilst also being one of his crony enforcers. Give it a few years and you'll be untouchable

[jamiejambos]

I think he want's to move here because his brains are in his cock. what he
doesn't realize is that once he does make the move it's down-hill all the way.

[DJ Pat]

That's why most with brains have already got cash before moving, not living some romantic notion that Thailand will welcome them with open arms and there'll be opportunities aplenty to make cash

[Bobcock]

If he moves here for a girl, I give it 2/1 he'll be living with a different girl three years down the stretch.....

I've never met a guy his age who can keep it in his pants........

[DJ Pat]

Thing is, he may well be in contact with 1 or 2 Thai girls he's met online, and now he could be falling for the promises?

[Dillinger]

not living some romantic notion that Thailand will welcome them with open arms and there'll be opportunities aplenty to make cash

what you mean like tefling by day and DJ'in by night ?

[DJ Pat]

not living some romantic notion that Thailand will welcome them with open arms and there'll be opportunities aplenty to make cash

what you mean like tefling by day and DJ'in by night ?

I did quite alright doing that, thanks. You must be a successful executive working in Thailand then, if you're looking down on what I did like that.

At least I had the DJ option besides TEFLing. And I had some excellent TEFL work.

I am eligible for Thai ID remember, if I was so desperate for work I would have sorted that.

[Koetjeka]

Let me give the OP some advice, from my own experience.

After university I worked a year for a contractor in the Netherlands, financial crisis so company bankrupt. No other jobs to find, I had plenty of cash so did a trip around the world (Russia, Mongolia, China, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand).
Found a lady in Thailand, stayed here till I ran out of money which took about a year.

Went back to Holland, found a lousy job at another contractor for a year and travelled to Thailand. Found myself a teaching job even though my English is totally crap. I've been working here for 2 years but it's so bloody boring that I started to look for a job in engineering/architecture.

Since September I've send over 100 e-mails and I've got exactly 1 reply (after 4 months), I didn't have the necessary skills but they did want my portfolio and might invite me for a test in Bangkok.

If I don't find a job before April, I'm forced to go back to Holland to get more experience, but over there it's almost impossible to find a job too.

Just don't make the same mistake as me man, trust me it's not fun.