He was stressed out and unfulfilled living in NYC. So, at 25, he left and moved to Bangkok to start anew.

• Paul Lee, 28, near New York City to move to Thailand successful 2021.
• Life successful NYC felt competitory and materialistic, which near him emotion unfulfilled.
• Now, he lives successful a $600-a-month condo successful Bangkok and says he's "99% sure" he won't return to nan US.

Four years ago, Paul Lee, 28, left New York City to move to Bangkok.

Having grown up mediocre successful Macon, Georgia, wherever 25.1% of nan organization lives beneath nan poorness line, Lee was wished to build a amended life for himself and his parents.

At 18, he decided to beryllium an entrepreneur and yet recovered immoderate occurrence by trading various products — including men's grooming items and moreover location appliances — via e-commerce.

He dropped retired of assemblage successful his 2nd twelvemonth to prosecute it afloat time. With nan money he made, Lee was capable to move to nan Big Apple and moreover thief his begetter discontinue backmost successful Georgia.

As a second-generation American — whose parents had immigrated from South Korea — thing astir life successful NYC felt stifling, moreover though he had succeeded successful achieving the American dream,

"I was being swallowed by this very competitive, very doggish, very materialistic lifestyle. I felt for illustration I had to support up pinch nan Joneses, go popular, attraction astir societal status, and each these things that I ne'er really cared astir before," Lee told Business Insider.

Even though he was amended disconnected financially than erstwhile he was increasing up, location was a portion of him that still felt unfulfilled.

"I quickly became depressed and realized I needed to make a change. I did immoderate investigation and decided I wanted to time off America successful general," he said.

To return a break, he went connected a three-month picnic to Bangkok. When he sewage back, he quickly realized he was done pinch New York.

So, he packed up his bags, said goodbye to his parents, and ne'er looked back.

"It wasn't a determination to move to Bangkok, it was a determination to conscionable visit. But past I liked it truthful overmuch that I decided to move there," he said.

Moving crossed nan world

To him, Bangkok seemed for illustration nan cleanable spot to beryllium because it was chill but still breathtaking and well-developed.

"It has a batch of things I liked astir New York City, and it doesn't person a batch of nan things that I don't for illustration astir New York City, for illustration nan hustle civilization and nan competitory environment," Lee, now a full-time contented creator, said.

During nan first mates of months successful Bangkok, Lee stayed successful different Airbnbs astir nan metropolis to person a consciousness of nan different neighbourhoods.

He knew he wanted to unrecorded successful a luxurious, modern flat building successful a cardinal area. Once he narrowed down his choices, he toured immoderate apartments earlier signing a lease connected nan 1 he liked nan most.

Now Lee lives successful a pet-friendly, one-bedroom flat successful Thong Lo, a trendy vicinity known for its stylish cafés, hep restaurants, and cool bars. Thong Lo is astir a 30-minute thrust from Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi Airport.

He likens nan area to SoHo successful NYC: "People successful SoHo, they look fashionable. It's benignant of for illustration that here, rather cosmopolitan," he added.

His workplace flat is somewhat nether 650 quadrate feet. He pays 20,000 Thai baht, aliases astir $600, successful rent each month.

The flat came furnished, and nan building besides has a gym and a pool.

Getting astir nan metropolis is simply a breeze, he said.

"I beautiful overmuch usage motorbike taxis here. It's for illustration an Uber, you conscionable thrust connected nan backmost of 1 and get to location successful 15 minutes," he said.

It's a drastically different surviving business compared to erstwhile Lee was successful nan US.

"In New York City, I was surviving pinch 4 different guys. It was a two-bedroom subdivided into four, and I was paying $2,000 a month," Lee said. "If I were to walk $2,000 successful Bangkok connected a condo, it would beryllium for illustration a luxury penthouse. It wouldn't moreover compare."

However, he prefers to support his expenses debased and says he's contented pinch his existent apartment.

"It's already overmuch nicer, bigger, and cheaper than nan 1 I was surviving successful New York City," he added.

Lee's parents were initially amazed erstwhile he told them he was moving to Thailand.

"At first, they thought I was conscionable connected a elemental picnic and that I was going to travel backmost home. But then, arsenic clip went by, I kept trying to clarify, 'Hey guys, I'm not coming backmost home. I'm moving here,'" he said.

He said his parents yet warmed up to his determination and decided they wanted to time off nan US, too. They ended up moving to Jeju, South Korea.

A cheaper and slower life

Lee isn't unsocial successful his travel to time off NYC.

NYC ranks 3rd among the apical 10 astir costly cities successful nan world successful nan 2023 Worldwide Cost of Living study from nan Economist Intelligence Unit.

A azygous personification successful NYC would person to make astir $140,000 to live comfortably, and this magnitude increases to $318,000 for a family of 4 consisting of 2 adults and 2 children. As such, galore lower-earning New Yorkers and moreover young families are choosing to move to nan suburbs aliases leave nan country wholly successful bid to bask a little costs of living.

Financial reasons aside, there's besides been a activity of city-dwellers seeking a slower and simpler life abroad.

Even though Bangkok is simply a vibrant city, nan gait of life is still slower than successful NYC, Lee said.

In Thailand, there's a civilization of "sabai sabai" — a building which conveys nan thought of taking it easy, he said. Being successful specified an situation has really rubbed disconnected connected him and helped him relax.

Whereas successful nan US — wherever moreover thing mini for illustration a delayed java bid aliases getting trim disconnected successful postulation tin get group connected separator — nan building besides encapsulates nan thought that a batch of things aren't worthy stressing about, he added.

"I'd opportunity successful New York, I was very tense. I was like, I've sewage to get somewhere, I've sewage to do this, blah, blah, blah. Whereas successful Thailand, I'm conscionable enjoying each day," Lee said.

Culture aside, nan Thai group person besides been bully and welcoming toward him.

"Most group tin speak basal English, but it is still a spot of a situation for those who do not cognize Thai. But I do speak Thai, I'm beautiful conversational," he said, adding that he took connection classes doubly a week erstwhile he first moved to Bangkok.

While he's unfastened to nan thought of moving to a different state aliases metropolis successful nan future, he's "99% assured I won't move backmost to nan United States."

"I'd opportunity nan biggest quality is backmost past I was pursuing this thought of wealthiness and success, but what I was really pursuing was state and nan expertise to recreation and happiness," Lee said. "You don't request each these superficial, worldly desires. You tin conscionable unrecorded a very elemental life and not beryllium that wealthy, but still unrecorded a very bully life."

Have you precocious relocated to a caller state and recovered your dream home? If you've sewage a communicative to share, get successful touch pinch this newsman astatine agoh@businessinsider.com.