"Bangkok is better than London." How a Belarusian woman moved to Thailand and is building a business there

"Currently, I'm developing my own project, I feel great in Thailand, and I increasingly think that after London, Bangkok is the best city for me. I'm sharing how my life is arranged in the capital of Thailand: how much it costs, how people work here, and why I fell in love with Bangkok so much," she writes.

How much does it cost to live in Thailand

• Housing. You can find budget options around $300-$400, but it will be rather modest accommodation. A comfortable condominium with a pool, gym, and parking will cost about $600-$800 per month. And from $1,000, you can get even more spacious and comfortable apartments.
• Insurance. Healthcare in Thailand is very good, but quite expensive. On average, insurance covering accidents, death, and inpatient care costs approximately $400-$500 per month. Some people live without insurance, but that's a matter of personal risk tolerance.
• Food. You can eat very differently: from a fairly budget option to regular restaurants or home delivery. On average, I would budget approximately $500-$1,000 per month.
• Other expenses — utilities, household spending, shopping, massages, and other incidentals — can start from approximately $500 per month. If you need a car for long-term rental, that's another $500-$600 on top. You can buy a new car in Thailand from $10,000 with good installment plans.

Павялічыць

So, for an economical life for one person, you can expect to spend from $1,500 per month. For a comfortable level, I would aim for $2,000-$2,500. If you want to live really well – with great housing, a car, restaurants, spa, and other pleasantries – it's better to budget $3,000-$4,000 per month. And beyond that, everything depends on personal demands.

Work and Visas

Now, for those who want to live in Thailand and work remotely, there are more options than before.

One of them is the DTV Visa (Digital Nomad Visa). You need to show that you officially work remotely, which must be specified in your contract, and have approximately $15,000 in your account. This visa is issued for five years, and you can leave the country. Officially working for a Thai employer within the country is not allowed with this type of visa.

Another option is to look for a job once you are there. Formally, you can come as a tourist, attend interviews, and get an offer. But if a company decides to hire you, you will need to process documents outside of Thailand. For example, in neighboring Malaysia or Vietnam.

Jobs are found through local portals like JobsDB, LinkedIn, and networking. The local market often requires people to speak both Thai and English. But foreigners are also hired if they have strong experience. Salaries are generally lower than in European companies, but at the same level or even higher for top managers, as Bangkok has many offices of international companies.

Bangkok - the best city for me

Before Thailand, I lived in London for several years. And now I can definitely say that Bangkok is the best city for me. It also has parties, restaurants, opportunities to meet people, an international environment, large companies, and business life.

But it's structured differently, more adapted to working people. For example, festivals or events start at 7-8 PM and end at midnight. If you want to continue, go to a club. If not, you can calmly go home and work the next day. For me, this is a normal work-life balance.

And there is very good access to leisure here. In condominiums where expats live, there might be a pool, sauna, spa area, and a winter garden right in the building. Downstairs, there is always a 7-Eleven (a popular convenience store chain), a massage salon, and a cafe. And the prices are very pleasant. In London, a medium-quality massage would cost $150, whereas in Bangkok, you'd pay $10. And it would be excellent.

Павялічыць

Also, Bangkok is a very safe city. In London, I sometimes felt scared walking through some neighborhoods even during the day. But in Bangkok, I almost forgot what it's like to constantly be on edge. I can walk down the street in shorts and a top, I can find myself in not the prettiest neighborhood, and not feel threatened. Thais are Buddhists, and in their culture, it is not allowed to steal or harm another person.

Initially the heat is exhausting, then the body adapts

The climate is a separate story. In Thailand, it's consistently hot, around 30 degrees Celsius even in the evening. At first, it can be exhausting. But after six months, I acclimatized, even stopped sweating so much. I spend much more time indoors and only go out in the evenings.

And it's more pleasant, because in Minsk, I always had to check the weather forecast, and sharp temperature changes adversely affected my health. Here, everything is very stable, and in my opinion, it's even better.

It really helps that there's always water near you in the city: a pool at home, the sea isn't infinitely far away, spas, saunas. By the way, I only learned to go to a sauna in Thailand. You come out steamed, jump into a cool pool — and you don't feel cold.

In three years, my immune system even changed. I started to get sick less often, but at the same time, I started to feel cold more easily. Before, I was hardened, but now at +15 degrees Celsius, I already feel cold and want to dress warmer.

I'm still a stranger

Culture in Thailand is very different from Belarusian. I can't say I fully understand Thais. Sometimes I think they are a bit like us: calm, gentle, smiling, don't like direct conflicts.

And in work, for example, you need to be much softer. Someone once gave me good advice: if you want to explain something complicated to a junior or mid-level employee, imagine that you have a five-year-old child in front of you. That is, you need to simplify everything, not pressure, explain as clearly as possible. And with Thais, it's important to build social interaction. They like it when there's contact, when the boss or partner doesn't just hand out tasks, but goes out with the team, talks, spends time together.

But people here are very friendly, so I receive a lot of warmth. And there are a lot of foreigners from different parts of the world here. In this sense, Bangkok is similar to London. Sometimes you even get tired of socializing.

But a big city also has a downside. Connections are often sporadic. To meet up, you have to travel a long distance, plan in advance, and adjust to schedules. It's not Warsaw, where there are many Belarusians and you can quickly gather a close circle.

I moved alone and, of course, it was difficult, although the company helped, but loneliness sometimes brought suffering. There were moments of such longing for home, for family, loved ones, relatives. Because it's very far. Any trip home is a minimum of about $2,000 round trip and almost a full day of travel. So for now, with difficulty, I am testing trips to Minsk/Warsaw and back.

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