I’ve Been Living Solo in Thailand for 5 Years…Here are 7 Things to Know Before You Come

[@WilliamFluery]

Thanks for the information. I concur with the health care. I have been to Chiang Mai 30 times from 2005 until 2019. Chiang Mai has been my hub but most of my days have been spent in mountain villages along the Thai/Burma border working with refugees and orphans. In 2010, I contracted an amoeba in a village and began having chills and fever on my return to Chiang Mai. I was in no shape to travel back to the US the next day so I missed my flight. Two days later I caught a tuk tuk to the hospital recommended by the hotel staff for expats. I stayed 3 days and 2 nights in a private room with a mountain view 😄 Doctor fee, nurses, labs, meds, room and board at check out was $657. That stay in the US would have been $20-30k easily. I’m caring for my mom who was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s now but know one day I will be back to my favorite country in the world. Best to you and your channel.

[@katherinenic]

Thank you! And thank you for sharing your story :)

[@The_GingerFiles]

My dad is moving to Chiang Mai and I'm following him after next April! I'd love to meet you!

[@katherinenic]

Exciting! I'm usually traveling around that time to avoid burning season and the hot weather but good luck with your move! :)

[@jay-lm4we]

Good luck with your new channel, looking forward to following it👍🇮🇪

[@katherinenic]

@@jay-lm4we thanks so much! :)

[@Ania-qb3ot]

brillient info

[@gongagong]

Good luck with the channel!

[@katherinenic]

Thanks so much! :)

[@svsiren6121]

Great video!! Looking forward to see more!

[@katherinenic]

Thank you! :)

[@PlanFree]

Are voa's (Visa on Arrival) in Thailand really a legitimate thing for US and Canadians? For a long time we thought all visa's would have to be pre purchased before arrival. And...now (as of early July 2024) we are ALL waiting to see if folks are now able to land and get a voa of 60 days. Has anyone had experience in this area?

[@katherinenic]

I can't speak for Canadians but I do know for US passport holders you can arrive to Thailand with no prior visa and get a visa-exemption stamp which gives 30 days and you can extend that for another ~2,000 baht for another 30 days but right now they are currently offering 60 days (visa on arrival/visa exemption) but I'm not sure how long they've be offering the 60 days. Hope this helps! :)

[@LawrenceStevens01]

I have been coming to Chiang Mai since 2004 for the winter months. I found that the air quality starts getting into the unhealthy zone in December. I'm 73, so perhaps it affects me more than younger people, but i was waking up with my lungs irritated. I'll miss the Chiang Mai lifestyle and my friends there. Going to the beach is fine for a few months. Where do you go and how expensive is it?

[@katherinenic]

@@LawrenceStevens01 I go down south to either Samui or islands in that area and it can be quite pricey but for me it’s worth it to protect my lungs from burning season

[@Tkmatrix]

Hi Kat - how do you become a family counselor ? Are you a therapist?

[@tolibelom]

Let's some insight from the long term expat perspective vs some general bits of data that are avail from any regular vlogger

[@katherinenic]

great point! I'll keep that in mind for future videos :)

[@evenmoney]

Enjoyed the video. How much is an education visa and how long is it for? Also, can you tell us your ballpark living expenses per month?

[@katherinenic]

It depends which program you do the education visa and if you do it through a visa agency, there’s usually another fee. It general, it usually ranges anywhere from 46,000-60,000 baht ($1,258-$1,600 USD). Living expenses (rent, food, basic bills, health insurance) = 36,000 baht ($~1,000 USD) 👍🏼

[@tolibelom]

Sound too low in the beginning, want to have a consistent volume throughout

[@katherinenic]

thanks for the feedback :)

[@OverTheSevenSeas]

I could hear you well. Don’t worry about it.

[@WilliamFluery]

I listened to you on Bose Noise Cancelling headphones and your volume was perfect.

[@PlanFree]

​@@katherinenicwe could hear you fine throughout also. Like will say though that early on in our channel que got a similar comment from a viewer and so we the really awesome Rode microphones that clip in. Game changer! Would be happy to share our Amazon link if you think you'd be interested. 😊 Let us know. Ayr & Lori

[@katherinenic]

@@PlanFree thanks so much! Plan to get a mic at some point but no Amazon here :)

[@sbkpilot1]

are you just staying put in Chiang Mai or traveling around SE Asia and elsewhere? How is the pollution in Chiang Mai? I heard they have some crop burning during certain months.

[@katherinenic]

I’ve lived only in Chiang Mai since 2019 but I stay in Koh Phangan a few months here and there when I need the beach especially during burning season (Feb-April) but otherwise I’m in Chiang Mai 👍🏼 Most people try to leave Chiang Mai during burning season and go down South to avoid the air pollution. Hope this helps!

[@PlanFree]

​@katherinenic Hi Kat, Just found your channel wanted to say hi! You're doing a great job with your videos. 👍 Coming to visit Chiang Mai for 2 months of the end of 2024...Yahoo But then we'd like to like experience the islands for 2 months. We've heard you mention that you go to Samui during the burning season but then above you also mention Phangan. How do they differ and which is a more chill vibe with amenities and cheaper please? Thanks kindly! Ayr & Lori

[@anfrae25]

Hello Kat. Just found you and subscribed today. I've enjoyed your videos. I'd like to ask how you manage your US phone number while living in Thailand? And do you a VPN? Thank you in advance 🎉

[@katherinenic]

@@anfrae25 thanks so much! I don’t have a U.S. phone number anymore but I know some people use Google voice to be able to still receive calls or messages from their US number. I’m not too familiar with how that works but I know it’s possible. I don’t use a VPN as it’s not necessary for what I need here :)

[@anfrae25]

@@katherinenic Thank you so much for taking the time to reply.

[@katherinenic]

@@anfrae25 No problem! :)

[@WeixDraqz]

What do you do for a job?

[@katherinenic]

I work online as a freelance operations manager and marketing assistant :)

[@WeixDraqz]

@@katherinenic did you use upwork for the job?

[@katherinenic]

@@WeixDraqz no I found my first virtual assistant job 3 years ago in a Facebook group. I’ll actually be sharing more tips on this in an upcoming video!

[@lineage13]

That Thumbnail makes people assume you mean some where by the beach...

[@katherinenic]

Thanks for the feedback!

[@ruel_1]

How can we get mail?

[@katherinenic]

@@ruel_1 when I’ve needed new debit cards sent from the US they’ve been shipped directly to my condo here and I receive no later than a week. Other than that I don’t have any mail I need from the US and everything here is mailed to my Thai address. Hope this helps!

[@ruel_1]

@@katherinenic it does. I'm going to look into this.This is a concern of mine since I'm going to relocate to Bali. Thanks

[@ruel_1]

Let me also add that I created an account with Ipostal1, for mail, and now I found out that they don't forward mail to Bali, that is why I asked.

[@katherinenic]

@@ruel_1 ahh ok yeah I’m not sure what options there are for Bali but if I come across any info I’ll pass it along :)