TMBA 674: Going Viral For Saying ‘I Live Better In Thailand Than I Did In The U.S.’
Podcast 36:02 | Download | Spotify| Stitcher | iTunes | Comment
When Jesse Schoberg, Co-founder of DropIn Blog, shared his thoughts about the huge benefits of living in Bangkok with CNBC, as part of their ‘Make It’ series, he had no idea it would go viral - both inside Thailand and abroad.
The piece, titled ‘I live better in Thailand than I did in the U.S. — here’s how much it costs’ received lots of appreciation but also a stream of more negative comments from some members of the backpacking and expat retiree communities. They criticised how much Jesse chooses to spend on accommodation, food and travel in a place often seen as a mecca for cheap living.
“A lot of people were like, ‘Oh, for $8,000 a month, you can live anywhere … no, you cannot live like we live here in New York, which is an equivalent city, for $8,000 a month. When we were in New York recently, the apartment we were staying in was a small studio, and it was $4,200 or $4,400 a month. It was nothing near the type of service or quality that we would get in Bangkok for much less.”
On today’s show Dan and Ian talk to Jesse about why he decided to participate in the series in the first place, the very different reaction he received from the Thai audience and some possible reasons why ‘spend shaming’ exists.
Listen and Learn:
Why Jesse’s was seeking more media exposure for DropIn Blog
The ‘signalling’ involved in ‘spend shaming’
The response the piece received inside Thailand
Thoughts on other locations that deliver close to the experience of Bangkok
Mentioned in the episode:
Before the Exit – Our New Book
Partner With Us
The Dynamite Circle
Dynamite Jobs
Post a Remote Job
Dynamite Deals
Tropical MBA on YouTube
Dynamite Jobs – Remote Recruiting Sales Page
Jesse Schoberg
DropIn Blog
‘I live better in Thailand than I did in the U.S. — here’s how much it costs’
Nomadic Matt
Pieter Levels
Nomad List
Enjoyed this podcast? Check out these:
TMBA 225: Thoughts on Living and Working in Asia
TMBA440: What’s Your Lifestyle Ladder?
TMBA603: Returning to Nomadic Life
This week's sponsor:
Don’t Get Held Up While You’re Tryingto Scale Up. Experience the ease of remote hiring with dedicated experts by your side. Book a call at https://www.remotefirstrecruiting.com/
Listening options:
Subscribe via iTunes.
Listen on Stitcher Radio.
Android users can grab our RSS feed here.
Right-click and "save file as" for direct download.
Or click here to get sent to the top of the page where the on-site player is.
Have comments about the show?
Do you have ideas for things you'd like Dan and Ian to discuss on future episodes?
Our producer Jane would love to hear from you at jane@tropicalmba.com or leave us a voice message using the record button below.
Thanks for listening to our show! We'll be back next Thursday morning 8AM EST.
Cheers,
Dan & Ian