What Students Say About
Lanna Ledger

Starting Point

The Mitchells had lived in Thailand for eleven years and knew very little about how their Thai bank accounts actually worked. They were uncertain about their pension income from the UK and worried about healthcare costs as they got older. Frank described feeling "embarrassed to have left it so long."

What Helped

They completed The First Joint together, then Building the Frame. The session on healthcare planning in The Finished Piece — which Eleanor attended alone while Frank was travelling — gave her the framework she needed to start a proper conversation with a licensed advisor about what they should put in place before turning 65.

What Changed

After three programmes over 18 months, they felt clear enough about their situation to act. They opened a fixed deposit account, set up a savings routine for Frank's consultancy income, and finally arranged a meeting with a licensed financial advisor with a list of considered questions — something they had never managed before.

Starting Point

Nattapong earned a reasonable income but had never developed consistent saving habits. Money came in and went out without any clear structure. At 47, he wanted to start thinking about the next twenty years but did not know where to begin.

What Helped

He started with Building the Frame (having done basic budgeting elsewhere). The worksheet on saving routines — specifically the one about automating transfers — was something he said "changed my relationship with my monthly salary entirely." He found the midway discussion particularly valuable for troubleshooting his specific situation.

What Changed

Within three months of completing the course, Nattapong had set up a standing transfer to a fixed deposit account and reduced his unplanned spending noticeably. He described not feeling anxious about money in the way he had before — "not because I have more, but because I understand where it goes."

Starting Point

Marion moved to Chiang Mai after retirement and found herself in an unfamiliar financial landscape. Her New Zealand pension came in monthly but she had no sense of how Thai banking worked, what savings options were available, or how to plan for healthcare costs.

What Helped

She found The First Joint "exactly the right pace for settling in." The Finished Piece, which she did the following year, walked her through Thai healthcare planning and the basics of insurance products in a way that was "more useful than anything I found online." She appreciated that the educator always made clear when a topic required a licensed professional's guidance.

What Changed

Marion now has a clear picture of her monthly income, a savings account she monitors weekly, and a healthcare plan she understands. "I feel like I arrived here at 60 with a foggy window and Lanna Ledger helped me clean it. I can see what is in front of me now."