When Antoinette Yvonne arrived in Bangkok in 2023, it was only a two -week trip.
It was his second visit to the Thai capital, but this time, something clicked. These two weeks extended in three months, and at the end of this extended stay, the owner of the YouTuber travel agency and full -time shop knew that she had found her new house.
It was during her second trip to Bangkok that she decided that she wanted to move to the city. Antoinette Yvonne.
“The horizon line is literally what sold me in Bangkok. I knew that I wanted to live in the city, where it is so beautiful. And the cost of living here, I mean, it did not hurt. So I said to myself:” Ok, let me do it “”, told Yvonne, 37, to Business Insider.
She returned to the United States for the summer and prepared to take the big step. In November 2023, she was back in Bangkok – for good.
The attraction of living abroad
Yvonne is no stranger to live abroad.
Originally from Indiana, she moved to Spain in 2013 and lived there for about three years. Part of the reason she did this move was because she was exhausted and researching for an escape from his employment as a business investment bank.
“I saw the film” eat, pray, love “and I said to myself:” Ok, I want to be Julia Roberts and go abroad. “Six months after watching this film, I lived in Barcelona,” said Yvonne.
This experience of Living abroad gave him a taste of the adventure. She became a Delta Air Lines air hostess for three years. When the pandemic struck, she left her job and spent two years exploring the United States and Mexico while living in a van that she had converted.
Her parents were not shocked when she told them that she planned to move abroad. “I have always followed crazy ideas,” she said.
She also spent two years living in a motorhome and traveling to the United States and Mexico during the Pandemic. Antoinette Yvonne.
But it surprised her parents, who still live in Indiana, when she told them where she was going.
“When I told them Bangkok, they said to themselves:” What? Bangkok? “Many people are shocked to hear this,” she said.
Bangkok has long been a hot spot for expatriates. Data from the Bureau of Registration Administration of Thailand indicate that there were 102,189 foreigners living in the city at the end of 2024.
Compared to many Western cities, Bangkok offers a relatively low cost of living. With two well -connected international airports, it is also a center to travel to Asia.
Several Americans who moved to the Thai capital had previously said to Bi that they had been attracted by the city’s dynamic lifestyle, good food options and relative affordability.
In July of last year, Thailand also presented the Visa of Thailand of destination, or DTV, in order to attract workers at a distance and digital nomads.
Build a life in Bangkok
The hunt for apartments was a breeze because Yvonne already knew what she was looking for: a breathtaking view of the city roofs, a balcony and a practical place.
Yvonne lives in an apartment in a room in Bangkok. Antoinette Yvonne.
“I wanted to be nearly a 7-11, at a 5-minute walking distance. I knew that I wanted to be near an ordinary grocery store, and with regard to the unit itself, I needed a washer and a dryer,” she said.
Thanks to a real estate agent with which she connected via a Facebook group, Yvonne found her room apartment in the week following her move. The rent is 22,000 Thai baht, or about $ 660 each month.
She has trouble choosing a favorite place in her apartment.
“I love being in my room because it has floor windows on the ceiling, and the view is absolutely incredible,” said Yvonne. “But I also like my balcony too.”
Its building has a gym, a swimming pool and a large coworking space with private call cabins.
There is a coworking space, a gym and a swimming pool in its building. Antoinette Yvonne.
Yvonne did not know anyone in Bangkok before moving.
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When she arrived, she started using Bumble Bff – Bumble’s friendship – as well as a Facebook Expat group to connect with new people.
“You go to different meetings, then a friend literally turns into two, three, and four. You are just building from there,” she said.
Yvonne has worked on learning Thai, because the language barrier has been the biggest challenge to live in Bangkok so far.
“When I speak their language, they light up, and they are more welcoming. I just have the impression of connecting you more, and I think it’s important,” she said.
One of her favorite parts of her building is that she has a breathtaking view of the horizon of Bangkok. Antoinette Yvonne.
Find peace in the Thai capital
Yvonne says that she feels more relaxed compared to the moment she lived in the United States.
“In 2019, when I was still on board agent, I was so on the go. It was always fast. I go, come on, go, go, go. Even when I was on leave, I was still trying to follow the Jones, “said Yvonne.” While now, although Bangkok is a city – and a lively city to this – I find peace in the city. It’s so weird. “”
Part of this, she says, is due to the flexibility of her work. Being an entrepreneur gives him the freedom to organize his schedule.
In addition to filming and downloading videos to her channel each week, Yvonne also travels, both for leisure and as part of the group trips that she hosts under her travel agency.
Yvonne says that she feels more relaxed in a life in Bangkok, even if it is always a lively city. Antoinette Yvonne.
Although things in Bangkok are relatively affordable compared to the United States, it would be a generalization to assume that everything is cheap, she said.
“Although it can be very profitable, and for us the Americans, my dollar extends further, that does not necessarily mean that it is cheaper,” she said. “Especially if you go out and spend so much money for dinners and things like that, it can add up.”
This is linked to the greatest advice she has for anyone who wants to move to Thailand.
“Many people come to think that $ 2,000 will get them for several months at the same time. No, I think that doing the appropriate research on condos and what it really costs to live here is the way to follow,” she said.
Yvonne also encourages people who move here to know the inhabitants.
But the best part of life in Bangkok is the friendly Thai. Antoinette Yvonne.
“I think that having local friends is a great way to familiarize themselves with a country. They can help you when your expatriate friends cannot,” she said.
Regarding your long -term plans, it is difficult to keep your desire to travel remotely.
“People ask me:” How long will you last in Bangkok? “I don’t know.” So until I know as if I am called elsewhere, but for the moment, it’s Bangkok. “
Do you have a story to share on moving in a new city? Contact this journalist at there have been there was@businessinsider.com.
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