They left the UK earlier this year with their sons aged six and four
Ryan Blackley and wife Jess with sons Noah and Bodhi in Thailand(Image: Ryan Blackley/SWNS)
A couple ‘retired’ by 33 and 32 ditched the UK to travel the world with their kids – spending just £60 a day.
Ryan Blackley, 35, and wife Jess, 34, headed out to Chang Mai, Thailand, on February 24, 2026, with sons Noah, six, and Bodhi, four. They had travelled together back in 2016 before having children and say they knew their future would “lie outside the UK”.
By renting out the two flats and family home they still own, the pair class themselves as retired and can fund their new lifestyle with the profits. The original plan to move to Portugal and travel Europe changed when they realised the climate would be warmer in the winter months in Asia, making the jump to move 5,800 miles away.
Leaving with just two suitcases and a backpack each, the couple reckon they spend an average of £1,800 each month compared to their £2,200 per month costs in the UK. They also bring in an estimated £2,500 monthly from their rentals.
They don’t plan to return to live in the UK and have a five-year Destination Thailand Visa (DTV) – which allows them to both live and work remotely there. With plans to continue world-schooling their sons, so far they say they are “thriving” in their new life.
Ryan, originally from Cambridge, said: “We had a plan basically of how to get out of the UK and that was through property. But I think we obviously had a good life in the UK, but it got to a point where I guess we felt that the UK wasn’t the right place for us to live and bring up kids.
“The cost of living is insane. We’ve got two boys and at some point they are going to want to go out on their own and we don’t feel the UK is a safe country anymore because knife crime is massive and I don’t want one of the kids being a statistic of knife crime anymore.
“The school system is a very outdated system. For us, the whole concept of life is backwards because you’ve got to go to school, work and then enjoy life when you’re 68 years old.
“Who knows one, if you’ll be alive then and then two, health-wise what that will be. This way we’re teaching the kids everything.
“They know how to read, write, maths, English etc and then learn the skills they don’t get taught at school. We both class ourselves as retired because the property work requires minimal upkeep and effort.”
Mum Jess said they got caught up in the “monotony” of school runs back in the UK. “Every time I’d pick Noah up from school I’d ask ‘how was your day blah blah blah’,” she said.
“He’d say ‘these kids were naughty today’ or ‘these kids got their names on the board’ and I never heard positive things. I thought ‘what’s the point?’.
“I feel like a lot of the school day is spent controlling the class and troublesome kids. How much is actually spent learning?”
After buying her first flat at 20 for £120,000, Jess rented it out and the couple bought their second flat for £145,000 after they saved up some money while travelling and working abroad for two-and-a-half years – visiting 27 countries. They went ahead and sold it for £183,000, before buying another two-bed flat £190,000 – and finally buying their four-bed family home in 2021.
Renting them all out either through Airbnb or with private tenants, they have been able to retire early after bringing in £2,500 per month.
“Obviously we still have the house in the UK and if this all fails, we’ll simply go back,” Ryan said. “We’ve done nearly six months already and I don’t see us ever returning, not in a living capacity but literally just to visit the family.
“It’s crazy we lived in the house and all we travel with is two large suitcases and a backpack each. It makes you realise you don’t need much in life.”
Flying out in February to Chang Mai, after their 60-day tourist visa expired they crossed the border to Laos and applied for their five-year DTV. Since then, they have travelled around Thailand, including visits to Chang Rai, Bangkok, Udon Thani and Kanchanaburi. Currently in Koh Samui, they plan to visit Malaysia and Singapore next.
“The plan still is to travel the world, but having a base in Asia makes it easier,” Ryan said. “We’ve basically got freedom and don’t have to be anywhere by a certain date or time.
“It’s just the four of us and we pretty much go with the flow. It’s just nice being free”.
The couple have stayed in a mixture of Airbnbs, apartments and hotels and only usually book their next spot a few days in advance. They don’t budget, but Ryan said he made a note of everything they spend and they have been eating out for lunch and dinner since their travels began.
“We’re quite fine with the simple life, like eating Thai food,” he said. “We don’t drink alcohol or go to bars or fancy restaurants.
“The rolling average from the last five months is £1,800 for the month for four of us. We were everyday people, just a normal family who had a dream to get out and travel the world and give our kids a different life.
“I can understand it can be scary because it’s going into the unknown and going away from your family and friends, home comforts and everything. But if you don’t try it out, how do you know you’re not going to like it?”
You can follow Ryan and Jess on Instagram and YouTube @blackleysabroad TikTok @travelwiththeblackleys.
Ryan and Jess’ cost breakdown
UK costs per month
Mortgage – £1,459
Bills – £427
Food – £400
Total: £2,296
Thailand costs in July
Accommodation – £790
Food – £350 a month
Other – Days out, transport, miscellaneous- average per month £420
Total: £1,560
Rolling average per month: £1,800
