Customer Reviews

I Walked Away: An Expatriate's Guide to Living Cheaply in Thailand

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

"I Walked Away" is a heads-up guide for anyone who wants to relocate in Thailand to live as an "ex-pat". It is written from the perspective of a middle-aged white male, so politically correct types are here forewarned that they will be offended by the section on how to find sex. The rest of the book should bother no one, and it is chock full of accurate and useful information on how to find decent affordable housing, how to acclimate oneself to Thai culture, and how to find work.

Most ex-pats who relocate aren't rich and a common dream is to set up a business--usually a bar--to keep afloat and protect what funds that haven't already been dissipated in riotous living. The author rightly points out that the road to becoming a sucessful barowner is perilous indeed. If you don't follow his advice, as a naive "farang" (foreigner) you risk being taken to the cleaners and winding up flat broke or embittered by the high tuition costs of the Thai-style School of Hard Knocks.

The section on visa requirements is very detailed and useful. However, as the author points out, these things change, so it's best to check with the appropriate consulate, so you'll know before you go.

I didn't find any serious flaws in the book, so if you're thinking seriously about going, take "I Walked Away", even if you take along no other.

I ordered this book in the spring of '99. I was searching for a place to go in Asia. After reading this book, I made up my mind to move to Thailand. The book is extremely informative and honest about the pros and cons of living in South-East Asia. I followed the recomendations in the book, and have now been living in Thailand for 6 months. I have bought a house, and have a beautiful Thai wife named Benjaporn! Thanks Mike!

I remember Michael Ziesing from the days when he and his brother, Mark, ran the Ziesing Bros Book Emporium in Willimantic, CT. It came as a surprise to me when ran across _I Walked Away_ while researching Thailand and Thai culture for a long trip to Thailand a few years back. And, yes, the author was the same Michael Ziesing I remembered. Small World. _I Walked Away_ is not a travel guide, by any means! But if you want to live and work among the Thai people, there's no better guide...

I am thinking of moving to Thailand. This book gives a good, sensitive understanding of Thai culture. However, the author's bumper-sticker philosophical musing gets a bit tired after a while. Practical questions about living in Thailand, such as taxes, health insurance, banking/investment (which a lots of retirees may be interested in) are not discussed. There is a chapter about fear and procrastination, which reads like the National Enquirer self-help page. This book is not worth the price, so I returned it.

As a person who loves to go to Thailand 2 weeks at a time, I thought exploring the idea of living there full time would be interesting if nothing else. This book is a great guide on how to be a decent American when traveling abroad (not just in Thailand). Much of what I read in the book I already knew from studying the culture. I wish I would have read this book before my first trip to Thailand. a good book of realistic concerns That westerners should know and understand before even vacationing in Thailand!

Having read, and re-read, this book a few times it should come with a 'surgeon general's warning'-BEWARE-READING THIS BOOK MAKE CAUSE YOU TO REEVALUATE YOUR LIFE-I know that sounds dramatic but the author is some who 'chucked it all' and moved to a foreign country. How many of us haven't had the same thought??? I have them daily!!;-)

He mixes the spiritual, emotional, and practical in a concise, quick read.

Mike, THANKS FOR THE INSPIRATION!

I like Michael Ziesing. He's an interesting guy. But unless the idea of going to Thailand for a vacation just hit you on the head like an apple falling out of a tree, this book isn't going to give you much in the way of practical advice. It's pretty much a validation of a lot of stuff you already know, if you've ever been to Thailand and have a modicum of common sense.

Don't get me wrong. It's a pretty good read, and Ziesing, as I said earlier, is an interesting and entertaining guy. But it's more Ziesing's tale of his experience in Thailand, with a few lessons drawn from the experience, than it is a "guide" to anything.

Still, if the musings of an ex-community college philosophy professor on his new low maintenance lifestyle in a Buddhist country sounds like something you'd like to read, then buy the book. You won't be disappointed. There's not a whole lot out there coming from anywhere near the social/financial perspective of Ziesing about living in Thailand.

Come to think of it, these days there's not a whole lot out there coming from Ziesing's perspective on anything. Buy this book and help change the zeitgeist.

This book is wonderful in the sense that few Westerners have such sensitivity and understanding of Thai culture. However, his repetitive scolding of the bad, unappreciative and whinny expatriates gets a little tiring. The winding bumper-sticker philosophical musing about life gets more and more irrelevant, if what you'd like to get is up-to-date practical information. The chapter on Money, for example, sounds like a self-improvement pop-psychology manual. Instead of answering questions on taxes concerning investment withdrawals, health insurance, etc., the readers are treated to lots of philosophy about life. Since the book is not worth its price, I returned it.

It was necessary for me to evaluate the possibility of relocating to Thailand for work. This book satisfied the questions that I had adequately enough; that it wasn't necessary for me to travel the distance. However he more than adequately created a desire to visit this most wonderful nation.

Not much of a guide with only 140 pages. Book was in perfect condition except for highlighted areas. It was a nice story and I got several chuckles because I have had similar experiences.

"I Walked Away" is just over 1/2 the size and more than Double the cost of "Retiring in Thailand" by Philip Bryce. After seeing the book I was shocked at the price being near $40. For what? I would recommend the latter not the former if you really want a guide. Mr. Zeising's book it very realistic and interesting but it is not complete. It is just a nice story and severely outdated with Baht to $ value. Skip it.

I cannot believe I paid $39 for this book.