Moving to Bangkok from the USA: How the Army Changed My Life and Led Me to Thailand
Moving to Bangkok from the USA: How the Army Changed My Life and Led Me to Thailand
Austin On The Move | Part 1
People keep asking me one simple question: “Why Bangkok?”
On the surface, I get it. I’m leaving North Carolina, using my Post‑9/11 GI Bill to study marketing at Stamford International University, and continuing to grow my travel business from Thailand. To most people, it sounds like a huge leap.
But if I’m honest, this story didn’t begin with Bangkok.
It began years ago in a small North Carolina town of about 1,000 people with a Marine who unknowingly changed the course of my life.
I met Lance Corporal Jacob Levey when I was in middle school. He introduced me to the JROTC program and made military service feel attainable. Until then, the military was something I saw on television. Jacob made it real.
A few years later, Jacob was killed while serving in Afghanistan. His sacrifice left a lasting impression on me and reinforced something I couldn’t shake: the desire to be part of something bigger than myself.
At 17 years old, I raised my right hand and swore the oath of enlistment. At the time, I had no idea that one decision would shape nearly every chapter of my adult life. It would introduce me to lifelong friends, take me across the country, teach me skills I still use every day, and eventually lead me halfway around the world.
The first step toward a life of service, leadership, and a future I never could have imagined.
Before that day, I had never been on an airplane.
My first flight wasn’t to a vacation destination or a family trip. It was to Basic Combat Training. Looking back, that first boarding pass represented much more than traveling to a new place. It marked the beginning of a life filled with learning, growth, and a growing desire to see more of the world.
One of the greatest blessings of my military career was serving in a unit with an exceptionally high operational tempo. Schools, certifications, training events, and missions were constantly becoming available.
I wasn’t chasing awards or trying to stand out. I was simply curious. Every school, every mission, and every new assignment was another opportunity to learn something I didn’t know the day before.
Over eight years, the military allowed me to travel throughout much of the United States. Every assignment introduced me to different cities, different people, and different ways of thinking. I didn’t realize it then, but those experiences were quietly changing me.
Travel was no longer simply about going somewhere new. It became a way to broaden my perspective.
The military also taught me lessons that had nothing to do with tactics or training. It taught me discipline, adaptability, teamwork, and how to solve problems under pressure. Those lessons naturally carried into my civilian career in logistics, where I coordinate transportation across the United States and Canada.
Every day is about planning, anticipating problems, and keeping thousands of moving pieces working together.
Looking back, becoming a travel advisor was a natural extension of that career.
Travel planning is logistics with a personal purpose.
Instead of moving freight, I’m helping families create memories. Instead of coordinating shipments, I’m coordinating experiences that people will remember for years.
Another chapter of my service that profoundly shaped me was spending five years on the Military Funeral Honors Team. Standing beside families as they honored their loved ones remains one of the greatest privileges of my life.
Some of the most meaningful lessons I learned in uniform came while honoring those who wore it before me.
During that time, I also experienced one of the hardest moments of my military career after finding a friend and fellow Soldier who had taken his own life.
Experiences like that permanently change your perspective.
They remind you that tomorrow is never guaranteed. They remind you to invest in people, experiences, and moments that matter.
I don’t travel because I’m trying to escape life. I travel because life has taught me how precious time really is.
“Travel didn’t just change where I lived. It changed who I became.”
That perspective eventually led me to create Booked By Austin.
I didn’t start a travel business because I wanted to sell vacations. I started it because travel transformed my own life. It introduced me to people, cultures, and experiences I never would have encountered had I stayed inside my comfort zone.
Helping someone plan a honeymoon, family cruise, or dream vacation is really about helping them create memories they’ll carry for the rest of their lives.
As my business continued to grow, I began asking myself another question:
What if I could build my business while experiencing another part of the world firsthand?
That question started months of research.
I compared multiple countries: education options, cost of living, transportation, healthcare, safety, and overall quality of life.
Again and again, Bangkok rose to the top.
What once felt like a distant dream is now becoming reality. Bangkok isn't just a destination. It's home to my next chapter.
Why Bangkok?
Affordable Without Sacrificing Quality
Bangkok offers an affordable cost of living without giving up modern conveniences. There’s reliable public transportation, great food at every price point, and plenty of day-to-day comforts that make it easier to build a real life, not just visit.
A Gateway to Asia
Bangkok’s location makes exploring the rest of Asia far more accessible. If I’m going to live abroad, I want to be somewhere that naturally opens doors to new cultures, new places, and new experiences.
Learning Through Living
I’ll be using my Post‑9/11 GI Bill to pursue a marketing degree at Stamford International University. Marketing is an investment in the future of Booked By Austin and an opportunity to learn from an international perspective.
I’m writing a full post on using the GI Bill overseas because a lot of veterans don’t realize it’s even possible.
Building My Business Abroad
Booked By Austin doesn’t stop because I’m changing time zones. If anything, living abroad pushes me to grow personally and professionally while staying committed to helping others plan trips that matter.
Of course, moving overseas involves much more than booking a flight.
There are visas to research, budgets to build, apartments to find, healthcare decisions to make, banking logistics to coordinate, and countless details to organize before departure.
Fortunately, logistics has prepared me well for that challenge.
What I’m learning already (before I even leave)
• There are more moving parts than most people expect, especially paperwork and timelines.
• Budgeting isn’t just rent and food. It’s also deposits, visa costs, flights, school requirements, and setup expenses.
• The best way to reduce stress is to plan early, document everything, and build a system you can follow.
Why I’m writing this series
This blog series, Austin On The Move, is my commitment to documenting the journey honestly. I’ll share the planning process, the wins, the mistakes, the surprises, and everything I learn along the way.
Whether you’re a veteran considering studying abroad, someone dreaming about moving overseas, or simply curious about life in Bangkok, I hope this series becomes a practical resource and an honest look at what this kind of transition really involves.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did you choose Bangkok?
Affordability, infrastructure, access to Asia, and the overall “I can actually live here” feeling kept bringing Bangkok to the top.
Why Thailand instead of another country?
When I compared education, transportation, healthcare, safety, and quality of life side by side, Thailand checked the most boxes for the life I’m trying to build.
Can veterans use the GI Bill overseas?
Yes, depending on the school and program. I’m putting together a full breakdown of how I’m doing it and what I learned along the way.
Are you still planning travel while living abroad?
Yes. Booked By Austin is still operating, and I’ll be sharing what it looks like to run the business from Thailand.
Is Booked By Austin still operating?
Absolutely.
What you can expect in future articles
• Using the GI Bill to attend school overseas
• Navigating Thailand’s visa process (and the timeline)
• My complete relocation budget (real numbers)
• Apartment hunting in Bangkok and neighborhoods I’m considering
• Healthcare and insurance abroad
• Building Booked By Austin while living in Asia
• My first month living in Bangkok
Final thoughts (and what’s next)
If seventeen-year-old Austin, boarding the first flight to Basic Training, could see where life was heading, I don’t think I’d believe it. I never imagined that one day I would become a travel advisor or pack life into a few suitcases to attend college in Thailand.
Looking back, every decision, every school, every mission, and every opportunity led me here.
Bangkok isn’t the beginning of my story.
It’s simply the next chapter.
I hope you’ll come along for the journey.
Thinking about moving abroad or planning a trip to Asia?
Whether you’re researching a move, looking for travel advice, or planning your next vacation, I’d love to help. You can also subscribe to follow the Austin On The Move series as I document this journey in real time.
Moving to Bangkok from the USA: How the Army Changed My Life and Led Me to Thailand
Austin On The Move | Part 1
People keep asking me one simple question: “Why Bangkok?”
On the surface, I get it. I’m leaving North Carolina, using my Post‑9/11 GI Bill to study marketing at Stamford International University, and continuing to grow my travel business from Thailand. To most people, it sounds like a huge leap.
But if I’m honest, this story didn’t begin with Bangkok.
It began years ago in a small North Carolina town of about 1,000 people with a Marine who unknowingly changed the course of my life.
I met Lance Corporal Jacob Levey when I was in middle school. He introduced me to the JROTC program and made military service feel attainable. Until then, the military was something I saw on television. Jacob made it real.
A few years later, Jacob was killed while serving in Afghanistan. His sacrifice left a lasting impression on me and reinforced something I couldn’t shake: the desire to be part of something bigger than myself.
At 17 years old, I raised my right hand and swore the oath of enlistment. At the time, I had no idea that one decision would shape nearly every chapter of my adult life. It would introduce me to lifelong friends, take me across the country, teach me skills I still use every day, and eventually lead me halfway around the world.
The first step toward a life of service, leadership, and a future I never could have imagined.
Before that day, I had never been on an airplane.
My first flight wasn’t to a vacation destination or a family trip. It was to Basic Combat Training. Looking back, that first boarding pass represented much more than traveling to a new place. It marked the beginning of a life filled with learning, growth, and a growing desire to see more of the world.
One of the greatest blessings of my military career was serving in a unit with an exceptionally high operational tempo. Schools, certifications, training events, and missions were constantly becoming available.
I wasn’t chasing awards or trying to stand out. I was simply curious. Every school, every mission, and every new assignment was another opportunity to learn something I didn’t know the day before.
Over eight years, the military allowed me to travel throughout much of the United States. Every assignment introduced me to different cities, different people, and different ways of thinking. I didn’t realize it then, but those experiences were quietly changing me.
Travel was no longer simply about going somewhere new. It became a way to broaden my perspective.
The military also taught me lessons that had nothing to do with tactics or training. It taught me discipline, adaptability, teamwork, and how to solve problems under pressure. Those lessons naturally carried into my civilian career in logistics, where I coordinate transportation across the United States and Canada.
Every day is about planning, anticipating problems, and keeping thousands of moving pieces working together.
Looking back, becoming a travel advisor was a natural extension of that career.
Travel planning is logistics with a personal purpose.
Instead of moving freight, I’m helping families create memories. Instead of coordinating shipments, I’m coordinating experiences that people will remember for years.
Another chapter of my service that profoundly shaped me was spending five years on the Military Funeral Honors Team. Standing beside families as they honored their loved ones remains one of the greatest privileges of my life.
Some of the most meaningful lessons I learned in uniform came while honoring those who wore it before me.
During that time, I also experienced one of the hardest moments of my military career after finding a friend and fellow Soldier who had taken his own life.
Experiences like that permanently change your perspective.
They remind you that tomorrow is never guaranteed. They remind you to invest in people, experiences, and moments that matter.
I don’t travel because I’m trying to escape life. I travel because life has taught me how precious time really is.
“Travel didn’t just change where I lived. It changed who I became.”
That perspective eventually led me to create Booked By Austin.
I didn’t start a travel business because I wanted to sell vacations. I started it because travel transformed my own life. It introduced me to people, cultures, and experiences I never would have encountered had I stayed inside my comfort zone.
Helping someone plan a honeymoon, family cruise, or dream vacation is really about helping them create memories they’ll carry for the rest of their lives.
As my business continued to grow, I began asking myself another question:
What if I could build my business while experiencing another part of the world firsthand?
That question started months of research.
I compared multiple countries: education options, cost of living, transportation, healthcare, safety, and overall quality of life.
Again and again, Bangkok rose to the top.
What once felt like a distant dream is now becoming reality. Bangkok isn't just a destination. It's home to my next chapter.
Why Bangkok?
Affordable Without Sacrificing Quality
Bangkok offers an affordable cost of living without giving up modern conveniences. There’s reliable public transportation, great food at every price point, and plenty of day-to-day comforts that make it easier to build a real life, not just visit.
A Gateway to Asia
Bangkok’s location makes exploring the rest of Asia far more accessible. If I’m going to live abroad, I want to be somewhere that naturally opens doors to new cultures, new places, and new experiences.
Learning Through Living
I’ll be using my Post‑9/11 GI Bill to pursue a marketing degree at Stamford International University. Marketing is an investment in the future of Booked By Austin and an opportunity to learn from an international perspective.
I’m writing a full post on using the GI Bill overseas because a lot of veterans don’t realize it’s even possible.
Building My Business Abroad
Booked By Austin doesn’t stop because I’m changing time zones. If anything, living abroad pushes me to grow personally and professionally while staying committed to helping others plan trips that matter.
Of course, moving overseas involves much more than booking a flight.
There are visas to research, budgets to build, apartments to find, healthcare decisions to make, banking logistics to coordinate, and countless details to organize before departure.
Fortunately, logistics has prepared me well for that challenge.
What I’m learning already (before I even leave)
• There are more moving parts than most people expect, especially paperwork and timelines.
• Budgeting isn’t just rent and food. It’s also deposits, visa costs, flights, school requirements, and setup expenses.
• The best way to reduce stress is to plan early, document everything, and build a system you can follow.
Why I’m writing this series
This blog series, Austin On The Move, is my commitment to documenting the journey honestly. I’ll share the planning process, the wins, the mistakes, the surprises, and everything I learn along the way.
Whether you’re a veteran considering studying abroad, someone dreaming about moving overseas, or simply curious about life in Bangkok, I hope this series becomes a practical resource and an honest look at what this kind of transition really involves.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did you choose Bangkok?
Affordability, infrastructure, access to Asia, and the overall “I can actually live here” feeling kept bringing Bangkok to the top.
Why Thailand instead of another country?
When I compared education, transportation, healthcare, safety, and quality of life side by side, Thailand checked the most boxes for the life I’m trying to build.
Can veterans use the GI Bill overseas?
Yes, depending on the school and program. I’m putting together a full breakdown of how I’m doing it and what I learned along the way.
Are you still planning travel while living abroad?
Yes. Booked By Austin is still operating, and I’ll be sharing what it looks like to run the business from Thailand.
Is Booked By Austin still operating?
Absolutely.
What you can expect in future articles
• Using the GI Bill to attend school overseas
• Navigating Thailand’s visa process (and the timeline)
• My complete relocation budget (real numbers)
• Apartment hunting in Bangkok and neighborhoods I’m considering
• Healthcare and insurance abroad
• Building Booked By Austin while living in Asia
• My first month living in Bangkok
Final thoughts (and what’s next)
If seventeen-year-old Austin, boarding the first flight to Basic Training, could see where life was heading, I don’t think I’d believe it. I never imagined that one day I would become a travel advisor or pack life into a few suitcases to attend college in Thailand.
Looking back, every decision, every school, every mission, and every opportunity led me here.
Bangkok isn’t the beginning of my story.
It’s simply the next chapter.
I hope you’ll come along for the journey.
Thinking about moving abroad or planning a trip to Asia?
Whether you’re researching a move, looking for travel advice, or planning your next vacation, I’d love to help. You can also subscribe to follow the Austin On The Move series as I document this journey in real time.
