Marie's relocation story: Finding paradise admist the pandamic

Join us today as we chat with Marie, an energetic veteran marketer who relocated herself and her family to Thailand in 2020. Marie had only tentative experience with remote work before she and her husband took a leap of faith and transitioned to fully remote positions in Krabi, 7,000km away from their home in Melbourne.

A new country, a new work life, and an entirely new environment for their daughter, Lola — all in the middle of a global pandemic, no less! Talking to Marie, you can’t help but feel inspired by how confidently she navigated the kick-off to this new adventure.

The leap: From dream to reality

A lifestyle choice, not a work decision

When asked what prompted the move to Thailand, Marie is quick to clarify, “Relocating was never a work choice, it simply was a lifestyle choice.” The family had visited Thailand and Krabi several times, often for her husband’s Thai Boxing camps, and had fallen in love with the place. One day, Marie casually mentioned how wonderful it would be to live there, and the idea stuck.

We fell in love with the idea — you kind of need to take your chances with these adventures while you’re still young enough to do so!

Thorough preparation for a smooth transition

Preparation for the big move was meticulous. They spent 18 months planning, mainly to ensure their daughter Lola could transition smoothly to a new school system. “Schooling was our biggest priority, and we spent most of our research making sure that our daughter would be set up in the best way possible,” Marie explains.

They reached out to a couple who had already made the move from Australia to Thailand, gaining invaluable insights.

We kept our house back home, we kept our cars, and we stayed at our old jobs. We did everything we could to minimise the risks connected with moving and allowed us to easily fall back to a life back home — though we did want to force ourselves to try for 12 months at least, in case we ever felt unsure. Thankfully, that never was the case!

Overcoming challenges: Pandemic and new beginnings

Navigating challenges during a pandemic

Despite the thorough preparation, the pandemic presented unique challenges. Australia’s strict lockdown measures made leaving the country difficult, and they were often uncertain if their Thai visas would be approved in time. “We were only given ten days’ notice to leave! We couldn’t even say goodbye to our families, which was rough,” Marie recalls.

However, once they arrived in Krabi, the transition was surprisingly smooth. Marie credits the local expat community and her husband’s gym for providing a strong support system.

The local expats played a huge part, especially the members and owners of my husband’s gym. Covid also meant that only those staying for the long haul had remained in Krabi, and it became a really tight-knit community.

One challenge that remains is schooling for Lola. “Lola is twelve now, finding friend groups to fit in is complicated as you get older, and the school she is at is quite small — we’re considering other options for her to possibly switch to,” Marie explains.

When reflecting on what she wishes she had known before relocating, Marie admits:

Hardly anything, to be honest. I’ll have to credit my husband for this because he did most of the very granular research — things like the cost of electricity or the average internet speed available in homes. That gave me the space to worry about the ‘broad strokes,’ like our daughter’s school and our house. In the end, there wasn’t really anything that we hadn’t anticipated or that didn’t work out as planned.

Thriving in Krabi: A new lifestyle

Adopting a new work routine

Living in Krabi has brought immense happiness to Marie and her family.

I can’t say I’ve ever been as happy as I am right now, living in Krabi. It has been a great lifestyle move, it’s been a great experience as a family, and it’s laid to rest my worries of having missed my opportunity to explore and travel and go on adventures.

Adopting Australian working hours, starting work at 6 a.m. and finishing by 2 p.m., has transformed their daily lives.

Without a commute and having to deal with hair and makeup in the morning, I don’t even think we wake up any earlier than before.

Looking to the future

Looking ahead, Marie is open to where life might take them next, especially as Lola grows older. “It’s almost all up to Lola, and where she decides to go (and potentially study) after high school. There aren’t that many university options in our area, so I wouldn’t be surprised if she decides to go back to Australia, in which case I’m pretty confident we would too! But this is all very far off still, so we’re not too worried about it."

Summing up her hybrid working life in three words, Marie chooses “connected, flexible, and freedom.” She adds "I know that not everybody has the option and security to keep their job and relocate, but if you do, I absolutely recommend that you give it a shot. You don’t have to uproot your entire existence, there is much less risk than most people assume. Keep everything important back home and test the waters for a bit — if it’s a good fit, it might just change your life."