Deciding to Move - Push Factors

It is perhaps appropriate that my first few posts should be about the reasons behind the decision to move to Thailand. After all, I am a citizen of one of the cleanest, safest, and most liveable cities in the world (so they say!). So why would I want to live anywhere else, and (horror of horrors!) in a Third World country for that matter?

Like many Singaporeans, I had knowledge of only a couple of touristy places in Thailand (e.g. Phuket, Pattaya, Bangkok) prior to the move. The experiences were mostly positive but superficial (nice and friendly people, great local music, good shopping, cheap and good food, vibrant nightlife scene etc). But still, these were enough to make a lasting impression.

It was only when the Government of the day started importing foreigners in by the bus, train, and plane-loads that got me thinking seriously about emigration. These foreigners (dubbed foreign talents by the Government) were no talents; they were mostly low paid workers. Businesses preferred them over locals as their pay was much lower, were willing to work for longer hours, and they also could not switch employers easily as they were employed on a contract basis.

However, the presence of these foreigners soon created problems. Instead of creating good jobs for the locals (as claimed by current Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong), they competed with them for jobs. Their willingness to accept much lower pay also depressed the wages of the locals. Singapore became more crowded, public infrastructure started breaking down, and the cost of living, housing, and cars rose dramatically.

At that point in time, I realised that, as an average Singaporean, there was not much of a life left in Singapore for me. Singapore is known to be a sterile place with few things to do and in addition, I was looking at the three major commitments in a typical Singaporean's life and they are:

• Buying a HDB flat (these usually come with a 30 year mortgage).
• Buying a car (cars prices in Singapore are known to be astronomically high).
• Starting a family (the cost of raising a kid in Singapore is high).

Of course, some may argue that the above are just lifestyle choices, you can do without one or more of them. While that is true, this example shows that, unless you are a high-flyer or business owner that is raking in big bucks, simply any two of the above (or maybe even one) will keep an average Singaporean in debt for the greater part of his/her life. And, with the cost of living rising so quickly over the years, you may even need to sell your flat just so that you have enough money to survive in your twilight years.

Realising that the current situation can only get worse, I knew I had to do something quick while I still had the time, energy, and earning capability.