Former Google employee Shao Chun Chen was laid off in early 2024, and like many workers faced with such an event, his life would never be the same. In early November, he made the jump from Singapore to Chiang Mai, Thailand. Longo told us he was craving a new beginning and a more easygoing way of life. Chen stepped into this new, exciting role wholeheartedly. With a Thai wife and long-standing connections to the country, he turned what could have been the disruption of unemployment into opportunities for expansion.
Chen’s relocation south to Thailand was more than a physical move through space, it was a leap into a new way of living. Before, he rented a 500-square-foot condo in Singapore, for which he paid about $2,500 per month. He loves it so much now that he’s living in a 600 square-foot luxury one-bedroom condo in Chiang Mai. It’s a small amount to pay him — 15,000 Thai baht, or roughly $460 a month. This fully furnished condo allows him to enjoy a comfortable living space without the financial strain he experienced in Singapore.
On top of his subsidized rent, Chen enjoys a lower cost of living in general. Now he only spends around $20 a month on utilities and WiFi runs him about $15. These costs are well below what he had in Singapore. Cost of living in Chiang Mai is low as well so he can afford to get regular massages at only $15 an hour. This is a luxury he was all too often denied in the past.
After his unexpected Google layoff, Chen began to look inward and question his path. “When the layoff happened, I was reflecting, you know, feeling sorry for myself,” he shared. But rather than giving in to hopelessness, he started to recontextualize his situation. “Then I asked myself: ‘Hey, let’s flip it around. How can this be a positive thing?’” This new mental framework opened the door for him to pursue different career opportunities.
Currently, Chen focuses on creating educational content for YouTube and runs a coaching business where he charges $500 an hour. During the last 10 years he developed a seven-figure portfolio. This income stability gives him the freedom to pursue his passions while he’s going through his transitional phase. His entrepreneurial spirit comes through as he innovates around the difficulties of beginning again.
Chen’s experience living in Thailand has further shaped his views on what everyday life can be. “The previous version of myself… I valued everything on efficiency and ROI,” he explained. Perhaps the biggest change he found was a difference in culture that promotes a slower, more intentional way of life. Here, people just don’t believe that. They have no safety net to speak of, but they colorfully blow out the fluorescent tubes that illuminate every fleeting aspect of their daily grind. They have the luxury to sit down, drink their coffee, and read the book.
That cultural awakening has permeated his life in powerful ways. For much less, now he makes simple pleasures possible without breaking the bank. “These are some of the simple pleasures that I now am able to afford, which doesn’t actually cost a lot,” Chen noted.
Thinking back on his former work life, Chen remembered the fast-paced way of living that became his norm while living in Singapore. “When I was in Singapore … [my job] paid very well, but the lifestyle was very hectic. I was working like 12 to 14 hours a day,” he stated. Moving away to Chiang Mai has given him some financial breathing room. Retired at 62, now he’s able to take life a little easier.
Even with the much lower cost of living in Thailand, Chen discovers that his wants have changed too. “The funny thing is that now that I’m here, these things are way more affordable, but I don’t even desire [them],” he expressed. This sudden sense of serenity taps into a larger cultural trend towards finding happiness in the simple and living in the present.