We left 'nanny state' Australia and moved our entire life to Thailand. From property prices to taxes, eating out and help at home - here's why our lives are so much BETTER than before

For Natalie Coulson, uprooting her life to move from Australia to Asia felt 'risky' - but living in an expensive city while working a 9-to-5 job seemed even 'riskier'.

The 45-year-old mum was living in a comfortable three-bedroom duplex with her partner Fred, 60, and their five-year-old son Alex in Manly on Sydney 's northern beaches, paying $1,295 a week in rent.

The idea of owning a home was becoming increasingly far-fetched - leading Natalie and Fred to consider other options, with Fred suggesting expanding their real estate search overseas - to Thailand .

The couple spent the week 'romanticising' the idea, imagining a life filled with tropical palm trees, daily swims at the beach, mango sticky rice and laptops by the pool.

So the family sold and gave away most of their belongings to pursue a new life in Southeast Asia.

And from property prices to taxes and a beach lifestyle the family couldn't be more satisfied.

'Australia has become such a nanny state, and Phuket feels more like the Australia I remember from the 1980s, but with modern technology,' Natalie tells FEMAIL.

'It's the perfect balance of beauty, relaxation and hustle.'

Long before making the major move abroad, the family were living a 'really good life' in Manly, close to the beach, for almost 10 years.

'We could have happily stayed a few years longer,' Natalie explains.

'But our move was more about setting ourselves up for the next 10 or so years, and Sydney didn't feel in sync with our long term vision.'

When they were asked to vacate their rental property so their landlord could move back in, the family decided to take the plunge and relocate to Phuket.

'We had been renting in Sydney, and the owners were moving back in, so once we agreed on the dates, moving out was pretty easy,' Natalie says.

Life is short In July, the family-of-three packed up their lives and jetted overseas.

'Life is short. It involves "crazy" risks,' Natalie says.

'And the rewards? Well, there are many - including heading out for dinner and a sunset on the beach after school and work.

'I love the food, warm weather, kind people, ease of travel, interesting culture and opportunities to travel to loads of other places in the region.'

They shipped 23 boxes of personal items to Thailand, left a couple of things with Natalie's parents and travelled to a place they now call home.

Property prices Natalie says: 'We have bought a four-bedroom house and we're waiting for it to be built.

'As our house is in an area popular with expats, it has cost us about $1.2AUDmillion. But for the same house in Sydney we'd be paying about five to seven times that amount, so it felt like better value here.'

While foreigners can buy property in Thailand, they are prohibited from owning the land itself.

'The only thing here is you don't technically own the land,' she explains.

'You lease the land and buy the house, but it's the way things are done here, and houses are bought and sold under this structure.'

As the family waits for their dream home to be built, they are currently renting a luxury home with three large bedrooms and a swimming pool overlooking a lush garden and sweeping views of the ocean in Phuket for $920 per week.

'It's not cheap... We live in a more upmarket area but we get more for our money compared to a three-bedroom duplex in Manly,' she explains.

'It is really lovely to have a bigger home,' Natalie says. 'The complex we live in is full of expats. It has a large pool, tennis court and large lawn with a trampoline, so it's very social, but families have plenty of their own space as well.

'There are definitely more affordable options and there is housing for every budget here. You can live in a simple Thai-style home or a western style mansion or one of the many options in between. It's really up to you.'

Cost of living and hired help Even though the family's rent is still considered expensive in Asia, Natalie points out that the cost of living has been much more affordable compared to Sydney.

'Phuket is one of the more expensive places in Thailand, but we can definitely live more cheaply here.

'We tend to shop at markets for fresh fruit and vegetables, so grocery shopping is very affordable,' she says.

'You do have to watch out when going to the big supermarkets though. If anything is imported, you may pay even more than you would in Australia.

'We eat out at least once a day, because there are so many restaurants close by where we can buy a delicious cooked lunch for between $2 and $5 AUD.

'Street food is also available everywhere, like marinated chicken skewers for 50c each.'

Groceries now cost the family-of-three between $20 to $50 a week.

'For our family-of-three, we spend an average of about $50 per week on groceries. If we do a big shop and buy imported things it's more,' she says.

'But some weeks we would only spend $20 to $30 because the fresh vegetables at the local market are really cheap. In Sydney it was more like $200 for a week.'

The couple has a professional nanny who comes over a couple of times a week to look after their son Alex, at a cost of roughly $10 per hour.

The family has also hired a team of cleaners to carry out a regular cleaning of their home for just one hour, twice a week, at a cost of only $6 per hour.

Work and school life Natalie has been running a marketing and communications business for years while juggling contract roles with the NSW Government for the past 18 months.

'My business is based in Sydney, so I am continuing to work with Australian clients. However, I had to leave my Government role which was a shame as it was mostly remote, and very doable from Thailand,' she says.

'But it has allowed me to explore different opportunities with other clients, so I'm focusing on the doors opening instead.

'Fred had been working as a business analyst, but left at the end of 2023 to take a marketing course and prepare for our move. He has cut career ties with Australia, and is currently upskilling and preparing to launch a new Asia-based business.'

While the couple are working, their son Alex attends an English international school.

Lower taxes and financial freedom One of the many perks of living in Thailand is that taxes are significantly lower.

'Taxes are way lower here and huge value is placed on freedom,' she says.

The family has been living in Thailand for three months now, and they expect significant savings and financial benefits in their new home country.

'We're definitely noticing we can eat out for far less and we've saved on our grocery shops for sure so I'm sure we will notice the savings more over time,' she says.

'The biggest relief though is to be out of the Sydney housing market. Buying property in Sydney never felt like a viable option, and moving in and out of rentals due to properties selling or owners moving back in was frustrating.'

The biggest adjustment for the family has been moving from a big city to what they perceive as a slower pace of life.

'It's like moving to a country town,' Natalie says.

'I'm a big fan of urban settings, walking everywhere and public transport. Here we drive everywhere because there is only very limited public transport.'

Culture shocks The most challenging aspect of moving to Thailand has been the language barrier. However, because so much English is spoken in Phuket, they often feel 'insulated' in a bubble.

'We're learning Thai, so even a few words here and there are helpful and create a stronger connection with the locals, so it's baby steps, and thankfully the locals are grateful when you try, even if they respond in English,' she says.

'I'm often shocked at the juxtapositions. There are shacks and street food sellers everywhere on one street, and on another there are five-star hotels and Teslas.

'You might also be eating a $2 meal in a simple Thai restaurant for lunch and then having cocktails later at a swanky bar that night. It doesn't feel like you're in the same place.'

Life's a beach The family are aware that visa rules sometimes change, they are not citizens and they could 'need to roll with the punches'.

'But our plan is to base ourselves here indefinitely,' Natalie says.

'Moving here has been a good decision for us, but we're also aware it takes time to get established in a new place, so we're in the midst of that adjustment and rebuilding stage.'

There are direct flights from Phuket to Sydney so the family plan to travel between the two countries to visit their loved ones back home.

'We like that Thailand is not too far from Australia so it was important to us as we want to visit a couple of times per year to see family,' she says.

For Aussies thinking about moving overseas, Natalie says she would recommend Thailand to families craving adventure, tropical weather and a new culture.

However, she warns that moving to Asia isn't for everyone.

She suggests Aussies should consider exploring their own backyards first before making any life-changing decisions.

'Australia is an amazing country with fantastic cities and regional towns,' she says.

'If cost and getting out of a challenging housing market is the motivation, I'd suggest checking out a smaller city or town before heading overseas. Unless, you're really keen to travel and give life in another country a go.'

'If living in Asia sounds like it ticks all of the boxes for someone, I'd recommend visiting and imagining yourself living there, not just being on holidays.'

Ticks all the boxes After spending months enjoying mango shakes on the beach, the family occasionally misses some aspects of Australia - including shopping centres with movie theatres, IKEA and simply having English conversation with strangers.

'While it feels like a holiday at first, pretty soon it's back to normal life, at least for families,' Natalie says.

'We think Thailand is pretty fabulous though. Just make sure you do your research and remember, you might walk into an exotic backdrop, but you still have to build your new life as you would anywhere.'