Latest news with #DestinationThailandVisa
Business Insider
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Business Insider
He worked multiple jobs just to pay rent in the US — so he packed up and moved to Thailand to chase a new life as a fighter
Maxwell Wolfe left the US and moved to Koh Samui, Thailand, to become a Muay Thai fighter. His daily routine in Samui involves waking up at 5 a.m. and training twice a day. He prefers the simplicity of his life in Thailand over the rat race in the US. Maxwell Wolfe had never traveled outside the US — until he flew to Thailand in 2019 for a Muay Thai fight on the island of Koh Samui. He lasted two minutes in the ring, took an elbow above his right eye, which left a scar, and then lost. But instead of flying home feeling defeated, Wolfe was hooked. Wolfe grew up in northern Virginia and had started practicing martial arts in his early 20s, when he was at a crossroads in his life. As someone with ADHD, he always found it hard to conform to conventional societal expectations. "I never really fit the mold, and martial arts is one of the very few things in my life besides music and art that made sense to me," Wolfe, now 34, told Business Insider. That match in Samui lit a fire in him, and he hoped to return to Thailand sooner to continue pursuing the sport. But the pandemic threw a wrench in his plans, and he continued training in the US instead. But life wasn't easy. With the rising cost of living, he had to juggle IT jobs, work in nightclubs, and deliver Uber Eats to pay his rent. In late 2023, things came to a head when he lost both of his IT jobs. Feeling stuck both personally and professionally, Wolfe decided to return to Samui in search of a reset. Starting afresh in Samui Once he arrived in Samui, he signed up for training at Lamai Muay Thai, a local gym. The training routine he followed gave his days structure and a sense of purpose that he quickly grew to appreciate. But as a foreigner, he realized his time in Thailand was limited. "One day, I went up to Ralph and said, 'How do I live a life like this?'" Wolfe said, referring to the owner of Lamai Muay Thai, Ralph Beale. That's when Beale told him about the Destination Thailand Visa, or DTV. Introduced last year, it can be used by digital nomads, remote workers, and those interested in participating in cultural or wellness activities — including Muay Thai. Beale told BI that the training center welcomes foreigners of all experience levels to its classes and currently has around 12 fighters training under the DTV. Wolfe's original plan was to stay for just one year. Enough time, he thought, to rebuild himself through Muay Thai. But with the visa valid for five years, the possibility of staying longer began to take shape. Eat, sleep, train, repeat Wolfe represents Lamai Muay Thai in local matches. "They get a small fight purse when they compete, which can start as low as a few thousand baht," Beale said. Most foreign fighters aren't in it for the money, but rather for the chance to compete in Thailand. Those who prove themselves in smaller arenas often earn opportunities on bigger stages, like those in Bangkok, he added. Wolfe's lifestyle on Samui is far from the relaxed and idyllic island dream one might expect. His day starts at 5 a.m. After washing up, he takes his supplements and has a light breakfast — typically a piece of fruit, like a banana. Then, it's time for training. "I usually reach the gym when the sun's still coming up, stretch a little bit, and then I run 8 to 10 kilometers in the morning," Wolfe said. After cooling down, he moves on to padwork or a CrossFit session. After morning training, Wolfe heads home and spends the afternoon on online IT courses. By 4 p.m., he's back at the gym — and ready to do it all over again. He lives in a house just five minutes away from his gym with several other fighters. One of the biggest challenges he faced was adapting to the strict discipline required by his new life. Getting into the habit of waking up early was tough, and staying mindful of his diet proved equally challenging. "I couldn't be eating all this processed crap. I couldn't have much seasoning on it," he said. "There's also temptation — I'm not even a big drinker, but alcohol is ridiculously cheap here." Adapting to a simpler life If there's anything he misses about the US, it's the sense of familiarity. "This is straight up jungle life," he said. "You've got to make sure you have a charger. Going to this spot means that you have no communication. Going to that spot means you'll encounter wild dogs." "It's one thing to be street smart back where I'm from, but being jungle smart is a completely different thing," he added. The Muay Thai gym has become a place where Wolfe has made some real friends. He finds that people in Samui are generally more open and accepting. Wolfe says he's slowly trying to learn the Thai language to get along better with the locals, including some of his trainers. Apart from training, competing, and representing the gym, Wolfe's life in Samui gave him the breathing space to grow his IT career. The lower cost of living in Samui has relieved a lot of financial pressure, allowing him to focus on upskilling himself and running his remote cybersecurity and IT consulting business. On the side, he's also building an AI app to help martial arts athletes track progress and improve performance. "Muay Thai is my main focus right now, and I'm fully committed to it. But I know fighting isn't forever," he said. Compared to the rat race, he prefers the simplicity of his life in Samui. "Despite the pain and discipline, it's so much better. I may not be working toward a luxurious apartment, which I'll never pay off in my lifetime, but I could see myself having a little house here, and I'd be happier than most people who are making six figures as a lawyer in New York," he said. In May, Wolfe fought his first Muay Thai match since receiving the visa. He walked away with a win.
Business Insider
15-05-2025
- Business Insider
A former flight attendant found unexpected peace in Bangkok. She left the Midwest to move there alone.
What began as a short trip to Bangkok ended with Antoinette Yvonne moving there alone in 2023. She is now living in a $660-a-month apartment with views of the Thai capital's skyline. She said that while things may cost less in Bangkok than in the US, people shouldn't assume everything is cheap. When Antoinette Yvonne arrived in Bangkok in 2023, it was supposed to be just a two-week trip. It was her second visit to Thailand 's capital city, but this time, something clicked. Those two weeks stretched into three months, and by the end of that extended stay, the full-time YouTuber and boutique travel agency owner knew she'd found her new home. "The skyline literally is what sold me on Bangkok. I knew that I wanted to live in the city, where it's just so beautiful. And the cost of living here, I mean, it didn't hurt. So I was like, 'OK, let me do it,'" Yvonne, 37, told Business Insider. She returned to the US for the summer and got ready to make the big move. By November 2023, she was back in Bangkok — for good. The allure of living abroad Yvonne is no stranger to living abroad. Originally from Indiana, she moved to Spain in 2013 and lived there for about three years. Part of the reason she made that move was because she was burned out and looking for an escape from her corporate investment banking job. "I saw the movie 'Eat, Pray, Love,' and I was like, 'OK, I want to be Julia Roberts and go abroad.' Six months after watching that movie, I was living in Barcelona," Yvonne said. That experience of living abroad gave her a taste for adventure. She became a Delta Air Lines flight attendant for three years. When the pandemic hit, she left her job and spent two years exploring the US and Mexico while living in a van she had converted. Her parents weren't shocked when she told them she was planning to move abroad again. "I always followed through with crazy ideas," she said. But it did surprise her parents, who still live in Indiana, when she told them where she was going. "When I mentioned Bangkok to them, they were like, 'What? Bangkok?' A lot of people are shocked to hear that," she said. Bangkok has long been a hot spot for expats. Data from the Bureau of Registration Administration of Thailand indicates that there were 102,189 foreigners living in the city as of the end of 2024. Compared to many Western cities, Bangkok offers a relatively low cost of living. With two well-connected international airports, it is also a hub for travel around Asia. Several Americans who moved to the Thai capital previously told BI that they were drawn to the city's vibrant lifestyle, good food options, and relative affordability. In July last year, Thailand also introduced the Destination Thailand Visa, or DTV, in an effort to attract remote workers and digital nomads. Building a life in Bangkok Apartment-hunting was a breeze since Yvonne already knew what she was looking for: Unobstructed views of the city skyline, a balcony, and a convenient location. "I wanted to be near a 7-11, within a 5-minute walking distance. I knew I wanted to be near a regular grocery store, and as far as the unit itself, I needed a washer and dryer," she said. Thanks to a real estate agent she connected with through a Facebook group, Yvonne found her one-bedroom apartment within a week of her move. Rent is 22,000 Thai baht, or about $660, each month. She finds it hard to pick a favorite spot in her apartment. "I love being in my bedroom because it has floor-to-ceiling windows, and the view is absolutely amazing," Yvonne said. "But I also love my balcony too." Her building has a gym, a pool, and a large coworking space with private call booths. Yvonne didn't know anyone in Bangkok before she moved. When she first arrived, she started using Bumble BFF — the friendship version of Bumble — as well as an expat Facebook group to connect with new people. "You go to different meetups, and then one friend literally turns into two, and three, and four. You just build from there," she said. Yvonne has been working on learning Thai, as the language barrier has been the biggest challenge of living in Bangkok so far. "When I speak their language, they just light up, and they're more welcoming. I just feel like you connect more, and I think that's important," she said. Finding peace in the Thai capital city Yvonne says she feels more relaxed compared to when she was living in the US. "In 2019, when I was still a flight attendant, I was on the go so much. It was always fast-paced. I was go, go, go, go, go. Even when I was off work, I was still trying to keep up with the Joneses," Yvonne said. "Whereas now, although Bangkok is a city — and a busy city at that — I find peace in the city. It's so weird." Part of it, she says, is due to the flexibility of her job. Being an entrepreneur gives her the freedom to arrange her schedule. Apart from filming and uploading videos onto her channel weekly, Yvonne also travels often, both for leisure and as part of the group trips that she hosts under her travel agency. Although things in Bangkok are relatively affordable compared to the US, it would be a generalization to assume that everything is cheap, she said. "While it can be very cost-effective, and for us Americans, my dollar stretches further, it doesn't necessarily mean that it is cheaper," she said. "Especially if you're going out and spending so much money on dinners and things like that, it can add up." That ties into the biggest piece of advice she has for anyone who wants to move to Thailand. "A lot of people come and think that $2,000 will get them by for several months at a time. No, I think that doing the proper research on condos and what it really costs to live here is the way to go," she said. Yvonne also encourages people who move here to get to know the locals. "I think having local friends is a great way to get familiar with a country. They can help you when your expat friends are not able to," she said. Regarding her long-term plans, it's hard to keep her wanderlust at bay. "People ask me, 'How long will you be in Bangkok?' I don't know. I'm here until I'm not," Yvonne said. "So it is just until I feel like I'm called somewhere else, but for now, it's Bangkok."
Business Insider
11-05-2025
- Business
- Business Insider
I'm 44 and want to retire by the time I'm 50. I can't do that in the US, so I moved my family to Thailand.
My Gen Z children's view and attitude toward work were a wake-up call. They taught me a whole new way to live by not making work my entire identity. Of course, that was easier said than done. So, I went to therapy, and my therapist challenged me to think about my long-term goals, how I want to spend each day, and my purpose. I realized I spent too many years of my life making work a significant focus. I let what happened with my job affect my mental health because work was my identity. I missed special moments with my children growing up because of work, which I could have put off since I'm a business owner. I came to understand that my career is part of my purpose, but the main goal of my business is to create financial freedom. I want my business to generate enough revenue to make work optional. With this healthier view of work, I set the goal of retiring early by 50. I'm 44 now, and that'd give me six years to push hard, save, and invest enough money to retire early. I realized that wasn't feasible in the US. I'd need multi-millions to retire early in the US I was born and raised in Wisconsin and have lived in Florida for the past six years. I've raised six children in the US, helped support family members, and, like everyone else, witnessed the rise in the cost of living. Life in the US is expensive, and retiring early means needing multi-millions, at least. Early retirement typically involves a 4% stock portfolio withdrawal each year, so the invested money would need to be large to pay for everyday US living expenses. My wife and I talked about this. She's older than I am, at 52, and has a goal of retiring early at 55. We realized it's not realistic (for us) to retire early in the US, so we started looking at where in the world we could move to accomplish our goal. In our relationship, we've traveled extensively and have even lived in places with lower living costs, such as Medellín, Colombia. We decided to move to Thailand When we thought about the cost of living, quality of life, access to great healthcare, delicious food, safety, and access to amenities and goods, we settled on Thailand. We got to work on the planning and logistics of leaving the US. The most shocking part has been discovering that it's costing us as much to leave the US as it costs us to live there. Now that we're leaving, selling our vehicles is an issue because their value isn't the same. We have to take out personal loans to pay for the difference in what we sell the cars for. There's also getting rid of the physical items and other costs associated with the move. Leaving the US was so complicated that it reaffirmed our decision to leave for good. The cost of being a human being shouldn't be this high. We're slowly setting up our lives in Thailand My wife, two 22-year-old daughters, and I were approved for a five-year Destination Thailand Visa. We're also moving with our dog and two cats. My wife and I came to Thailand ahead of our daughters and animals. We also signed a two-year lease on a beautiful apartment in the center of Bangkok. The apartment came fully furnished, but we purchased a few items, like an 86-inch TV, to make it feel like home. We also set up our cellphone plans and everyday items, and hired a cleaner. Thailand is giving my family a better quality of life, a lower cost of living, and the opportunity to explore the rest of Asia. Thailand's low cost of living will help us retire early Our monthly expenses in Thailand are less than $3,000. That price covers our monthly rent, electricity, phone plans, cleaner, WiFi, water, groceries, and entertainment. Compared to what I paid living in the US, these savings mean I can save and invest more of my earnings. I can now allocate the bulk of my income to my retirement fund. Living in a country where dollars stretch far is how I'll achieve my goal of retiring by 50, and I can do so without sacrificing our quality of life. My wife loves Thailand so far, and I'm sure our daughters will also when they get here next month. I had to ask myself how I wanted to spend my limited days on this earth, and it wasn't working in the US. I want to write, create art, travel more, romance my wife, and do many other things besides work. Moving to Thailand checks all the boxes to live a more fulfilled life and accomplish my early retirement goal.
