1. Easy, short lines through immigration and customs without headache.
2. My motorbike which I left 10 days ago was still in the parking lot, no one messed with it or my helmet, and parking was free!
3. On the way back to my apartment I stopped by he side of the road to have a meal, amazing Thai food for only 35 baht ($1.17US)
4. Fuck the cold! It was between 0 and 3 degrees Celsius in China and it's 29C (84F) here in Chiang Mai.
5. I already feel healthier being back. Cleaner air, warm weather, fresh fruits and vegetables, and exercise.
If I were in any other country, I would have spent an hour going through customs and immigration, been met with the freezing cold. My helmet stolen and paid $10 a day minimum for parking. There would have been nothing open at midnight to eat besides fast food and Denny's chain restaurants.
I went to China for work. Spent eight nights in a luxury hotel room, eating at fancy restaurants and drinking champagne at top end bars. But honestly, I'm much happier back in my simple 4,000 baht ($133US) a month apartment, eating $2 Thai food and chilling out in shorts and flip flops in Thailand.
I went to China for work. Spent eight nights in a luxury hotel room, eating at fancy restaurants and drinking champagne at top end bars. But honestly, I'm much happier back in my simple 4,000 baht ($133US) a month apartment, eating $2 Thai food and chilling out in shorts and flip flops in Thailand.
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| Each bottle signifies one month of Muay Thai classes |
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| This bottle of Champagne is a year's rent in Thailand |
Don't get me wrong, it as fun, but completely unnecessary and quite frankly, a fucking waste of money. If I was ever as rich as the guys that took me out, I'd rather give my friends all a plane ticket to Thailand instead of wasting $1,000US on bottle service in a nightclub. By the way, don't ever use cheaptickets.com - I booked my flight through them and they totally screwed me over.
It's funny the things we learn to appreciate when we're in Thailand and everything is simple, life is slow and things are cheap. While people I know in China, the U.S. and London are all striving to make as much money as possible, they're also spending on things that don't truly make them happy. Going out every weekend and getting drunk is a pastime, which literally means, pass time, sometime you do simply to pass the time. Imagine if they saved up their money, and blew it all traveling and living the good life on the cheap instead. They would be happier, healthier, all while pursuing their dreams of being a fighter, scuba diver, or world traveler. I sincerely hope that what ever you do, you're doing because you love it.
Warm Regards,
Johnny @ My Fight Camp
Me and my wife are here in phuket right now, been training at Dragon. We have a mortgage, dogs, family, and stable jobs back in Canada.....but now we seriously seeing how we can move here. Your blog has been motivating and informative.
ReplyDeleteKeep up the great work and maybe on our return visit we will cross paths.
Hey GL, glad you and your wife are enjoying life in Phuket. I would highly recommend you read "The 4-Hour Workweek" by Timothy Ferris as his book is invaluable if you are planning a long term trip here. You can also read my book, 12 Weeks in Thailand, as it's basically the story of how I decided to sell everything I own and move to Thailand for the past 4 years. Good luck with your adventure, it'll be worth the move!
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