Hey AAI.
Just for the record...all this nonsense about being an expat or not is self-serving and just plain bs. It all depends on your personal circumstances. You know...almost all .. save a couple ...of the furlough ac pilots that went abroad to earn expat dollars have returned to AC now. And I know the 2 I am referring to personally and they will be returning at some very soon date as well. What does that tell you? They tasted both, and made a choice. You may be making after tax dollars more than another dude at your level, but the formula is so much more. When you grow up and have kids...and your buddy is 320 Capt at AC and all settled in...what are you gonna do? Move your kids around all over the place from contract to contract? Or maybe you'll commute to Canada and see your family for 1 week a month and be bagged the rest. You will die young doing that my man. Or maybe you think you will raise em in Thailand? Good luck with that....you know alot of contracts don't pay for education of your kids and the cost of it over there is going to eat all your profits. Then when you turn 60, your buddy who will be retiring as B777 Capt with a 6 figure pension for life, and is already a golf pro because he has been playing all his life, where you have been on contract and already have one foot in the grave. Or....your contract company will phase out your AC when your 50..and because they aren't obligated to you...(employment law ain't so good abroad)...you will be moving again! Or...you medical out...and uh-oh...your contract agency isn't obligated to carry you on that either. As you see...there is alot more to look at than just that extra couple grand you take home every month. Oh yeah...you spend it on your monthly vacations.
