Latest news with #ShaoChunChen
CNBC
09-07-2025
- Business
- CNBC
39-year-old pays $460 in rent for a luxury condo in Chiang Mai, Thailand–take a look inside
When Shao Chun Chen was laid off from his dream job at Google in early 2024, he was forced to take a break and rethink how he wanted his life to look like. Suddenly, he was no longer obligated to stay in his home country of Singapore, where he had built his entire career. "When the layoff happened, I was [reflecting], you know, feeling sorry for myself," the 39-year-old told CNBC Make It. "Then I asked myself: 'Hey, let's flip it around. How can this be a positive thing?" "I wanted to try something different, and I've always enjoyed Thailand," said Chen. He was familiar with the country as his wife was native to Thailand and they had visited it previously. He was drawn to the diverse environments that it offered, from bustling cities to serene beaches and mountains. In addition, he liked how the Asian country had visas and policies that were transparent and friendly to foreigners. Ultimately, Chen said that his layoff allowed him to get out of his comfort zone and experiment with building out his dream life, and as part of this lifestyle re-design, he and his wife moved to Chiang Mai in November 2024. Today, the two reside in a 600-square-foot one-bedroom luxury condo which costs 15,000 Thai baht (about USD $460) a month. The condo came fully furnished, and he pays about $20 a month for utilities, and about $15 a month on WiFi. Chen said he is currently paying for his unit on a month-by-month basis, so his rent would be cheaper if he commits to a longer lease. Previously, his 500-square-foot condo in Singapore cost about $2,500 a month — more than five times the amount he is paying currently in Thailand. His current condo offers amenities such as a gym, a small pilates studio, a co-working space, multiple swimming pools and a water slide. Since getting laid off from his corporate job, Chen works for himself by creating educational content on YouTube and from his coaching business, through which he says he can charge $500 an hour, depending on the client. He has also made money by teaching as an adjunct lecturer at the National University of Singapore, which required him to supercommute between Singapore and Thailand once a week. However, he is now taking a break from this gig, he said. Additionally, Chen has built a seven-figure portfolio over the course of about a decade, according to documents viewed by CNBC Make It, which has afforded him financial independence. Chen noted that life in Thailand is much slower and "zero stress", unlike how mentally taxing it was in Singapore, he said. This has allowed him to cut down on expenses. "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 said. Due to the high level of stress he experienced, Chen would cope by spending money on things like therapy, spa visits and drinking on weekends. "The funny thing is that now that I'm here, these things are way more affordable, but I don't even desire [them]," he said. "My head space is completely different." Today, on top of using the gym in his condo, Chen said he occasionally pays for massages, which cost about $15 an hour. "I find that I actually save more money, even though I don't work as much," said Chen. Though he is very happy living in Thailand, he would consider moving back to Singapore if the right opportunity opened up, he said. For now, he is living presently and enjoying the life that Thailand has to offer. "The previous version of myself ... I valued everything on efficiency and ROI," said Chen. "But then here, people don't think that way. They may not have as much as a safety net ... but they seem to enjoy their day to day, and they actually have time to sit down and enjoy their coffee and have time to read a book." "These are some of the simple pleasures that I now am able to afford, which doesn't actually cost a lot," he said.
Time of India
23-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
From 40 to 3 hours per week: How a 39-year-old man turned Google layoff into an earning opportunity of nearly Rs 4 lakh every month
Shao Chun Chen once clocked over 40 hours a week in his corporate job in Singapore. Today, his lifestyle looks drastically different—he works just three hours a week, enough to support both himself and his wife in Thailand. The 39-year-old, who spent most of his life in Singapore, relocated to Chiang Mai with his wife in November 2024. Now, he "supercommutes" more than 1,200 miles once a week to Singapore, where he works as an adjunct lecturer at the National University of Singapore, according to CNBC Make IT. He teaches a three-hour digital marketing course that earns him between 2,000 and 4,000 Singapore dollars (approximately $1,540 to $3,070 USD) each month. That income comfortably covers his weekly travel and the couple's living costs in Thailand. Play Video Pause Skip Backward Skip Forward Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration 0:00 Loaded : 0% 0:00 Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 1x Playback Rate Chapters Chapters Descriptions descriptions off , selected Captions captions settings , opens captions settings dialog captions off , selected Audio Track default , selected Picture-in-Picture Fullscreen This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Text Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Caption Area Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Drop shadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Trekking pants for mountain sports and adventure travel Trek Kit India Shop Now Undo How layoff changed Chen's life A layoff in early 2024 became a turning point for Shao Chun Chen, leading him to realize he had already achieved financial independence—and the freedom to reshape his life. During nearly a decade at Google, Chen lived frugally and regularly invested up to half of his income. So when the tech giant unexpectedly let him go in February 2024, he discovered that the seven-figure investment portfolio he had quietly built gave him the option to step away from full-time work. Live Events At the time of his layoff, Chen's portfolio was valued at around $2 million, according to documents reviewed by CNBC Make It . By applying the 4% rule, he calculated that he could withdraw roughly $80,000 annually—adjusted for inflation—without running out of money, freeing him from the need for a regular paycheck. 'I've been working for the last 14 years of my life, and because of the layoff, I was forced to take a break,' Chen told CNBC Make It. 'It was very devastating, it was a huge blow to my ego, my identity, but it turns out, with time ... it sort of mandated me to think [about] what I really wanted in life.' Chen turns to YouTube: In addition to his three-hour-a-week role as an adjunct lecturer in Singapore, Shao Chun Chen also earns income through his YouTube channel, where he shares educational content, and his coaching business, where he charges up to $500 an hour depending on the client. Chen has also embraced geographical arbitrage . By maintaining his primary income source in Singapore—where the currency is stronger—while living in Thailand, where the cost of living is significantly lower, he's able to enjoy a comfortable lifestyle with minimal work. In Singapore, he says, he was paying about about $2,450 a month for his two-bedroom condominium. Now, he lives in a brand new one-bedroom condo which costs him $450 a month — and it's much more luxurious. 'I'm already overpaying because I'm [paying] on a monthly basis ... If you sign a yearly lease, then it will be closer to $300,' Chen says.
NDTV
17-05-2025
- Business
- NDTV
Ex-Google Techie Works 3 Hours A Week, Earns Up To Rs 2.6 Lakh A Month. Here's How
A 39-year-old man who used to work more than 40 hours a week in his corporate career in Singapore now has a three-hour-a-week job that not only sustains him, but also his family in Thailand. In an interview with CNBC Make It, Shao Chun Chen revealed that he lives in Thailand with his wife and "supercommutes" to Singapore once a week to work as an adjunct lecturer at the National University of Singapore. He earns around $1,540 to $3,070 (approximately Rs 1.3 lakh to Rs 2.6 lakh) per month, which is enough to cover his travels and all of his and his wife's living expenses in Thailand. "I'm gaming the system. Three hours of working in Singapore can sustain my entire expenditure in Thailand," Mr Chen, who teaches a weekly three-hour digital marketing class, told CNBC Make It. It took a layoff to make the 39-year-old realise he was financially independent in early 2024, and could turn around his life. Mr Chen revealed that he was laid off from Google on the eve of his 38th birthday. For almost a decade working at the tech giant, he lived below his means and consistently set aside up to half of his paycheck for investments. However, after he was unexpectedly laid off, he realised that the seven-figure portfolio he had built over the years meant he no longer needed to rely on a paycheck for a long time. "I've been working for the last 14 years of my life, and because of the layoff, I was forced to take a break. It was very devastating, it was a huge blow to my ego, my identity, but it turns out, with time ... it sort of mandated me to think (about) what I really wanted in life," Mr Chen said. After being fired, Mr Chen created multiple sources of passive and active income. Apart from teaching at the university, he shared that he also makes money by creating educational content on YouTube and from his coaching business, for which he charges $500 an hour. "Find a way to improve your skill sets, or to reach a position where you can charge a high per-hour rate," Chen said. He also stated that he doesn't need to work as much to support a comfortable life with his wife in Thailand, where the cost of living is much lower than in Singapore. "If you combine a high per-hour rate with a low cost of living, you only need to work very few hours to cover your expenses," he told the outlet. Cities and jobs that can pay a high hourly rate tend to be expensive areas, but that's less of a problem now that digitalisation has enabled remote work arrangements, he added. Mr Chen shared that in total, he spends between four and eight hours a week working, which includes his teaching, coaching and making YouTube videos.
CNBC
15-05-2025
- Business
- CNBC
He lives in Thailand but 'supercommutes' to Singapore—living off what he makes from 3 hours a week
Shao Chun Chen used to work more than 40 hours a week in his corporate career in Singapore. Now, he has a three-hour-a-week job that sustains his and his family's life in Thailand. The 39-year-old grew up in Singapore and spent most of his life in the city-state before moving to Chiang Mai, Thailand, with his wife in November 2024. Today, he " supercommutes" from Thailand to Singapore, flying over 1,200 miles once a week to work as an adjunct lecturer at the National University of Singapore. He says he brings in about $2,000 to $4,000 Singapore dollars ($1,540 to $3,070) per month teaching a weekly three-hour digital marketing class, and the amount that he makes teaching the course is enough to cover his travels and all of his and his wife's living expenses in Thailand. "I'm gaming the system," Chen told CNBC Make It. "Three hours of working in Singapore can sustain my entire expenditure in Thailand." No paycheck, no problem It took a layoff to make Chen realize he was financially independent in early 2024, giving him the flexibility to change his life. Over the course of almost a decade working at Google, he lived below his means and consistently set aside up to half of his paycheck for investments. So when he was unexpectedly laid off by the tech company in February 2024, Chen realized that the seven-figure portfolio he had built over the years meant he no longer needed to rely on a paycheck for a long time. His portfolio was worth about $2 million at the time, according to documents reviewed by CNBC Make It. Using the 4% rule as a guideline meant that he could safely withdraw about $80,000 from his portfolio and that same amount, adjusted for inflation, in each subsequent year. In theory, that amount would likely be small enough for his portfolio to support him for at least 30 years. Therefore, rather than jumping into another corporate role, Chen decided to give himself the opportunity to lead a different kind of life. "I've been working for the last 14 years of my life, and because of the layoff, I was forced to take a break," Chen told CNBC Make It. "It was very devastating, it was a huge blow to my ego, my identity, but it turns out, with time ... it sort of mandated me to think [about] what I really wanted in life." Although Chen found that he could live off of the interest, dividends and capital gains from his investments, he chose to treat them only as a source of passive income, withdrawing money only when necessary to supplement his active income. New sources of income In the past year and a half, Chen created multiple new sources of passive and active income. Along with teaching as an adjunct lecturer for three hours a week in Singapore, Chen also makes money by creating educational content on YouTube and from his coaching business, through which he says he can charge $500 an hour, depending on the client. He also decided to try geographical arbitrage. By keeping his main source of income teaching at a university in Singapore, where the currency is stronger, Chen doesn't need to work as much to support a comfortable life with his wife in Thailand where cost of living is much lower. "Find a way to improve your skill sets, or to reach a position where you can charge a high per hourly rate," Chen said. "If you combine a high per hourly rate with a low cost of living, you only need to work very few hours to cover your expenses." Cities and jobs that can pay a high hourly rate tend to be expensive areas, but that's less of a problem now that digitalization has enabled remote work arrangements, he added. While his job as an adjunct lecturer is enough to cover his and his wife's living expenses, Chen's other active income sources cover his discretionary spending. He says that in total, he spends between four and eight hours a week working, which includes his teaching, coaching and making YouTube videos. Making dollars, spending baht Since moving to Chiang Mai with his wife in November, Chen says, his lifestyle and quality of life have become "so much better." "I'm also conscious that not everyone can do it, and the locals are not making as much as we are. [We are] earning in dollars, spending in baht," he says. "I no longer feel the need to ... be on that hamster wheel or to always be producing." "[Here] I make breakfast for my wife, and in my previous life, I didn't even have that privilege. [I was] just rushing," he added. Along with not feeling as much financial or time pressure on a daily basis, Chen says, he no longer feels the need to "over-plan" his life. "For the first time in my life, I could just sort of ... enjoy what Thailand has to offer," Chen says. In Singapore, he says, he was paying about about $2,450 a month for his two-bedroom condominium. Now, he lives in a brand new one-bedroom condo which costs him $450 a month — and it's much more luxurious. "I'm already overpaying because I'm [paying] on a monthly basis ... If you sign a yearly lease, then it will be closer to $300," Chen says. Shao Chun Chen lives in a one-bedroom luxury condo in Chiang Mai, Thailand. Courtesy of Shao Chun Chen "It's a ridiculous condo," Chen says. "It has multiple pools. It has a water slide ... a fully equipped gym, a huge co-working space [and] its own Pilates studio," he added. As for other living expenses in Thailand, Chen says, he spends between $300 and $500 a month for food and groceries for him and his wife, and about $200 a month for transportation. He also spends about $250 for each round-trip flight to Singapore every Friday. "The strategy for anyone who wants to live in a country like Thailand is to really embrace the local culture, the local options, the local way of life," rather than try to bring your own lifestyle to the place, Chen says. "I've actually met a few expats here, and they're really not happy because they were only attracted to Thailand because of the cost of living," he says. "They were complaining: 'Oh, the croissant doesn't taste as good as back home. They don't use real butter here, they use palm oil' ... and then they need to find a specific cafe, and that's actually more expensive." Instead, expats can save money by buying local products like Thai food, Thai medicine and Thai beer, Chen says. "Everything made in Thailand is cheap, but the moment you want to buy international options, like wine from France ... it's more expensive," he adds. Although the decision to leave the corporate world to live in Thailand has given him more time and flexibility to enjoy life and build up his different streams of income, Chen says, there are downsides. For example, he no longer has the structure and predictability that corporate life once afforded him. And when it comes to supercommuting from Thailand to Singapore, traffic is often a big hurdle, as is the amount of energy that it can take to travel so often, he says. But ultimately, he says, he's happy with his life in Thailand, though he is open to moving back to Singapore if the right opportunity comes along. How to Change Careers and Be Happier at Work. Expert instructors will teach you strategies to network successfully, revamp your resume and confidently transition into your dream career. Plus, sign up for CNBC Make It's newsletter to get tips and tricks for success at work, with money and in life.
CNBC
15-05-2025
- Business
- CNBC
He lives in Thailand but 'supercommutes' to Singapore — living off what he makes from 3 hours a week
Shao Chun Chen used to work more than 40 hours a week in his corporate career in Singapore. Now, he has a three-hour-a-week job that sustains his and his family's life in Thailand. The 39-year-old grew up in Singapore and spent most of his life in the city-state before moving to Chiang Mai, Thailand, with his wife in November 2024. Today, he "supercommutes" from Thailand to Singapore, flying over 1,200 miles once a week to work as an adjunct lecturer at the National University of Singapore. He says he brings in about $2,000 to $4,000 Singapore dollars ($1,540 to $3,070) per month teaching a weekly three-hour digital marketing class, and the amount that he makes teaching the course is enough to cover his travels and all of his and his wife's living expenses in Thailand. "I'm gaming the system," Chen told CNBC Make It. "Three hours of working in Singapore can sustain my entire expenditure in Thailand." It took a layoff to make Chen realize he was financially independent in early 2024, giving him the flexibility to change his life. Over the course of almost a decade working at Google, he lived below his means and consistently set aside up to half of his paycheck for investments. So when he was unexpectedly laid off by the tech company in February 2024, Chen realized that the seven-figure portfolio he had built over the years meant he no longer needed to rely on a paycheck for a long time. His portfolio was worth about $2 million at the time, according to documents reviewed by CNBC Make It. Using the 4% rule as a guideline meant that he could safely withdraw about $80,000 from his portfolio and that same amount, adjusted for inflation, in each subsequent year. In theory, that amount would likely be small enough for his portfolio to support him for at least 30 years. Therefore, rather than jumping into another corporate role, Chen decided to give himself the opportunity to lead a different kind of life. "I've been working for the last 14 years of my life, and because of the layoff, I was forced to take a break," Chen told CNBC Make It. "It was very devastating, it was a huge blow to my ego, my identity, but it turns out, with time ... it sort of mandated me to think [about] what I really wanted in life." Although Chen found that he could live off of the interest, dividends and capital gains from his investments, he chose to treat them only as a source of passive income, withdrawing money only when necessary to supplement his active income. In the past year and a half, Chen created multiple new sources of passive and active income. Along with teaching as an adjunct lecturer for three hours a week in Singapore, Chen also makes money by creating educational content on YouTube and from his coaching business, through which he says he can charge $500 an hour, depending on the client. He also decided to try geographical arbitrage. By keeping his main source of income teaching at a university in Singapore, where the currency is stronger, Chen doesn't need to work as much to support a comfortable life with his wife in Thailand where cost of living is much lower. "Find a way to improve your skill sets, or to reach a position where you can charge a high per hourly rate," Chen said. "If you combine a high per hourly rate with a low cost of living, you only need to work very few hours to cover your expenses." Cities and jobs that can pay a high hourly rate tend to be expensive areas, but that's less of a problem now that digitalization has enabled remote work arrangements, he added. While his job as an adjunct lecturer is enough to cover his and his wife's living expenses, Chen's other active income sources cover his discretionary spending. He says that in total, he spends between four and eight hours a week working, which includes his teaching, coaching and making YouTube videos. Since moving to Chiang Mai with his wife in November, Chen says, his lifestyle and quality of life have become "so much better." "I'm also conscious that not everyone can do it, and the locals are not making as much as we are. [We are] earning in dollars, spending in baht," he says. "I no longer feel the need to ... be on that hamster wheel or to always be producing." "[Here] I make breakfast for my wife, and in my previous life, I didn't even have that privilege. [I was] just rushing," he added. Along with not feeling as much financial or time pressure on a daily basis, Chen says, he no longer feels the need to "over-plan" his life. "For the first time in my life, I could just sort of ... enjoy what Thailand has to offer," Chen says. In Singapore, he says, he was paying about about $2,450 a month for his two-bedroom condominium. Now, he lives in a brand new one-bedroom condo which costs him $450 a month — and it's much more luxurious. "I'm already overpaying because I'm [paying] on a monthly basis ... If you sign a yearly lease, then it will be closer to $300," Chen says. "It's a ridiculous condo," Chen says. "It has multiple pools. It has a water slide ... a fully equipped gym, a huge co-working space [and] its own Pilates studio," he added. As for other living expenses in Thailand, Chen says, he spends between $300 and $500 a month for food and groceries for him and his wife, and about $200 a month for transportation. He also spends about $250 for each round-trip flight to Singapore every Friday. "The strategy for anyone who wants to live in a country like Thailand is to really embrace the local culture, the local options, the local way of life," rather than try to bring your own lifestyle to the place, Chen says. "I've actually met a few expats here, and they're really not happy because they were only attracted to Thailand because of the cost of living," he says. "They were complaining: 'Oh, the croissant doesn't taste as good as back home. They don't use real butter here, they use palm oil' ... and then they need to find a specific cafe, and that's actually more expensive." Instead, expats can save money by buying local products like Thai food, Thai medicine and Thai beer, Chen says. "Everything made in Thailand is cheap, but the moment you want to buy international options, like wine from France ... it's more expensive," he adds. Although the decision to leave the corporate world to live in Thailand has given him more time and flexibility to enjoy life and build up his different streams of income, Chen says, there are downsides. For example, he no longer has the structure and predictability that corporate life once afforded him. And when it comes to supercommuting from Thailand to Singapore, traffic is often a big hurdle, as is the amount of energy that it can take to travel so often, he says. But ultimately, he says, he's happy with his life in Thailand, though he is open to moving back to Singapore if the right opportunity comes along.
