Tips on how to have enough $ for Thailand long term?

When I was in Thailand, a lot of the guys there would work for a bit back home, try and save up a lot, then go back to Thailand as long as they could until their money ran out. People would have to return home as soon as their savings dried up.

Is there another, better way? Can you really make enough from fights?

 

teach english.

 

Teaching English in Thailand isn't worth it imo. You need to get a bunch of licenses first (TOEFL, Working permits, and Visa for long term) then the pay isn't that great...or so I've heard. You'll make much more when you work in your home country. Also, you're teaching schedule would probably interfere with your training schedule ..leaving you to train only in the afternoon since school starts in the morning from say.. 9am-2pm or 3pm

I'd say work for a X amount of months-year(s) in your home country....calculate how much you'd need for your plane ticket, accommodation and training (food, shopping etc). Once you have enough just go there and if you want, find the cheapest accommodation you can find ..if you're comfortable with that then you'll save a lot of $$. Which camp do you plan on going to?

P.S as for fighting, tell your camp and i'm sure they'll allow you to stay in their camp for free (You'll probably end up paying for the first few months). After that you pay them some of your prize $$$. But even then, things have changed and i'm not so sure if Thais allow this anymore.. (Only in certain camps)

 

No, that doesn't work. You can't train and do that at the same time--plus the amount of money for English teachers in Thailand is crap. Please, knowledgeable replies.

 

to be honest, some of the best Muay Thai instructors are here in the states.

Other than that, i would try to get a job working on a military base.

 

What military bases are in Thailand, I thought they were all closed? That would probably be the best bet if there are still bases there.

 

Work at a job where location doesn't matter.

 

Like an internet or telephone only job? That sounds good.

I better start learning a new set of skills.

 

ya similar to that. Could work as a consultant of some kinds do computer coding. Couple of my buddies do similar stuff like this and they can kind of go where they please. Only down side would be onsite work, but hey they do have airplanes in Thailand too!

 

Teaching english isnt an option? Sure, they pay you a lot less than what you'd make in the States, but your cost of living is a lot less as well. Thats pretty much par for the course in any asian country you'd go to other than Japan...

Its still an income whereas you'd otherwise be relying entirely on savings.

 

I would also suggest reading "Vagabonding," by Ralph Potts

 

whore yourself?? j/k.... it just made me sick when i was there when i was younger. i saw a lot of old europeans with thai girls. i thought they had game but when i got older i realized they were whores....

 

You could always whore yourself out to old European men

 

Correct, it isn't an option. For one, most people have to do 30 hours a week instruction plus grading there, rounding out to about 40 hours during set times in the day that the camps are open. If you're just going to train once at night, you might as well stay back home. Training at a Thai boxing camp is about living there and training for hours twice per day.

Maybe it is possible to do private lessons at night in Thailand. Maybe. It would probably depend on your type of visa.

No it isn't. If you teach English in Korea, Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Taiwan you will make significantly more than in Thailand (generally). If you teach English in Vietnam, you will make slightly more. In China, you will probably make close to the same amount.

End of discussing English teaching in this thread.

 

I lived in Thailand for about a year, and as a foreigner, your options of finding employment are pretty thin unless you get lucky.

If you have a college degree you should have no trouble finding a decent teaching job. Starting salaries pay around 30-40k Baht per month which is around $1.somethingk. Go to ajarn.com for more info on teaching in Thailand. Being a teacher also leads way to doing private lessons and other random jobs (lifeguarding, afterschool shit, ect).

Depending on where you are staying...you could take up a job as a diving instructor. Although these jobs are competitive, there are entry level jobs especially if you are bi-lingual.

As long as you don't go out every night and barfine some girl, you can live off of a teachers salary. You won't save any money, but the cost of living in Thailand is very low. I traveled around SE asia for over a year with a budget of around 7k.

It depends what your goals are. If you are in Thailand to train and fight, it will be hard to hold onto any full time job.

Anyways check out ajarn.com and thaivisa.com for more information.

Good luck.

 

Short version:
Easiest way is to earn money at home before you go I'd say, or if you're good you might make a living there fighting.

Long version:
I lived and trained full-time in thailand for 6 months.
This was at Chai Yai gym in Chiang Mai(northern thailand).

Monthly expenses was about :

150$ for training.
100$ for an appartment next door to the gym.
Food: 100$++

And it's possible to live cheaper or vastly more expensive.

Last two months I didnt pay for training as I was finally doing my pro-debut. Usually if you're planning to fight regulary you wont pay to train, instead they'll take 50% of your fighting purse(negoitable of course). The fight purse starts pretty low, and can/will improve depending on you, managers and venues.(I got 1500 baht for my first fight, and had to spend 2500 at the hospital afterwards )

I had a friend there who made a nice living off fighting(he had a sweet-ass appartment, etc), but he was good, and usually went fights abroad in australia, hong kong, etc where you'll get a much higher purse.

 

What was the 2500 baht for? Just trying to gauge medical costs, in case of injuries.

 

man...i miss those mama san days. =D

 

Xray and cast for a broken forearm.. :redface:

 

Damn, that's not bad at all!