Living In Thailand

I can’t afford to take off and leave work…

Why is that so important if you really want to change your life? What’s keeping you? Money? Prepare…save and make a plan, borrow, sell your crap, look for free internships and work off the course… find a cover or replacement, try your luck and ask for a sabbatical 6 month leave.. Where there’s a will, there’s a way. After everything, the truth is you never know what tomorrow will bring unless you are the one bringing it!

I like the idea but I’ve never traveled a lot. I’m scared of what i’ll find…

What are you scared or worried for? We are all family, if that’s how you see the world (and divers do) then you’re never really alone or without support, strange new places become adventures and worries become challenges easily overcome with your scuba brothers and sister around the world.

I don’t like risk, how can I be sure I’ll get a job at the end of all this?

Don’t see becoming a dive instructor like just getting a new job..  If you have financial commitments, explore other ways to make money whilst you travel, your travelling the world which in its self is amazing but also that gives you literally, all the opportunities of the world. Working online in some context is a great integration to living in Thailand, many people don’t know that it’s possible to make a living online, or at least a good extra income.

There are so many ways to make money over the internet. Online Shop, where you sell goods whilst Living in Thailand and send them worldwide, maybe via Ebay (for an easy start up).

As a dive professional you will be working closely to tourism, Open or get involved with an Online Travel Office, where people can book their diving or other holiday activity in Thailand and earn commissions for every sale you make.

Set up some websites about anything you like, Maybe you blog your adventures, sell pictures, teach languages, learn international cooking styles and write a cookbook.. i don’t know but the potential is limitless! You can also earn money as a publisher from certain advertisers who will put their ads on your site.

Explore them and see what works for you.  All this said note this; Nothing in life is certain but I can tell you this. Becoming a PADI Dive professional will change your life!… Will it make you rich beyond your wildest dreams?… sadly probably not unless you combine it into a really successful business plan..not outside the realm of possibility though.  Will it make you wake up every morning with a smile on your face knowing that the ocean is your office? Yes, It should do! The point I’m making here is we GoPro for the lifestyle, the family, the travel, the adventures, the interactions across our globe and under the sea in a world so unbelievable and beautiful we will be forever spellbound to it. Our ‘pay check’ is happiness and satisfaction in living a life you love.. after you Gopro you’ll see that the pay check before, were more like a compensation for making you miserable.

Im not sure about the cost of living in Thailand?

The cost of living in Thailand is cheap by comparison to most home country’s  but how much money do you need every month to enjoy your life?

You should not be completely penniless when you are thinking about moving to and living in Thailand, its goes without saying you should allow enough money to cover the basics like a roof over your head, food in your stomach and other amenities you require.

Depending on whether you live in a city or an island the cost vary, you can live very cheaply if you want to but I figured if I spell out a good general average this will help you to gauge the expectation a little bit better. where you can oversee the typical monthly cost of living in Thailand, This is based around exchange rate of 1€ = 40 Baht:

Don’t forget that you may have other costs running in your home country like health or life insurance. You must also have the money available for the frequent “visa runs” every 3 month or so and new Visas. Your return ticket to your home country if anything goes wrong should also be available.

 What are Thai Visas all about?

foreigners require a Visa to enter and stay in the Kingdom of Thailand, most are granted a free 30day visa on arrival but if you want to stay long term it pays to know your options and consider another visa before you start living in Thailand.  With the longer Visa you must comply with the visa regulations to get your visa extended or make some visa runs every two or three month depending on your visa type be it a Tourist Visa or a Non Immigrant Visa. Even a one year ED-Visa might be an option for visitors attending a language course. We recommend finding a Thai Consular in your home country and looking at a multi entry tourist visa to begin with which will give you the most time and the least hassle to begin with.