Emigrated from the UK due to disliking the persistent gloomy weather, now residing abroad with a lavish lifestyle at a reduced cost compared to home.
Casey Pickup, a 26-year-old woman from Chorley, Lancashire, has swapped her life in the UK for a sun-soaked existence in Thailand, living a luxury lifestyle that she says is unattainable in Europe.
Having grown tired of the rain and cold in the UK, and feeling unfulfilled with her job as a sales manager, Casey made the bold move to Thailand in March 2023. Since then, she has not looked back.
Before her move, Casey was living with her mother and working multiple jobs to make ends meet. However, her fortunes changed when she started making promotional videos for brands such as Santander and My Protein, which increased her earning potential to over £5k a month.
With her newfound financial freedom, Casey has been able to live her dream of traveling around Asia. During her time in Thailand, she met her boyfriend, Taylor Barker, 26, who works in marketing, and the couple have traveled the world together ever since, visiting 15 different countries.
Living a luxury lifestyle in Thailand is substantially more affordable than in the UK, especially in terms of accommodation and food. Even high-end apartments and quality dining in Thailand cost less than half of comparable expenses in the UK. General living costs (utilities, transport, services) are also markedly cheaper in Thailand, making it an attractive destination for luxury living at a lower cost.
According to Casey, a two-story fully furnished apartment in Thailand, which included an infinity pool and gym, cost her and her partner £560 a month. In comparison, a similar apartment in the UK would cost at least £2,000 a month.
Fine dining in Thailand typically costs between 1,000 to 1,200 THB (~$30-$35) per meal, while groceries for a week with quality ingredients can be around 4,000 THB (~$120). In contrast, luxury dining in the UK can easily cost £30-£50 per person per meal, with groceries significantly higher.
Casey has no plans to return to the UK and funds her travel and lifestyle by creating content for brands who pay her to visit locations around the world. She has visited roughly 15 countries in the last two years, including Vietnam, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Morocco, and Central America.
If she has children in the future, Casey plans to move to Australia to raise a family. She hopes her experience will inspire others to 'follow their dreams' of traveling and working abroad, and now posts tips and recommendations on social media to help other aspiring digital nomads.
In a recent TikTok video, Casey announced her plans to travel to Thailand and Bali in March 2023, and she created a group chat of seven like-minded young people looking to explore the world. Together, they spent six weeks traveling around Thailand.
Casey says her lifestyle in Asia amounts to just £2,000-a-month, which would be at least double the price in the UK. She claims she is making over £5,000-a-month and says living abroad is 'better' because the cost-of-living is less.
Overall, Casey Pickup's move to Thailand has been a life-changing experience, and she insists there is 'no downside' to her move and 'it's all just been amazing'. She is grateful every day for staying consistent and going after what she really wanted in life, and is the happiest she's ever been.
References: [1] Numbeo.com (2023) Cost of living in Bangkok. Retrieved from [https://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/in/Bangkok](https://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/in/Bangkok) [2] Numbeo.com (2023) Cost of living in London. Retrieved from [https://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/in/London](https://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/in/London) [3] Expatistan.com (2023) Cost of living in Bangkok compared to London. Retrieved from [https://www.expatistan.com/cost-of-living/bangkok](https://www.expatistan.com/cost-of-living/bangkok) [4] Expatistan.com (2023) Cost of living in London compared to Bangkok. Retrieved from [https://www.expatistan.com/cost-of-living/london](https://www.expatistan.com/cost-of-living/london) [5] Numbeo.com (2023) Cost of living in major UK cities. Retrieved from [https://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/in/United-Kingdom](https://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/in/United-Kingdom)
- Casey Pickup's new lifestyle in Thailand enables her to afford travel to various countries, such as Vietnam, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Morocco, and Central America, for creating promotional videos for brands.
- The cost of living in Thailand, including high-end apartments, quality dining, and general expenses, is substantially more affordable compared to the UK, allowing Casey and her partner to live a luxury lifestyle for £2,000 a month, which would be at least double the price in the UK.
- Casey's travel and lifestyle are now funded by creating content for brands, which pay her to visit locations around the world, a shift from her previous life in the UK working multiple jobs and living with her mother.
