AN ADVENTUROUS mum has revealed how she ditched grey, cold life in the UK to move to sunny Thailand with her 11-year-old daughter.
Shar Rosa, 26, from London, was fed up with paying thousands on bills each month and was constantly feeling “stressed” and “over-worked”.
Shar Rosa decided to move to Thailand with her daughter[/caption]
Shar and Ceyanna, 11, left the UK four months ago and haven’t looked back[/caption]
The pair spend their days at the beach in Thailand[/caption]
After paying £3,500 in rent, bills and expenses, Shar was tired of cash not going very far in the UK and not having lots leftover to save – and also she wanted a better life for daughter Ceyanna.
She decided to trial a move to Thailand for three months in 2024 to see if it could be the change they needed.
The mum and daughter duo immediately fell in love with the Asian country, thanks to its friendly people and stunning beach life, and wondered if they could make it their permanent home.
Four months ago, the pair packed up seven suitcases and took the leap to move over to Thailand full-time, and have not looked back since.
Speaking to Fabulous, Shar shared how it was her daughter who was the driving force in the decision.
She explained: “My daughter is the reason we left in 2024 we did three months and she said that she would love to live there she was excited and loves her new school.”
And Shar added: “I love the people, I love the vibe, I love how free and at home I feel.
“In the UK I was always stressed, over working and saving just didn’t go far.
“I love the UK and it will forever be where I’m from but Thailand feels like home.”
One of the best parts of her new life is how affordable it is, and she typically spends just £7.50 each day.
She explained: “Including my rent for a four-bedroom villa, I’m spending £1,500 a month (bare in mind my rent is £900 a month and electricity bill is £50 a month).
“I always try to eat out because a meal is about £1 and we don’t spend more than £7.50 a day.”
A typical day for Shar involves, who lives three hours from Bangkok, waking up for breakfast with her daughter.
Ceyanna is then collected for her British school in Thailand, which costs £488 per month.
Mum Shar then goes to the gym, which is a purse-friendly £10 for the month and involves a personal trainer, before heading to the beach for £1 egg fried rice and a 50p frozen smoothie.
Shar is on an education visa, which she claims was “pretty easy to get” and can be renewed for up to 5 years.
She added: “It cost me around £700 altogether to get it. I’m learning to speak Thai.”
In the UK I was always stressed, over working and saving just didn’t go far
Shar Rosa
When she isn’t going to her weekly lessons, she also works remotely for her recruitment job.
Shar explained: “Covid luckily has allowed us to wfh [work from home] since lockdown and they were happy and supportive of my decision to go travelling as long as I’m completing the hours needed.
“I also was an aesthetic practitioner back home and saved a lot of money to be able to pay six months rent upfront.”
Her daughter comes home from school around 4pm and they often head to a games arcade where everything costs just 20p to play with.
She continued: “The days out you can enjoy for a fraction of the price.
“Honestly the freedom and just the people, in Thailand I feel so at home and at peace.
“I honestly just wanted to give my daughter a completely different life to what I had, especially with me having her at 15.”
The mum and daughter duo enjoy £1 egg fried rice and a 50p frozen smoothie[/caption]
Shar rents a four-bedroom villa for £1,500 a month in Thailand[/caption]
Part of the decision to go to Thailand was to give Ceyanna an exciting childhood, and also to inspire the young girl that you can follow your dreams.
She added: “I was put in care at 11, and had my daughter at 15, and did a whole 360 of my life once having my daughter.
“I raised my daughter without any help from my family. I just knew I wanted her to have someone to look up to.
“I would love to inspire young mums and other care leavers too.
“We are seeing how our year goes, we’ve been here for four months so far.”
How easy is it to move abroad?
Brexit means British citizens now have to apply for visas to move to countries within the EU. While some countries residency restrictions are easier than others, here’s what you need to do at home before moving:
- Notify HMRC about your upcoming move.
- Let your local authority know and provide a forwarding address.
- Contact your mortgage and utility providers and bank before leaving.
- If you have paid enough UK national insurance contributions, you can qualify for a state pension abroad – contact the International Pension Centre.
- You can sign up to the Royal Mail’s redirection service.
- If you have outstanding student loans, contact the Student Loans Centre.
- If you have children, give due notice to childcares and schools.
