S'porean man who moved to Thailand 14 years ago says he would never come back, kids are 'living a really good life' now - Mothership

He said that he would feel the same way even after another decade.

A Singaporean man moved to Thailand and has since stayed for more than a decade.

In an Instagram video posted on Sep. 18, the man, Alden Lee, explained why.

He began by saying, "Would I ever go back to live in Singapore after living in Thailand for more than 10 years? Well, that answer is absolutely no."

Speaking to Mothership, Lee introduced himself as a 40-year-old who moved to Thailand when he was 26.

According to Lee, his first encounter with Thailand was during his university days, when he went to study in a college in the Thai countryside.

There, he fell in love with the country, noting the "peace, the friendly culture, [and] the slow pace of life outside of a city."

After graduating, he just spent one year or so back in Singapore before deciding to return to Thailand in 2012.

With the help of his parents and friends, he managed to start a small business.

14 years on, Lee is still in Thailand working as a business development consultant, and raising his family there.

He now runs an Instagram account sharing about life in Thailand as a foreigner under the handle @ahdhlee_.

In the video, Lee extolled the day-to-day benefits of living in Thailand, such as the "great value for money", "friendly Thai culture", and the variety of places to explore in the country.

He pushed back against those who suggested that he would have better economic opportunities in Singapore for both himself and his children.

In fact, he thinks that his kids are "living a really good life".

He pointed out that his children are living in a gated community, attending international schools, and have time to play outdoors every day instead of being "stuck to screens".

He also noted how they have friends in the neighbourhood and a large garden.

Lee thinks that all the above would not be true if he and his children were in Singapore.

While he admitted that the minimum wage is low and starting salaries come up to under S$1,000 in Thailand, he said that these numbers are not "a measure of your career path or opportunities".

He further claimed that there are "so many ways to earn money [in Thailand]".

He ended the video by emphasising that he did not move to Thailand for the money, but for the life and comfort that it afforded him, musing that he would make the same choice after another 10 years.

When asked if he had any advice for those that wanted to move to Thailand, he stated that moving there is a "lifestyle choice" that entails a slower pace and requires more travelling around than in Singapore.

He also conceded that it would be difficult at first, having to grapple with the language and cultural differences.

However, he reiterated to Mothership that Thai people are friendly and helpful, and that one would be able to "pick [Thai] up easily and navigate [one's] way around."

"My advice is not to commit outright, but to just start with a month or two first. Get to know people and the environment. See if you really like it, because it will be totally different from the tourist view that you see when you are on holiday."

He further stressed that Thailand is more than the well-visited tourist destination of Bangkok, and that there are other cities and the countryside to explore and consider staying in.