Youre an electrician with Australian certification, that is your golden ticket. Thai companies pay good money for farang with actual trade licenses and english skills, especially on hotel and condo projects along Sukhumvit or the new Bang Sue development. Look up getting a non-B visa through a legit company, not some dodgy visa agent, and you can make 80-100k baht a month without breaking your back.

For the cooking thing, rent a place with a kitchen in On Nut or Bang Na. A studio there runs 6-8k baht a month and you can hit up the local market for fresh produce. Cooking your own meals will save you a ton and give you something to do during downtime that isnt just sitting in your room.

The ladyboy thing on apps is overblown if you use common sense. Meet people through your gym or local spots rather than swiping. Thai women in their 30s who are serious about a partner will appreciate that you are established and not just some backpacker blowing through money.

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man i feel this. ive been in bangkok a few years now and your situation is more common than you think. lots of guys here in their 40s who just hit a wall back home and decided to hit reset. the fact you actually have a trade and some savings puts you way ahead of most people who show up here with nothing

for the work thing, forget the formal company route for now. theres a huge market for freelance electrical work in the expat community. join the bangkok expat facebook groups and just post "aussie sparky available for small jobs". youll get flooded with calls from people whose condos have weird wiring or need fans installed. charge 500-1000 baht a job, cash, no visa needed. ive got a mate who does this and he works maybe 15 hours a week and covers his bills

on the language thing, dont stress about reading and writing. learn 20 phrases for everyday stuff and youll be fine. "tao rai" for how much, "mai ao" for i dont want it, "aroi" for delicious. thais will love that you tried. your gym mates will help you if you ask

the empty time is the real killer though. maybe pick up something that forces you out of your head. thai massage school runs 2 week courses for like 8k baht. learning to cook thai food at a place like baipai.

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fwiw the whole "what happens when the money runs out" question is actually your biggest advantage right now. most people never ask it until theyre already broke. youve got 3 months of training to figure out the next move, thats plenty of time

for work have you considered teaching electrical safety courses? loads of construction companies here need someone who can run basic safety training in english for their foremen. doesnt pay huge but its steady and youd be working with thai staff who can help you with the language. hit up some of the bigger contractors like Italian-Thai or Sino-Thai, theyre always looking for english speaking safety guys

also the food thing, find a soi with a few street stalls near your gym and rotate between them. most places will remember you after a week and start giving you extra rice or free water. way better than trying to figure out a kitchen in a short term rental. my go to is always the ladies with the big metal pots, theyre usually the best cooks

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yeah Krua Dok Mai Kao is solid but if you're up for a detour, try Som Tum Nua near Siam Square. their som tam pu pla ra is insane if you like the fermented fish sauce kick. way more pungent than the On Nut spot, just less grilled chicken options

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