Mac Haycock, 31, from Wolverhampton, moved to Thailand three years ago after travelling across America, Australia and Europe. He originally planned to spend several months travelling around Southeast Asia while making YouTube videos and working in bars, but quickly fell in love with Thailand and decided to stay for good.
Mac now lives in a three-bedroom house near the centre of Pattaya with his girlfriend and their two cats, where they also own a car and motorbike. He spends £580 each month to rent the property, while his regular household bills, including water and electricity, come to just £25. He says he can feed himself for around £150 a month and claims that even with nights out, transport and other expenses, his money goes far further than in the UK.
Cost of living comparison
"The difference is night and day," Mac said. He continued: "The cost of living in the UK has become extremely high, especially when you start adding up all your monthly bills. You don't have the same constant stream of additional expenses that you get in the UK."
"In the UK, you've got things like car insurance, road tax, MOTs, National Insurance, expensive phone contracts, internet and all the other bills that keep adding up. You could easily be paying around £100 a month if you want a new iPhone with a decent data plan. In Thailand, something comparable can be around £20 a month."
"If I wanted to live somewhere similar, close to the centre of a major city back in the UK, I'd be paying more than three times what I’m paying in rent, and once you add all the bills on top, it could easily be four times as much. You simply get much more for your money here."
New life and business in Pattaya
Mac has since opened his own bar, Deluzion, Pattaya, and says he earns more than he ever did in the UK, claiming that his income has allowed him to build a lifestyle he believes would have been difficult to achieve back home.
Mac said: "You can get a completely different lifestyle for the same amount of money. If you're spending the same amount of money that you'd spend on rent, food, bills and going out in the UK, you'd struggle to get anywhere near the same lifestyle."
"Here, that same money can give you a nice home, good food, regular nights out, transport and a much more comfortable lifestyle."
His typical day now looks very different from the nine-to-five routine he had in Britain, where he previously managed bars and restaurants. Mac says he usually wakes up when he wants, cooks breakfast and then spends the day either filming or editing content. His work can involve walking around Pattaya, visiting the beach and bars, interviewing people about nightlife or speaking to people considering moving to Thailand. He also carries out consultations with people wanting to relocate to the country and deals with sponsorships and emails.
In the evenings, he often heads to his bar to meet visitors and socialise with customers. He then drives home to watch television, eat and spend time with his girlfriend and their cats.
Advice for others considering the move
Mac said: "The thing I love most about living in Thailand is probably the feeling of freedom and the opportunities that are available here. I've been able to build a life here that I don't think would have been nearly as straightforward for me to build back home.
"It's the freedom to actually pursue opportunities and build the kind of life and business that you want. I don't see myself moving back to England unless things change significantly. Until then, I wouldn't even dream of coming back to live there."
Despite the success he’s found in Thailand, Mac warns others not to assume moving abroad and becoming a social media creator is an easy route to financial freedom. He recommends securing a reliable online income before making the move.
He said: "My biggest piece of advice would be to get an online job first. Get yourself a job that you can do remotely from anywhere, ideally one that gives you a decent income based on UK or international salaries, and then use that income to fund your lifestyle in Thailand.
"I wouldn’t recommend coming here and planning to find a job once you arrive. There are so many people trying to do it now that it has become extremely competitive. If you want to make content as a hobby, that's absolutely fine.
"But if you're planning to make an actual business out of it and use content creation to fund your life in Thailand, you need to be prepared to work at it for years. Don't come here thinking you'll make a few TikToks and suddenly have an income. Build your income first, get yourself financially secure, and then move here."
Mac plans to continue travelling around Thailand and the rest of the world with his girlfriend while creating content. "I'm incredibly grateful to be in the position I'm in today," Mac said. "I never dreamed that I'd be able to achieve what I've achieved, or that I'd end up living this kind of life in Thailand. I'm genuinely grateful for all of it, and I'm really excited to see what the future holds."
