MEET Ryan Kemp — a Horwich-born entrepreneur who has enjoyed a whirlwind rags-to-riches adventure after moving to Thailand to teach English.

The 26-year-old had already started his own advertising company in the UK, but he moved abroad to escape the troubled British economy during the credit crunch.

He started work as an English teacher but, using his entrepreneurial instinct, soon realised there was an opportunity to build a business in the country.

With a “wealthy partner”, the former Rivington and Blackrod High School student took over the WECI language school which works to fill English teaching positions in Thai schools.

The pair more than doubled the turnover of the business in the first six months.

Mr Kemp grew up in Nuttall Avenue, Horwich, and worked for the Elements nightclub firm before leaving the UK. He said: “My life has changed from the old Bolton days and anyone can do it, particularly if you have a degree.

“In Thailand, for just £600 per month you can eat out every night, be in the classroom teaching in the week and on the beach sunbathing by the weekend.”

Mr Kemp, who speaks fluent Thai, rents a large house for £1,400 a month, but said smaller two-bedroom homes with air conditioning and a garden cost as little as £150 a month.

There is no council tax and utility bills are £60 to £80 a month.

Teachers earn three times as much as the average Thai wage.

The budding businessman, who is also involved in a company based in the Philippines which exports socks to the UK and Europe, said that if people were not scared and were willing to make the move, then they could live like a king. He added: “I speak fluent Thai, but you don’t need to speak the language.

“The girls are also beautiful and well educated. It is not the stereotypical Thailand people envisage.

“The quality of life is far superior pound-for-pound, and my main message is to those graduates that don’t want the typical nine-to-five job to get in touch.

“I am just a young lad from Horwich, but I hope people can learn from me that you can be a success overseas.”

People can email Mr Kemp at wecibusiness@live.com