Every morning Frank Dekker goes to work at Starbucks. He’s not a barista—he’s an American whose job as a Software Architect allows him to work from anywhere (as long as there’s a Wifi connection). So he moved to Thailand.
His story of moving halfway around the world is awesome and hilarious. He met his wife through Facebook and they were engaged a month later.
Frank is a Christian living in a country that is 99.5% Buddhist. He appreciates Thai people, who he believes exemplify humbleness and humanity.
The podcast starts with a discussion about the 12 soccer players trapped in a cave last year in Northern Thailand. The incident allowed the world to see the selflessness and sacrifice of Thai people. Rescue workers searched for the boys until they were saved 10 days after they went missing—a Navy Seal lost his life during the rescue.
We also talk about family, finances and adapting to Thai culture. Other topics include:
- The selfless attitude of Thai people
- White Westerners’ (FARANGs) impact on Thailand
- Starbucks are opening throughout Chiang Mai
Frank’s Journey to Thailand:
- Leaving America and moving to Thailand
- His attraction to Asian women
- Deciding to fly and meet his wife in Thailand
- His surprise marriage proposal
- Deciding to live a simple lifestyle
Thai Culture:
- Thai nightlife
- The culture of giving dowry before marriage
- Whether he would ever move back to the States
- His study of Asian culture & Eastern languages
- Transportation in Thailand
Balancing His New Life & Work
- Convenience of working at a coffee shop
- Working remotely as a software architect
- Putting in 12-hour days
- His family not attending his wedding
- His baby is an American citizen
- The changes he faced after marriage
Personal Finance:
- Managing his finances
- Frank’s savings plan
- What does he do about health insurance?
- Monthly budget for living comfortably in Thailand
- Taking calculated risks
Fun Questions:
- Do you have a favorite book?
- Favorite passage from The Bible?
- Have you heard people in Thailand talk about Donald Trump?
- What advice would you give to your 18-year old self?
- If someone dropped $1 million in your lap, what would you do with it?
Listen here:
Don’t worry about the future. Just work really hard. Don’t care about the latest gadgets. Learn. – Frank Dekker on advice he would give his 18-year old self
Have questions about living in Thailand? Connect with Frank:
- Website: dzineer.com
- Email: frank@dzineer.com
I really enjoyed listening to this interview Brad! Frank’s journey to Thailand has definitely been insightful, especially as we just left Chiang Mai a couple weeks ago. Looking forward to listening to the next one 🙂
Thank you, Mr NN. The next one oughta be good too!