ChaiyaTH

I had a house left to me being a office and right to me too. It was heaven for nearly a decade but now the offices closed and my neighbors are construction guys. Have to move once again…. They plan on renovating for up to 8 months at multiple houses here. I think i moved over 10 times in 12 years, purely due to housing / noise problems… There is nothing better than living next to office people who are quiet all day and leave during weekends.

Ah, sorry, your one of those classical Thai defenders, defending without any argument because the peanut size brain could not come up with one, as of being wrong.

You know you spend in Thailand when you have Platinum in grab lol.

I bought the big cartons just 4-5 years ago at makro, I think that came down to 2.5-3 baht each. I don't have land to use where i stay now, else I would want chickens for eggs, no joke. They print money.

As long I can earn it it is fine but actually it is insane how high the costs are for what I / our family get in return with this spending. Back home I would actually be on the same spending but then with the 'best school' free as well a car, retirement perks and all that. It for sure has not became cheaper. I guess this is also why I stopped going out like before in Thailand, just not worth it anymore. Even you decide upfront to stick with only doing 4-5 beers, to then add buying just 1-2 drinks, a snack, and a grab taxi ride, it's easily 1000+ baht gone already, while this is nothing but a few hours outside the door. A night out is 2K minimum, with girls 5K. Vietnam I would be pissed by the time I have spend 200-300 baht.

I'm now at 80-100K a month average, partying and traveling at absolute minimum. But I actually started with just 20-30K a month over a decade ago as a then not existing term 'digital nomad' in Chiang Mai. I rented a 2K a month room with green / mountain view, actually had AC, hot shower, balcony, space for a large working desk. I bought a second hand bike and made the room nice with some furniture, monitor, lights and all that. Visa costs were basically 2K a month at the time, would just pay overstay or get the double tourist visa's etc. So realistically my fixed costs were really only around 5K a month. At this time I did not drink or party in bars, at best at some guesthouses were we usually made bucket style / price drinks. Other than that the Thai brick weed. So with like 500 baht a day budget, making my own breakfast/lunch, eating at Thai markets 40-60 baht and 2 times a week foreign food, going to the movies on wednesday for 100 baht, driving to waterfalls etc. I was certainly not living a <deleted>ty life. I think this was usually 20-25K. I think nowadays this is 30-35K and still possible, Vietnam you would get however get more or less the same I got in those days. The actual costs for me in Thailand: foreign food costs (which i now prefer more often), going out and party money flies out the window, wife and kid (equals party life costs).

I guess it is no secret that these 3 items are the most heard 'complaints' in any country, so that has little to do with Thailand specific. To then get to the actual point of Thai superiority, and the failure of their development due to that, and to then appear arrogant or superior as a foreigner... They are more and more like this themself. Well, I always try to be nice and polite but I am also at cross roads of knowing after a decade, that does not get * done here either. Just empties the bank. Let's be real, it is not that hard to be superior to a Thai, even you would not want to be. It's just that in 2023 this is part of cancel culture to even say already.

This is obviously not smart at all, even if you had the money in gold for the past 5 years, you would now have had 4.5 million baht already. If you would just get 6% yearly returns that already increases your monthly budget by 15,000 baht without taking out the 3 million. This is your best solution.

For extensions you need to bring a copy of it nowadays at most places so you do deal with it all the time. same plenty not do it unless you ask

They dont think that, it is still the same category. I havent seen improvements in the past ten years, quite the opposite.

VS 2-3$ in VN including a few free beers and a pot of coffee or tea for just 1$

Guess that is the few options brainless people have. If I wanted to do that type of business, i stayed in Europe.

I go out 2 times a week in tourist areas as well 2 times a week in expat areas, if you are then socially active, it is not hard to have boots on the ground and be very aware of the situation. If you would not do that, just observe and casually speak a few, yeah, I would conclude nothing or the same as you too. Cost wise 10% more to live in Thailand? Are you joking? Beers are 30-60 baht here or if you pay more, it is right away like 4-5 star in TH. Food is cheaper. Everything actually is, even the rent is better quality for money. We are talking about 50% difference unless you compare Bangkok to Saigon in costs.

It's not like we notice anything of most of you fake postivo's either, you are usually hiding at home anyway.

It's a none of your business business.

No but I do frequent there more and more often as of having a business there too, and it is just a really obvious trend. I am still living in Thailand, else I also left this forum permanently. But not sure how long that will be, it's 65/35 to leave Thailand within years, unless they somehow make a a BIG uturn very soon. And if the taxes are indeed a issue, I already cut it to 179 days a year. Most of my foreign friends in TH say the same. The tax however is just the last drop that spills the glass. It's not my biased opinion, it is simply what all the foreigners tell me, as well you can't deny if almost everything is half the price, with a better service / quality etc etc.

Most people here are old or stuck, so these kind of topics here seem to get little confirmation or traction here, but it is a obvious trend for a large percentage of the people who otherwise would be considered 'expats', 'digital nomads' and 'new retirees'. It's only gotten worse and worse since 2014, and in the recent years it is getting worse even faster. But yeah whatever, people are always in denial, you can just go back in the history on this forum, and then later on you see it did came out.

Who mentions going back to the west? There are plenty of better alternatives, Vietnam being the new top rising leader. I hear nothing but more and more good about that, and this also explains all the sad faces I see from backpackers who do visit Thailand, as they are in a shock for for example the prices, after they first visited Vietnam.

Only 4 million to go, as of what they know.

Overrun with farang? Its been a zombie city ever since covid lol, even prior to that it was going down since 3-4 years, it was just chinese compensating it look busy. Bubble *POP* Cleaner air? KK has equal weeks of bad air. Seems some people only come out of their house once a month.

Super super boring VS a little less boring but still permanently death.

Then you dont know where to look, like most people, I guess. Never had a issue finding a newer place with aircon and all decent facilities for that or even less. Only if i want the gym and pool its more. or if in central bangkok, then that gets me just a normal AC room but older.

Cleaners are the least of cost but obviously you were never in business. And if being a penny pincher, you should know booking platforms charge 20-30% too, so walk around and book.

So you know your realistic option then, its funny you speak of risks too, there would be more with a sugar girl that potentially falls in love or finds out your real life to then cause drama. You could also frequent less prostitutes as of todays mojo and pay for a more quality escort to receive the girlfriend experience.

Pay as you go and man up when you meet someone you do want to be with, kids are not stupid, and they will not like you to have done it later on. If you both already are good doing this now what is the difference to level up. Its usually only a benefit for kids once at a ok age anyway, they get best of both worlds and happier parents.