She got in trouble as a teen in New York City, but in Bangkok, she became a beauty queen

Tech Insider : Business
Metinee Kingpayome sitting on the edge of a couch in a white suit.
Metinee Kingpayome

Natthawut Taeja for BI.

Metinee Kingpayome arrived in Bangkok on her 20th birthday.

Priced out of Austin, he bought a one-way ticket out of the US. Now, he lives on a Thai island for a fraction of the cost.

Tech Insider : Travel, Business, Style
A man posing at an outdoor table in Koh Samui, Thailand.
Mike Holp left the US because of the high cost of living. Now, he's living in Koh Samui, Thailand, and has no regrets.

Amanda Goh.

I thought my only choice was to grow up, get a job, and start a family. Instead, I moved to Thailand.

Tech Insider : Travel, Business
A woman sitting in a Thai cafe with bamboo on the walls. She has a coconut with a straw on the table in front of her.
Martina Smidova quit her job and moved to Koh Samui, Thailand, in search of a slower and more meaningful life.

Amanda Goh

10 travel destinations you need to visit in 2025 — and what to do when you're there

Tech Insider : Travel, Business, Style
Iceberg floating in Greenland fjord with aurora borealis.
Greenland is one of the 25 destinations in National Geographic's Best Places to Travel to in 2025 report.

muratart/Shutterstock

Tired of Chicago winters, this Gen Xer retired at 46 and moved to Bangkok. It cut his monthly spending by half.

Tech Insider : Travel, Business
A man looking out at the view of Bangkok
Chris loved his hometown of Chicago but wanted a hard reset.

Chris

We got married at a luxury resort in Thailand. If I could go back, there are 5 things I'd do differently.

Tech Insider : Travel
Bride and groom kissing at wedding at Rosewood Phuket.
Ellie Furuya and her now-husband chose to have a destination wedding in Phuket, Thailand.

Wasan Chirdchom, (Instagram @runnimages)

A retired Florida cop moved to Thailand with his wife and dog. He says his new life is cheaper, safer, and less stressful.

Tech Insider
The exterior of a house in Chiang Mai.
The exterior of the house in Chiang Mai.

Fred Jones.

An Australian boomer retired in Thailand on an $18,000 annual pension. He saves almost half his income and can still travel the world.

Tech Insider : Economy, Economy, Travel
Older man pulling a suitcase
John Walker, 73, (not pictured) moved to Thailand from Australia. He retired and is living on his $18,000 annual pension.

PixelsEffect / Getty Images

I moved to Thailand for graduate school. The free degree I earned isn't recognized in the US, but it inspired my side business.

Tech Insider : Travel
Thai people prepare to celebrate Songkran, the Thai New Year
Charissa Enget celebrated Songkran, the Thai New Year, with the locals.

Charissa Enget

An Apple ad bombed in Thailand over complaints it makes the country look dated and shabby

Tech Insider
A still from Apple's July 2024 advert The Underdogs: OOO (Out Of Office) showing four people crowded onto a single tuktuk.
A still from Apple's July 2024 advert The Underdogs: OOO (Out Of Office).

Apple

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