American entrepreneur Paul Lee made the decision to move permanently to Thailand after a vacation there. He shared his life-changing choice and newfound happiness with CNBC Make It.
In the US, Lee was earning around $1 million annually from his e-commerce business. Despite his financial success, he felt depressed and purposeless. His visit to Thailand, renowned for its tropical beaches and vibrant culture, changed everything.
“When I first arrived in Thailand, I just felt rejuvenated. Everything was completely new to me, and I felt like it was a fresh new start,” he told CNBC Make It.
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In April 2021, five months after his vacation, Lee decided to relocate permanently. Now, he works as a content creator and real estate agent in Bangkok, earning $150,000 a year, significantly less than his previous income.
‘I’m happier’
The 28-year-old entrepreneur from Georgia has no regrets about the move. He realized that the wealth he accumulated in the US did not bring him the satisfaction he sought. In New York City, he described the environment as “very individualistic, very doggish, and very hyper-aggressive.”
“I had to go through this journey of being poor and becoming quite wealthy to realize all this wealth that I had accumulated didn’t really give me what I wanted and didn’t give me the satisfaction I was looking for,” he explained.
“At the end of the day, even though I don’t make nearly as much money as I made in New York City, I am far… wealthier in terms of my happiness, in terms of my well-being, my peace,” he added. “These are things I never was able to achieve back home in the States.”