A man who ‘ditched bleak Britain’ to move to a country he had never visited before has revealed that the decision has left him worth £20m.
Andrew Stocks had longed to “break free” from the UK ever since he was a child.
And so, as soon as he was old enough, he took the skills learned while working at his family’s caravan park and decided to settle 6,000 miles away in Thailand.
He had never visited the country before, nor had any job or housing lined up when he arrived.
But, after coming up with a savvy business idea, he quickly found his feet and is now worth a whopping £20 million.
“[When I first] arrived in Thailand, I noticed my money started to go down quickly,” Andrew, from Devon, told Founder Insights.
“Much more quickly than I thought; so I knew I had to do something.
“I never believed I’d fail, as I always thought that what will be, will be
“And one day, a new door would open for me.
“I missed my parents, but I never missed home – and I didn’t regret moving.”
Andrew, now 55, grew up working for his parents’ business.
He learned lessons in hospitality, caring for others and ensuring peoples’ holiday experiences were top-notch.
While the hours were tough, they were rewarding, though he wanted to find another way to make money.
As a teenager, he was introduced to the buy-to-let property market and asked a close friend for a loan to put a deposit down.
Using his earnings, he snapped up four others.
After a few years, he sold them off with a high profit and at just 18 years old, he decided to use the money to up and leave Britain and jet off to Thailand for good.
He fell in love with the weather, people and the government’s attitude to business.
Andrew started off as a volunteer for a charity, where he met a local developer.
Using his “modest” £300,000 in savings, he invested and helped set up a retirement resort and spa solely for expats.
Now, he owns six resorts and hotels, all of which have at least a four-star rating, alongside restaurants, villages and apartments.
He estimates it’s worth at least £20 million after 10 years of hard graft.
Andrew added: “I believe more Brits should come here.
“It provides a lifestyle you can only dream of.
“I believe it was my calling to bring retired people to Thailand.
“But I don’t feel wealthy, as it’s all in property.
“Any money I do make, I reinvest into my company.
“I had had enough of the UK.
“It was too expensive then and it’s much more expensive now.
“The country, in general, is going down.
“I’m still proud to be British, but I’m much prouder to have left the rat race before it got the better of me.
“I wouldn’t be a millionaire had I stayed.”
