How Much To Live Reasonable?

[jimmy5L]

Hi folks,

I have been reading most of these pages and would like to re-start “yes again!” a famous question: how much money does somebody need to live reasonable in Thailand (Bangkok, Pattaya or Chiangmai). I found some topics but they where from 2002/2004.

And I mean reasonable with:

A 40sq m. appartement (1 bedroom) with swimming pool and internet

Eat thai most of the time

Small scooter (ok, not in BKK)

Go lake fishing ones a week

One beer a day

visarun

I mean normal easy living!

Or, how well do I live with 1200 $US considering the above standards?

I have been many times to BKK but holiday living is always different; normally I spend something like a 1000 bht on food and entertainment a day plus 500 for a hotel! (Yes 45k p/m)

Also, if I decided to stay in BKK, is it possible to find a apart with swimming pool near the chao praya (walking distance to the boat ferry) for 15k + 3k elec and water?

sorry for the boring question but . . .

jimmy

[suegha]

I can't give you detail as I don't know about the places yu mention. However, on $1200 (I take it you mean per month) you will have no problem with what you mention.

[rainman]

A 40sq m. appartement (1 bedroom) with swimming pool and internet

>> 15,000 for the apartment (supalai standards) + 900 for internet.

Eat thai most of the time

>> no idea, i eat thai maybe 2-3 times per week. say 6,500/month?

Small scooter (ok, not in BKK)

>> no idea.

Go lake fishing ones a week

>> almost free, i assume..

One beer a day

>> no idea. dont drink 40 baht/day? 1200/month?

visarun

> around 2000 baht/month, plus snacks.

so calculating only that, you're at about 25,000/month. well under 1,000 USD.

[Patsycat]

Why no dancing? because we are 5000 miles away ya wally!!

[simcity]

Hi folks,

I have been reading most of these pages and would like to re-start “yes again!” a famous question: how much money does somebody need to live reasonable in Thailand (Bangkok, Pattaya or Chiangmai). I found some topics but they where from 2002/2004.

And I mean reasonable with:

A 40sq m. appartement (1 bedroom) with swimming pool and internet

Eat thai most of the time

Small scooter (ok, not in BKK)

Go lake fishing ones a week

One beer a day

visarun

I mean normal easy living!

Or, how well do I live with 1200 $US considering the above standards?

I have been many times to BKK but holiday living is always different; normally I spend something like a 1000 bht on food and entertainment a day plus 500 for a hotel! (Yes 45k p/m)

Also, if I decided to stay in BKK, is it possible to find a apart with swimming pool near the chao praya (walking distance to the boat ferry) for 15k + 3k elec and water?

sorry for the boring question but . . .

jimmy

Do a search , get the figure ( about 50000 baht ) and add 10% increase ( inflation ) for the last 6 months !

[Totster]

One beer a day

>> no idea. dont drink 40 baht/day? 1200/month?

May as well buy three bottles and call it bt100 a day...

totster

[jimmy5L]

Hi folks,

Thanks so far for the replies, but euh . . . simcity mentioned that the inflation for the past 6 months was about 10 %, woah, I mean that’s a lot per year (or only the last 6 months??), if it keeps rising, I be better of here in Europe!

Simcity, can you explain me some more about this inflation??

jimmy!

[jimmy5L]

Patsycat, I don’t get your reply,

Why no dancing? Cause we are 5000 miles away??

Wally?? Euhh . . . you mean Wally George??

[Tingnongnoi]

Also, if I decided to stay in BKK, is it possible to find a apart with swimming pool near the chao praya (walking distance to the boat ferry) for 15k + 3k elec and water?

sorry for the boring question but . . .

jimmy

you should be able to find something like that around the Pinklao area

[simcity]

Hi folks,

Thanks so far for the replies, but euh . . . simcity mentioned that the inflation for the past 6 months was about 10 %, woah, I mean that’s a lot per year (or only the last 6 months??), if it keeps rising, I be better of here in Europe!

Simcity, can you explain me some more about this inflation??

jimmy!

Jimmy the cost of living have really increase the last 6-9 months , everything from service to food ! due to petrol cost and other cost! before it was under control but now it is rampant .

the baht got stronger the last 3 months and that is balancing a bit,

now it is election time , i will not be surprise to see some hidden agenda after the election.

the economy is not doing well at all ! export and tourist lame!

mobile cost and internet cost went down !

taxi is the same !

what i find with the thai system is they hiding everything to the public and drop the bomb in one go ! instead of keeping in track of what happen .

what my point was , find the spending module you like from a search in visa.com and add a 10 % extra on it !

[jimmy5L]

Ok, thx Simcity,

I left BKK in February (3 month Holliday) and from now on I only go during the European winter months for 3 or 4 months (until I move too BKK or . . .), my first question was based on like if it is possible AND what other people think of “living in Thailand with 1200 us $”. (1200 is all I got! And I don’t want to work anymore!)

Here in France it’s surviving . . .

Like you mentioned, the petrol price went up (here too) I remember filling up my scooter on Kho Chang, and each time they added a couple cents per / liter, still cheap but . . .

One thing is the airplane ticket, they are going sky high! Three years ago I paid like 800 euros for a ticket, now under 1100 is hard to find!

Anyway, thx again

jimmy

[Thaiquila]

No problem to live on that, but you would have to avoid alot of temptations.

[monochaser]

Patsycat, I don’t get your reply,

Why no dancing? Cause we are 5000 miles away??

Wally?? Euhh . . . you mean Wally George??

Wally George is awesome. where is he now?

[jimmy5L]

He monochaser

Wally George died in 2003, ever seen Wally George “hot seat”???

Are you from LA??

[simcity]

Some people live with less, depends who you are .

Depends of your need and your age !

Will you monthly will keep up with inflation?

If you having a middle life crises and only a income of 1200 US a month I find it in a dangerous ground.

Remember some high cost as visa run / trip home / medical .

Help sometime someone, if you do not have enough to live a tip in a restaurant, well do not go out !

Yes you will have a much better option here as France, my original country.

You mention :

Go lake fishing ones a week , where will you go ? Kanchanaburi ? if you find a nice place let me know , but the hotel have to accept me and a small dog !

If you are miserable in France better to be miserable here LOL, but remember you do not have the free service as the liberte / egalite / fratanite country !

Google here a lot of post has been reply regarding cost of living .

[Storekeeper]

$1200 is like 45,000 baht plus a month ... if you ain't got no dependents and are a mature , responsible person then 45K is more than adequate for an "early to bed ... early to rise" type of fella.

[monochaser]

I can't even live on double 45k, I need a minimum of 100k for decent lifestyle in BKK. If you dont mind a meager existence in a closet sized BKK Apt you can do it

[jimmy5L]

thx all for the replies

Whow, monochaser needs a minimum of 100k for descent lifestyle; I don’t even spend that much on a holiday! (have you been running everyday after the girls/boys?)

No, last winter I spend 3 months in Thailand (1 ½ month in BKK), my days where like: wake up early and go to the (hotel) gym and/or swimming pool, at noon find some Thai food, then I wander in china town and or the chao praya ferry (white flag), then go to KSR (not far from my 500 bht hotel) and have dinner with a beer or pepsi and watch a film, so I wasted like 1000 (maximum 1500)!

I know now that there are extra charges like dentist, visarun, “andwhat??”

I’m 45 years old so more like KSR type then a Nana plaza type! (Maybe this has nothing to do with age!)

Simcity, for lake fishing, there is a small lake not far from BKK airport with giant Mekong fish (150kg and more), you can catch easily 10 / 40 kg fish, the real big ones belong to the King and you are not supposed to catch them, but you can see them and feed them near the entry!

[monochaser]

My rent alone is 55K

[lukrung]

!!!! 55k !!!!

where the hel_l are you living Monochaser? In a penthouse?

[monochaser]

No, just a 2 BR Apt. I looked at some penthouses and they were north of 100K. I dont have that kind of cash to burn. 55k is nothing in central BKK for a decent 2BR

Edited July 1, 2006 by monochaser

[jimmy5L]

My rent alone is 55K

I have been looking for some « 55 000 bht 2 bedroom condos» (you can see the photos!), really really nice, I would love to live in a place like that! But I guess that’s just not possible with my monthly income!

Hé, monochaser, you work for Bill Gates? Can you get me a job with Microsoft before Billy goes?

[monochaser]

LOL, yes it would be nice to work for old Billy boy. The closest I got to that was owning some of his stock in the late 90s and yes I made some good money on it that helped me get to where I am today. His stock is a good value even now! Hot tip

[thankuverybig]

jeez,55k,call me a peasant,but im only paying 2000 baht per month,for a very large room with bathroom,in the center of a busy town.

good to hear about the lake fishing in bangkok.something different than the usual.

[jimmy5L]

The name of the fishing park is bungsamran fishing park!

http://geocities.com/bungsamran/introduction.html

It’s something different, even if you have never fished before and know nothing about fishing (girls!!!), here you will catch big fish, and have a good time, you can see and feed the 250 kg fish at the entrée, when I go fishing I always catch at least 5 10kg ones, ones I got more then 20 fishes, and I’m not a specialist!

They have fishing parks in Thailand everywhere, good one in Pattaya is JomtienFishingPark

http://www.geocities.com/zoomfishing/JomtienFishingPark.html

smaller then the one in Bangkok but you can catch 10 / 20 kg fish, they have bigger ones but I have never seen them!

The best place to fish in Thailand is the Mekong river, but maybe somebody else knows more, I have never fished there!

Good fishing, jimmy!

[monochaser]

jeez,55k,call me a peasant,but im only paying 2000 baht per month,for a very large room with bathroom,in the center of a busy town.

good to hear about the lake fishing in bangkok.something different than the usual.

Good for you pal, that'll keep expenses at bay. My place is 55k for a 165 sq mtr dump in the middle of sukhumvit a stone's throw from the sky train and some key nightlife spots. This area has become shockingly expensive. Believe it or not, at 55k it is actually a good deal compared to other Apts and condos in the area. Nearby 100 sq condos are fetching 40-50k easy so I get a lot more room for same cash and better location

[Boon Mee]

Wow!

Wish I could be like monochaser

[meadish_sweetball]

The truth is you can spend as little or much as you want, almost... and you yourself are the judge of what constitutes a decent standard of living.

Monochaser obviously prioritizes living in a central location and is willing to pay for that privilege. Somebody with less cash or other priorities can find a liveable place in Bangkok for as low as 3000-4000 per month (but obviously not as conveniently located and not the same standard by far). Many English teachers and long-term tourists do.

If you eat street food, avoid drinking or only get drunk on cheap Thai booze, wash your own clothes, travel by bus, don't use the aircon much, etc. you can cut costs pretty heavily. Some people argue that this is not a comfortable life, but it all depends on your starting outlook.

With 45.000 per month only for yourself, you can travel by taxi and skytrain, eat and drink pretty well at midrange establishments, and live in a clean, well-maintained place in a central/central fringe area. You can also get yourself a basic health insurance for 10,000 per year or so (worth it if something major should happen). In other words, not bad by most people's standards, and certainly better than many Thais. You will probably have money to go on local holidays every now and then as well.

However, when you start looking at supporting others or starting a family, you may struggle with only that kind of money.

[jimmy5L]

Thx for your reply Meadish,

Monochasers apartment is too much but I don’t want to live in a box either. Now I think I can get a good apartment (with swimming pool) for 15 000 + 2 or 3 000 for elec and the rest, 300 on food a day (Thai and sometimes a burger). I never take a taxi, always boat ferry, bus or sky train. And the one evening beer is not going to ruin my wallet! + I got some money in the bank for emergences!

Like I said; a “normal” life between the life of euhh . . . Bill Gates and a Thai Monk (and I respect both!!!)

You think many farangs live with around 45 000 bht in BKK?

[monochaser]

You can scrape by on that without being a poverty packer, I suspect, without much trouble. Certainly 15K will give you a decent larger box in a decent location