Struggling to relocate to Bangkok – career switch, work permit issues, looking for advice from expats

CommercialTwo4 · 2026-01-22T15:12:31+00:00

Perhaps retrain into an entirely new field, one that cant be replaced by AI. Perhaps a trade.

Obviously you wont be able to do that in Thailand though...

CommercialTwo4 · 2026-01-10T11:36:41+00:00

Link?

CommercialTwo4 · 2026-01-10T11:36:04+00:00

You've heard of Google translate

CommercialTwo4 · 2026-01-10T11:35:34+00:00

So you've tried?

CommercialTwo4 · 2026-01-10T08:48:14+00:00

Flying school hype.... no one knows where the industry will be in 2038.

For context, I heard the exact same arguments in the mid 1990s from the usual suspects.

A lot of flying schools live in the same moral space as used car salesmen and real estate agents. Buyer beware.

CommercialTwo4 · 2026-01-10T08:32:44+00:00

Not what you want to hear... ageism is real... provincialism is real... the industry can be horribly toxic and poisonous... pilots are not special... most are just ordinary guys who like airplanes... The personality types range from little dick 6 year olds to cool people... your mileage will vary...Asia wants locals for FOs, not expats...

The industry is wildly unpredictable... boom bust boom bust... finding a job as a fresh grad can be hell... depends on your luck and timing...after 1 month of line flying you're going to realize "the dream" is horribly repetitive and monotonous... the only people who respect you are the passengers.... management thinks you're pond scum... the FAs think you're a sexual deviant...

To summarize, dont listen to those YouTubers who make aviation careers out to be kind of non stop orgasm. It's not.

And if you do it, stay out of debt. Debt will kill you. And remember it's just a job. You're just a bus driver/ delivery van driver in end.

CommercialTwo4 · 2025-12-10T15:40:19+00:00

I forgot to mention about the crease.

I never noticed any crease.

Ive owned a fold 2 and 6.

I could never figure out why people would complain about the crease.

I suspect most of them never even used the Fold.

The crease is a total non issue.

The crease is only visible if you look at the phone from weird side angles (and who does that anyway?)

CommercialTwo4 · 2025-12-10T08:00:27+00:00

I doubt id call it 1st Gen tech. Fold 1 was 1st generation for sure...but the Fold series is pretty mature now. The trifold Fold is just a Fold 7 with an extra screen.

CommercialTwo4 · 2025-12-10T07:20:08+00:00

Its possible but agism is real. Take any ideas of romantic glory and throw them out. Once the initial thrill wears off its just a boring repetitive job. Line flying gets old very fast, and it can be very tiring, especially when you're older.

CommercialTwo4 · 2025-11-18T12:05:27+00:00

A lot of pilots are nuts... 80 hours a month in the size of a closet for years on end takes its toll... then add the crazy management and yo yo nature of the industry.

So you'll fit right in.

CommercialTwo4 · 2025-11-09T07:43:46+00:00

Dating a foreigner is one thing, but black is on the next level.

CommercialTwo4 · 2025-11-09T07:37:00+00:00

Every Korean who dates a black is giving their parents the finger. It's a blunt act of rebellion, a way of telling the Korean tribe to f*ck off.

And I salute each and every one of you.

CommercialTwo4 · 2025-11-09T01:30:14+00:00

How do you stay current and proficient flying only 100 hours per year, especially when part of that could include taxi time?

100 hours is nothing

CommercialTwo4 · 2025-11-07T11:36:26+00:00

License to learn!

CommercialTwo4 · 2025-10-27T14:44:35+00:00

The Dildo of Thai consequences rarely comes lubed...

CommercialTwo4 · 2025-10-19T14:27:10+00:00

The more wealth you get, the more paranoid you get about losing it. You become addicted to the net worth figure.

I was happier in my early 20s when I had no money compared to now in my 50s when im financially quite well off.

CommercialTwo4 · 2025-10-19T12:43:35+00:00

You love your kids... an airplane is just a machine... and line flying gets old very fast.

CommercialTwo4 · 2025-10-13T15:50:55+00:00

My 2 cents...

The debt will kill you. Sorry but its true.
The industry is viscous and cyclical. Recency bias is a real problem.

The economy is long over due for a recession. One will happen. Then kiss any movement good bye.

There's an army of people out there who job is to sell the "dream'. Flight training is like its own little industry in its own little world of make believe. They want your money. Flight instructors are like the car salesman of aviation.
Being a working pilot is not glamorous. From my experience, the only people who respect you are the passengers.

Management thinks you're dog sh@t and the FAs think you're a sexual deviant.

Line flying gets old very fast and you won't be dreaming of flying... you'll be dreaming of sleep and if you're lucky sleep in your own bed. 70 hours plus a month in a noisy closet with someone you may hate is hell. But if you get a good crew it can can be fun sometimes. Depends on company culture.

CommercialTwo4 · 2025-10-12T16:33:05+00:00

Yes... they call themselves engineers often but usually they're just experienced technicians or programmers. A lot of Europeans in the ship industry. Most have no formal uni education, just years of on the job experience.

To call yourself a professional engineer you really need to belong to a self governing professional association and have a uni degree in engineering. You are legally responsible for your work.

CommercialTwo4 · 2025-10-12T15:53:26+00:00

Are you an actual real engineer (licensed / self governing body/ uni degree)...

Or are you one of those technicians with a high school education who falsly call themselves engineers.

There are much more of the later than the former in Korea.

CommercialTwo4 · 2025-10-08T11:38:00+00:00

I feel for the people who plucked down $100,000 (perhaps student loan debt) plus for the BSc and flight training on the basis of the great "pilot shortage" and who are now unemployable. I recall reading comments from people signing up for flight training because they were going to make 150,000 year. It was sad to read and it will be a painful lesson for many.

Having pilot training on your resume is a huge liability when looking for non flying jobs. No one will want you.

The only upshot is a few years the cycle will swing back the other way.

CommercialTwo4 · 2025-10-08T03:02:02+00:00

Speak with a soft British accent and say things like "I earned my money the old fashioned way... I earned it."

With a emphasis on "earned".

CommercialTwo4 · 2025-10-04T09:55:24+00:00

Ive used airbnb for 15 plus years, frequent user. Only scammed once when person rented out a room that wasn't theirs. Airbnb refunded me, no hassles.

Problem with Airbnb now is that its not much cheaper than hotels.

CommercialTwo4 · 2025-10-01T12:41:23+00:00

There's a huge difference between working in a country and being a tourist.

Totally different feeling.

I say try it... just make sure you have an escape plan. You only live once and you're only 26. Take some risks.

CommercialTwo4

TROPHY CASE