Written by AFP
CHIANG MAI, Thailand - Hitting tennis balls across a tree-lined court in Thailand's mountainous north, Connie Chen's weekly private training session is a luxury the Chinese national could barely afford when she lived in Shanghai.
China implemented some of the world's toughest Covid restrictions during the pandemic, putting hundreds of millions of people under prolonged lockdowns. In the aftermath, younger citizens -- exhausted by gruelling and unrewarding jobs -- are taking flight to escape abroad.
With a relatively easy process for one-year study visas, a slower pace of living and cheap living costs, Thailand's second-largest city Chiang Mai has become a popular destination.
"During the pandemic, the desire for freedom became stronger," Chen, a 26-year-old former bank worker, told AFP.
In China's financial capital Shanghai -- hit by some of the strictest pandemic lockdowns -- Chen had a stable, well-paid job, but was unhappy with the career path that lay ahead of her.
After the pandemic, Chen knew something had to change.
"Even if I kept doing this job for the rest of my life, it would just be like this," she said.
"But life is so short that I want to try something different."
Written by AFP
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