BabyJebus

Since I live in the San Francisco bay area the cost of living is hugely higher than most of the US. I currently spend about 7-8k a month. So wouldn't it be safe to say that I would do fairly well on the 3-4k a month budget? One wife and one kid for international school in Chiang Mai. Or am I being completely unrealistic?

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I think you're being unrealistic, if you expect to maintain the same lifestyle. Check out the cost of the cars you are now driving in LOS. It's shocking. Remember, you can't own land in LOS so that's a dilemma. Build a home or buy one and it's on someone else's land. Sure, homes are expensive in SF, but you can't own real estate at all in LOS.

Private schools you'd want to use aren't cheap. The items your family is used to buying at the grocery store are very much more expensive, or aren't available, or can't be trusted for cleanliness and quality.

Yep, Kalifornicate is very expensive, and SF is among the worst, so you have a bit of advantage in comparing, but not enough. Now, if you had the $7 or 8k US in LOS, maybe you could do it. I say maybe becuase a lot of what you're family is used to simply isn't available and you'd have to import it at great cost.

Let be realistic, my friend owns a place in San Francisco (I rent) it ran him $700,000 (so the mortgage payments are around $3700/mo), the rent on a similar sized place (and quality) in Chiang Mai is 15,000 - 30,000 baht ($500 - $1000). So conservatively you are saving 60% on rent alone.

Now the cost of a car, you don't really need one in Chiang Mai, but even if you had one the costs are going to be about the same. You'll pay more in the initial purchase but there is less deprecation and maintenance is cheaper.

Next we have food, it's hard to go out and each for less then $8/pp in the Bay Area, realistically it's a lot more then that. So obviously eating out is cheaper in Chiang Mai. But how about the super market and cooking at home? I'm fairly frugal and it costs me $50/wk in groceries (but I also eat out every day for lunch). Now the costs scale with a family, so lets say $100/wk (most families I know are actually double to triple that). So again you are saving money in Thailand but how much depends entirely on the how much western food you want.

Finally we have the school expenses, this is the one case where Chiang Mai is more expensive then the bay area (assuming you are sending your kids to public school). The top international schools run from 250,000 - 500,000 baht a year, that comes out to ~20,000 - 42,000 a month. In the end this is what determines if it's cheaper in Thailand for a family with children.

Obviously given the budget he is suggesting $3000 - $4000/mo it will be extremely tight with tuition that high, but it will still be possible to have a comfortable lifestyle (just no savings). However with the $8000/mo they are living on at home they would be living very well.

But please, don't let facts ruin a good rant

Now change all of this and compare the bay area with living in the most expensive parts of bangkok and you got an accurate portrayal of the difference as chiang mai is the cheapest and smallest of the big cities in thailand.

Just a good school for 1 kid will run you 60-100k baht per month. A similar type of accomodation around 80-130k and the restaurants are gonna be around the same price.

I have no knowledge of the busses yet I possess a ticket to travel on Sunday,wake up and smell the coffee old chap

Old chap if you think busses are good and inexpensive in the UK you have never been on NakhonChai Air. How much to go 600k in the UK? How much by taxi, old chap? I go 60K in a new AC taxi for 250 baht.

Again mr genius you are comparing one small region of thailand. In phuket 250b is the price to SIT in the tuktuk(taxi starts higher)

Most small towns in thailand have NO transportation system. In the west you have buses in every little town.

And people comparing bangkok taxis and BTS to the subway in other country are not even considering monthly pass. Monthly pass in the west makes it cheaper than in thailand.

Have you actually been to Thailand?

à

Have you got enough brains to prove me wrong? Get me the price for using the BTS 4 times a day then compare it with a monthly pass in the west.

BTS will be up to 2x more expensive.

But its easier to act like an ass isnt it?

Back home for an unlimited pass its 1200 per month and unlike in bangkok the subway actually gets EVERYWHERE in the city. You never end up 5km away from a location. For that price you'll never need a taxi or anything else. Way cheaper than it would cost to travel around bangkok for a month.

I must say, after reading this entire thread. BJ, complete bummer. All the evidence Ive seen and experienced and most of the posters here seem to confirm, your world does not exist except for you. I can only hope that whatever it is that has you suffering this way is soon relieved. All of my expats friends, most Canadians, all confirm the cost of most import items is far outweighed by the cheapness of everything else. Perhaps one's lifestyle needs to be more closely aligned with ones means? And yes I know. I don't currently live in The LOS. Flame away. Have been about twenty times over the last 15 years with my Thai wife and child. Will be moving to Chiang Mai on $3-4k budget. I think and can muddle through my existence on that? Imports or not?

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Again you're comparing people living the poor lifestyle.

Middle Class lifestyle in Thailand is way more expensive than middle class lifestyle in Canada. I do not care how cheap it is to be an old fella banging ugly hookers and eating rice with 3calories of pork on the top, thats not a realistic category to put the average people in.

As i said a million time. Give me a list of exact items with their AVERAGE thai price. Not small village price and i'll find most of them for the same price or cheaper in Canada as long as its an item of decent quality. Dont give me 7weeks old uniced meat, give me the decent quality meat from the supermarket.

The only thing you'll find is cheap dirty appartments and rundown houses and prostitutes, not much of anything else.

I think im qualified enough as i owned a restaurant here and the only people we know all own and work in local restaurants.

Thais are unhealthy like people from ghettos in the west. They have no idea what they put in their mouth and they cant stop themselves from eating mama noodles and a bunch of deep fried disease infected meats left to rot in the sun. The average thai is getting fatter and in 10years they'll be just like our good friend of the america's texas.

Seriously everytime i hit 7/11 at 1-2am for some milk there's always at least 4-5 people and very often with their 2-7years old kids getting dirty snacks and a coke slurpee. When its earlier people are lining up for the deep fried sausage in the cart next to 7 . When that cart drives into my moobaan there's minimum 5 people everyday who buy for 100+baht of deep fried crap and we only have 25 house in the moobaan. Half of those being fed that are kids.

I have no knowledge of the busses yet I possess a ticket to travel on Sunday,wake up and smell the coffee old chap

Old chap if you think busses are good and inexpensive in the UK you have never been on NakhonChai Air. How much to go 600k in the UK? How much by taxi, old chap? I go 60K in a new AC taxi for 250 baht.

Again mr genius you are comparing one small region of thailand. In phuket 250b is the price to SIT in the tuktuk(taxi starts higher)

Most small towns in thailand have NO transportation system. In the west you have buses in every little town.

And people comparing bangkok taxis and BTS to the subway in other country are not even considering monthly pass. Monthly pass in the west makes it cheaper than in thailand.

Actually I have zero intention of marrying anyone again ever for any reason, been there done that twice. I even have less intentions of supporting anyone's family at any time ever. I really don't care whether that is the way it has always been done here, it will not happen in my future, so that point is moot. Just in case, I am in my early 60s so a lot of that attitude is real life experience. As far as costs of women in Canada (my life experience) as opposed to here, it is easily comparable if not more expensive in Canada, to wit: A simple Friday night out with the GF – meet at the pub to hobnob with the regulars over a TGIF bevvy; $15.00 depending on your poison. Off to dinner to, let's say the local Thai restaurant (there were several good ones in my hometown) we order 4 different items at $7.50 each a $15.00 bottle of wine (not a wine fan so the GF used to order the cheap stuff) for a total $45.00 plus tip - $50.00. Then we walk to the movie theatre to catch the latest (over my protests) Jennifer Aniston flick, add munchies and drinks, approximately $50.00. After the movie we wander over to a different pub where many or our pals hangout. Two hours of laughs, a round bought for the GF's co-workers who drop by for a visit and we decide to call it a night, the tab comes to $70.00 including tip. Cab home $15.00. The total comes to $200.00 (6,000 baht). If you think you're getting any by asking her to split the tab you are definitely living in a dream world. Won't happen. Make this a special night that includes fine dinning and the theatre or a concert and you can easily bump the price to $300.00 plus (9,000 baht). Think about what you can do here on one night with 6,000 baht.

This is all a digression of course since the original post commented that the cost of items here is more expensive than “back home.” I totally disagree with that on almost all levels, there are exceptions, computer tech was mentioned. As someone said, it's a matter of choice(s) and I completely agree with that to an extent. For instance, you can live here in a 30,000 baht ($1,000.00)per month apartment and you will live very, very well. You can also live in a 6,000 baht ($200.00) apartment (in CM you can) and live comfortably. You can also live in a very small $1,000.00 per month apartment in one of the poorer areas of Toronto but, you cannot, in any stretch of the imagination find any accommodation in any area of Toronto for $200.00 per month, cable and internet costs that much. You can choose to got to a high end restaurant in CM and spend 1,500 baht on fine meal for two, you can also eat quality Thai food (I happen to like Thai food) for 200 baht for two. You cannot eat fine dinning for $45.00 in Canada and you cannot eat a cheap meal (out) for $6.00, can't be done. To say costs here are comparable in an all over expendables basket is an error. Just saying.

Seriously comparing Chiang mai with toronto? Maybe compare is with a midsized noname town in the middle of saskatchawan. You'll get the same value for your $ if not better down there.

<deleted> for 1000$ a month i can get a huge house 15mins away from montreal downtown. The house also wont be rundown thai style, wont be surrounded by garbage and rabbid dog or a metal shop open 24/7

Try finding a livable appartement for 6000baht downtown bangkok. By livable i dont mean backpacker standards. Id rather live in a homeless shelter in canada.

Your night out are insane. First you go see a movie on tuesdays or thursdays. half price. There's also the entertainement book that has coupons for Guzzo's. I buy it each year. There's thousands of coupons for all type of fastfood to fine dining restaurants, hotels and attractions. Brings the price down a LOT. And entertainement in thailand is priced the same as canada while it has 0 standards. (i live in phuket so let's say it has 2x less standards than the rest of thailand while being 50% more expensive)

A fine dining restaurant in montreal will cost you 40$~ each with Table D'hote. Pretty much the same price as in thailand. The "fine" dining places in thailand for 300b a plate are not fine dining. They're the same as the small family restaurants available for close to the same price everywhere in canada.

Large quality pubs and bars in canada will set you back 1-3$ on beers depending on the night, same price as thailand but without the skanks and sexpats.

Stop kidding yourself. You are in thailand for the women? Then just admit it to yourself and stop blabbering. I provide for 3 people and the only thing more costly in canada is rent which i dont mind since the quality of the build and neighborhood makes up for it. Cant put a price on having no garbage being burnt downtown and annoying people/animals in the street all night long.

+ Inter-canadian flights are much cheaper than air-asia flights.

+holidays to cuba/dominican republic for 300-700$ all included 4-5star hotels 1week? can't beat that. They dont scam and steal and murder you like in thailand down there as well.

I'm certainly not going to defend myself to some angry old bully who's got some sort of score to settle so he uses an anonymous forum to bleat out a couple of paragraphs of useless noise. The point that I compared Toronto to Chiang Mai costs is as valid as your comparisons to Canada and whatever burrow you happen to live in now, as if it's okay for you to compare but not for me is silly and hypocritical. Your strawman illogical fallacy about finding some imaginary huge house outside of Montreal for less than the cost of a condo here is just as meaningless a distraction as the rest of the artificial information you gleaned from an online brochure. The OP's original topic was just another in a long line of Thai bashing complaints that some of us disagree with. Your ranting that everyone else is wrong is your opinion, it is wrong, but it is your opinion. If you choose, which is your right, to bring your culture and your values here that is your business. If you choose to dump on Thais and the way they live that too is your business but, to complain, accuses and slur someone else you know nothing about because they've made a different choice, that sir, is none of your business. The reality that some of us can and do live comfortable and productive lives here without kowtowing to your pretentious value set is a failing on your part, not on mine. I came to Thailand for my own reasons which are, in-the-end, none of your bloody business. Can you see my middle finger from there? Have a nice day.

P.S. A fully loaded "Dukes" 6 oz burger and with fresh cut fries, bacon, cheese, mushrooms, tomato, and lettuce - 240 baht (about $8) try to find anything that approaches that in Canada for under $15.00.

They are 9 restaurants within 10 km of my house in canada that i know where i can get a large quality burger for 5$ or less. But then again buying burgers at restaurant is an early sign of retardation. When making a fresh one is delicious, quick and cheap.

the UK is the thailand of the western world.

i doubt a world class chef would need to find a woman that doesnt speak any common tongue with him to be able to get married.

a 3million baht house in thailand will often be large but the 8-10million missing will be felt in shitty quality and shitty neighborhood.

answer to the reversed question: in my home country the 46.5% (soon it will be more) income tax are much more expensive than the zero tax i pay in Thailand. in other words, a 1,000 Baht bottle of wine is 535 Baht which is still freaking expensive when quality is taken into consideration

summary: down Thailand's racist wine prices!

dont you make 500b per half a minute even when retired?

In Costco we trust

Thai relatives need a rental car from friday for 6days 800b per day, any car besides a old suzuki jeep. pm me a # and tell me if its thai or english

Actually I have zero intention of marrying anyone again ever for any reason, been there done that twice. I even have less intentions of supporting anyone's family at any time ever. I really don't care whether that is the way it has always been done here, it will not happen in my future, so that point is moot. Just in case, I am in my early 60s so a lot of that attitude is real life experience. As far as costs of women in Canada (my life experience) as opposed to here, it is easily comparable if not more expensive in Canada, to wit: A simple Friday night out with the GF – meet at the pub to hobnob with the regulars over a TGIF bevvy; $15.00 depending on your poison. Off to dinner to, let's say the local Thai restaurant (there were several good ones in my hometown) we order 4 different items at $7.50 each a $15.00 bottle of wine (not a wine fan so the GF used to order the cheap stuff) for a total $45.00 plus tip - $50.00. Then we walk to the movie theatre to catch the latest (over my protests) Jennifer Aniston flick, add munchies and drinks, approximately $50.00. After the movie we wander over to a different pub where many or our pals hangout. Two hours of laughs, a round bought for the GF's co-workers who drop by for a visit and we decide to call it a night, the tab comes to $70.00 including tip. Cab home $15.00. The total comes to $200.00 (6,000 baht). If you think you're getting any by asking her to split the tab you are definitely living in a dream world. Won't happen. Make this a special night that includes fine dinning and the theatre or a concert and you can easily bump the price to $300.00 plus (9,000 baht). Think about what you can do here on one night with 6,000 baht.

This is all a digression of course since the original post commented that the cost of items here is more expensive than “back home.” I totally disagree with that on almost all levels, there are exceptions, computer tech was mentioned. As someone said, it's a matter of choice(s) and I completely agree with that to an extent. For instance, you can live here in a 30,000 baht ($1,000.00)per month apartment and you will live very, very well. You can also live in a 6,000 baht ($200.00) apartment (in CM you can) and live comfortably. You can also live in a very small $1,000.00 per month apartment in one of the poorer areas of Toronto but, you cannot, in any stretch of the imagination find any accommodation in any area of Toronto for $200.00 per month, cable and internet costs that much. You can choose to got to a high end restaurant in CM and spend 1,500 baht on fine meal for two, you can also eat quality Thai food (I happen to like Thai food) for 200 baht for two. You cannot eat fine dinning for $45.00 in Canada and you cannot eat a cheap meal (out) for $6.00, can't be done. To say costs here are comparable in an all over expendables basket is an error. Just saying.

Seriously comparing Chiang mai with toronto? Maybe compare is with a midsized noname town in the middle of saskatchawan. You'll get the same value for your $ if not better down there.

<deleted> for 1000$ a month i can get a huge house 15mins away from montreal downtown. The house also wont be rundown thai style, wont be surrounded by garbage and rabbid dog or a metal shop open 24/7

Try finding a livable appartement for 6000baht downtown bangkok. By livable i dont mean backpacker standards. Id rather live in a homeless shelter in canada.

Your night out are insane. First you go see a movie on tuesdays or thursdays. half price. There's also the entertainement book that has coupons for Guzzo's. I buy it each year. There's thousands of coupons for all type of fastfood to fine dining restaurants, hotels and attractions. Brings the price down a LOT. And entertainement in thailand is priced the same as canada while it has 0 standards. (i live in phuket so let's say it has 2x less standards than the rest of thailand while being 50% more expensive)

A fine dining restaurant in montreal will cost you 40$~ each with Table D'hote. Pretty much the same price as in thailand. The "fine" dining places in thailand for 300b a plate are not fine dining. They're the same as the small family restaurants available for close to the same price everywhere in canada.

Large quality pubs and bars in canada will set you back 1-3$ on beers depending on the night, same price as thailand but without the skanks and sexpats.

Stop kidding yourself. You are in thailand for the women? Then just admit it to yourself and stop blabbering. I provide for 3 people and the only thing more costly in canada is rent which i dont mind since the quality of the build and neighborhood makes up for it. Cant put a price on having no garbage being burnt downtown and annoying people/animals in the street all night long.

+ Inter-canadian flights are much cheaper than air-asia flights.

+holidays to cuba/dominican republic for 300-700$ all included 4-5star hotels 1week? can't beat that. They dont scam and steal and murder you like in thailand down there as well.

100% of everything except rent/mortgage and cellphone minutes

There is not an item cheaper than comparable quality in canada.

You must live in a different Canada mate

Gasoline

Fruit,Vegetables.meat,fish,rice etc

Warm weather clothing

Ladies clothing

Medicine ( Generic paracetamol is about 30 baht for 100..Canada ( e.g. Shoppers Drug Mart) about 10 bucks?.

Utilities

Some Appliances

Telephones+calling rates

beer, cigarettes

taxis,bus fares

etc etc are far less expensive in Thailand

Agreed many imported items and western styled products and services are more expensive ( based on target market methinks) ...you pays your money and takes your choice.

Oh! how I long for a Dairy Queen burger and fries and a large coffee....

Things like imported wine and liquor are more expensive but 2-500 baht premium is not a deal breaker depending on your lifestyle..less than a day's parking in downtown Vancouver or Melbourne...lol

Gasoline is the same exact price. I check very often.

Fruits and veggies are cheaper or even priced in canada for almost all fruits. Some are cheaper in canada and some are cheaper in thailand. You can clearly see that by just looking at online brochures of supermarkets. I shop at asian supermarkets for fruits.

Clothing are the same price. Cheap clothing in thailand are fakes brand and those cost the same on ebay. Cheap clothes from tesco and small boutiques are the same clothes they sell at walmart for 1-10$. Regular clothes in thailand are the same price as any clothes i would find in a normal shopping center in canada. Sales are better in canada though.

Medecine? Im healthy i rarely need medecine and if i get really sick the GOVT will pay a good part of it.

Utilities? Internet is 3x the amount here and 17x slower. Electricity is about the same (4k baht per month)

Appliances? lol wat? Electronics and appliance are priced EXTREMELY higher in thailand(worst country in asia for electronics). Second hand is even worse because thais dont take care of their things.

Telephone is the only cheaper thing in thailand as long as its a cellphone. A regular phoneline i could get VOIP for 2.99$ and be satisfied in canada.

Beer: Cheaper in canada. A decent molson is 30baht. Right now even cheap disgusting rotten thai beer is more than 30baht witht he new tax. A good beer in thailand starts at 100baht+ Which is more expensive than a good microbrew in canada.

Cigs: Dont give a shit about cancer stick, anyone smoking them can drop dead tomorow in my own opinion.

Taxis and bus: Any self respecting working adult has a car and it will be cheaper to buy and own in canada. My last car in thailand cost me 38 000$ while in canada the price is 21 000$

Dont forget the schools and hospitals. 800$ per month for an average school no where near as good as any small free school in my city. Shitty hospitals filled with people who cheated on their exams that charge a lot.

Thailand is expensive. Some people have said it already they are here for the lifestyle. Those who keep trying to argue that thailand is still cheaper than most countries are just sexpats trying to cover up subconciously.

Another ludicrous Thais are stupid thread and I would bet 90% of the posters are unhealthy and overweight. Thais are definitely eating more western food and their waists are expending. Papaya salad and pork and basil are arguably the most popular dishes. How unhealthy are these?

The pork is unsanitary in thailand and it's also cooked in a lot of oil(and they dont drain it before dumping it in the plate). White rice is one of the unhealthiest/worthless natural food on this planet, its a crappy filler. The sauces they add on the pork and basil are no better. Also it lacks all that is good about meal ie: Quality carbs/fats/vitamins. Not a well balanced meal.

Sumtam is FILLED with sugar/MSG. Most thais also eat it with rotten fish entrail sauce and other fatty addons. But a pure Sumtam with no sugar is good. I think we're the only household in thailand that eat it this way, so overall its not that healthy.

Also don't forget that every single thai eats 2-3 street side snacks during their day. Which are even more horrible for your health than the regular cheap meals.

yeah tahts why i make homemade nachos with beef every night after work. Cooked in olive oil, fat drained and tons of veggies and no cheese sauce, real cheese. Turns from fastfood to very healthy

I don't care how you make Nachos Jebus, they ain't healthy

what kind of uneducated moron are you? Tell me one ingrediant in homemade nachos that is unhealthy or high in calories? With 20-30 nacho chips it comes out to about 400 calories of pure healthy food.

A burger is a millions times healthier than 99% of what thais eat on a daily basis though.

Beef, bread and sesame seeds, tomatoes, lettuce, onions. No oil and no unhealthy sauce. Just ketchup/mustard/relish depending on preference

I believe so! That's why most Thais are obese and most Americans are so slim and healthy.

Thais are getting fatter than americans. The only reason americans are still fatter is that they have social help when they stop working. It feeds them.

A lot of thais would love to eat 40 pack of lobster chips per day or 500 saussage from 7/11 but they simply cant afford it.

the wednesday market is the samkong plaza boat lagoon. Close by Siam niramit/the new football fields

They even have a massive bouncy castle with no holes in it.

Drive the cost from phuket to bangkok and you'll find thousands of villages right next to the beach with land available. In the sticks but beach front.

So somebody knew that these women would probably get raped by tuktuk drivers

In all seriousness dont you think the best way to describe the location of this restaurant is saying "right next to wine connection chalong"

I dont think it can be clearer than that, even a thai from chiang mai who never visited phuket could find it if you told only that.

must be a woman

A burger is a millions times healthier than 99% of what thais eat on a daily basis though.

Beef, bread and sesame seeds, tomatoes, lettuce, onions. No oil and no unhealthy sauce. Just ketchup/mustard/relish depending on preference

oh ok, makes more sense, seems like phuketliving is drunk 24/7 and im pretty sure the fisherman way is down rawai close to the small tesco

yeah tahts why i make homemade nachos with beef every night after work. Cooked in olive oil, fat drained and tons of veggies and no cheese sauce, real cheese. Turns from fastfood to very healthy