Shao Chun Chen moved from Singapore to Thailand in November 2024.
Courtesy of Shao Chun Chen
When Shao Chun Chen was laid off from his dream job at Google in early 2024, he was forced to take a break and rethink how he wanted his life to appear like. Suddenly, he was not obligated to remain in his home country of Singapore, where he had built his entire profession.
“When the layoff happened, I used to be [reflecting], , feeling sorry for myself,” the 39-year-old told CNBC Make It. “Then I asked myself: ‘Hey, let’s flip it around. How can this be a positive thing?”
“I desired to try something different, and I’ve all the time enjoyed Thailand,” said Chen. He was aware of the country as his wife was native to Thailand and so they had visited it previously.
Shao Chun Chen’s one-bedroom condo in Chiang Mai, Thailand costs about $462 a month.
Courtey of Shao Chun
He was drawn to the various environments that it offered, from bustling cities to serene beaches and mountains. As well as, he liked how the Asian country had visas and policies that were transparent and friendly to foreigners.
Ultimately, Chen said that his layoff allowed him to get out of his comfort zone and experiment with constructing out his dream life, and as a part of this lifestyle re-design, he and his wife moved to Chiang Mai in November 2024.
Today, the 2 reside in a 600-square-foot one-bedroom luxury condo which costs 15,000 Thai baht (about USD $460) a month. The condo got here fully furnished, and he pays about $20 a month for utilities, and about $15 a month on WiFi.
Chen’s condo in Chiang Mai costs one-fifth what he was previously paying for rent in Singapore.
Courtesy of Shao Chun Chen
Chen said he’s currently paying for his unit on a month-by-month basis, so his rent could be cheaper if he commits to an extended lease. Previously, his 500-square-foot condo in Singapore cost about $2,500 a month — greater than five times the quantity he’s paying currently in Thailand.
His current condo offers amenities comparable to a gym, a small pilates studio, a co-working space, multiple swimming pools and a water slide.
Chen’s condo in Thailand comes with a pilates studio.
Courtesy of Shao Chun Chen
Since getting laid off from his corporate job, Chen works for himself by creating educational content on YouTube and from his coaching business, through which he says he can charge $500 an hour, depending on the client.
He has also made money by teaching as an adjunct lecturer on the National University of Singapore, which required him to supercommute between Singapore and Thailand once every week. Nevertheless, he’s now taking a break from this gig, he said.
Moreover, Chen has built a seven-figure portfolio over the course of a few decade, in line with documents viewed by CNBC Make It, which has afforded him financial independence.
A ‘zero stress’ life
Chen noted that life in Thailand is way slower and “zero stress”, unlike how mentally taxing it was in Singapore, he said. This has allowed him to chop down on expenses.
“Once I was in Singapore … [my job] paid thoroughly, but the approach to life was very hectic. I used to be working like 12 to 14 hours a day,” he said. On account of the high level of stress he experienced, Chen would cope by spending money on things like therapy, spa visits and drinking on weekends.
“The funny thing is that now that I’m here, this stuff are way cheaper, but I do not even desire [them],” he said. “My head space is totally different.”
Today, on top of using the gym in his condo, Chen said he occasionally pays for massages, which cost about $15 an hour.
“I find that I actually save extra money, despite the fact that I do not work as much,” said Chen.
Chen’s condo also comes with a fully-equipped gym.
Courtesy of Shao Chun Chen
Though he may be very comfortable living in Thailand, he would consider moving back to Singapore if the appropriate opportunity opened up, he said. For now, he resides presently and having fun with the life that Thailand has to supply.
“The previous version of myself … I valued the whole lot on efficiency and ROI,” said Chen. “But then here, people don’t think that way. They might not have as much as a security net … but they appear to enjoy their daily, and so they even have time to sit down down and luxuriate in their coffee and have time to read a book.”
“These are a few of the easy pleasures that I now am capable of afford, which does not actually cost quite a bit,” he said.
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