Mark J. Grygiel & Associates

02/08/2026

I’ve long been fascinated by 7‑Eleven stores, and I’ll share more about that and 7‑Eleven’s huge success in Thailand in my next post.

By the way, I live near this university too.

Panyapiwat Institute of Management (PIM) & 7‑Eleven Thailand

Panyapiwat Institute of Management (PIM), on Chaeng Wattana Road in Pak Kret, Nonthaburi (about 20 km north of downtown Bangkok), is a Thai private university founded in 2007 by CP All, the retail arm of the CP Group that operates 7‑Eleven convenience stores in Thailand.

Ownership and structure:
· CP All was established in 1988 by the Charoen Pokphand (CP) Group to run 7‑Eleven stores under license from 7‑Eleven, Inc. (USA), with the first Thai store opening on Patpong Road in 1989.
· As of 2025, CP All operates more than 15,000 7‑Eleven stores nationwide.
· PIM began as Panyapiwat Institute of Technology in 2007 and was renamed Panyapiwat Institute of Management in 2011.

CP All’s linked school system. CP All runs a small family of connected institutions rather than just one university:

· Panyapiwat Technological College (PAT) – vocational level, established 2004.
· Panyapiwat Institute of Management (PIM) – university level, established 2007.
· PIM Demonstration School (Satit PIM), established 2017.
· PIM EEC campus in the Eastern Economic Corridor, established 2019.

Work‑based learning in practice: PIM’s defining feature is work‑based education: students complete structured internships inside CP All and its partner companies, supervised jointly by PIM staff and company professionals. Graduates are explicitly prepared to take roles at CP All and partner businesses, including 7‑Eleven operations.

Scale: PIM offers bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees across multiple faculties and programs, positioning itself as Thailand’s first and largest corporate university. It remains mid‑sized overall; specific figures (such as MBA enrollment) are not consistently published in open sources, so exact numbers should be treated as approximate.

The big picture: CP All doesn’t just recruit from the open labor market; it has built a vertically integrated education pipeline (vocational college → university → company internships) so that a significant share of its 7‑Eleven staff and managers have effectively trained inside the company before being formally hired.

Nice one!

07/07/2026

Don't fall prey to those Western, Thailand-based YouTubers, who boast about the "live like royalty in Thailand for next to nothing" fantasy bu****it. They're just chasing clicks for cash and kicks.

I’ve been living in Bangkok and its 'Burbs for thirty years as a bone fide quality-over-quantity minimalist: single, no kids, no pets, no car, no motorcycle, no bicycle etc.

Here's what I know from my own experience.

Can you live in Thailand on $1,000 a month?
Technically, yes you can.
Comfortably? No, you can’t.

However, it depends heavily on where you are geographically: Bangkok, Phuket, Chiangmai, Pattaya (Chonburi), Buriram (Isarn), and all the other regions and provinces each reveal very different stories.

Here's breakdown for financial lifestyle levels in Bangkok:

30,000 THB (~$1,000/month): You're treading water. If you're a person, who occasionally wants a good steak, a bottle of wine, a round of golf, a date, a weekend trip to Koh Samui or somewhere else in the region, then this budget makes all of that a luxury rather than a lifestyle.

60,000 THB (~$2,000/month): Noticeably better quality of life.

90,000–100,000 THB (~$3,000/month): The sweet spot. You can live like a minimalist prince (not a king, but comfortably close).

120,000-150,000 THB (~$3,500-$5,000/month): A genuinely elevated level of comfort. The cream at the top of a pint of Guinness.

Your basic monthly expenses will include: rent, electricity, water, Internet, mobile phone service, food, beverages, laundry, maid service, toiletries, transportation, visas, insurance, entertainment, and memberships; all of which will fluctuate based on your habits and circumstances.

At the end of the day, it comes down to your lifestyle, health, and what you actually need to feel “nice and comfy”.

Thailand can still be quite affordable, but just don’t believe some YouTuber's stupid, hyped-up, AI-generated thumbnail sketch to lure you into a false sense of reality.

10/05/2026

🎣 After 30 years in Thailand, I've finally put it all together — the 2026 Edition of my guide to Exotic Freshwater Fishing Parks of Thailand is here!

From Arapaima and Giant Mekong Catfish to Alligator Gar, Amazon Redtail, Giant Siamese Carp, and Freshwater Stingray — Thailand's purpose-built fisheries are home to some of the most incredible monster fish on the planet. 🐟💪

Whether you're a seasoned angler or planning your first fishing trip to the Land of Smiles, this guide covers everything you need to know to land the fish of a lifetime.

📖 Check it out and let me know what you think in the comments!

03/05/2026

🗺️ The 2025–2026 Bangkok Neighbourhood Guide is here!

After 30 years living and working in Bangkok, I've put together the most practical, no-fluff guide to navigating this city's neighbourhoods — whether you're relocating, investing, or just trying to figure out where you actually want to live.

This isn't a tourist brochure. It's insider knowledge from someone who's seen Bangkok evolve decade-by-decade.

📌 Which areas suit expat families?
📌 Where's the best value for renters?
📌 What's changed and what hasn't?

Drop a comment or DM me to get your copy. 👇

01/05/2026

I decided to make a guide on being a Digital Nomad in Thailand.

🇹🇭 The 2026 Digital Nomad Thailand Guide is here, and this one pulls no punches.

After 30 years on the ground in Bangkok, I've put together the guide I wish existed when I arrived: the DTV visa explained properly, the 180-day tax residency rule in plain English, Bangkok vs. Chiang Mai (the honest version), the best co-working spaces, and what life here actually costs.

No fluff. No outdated info. Just real answers from someone who lives it every day.

26/04/2026

I decided to make a report on condos in Bangkok because there's so much noise out there on this topic. This should quiet things down a bit.

🏙️ The Bangkok Condominium Market Report 2025 is out.

If you're thinking about buying, investing, or even renting in Bangkok, then this is the data you need before you make a move.

I've tracked the full calendar year (January – December 2025) so you get the complete picture: pricing trends, which districts are moving, what's overpriced, and where the real value still exists.

This isn't a developer brochure. It's an independent read from someone with 30 years on the ground here: no agenda, no listings to push.

📊 Want a copy? Drop a comment or send me a message directly.
WhatsApp: +66 81 562 3825

01/04/2026

Well, I can only speak from personal experience, but as an American, who is a single, bona fide minimalist (no kids, no wife, no girlfriend, no dog, no cat, no fish, no car, no motorcycle, no bike etc., and who enjoys/prefers renting, and has been in Bangkok and the 'Burbs for 30 years now, to live off of only US$1,000 monthly is still possible in Thailand, but the overall quality of life mainly depends on your provincial location: Phuket, Chiangmai, Bangkok, Cholburi (Pattaya), Buriram (Isarn), etc.

However, for almost any given Westerner in Bangkok, who doesn't need a good steak, a bottle of wine, a round of golf, a trip to Koh Samui, a trip in the region, a good cigar, or a date on any type of regular basis, then 30,000 monthly is basically impossible.

I know for a fact that US$1,000 monthly is not comfortable at all. But by doubling it, you'll have a much better overall quality of life. However, the sweeter spot is US$3,000, and then you can live like a minimalist prince, but not a king. And I’m still talking Bangkok, mind you.

Now, to get to another level of rather royal comfort here, I'd say a maximum of about US$5,000 monthly.

So, to summarize, I would say 30,000 THB is just treading water (huffing and puffing too), 60,000 THB up to 100,000 are the number ranges to be in, and anything over that, and up to 150,000 THB, is simply the cream at the top of a pint of Guinness.

At the end of the day, it all comes down to personal lifestyle, financial (psychological) blueprint, attitude and design, and wants/needs.

These are basically all your expenses, and will fluctuate for a wide variety of reasons: rent, electricity, insurance, laundry, maid, Internet, smartphone, water, visas, insurance, entertainment, memberships, food, beverage, toiletries, and transportation.

And that is the truth.

Cheers, and best regards.

21/03/2026

As an employee, a small business owner and a consultant, I have been involved in a wide variety of occupations and ventures here in Thailand over three decades, but if I list them all, it'll just sound like a CV, so...

I can improve almost any business in some way, shape or form, and get things done for others based on my unique skills set, and overall lifestyle, as I'm a minimalist, who has eschewed a more traditional/conventional lifestyle.

This allows me to have extreme levels of freedom and flexibility so I can totally focus on any specific task, personal interaction/communication or project.

A virtual meeting is, of course, possible but, better yet, if you're already in Bangkok, then how about coffee, because nothing beats an authentic, "old skool", face-to-face conversation.

30/12/2025

If it ever comes to complete fruition, let's hope it doesn't end up being like Forest City in Malaysia:

Thailand unveils “Bangkok 2,” a THB1.34T smart city in Chonburi set to drive innovation, sustainability, and regional growth.

28/12/2025

https://youtu.be/7jS7aV568IA?si=-VyX17Q0DlvMOQHr

Thailand might be famous for its beaches and temples but beneath the surface lies a massive hidden economy. In this deep-dive explainer, ASIAN BOSS breaks do...