My Moving to Thailand Story
In November 2007 I left my parents house after moving back there for 6 months to head to Thailand.
My dad dropped me off at my friends house in London, (Alan (alleycat) and Colin) because I was flying from Heathrow. I couldn’t believe I was moving to Thailand.
I had been to Pattaya twice but for around 7 weeks collectively, I had a terrible time in Pattaya both times I went, but it was my fault, but I knew it was home for me, so I decided I would give it a shot.
I was nervous about moving to Thailand, I left my university and a house full of girls I had become friends with. I only knew a few people through my forum and David from canterbury tales in person.
what if I failed? what happens when my 30,000 baht runs out? how will I make money? how will I stay for a long time? what jobs could I do?
Many ex-pats online were abusing me, 25 years old and moving to Thailand with 30,000 baht? That’s probably healthy abuse for most people, but none of them knew how determined I am when I want something, I was threatened because they knew I couldn’t possibly have a work permit.
I started off in a guesthouse paying daily, I moved into a house with a pool with two guys that i didnt know, I woke up many times every night having nightmares that I was in the UK, I went out with guys on holiday from the forum til late many times, but I still shown up for my role working alongside Andy in an office we got on Sukhumvit. He gave me the opportunity to be a partner with him, throwing my forum into the mix, so I have been forever grateful.
I went out to hotels, bars and gogos asking who wanted to advertise on my 1-2 year old forum, I asked who wanted websites made, who wanted girls checking, who wanted private tours, I would do anything to make sure I could stay.
I sold advertising soon after arriving and many times. It gave me enough money to keep staying here, but there would be no money for weeks sometimes, but it drove me to do sales which I hate. Many guys tell me they hate sales, but I gave myself no choice!
After 3 months living in Pattaya, I decided it was time to go outside of town where I would live in the real Thailand, away from the bars, just to make sure that I would be in less trouble, so I lived in Sattahip for around 6 years, at the bottom of a mountain for 1 of those years surrounded by a forest.
The first 5 years living here was tough, I made very good money from SEO towards the end, but with googles algo and a dishonest partner in that particular business, I was back to square one many times. I couldn’t plan my life earning money online, and less and less people advertised on the forums.
I remember days when I had 100 baht to last me, house water being cut off, electric being cut off, rent getting paid a week later, big drama when we lost 3000 baht, I remember not eating for 2 days once, because I didn’t have money and I didn’t want to borrow it. I wanted to suffer. I have had two other successful friends here that had desperate times, but they worked through it, they didn’t borrow or steal.
I ran bar crawls every Friday for years, but little did people know, sometimes I only had 300-500 baht to last me, so I would hide whisky or drink it before I went out, I only had one free draft per crawl and only one guy brought me a drink, but helping hundreds of people paid off later when I opened our first bar.
One day I had an infection and it was getting worst and I didn’t have any money, I looked in the mirror at it getting red and swollen, and felt tearful, this needs to stop, I need to start being responsible, stop blaming everything else. I needed a regular income, I needed to spend less, I needed to learn to save
I needed to make more money more often and plan my life around regular payments. Everyone told me that I should open a bar, but I didn’t want to simply because I like working online, I had a growing forum, I had 100% targetted customers, I had no other sensible choice…
Just over 7 years ago, I brought Night Wish Bar, I was broke, I got investment from my dad and Sully, and I only expected it to make me 20,000-30,000 baht a month, I thought that’s enough to give me a safety cushion, so I can keep getting some more websites making money. I loved the idea of having a soi 6 bar, because it was my favorite hang out. I have never liked sports/pubs/drinking bars but I liked the hostess bars.