- Katherine Phillips was exhausted, so she left San Diego and moved to Chiang Mai, Thailand, alone in 2019.
- She works remotely on a visa in Thailand of destination and lives in an apartment of $ 340 per month.
- She says that her life has slowed down since her move to Chiang Mai and that it has done wonders for her mental health.
Katherine Phillips, 32, had never been to Chiang Mai,, Thailand, before moving alone in 2019.
Phillips, who grew up in San Diego, has always dreamed of traveling to Asia. Her mother is from the Philippines, and even if she went to Manila several times to visit her family over the years, she has never had the chance to explore the rest of Southeast Asia.
After completing her higher education and obtained her master in counseling, she was ready to take a break.
“I was really exhausted,” Phillips told Business Insider. “It was a lot of 3 pm.”
Katherine Phillips left San Diego, where she had lived all her life in 2019 to move to Chiang Mai, Thailand. Katherine Phillips
Although she liked the idea of taking a sabbatical year to travel, she also wanted to make sure she had income.
When she came across a list of jobs for a one -year consulting position in an international school private Chiang Mai, she decided to go.
Why Chiang Mai?
Chiang Mai is around 450 miles north of Bangkok and has long been a popular destination for tourists and expatriates, partly due to its Relatively low cost of living.
Phillips says that Chiang Mai drew his attention because he frequently belonged to lists of popular destinations for nomads and digital expatriates. It was like a safe place to live.
Her parents were shocked when she spoke to them for the first time about her plans to move abroad.
“I have always done everything by books. And it was the first time I said to myself:” I’m going to leave the country “,” she said. “They said to themselves:” couldn’t you just have gone to another state? Did you have to go to a completely different country? “”
Although they supported each other, they were also worried because they could not very well understand why she wanted to do it.
“My mother immigrated to the United States at the age of 18 or 19. She came here and created this really incredible life for herself. And then, on the other hand, I wanted to do the opposite and leave the States,” said Phillips.
Phillips is on the visa of Thailand of destination. Katherine Phillips
Her parents have always been somewhat traditional, she said: “You get diplomas, you mount the business scale, that kind of thing, and I was not at all for that.”
The school helped Phillips with her request as a visa, and she stayed in her job for two years.
When the pandemic started, everything moved online, including her advice sessions, and she could feel started to go out.
“It just started not to feel fulfilling, and I felt like I did not do a bad service. I don’t want to present myself miserable every day,” said Phillips.
Phillips moved into an apartment in a room near Nimman, a popular district of Chiang Mai. Katherine Phillips
After leaving her job, she obtained an education visa and enrolled in a university to learn Thai.
Now she works remotely for a marketing agency. She has A visa in destination Thailand, which was introduced last year and can be used by digital nomads and remote workers.
In November 2022, Phillips moved into an apartment in a room near Nimman, a popular trendy neighborhood with tourists and expatriates. His rent is 11,500 Thai baht, or about $ 340 per month. She’s Third apartment in Chiang Mai.
His apartment costs 11,500 Thai baht, about $ 340, per month. Katherine Phillips
The 550 square feet apartment has an open floor plan, two balconies and a washing machine.
Better mental health, no more free time
In recent years, Chiang Mai has become a popular choice for people around the world who are looking to move.
Data from the Bureau of Registration Administration of Thailand indicate that 163,036 foreigners lived in the province of Chiang May at December 31.
Several people who have moved to Chiang Mai have already told Bi that they had been attracted to the low costs in the region and the relaxed lifestyle.
Johnny Ward, a travel blogger, previously told Bi that he had managed to build his dream “James Bond” Villa in Chian Mai For about $ 600,000. Fred Jones, a retired cop from Florida, previously told Bi than life in Chiang Mai is cheaper, safer and less stressful than in the United States.
Living in Chiang Mai did wonders for her mental health, and she has more control over her time now. This is partly due to the nature of his work, which is more flexible and based on projects.
“I have time for hobbies now. What is it? Because it never happens in the United States,” she said, laughing. Now she can do creative things, like learning to dance salsa and bachata, as well as videos on YouTube and Tiktok.
That said, his trip was not without challenges. There was a linguistic barrier, and it took a little time to get used to food in Chiang Mai, which was more spicy than in the United States.
She says she now has more free time for hobbies, including travel. This photo was taken during a trip to Koh Phangan, an island in southern Thailand. Katherine Phillips
She added that there was also part of her that felt that she was missing things that were going on in the United States.
However, now that she has lived in Chiang Mai for so long, she says that she has not been returned to the United States.
“Honestly, I feel more safe than I in the United States sometimes,” she said. “I feel like everyone is looking at each other.”
In the end, she is happy to have taken the step to take the plunge.
“You can always return to your 9 to 5, your life in the United States, but I think it’s worth living it at least once, to try it and see,” she said.
Do you have a story to share on moving in a new country? Contact this journalist at ago@businessinsider.com.
businessinsider
