KhunLA

We make our own, though not really inexpensive. I was addicted to Swensen's, and hit them a couple times a month, 2 for 1 scoops on Tuesday Card expired and we haven't renewed it. Great bargain, if Swensen's fan. 4 Scoops only 138 baht

300k, not budget, goes into savings account. Our play money or an oops. Usually don't spend it, and when that hits 1M, gets put into a new account, as banks in TH only insure up to 1M per depositor. Don't know where we'll stick the next one, as already has a collection of passbooks. Already stated, no heath insurance. Your suggestion of total up for the year and divide by 12, is good. But I guess you didn't look at the first link, as that's exactly what I did for the first 6 months of this year. So that came up with the 15k a month number. Not living off the land, but avoid processed foods. Most, except our coffee shop stops. By eating whole foods, mean we'll make our breads, though cut back a lot on wheat & grains. Even pasta, stopped buying, and just eat egg noodles, as our pasta. I personally rarely eat rice, and just not a fan. Make our own kefir, or Natto and baked beans from dried bean. That kind of stuff, instead of buying canned baked beans that are crap & silly priced. One way to put is, people say ... 'learn how to read the labels'....well, if it has a label, it's not whole food, and I don't need to buy, as don't need to read the crap they put in it. We do like some things, tater tots. I'll buy puff pastry, as a pain in the butt make. But most from scratch, and a good hobby to have. Make our PB & jelly. One of more expensive food items beside proteins/meats, is frozen fruit (berries), per kg that is. Only expensive thing we eat, that's relative, is Salmon, actually had for dinner today. Greenhouse & garden provide some things, mostly figs, but far from enough to live on. Straying a bit off subject here, sort of, and more a healthy eating post. But healthy eating is much less expensive than processed food. So easy to lessen your budget, by eating healthy. Does require a full kitchen though, and can't be done out of a small condo or 1 or 2 room rental.

This will help explain it ... here Food budget, as stated at that post, is mostly in home, and not processed. Most whole foods, as so much healthier, and most made from scratch. Since the 1st of this month, did get hit ATM, (18K), but only bought 30 eggs & 5 liter of milk. So spent <500 baht this month, and almost 2 weeks in. Actually had an O&A planned for tomorrow, which is getting postponed due to rain. So need to go shopping, since out of eggs. Need my scrambled eggs for first meal. Supposed to rain all week, down south, so will stay local, home. Took a bit of money out of bank account, as getting close to that $10k USD mark, to avoid filing. 300k went to wife account (play & oops), and kept 40k, for O&A, and a good part of the rest of the year's budget. Think that makes about 75k COH. I'm amazed how little we need to spend. Got one off coming up in Oct, car ins, but that's <9k baht. Don't have health insurance. I also followed up with this post

TH is only a destination. like everywhere else. Life is always great, no matter where I am TH ... most of the country, just avoid smog season USA ... lived in MI, WV, FL, PA, NJ ... all very nice

We've hit 1000+kWh used a few times, with our solar. New insulated, shaded house. New inverter ACs (13 & 24BTU). 13k BTU running almost 24/7. 24k BTU about 8 hrs a day. 2 frigs, medium sizes, 1 old, 1 a few years old When not home, they use 4kWh a day. Couple laptops, and mine, I use 65" TV as monitor, and on 15-18hrs day. Some kitchen electric appliances, but use gas hob mostly. EVs account for 110kWh a month, on average. ... Without the EVs, maybe 900kWh would be high usage bill. 900kWh bill would still be 4440 baht bill. During the brutal, sunny, hot months, April & May our highest usage, that we were home all month. 2023 ... 2024 ...

Hey 'confused', you may want to pick a science book. Will also explain why you sweat your butt off a bit more than your mates, who prefer white / light t-shirts instead of the black one, you may wear. Think these folks know something you don't ... On Topic ... as always ... Just noticed these at local park. What were they thinking ? Surely don't get much use when the sun is out. Although all the exercise equipment is smartly painted white ... go figure ...

Buying quality components avoids headaches. Same as any purchase.

A few years from 75,(69), but plenty of years, (23), living here. Only thing different, 2 things; ... not married 1st Thai wife ... continued renting my properties in USA, instead of liquidating Neither would actually change much of my present life. Just a larger smile factor, if that's even possible. In the very unlike idea of returning (never going to happen), I'd simply buy a RV, and live a nomadic lifestyle. With dog, kid & wife, returning isn't even a thought, while they're still kickin', or, even if they crapped out. Might even need healthcare in later years, in which TH wins hands down... IMHO YMMV

Rewind to pre 2014, then get back to me ...

Actually didn't have a plan, before retiring to TH. As it was a spur of the moment thought, and TBH, didn't do much research at all, if any. Figured I'd just wing it, knowing I could simply leave when ever I wanted. Then I started spending a bit more than I thought I would after arriving. Now 23 years later, I actually spend less per month, than when I first arrived Yes, you can live inexpensively here, though depends on a few factors. Having a honest, savvy partner, or single and renting 'ALL' your needs. Owning home & car takes an investment, but avoids monthly bills. Not needing a car, cuts your monthly bill considerably. A scooter or public trans, if available is inexpensive. One's health is a whole another subject, along with home country's cost & accessibility. I'm a Yank, so basically most places would be better for healthcare, financial wise. When I first got here, monthly expenditures were about ฿15-20k. Then up to ฿50k. Then ฿65-100k, back to ฿30k. Now ฿10-15k, usually on the lower end, unless O&A. Rarely rented housing, and have owned home, MB, car most of the time here, so no monthly loan or rental payments. Only 6 yrs out of 23 have we rented housing. And not expensive, ฿2500 & ฿6000, both for about 3 yrs each. If not all 'bought in', I calculated before, renting & payments, I'd need a monthly budget of about ฿70k. Not exactly inexpensive, but much cheaper than USA. You can exist cheaply here, but takes a bit more, whether investment to own, or renting, to actually enjoy living here. Options abound.

None had to die, along they can end the war anytime they'd like. Not in the best interest of the west's defense contractors though, so it will continue. IMHO

Paint them white ... problem solved

Actually not complicated at all, if mechanically inclined. A few members installed, maintain (very little), and upgrade their own systems. YT will talk you through installing. Doesn't seem difficult at all.

Depends on a lot of factors. Cost obviously, how large a system, with or without ESS/battery back up for none production hours, 14 hrs overnight for us, from 1800-0800 hrs. Our ROI is, will be from 3.7yrs to 6yr, depending how abusive we are with the ACs, and if driving EV local or O&A (20k kms a year). Pretty much base on low PEA & petrol bills of ฿3000 each of month (฿6k), or abusive/high use bills of ฿5000 each (฿10k), during the month. Without the EVs, ROI would be a bit longer, 8-10 yrs. That's being 'off grid', and the ESS was near 42% the cost of installation, ฿185k of the ฿445k 8kWh inverter w/20kWh of ESS. Self installed 5 kWh system, no ESS would be less expensive & supplement most folk's bill nicely. How many units/kWh a month do you use now (printed on your bill). Some months we use 500-700kWh, others we used 1000+kWh. The EV use seems to be constant, 20k kms a year. If local driving EV saves about ฿54k a year, if all solar. If we had to use grid, savings still high, at ฿42k a year, as @ ฿5 a kWh, PEA would only cost ฿12k a year for 20k kms. PEA is that much cheaper than PTT 91.

He's obviously not a people person, BUT, the train doesn't look crowded at all. Just get the F out of the way when people are trying to board. Why we don't visit Bangkok much any more, and don't use public trans during rush hour. Choose your hotel/living location wisely, make sure you have what you need nearby. Any extra cost is worth not having transport hassles.

some people need to get a life ... the danger

I didn't know about e visas, if available. Only place to get a visa before going, was at Khon Kaen. If you didn't make it through Imm at Laos side, it was still the easiest & cheapest way to get there & especially return, bar self driving. Which I did one time, and actually quite easy to do. And ... you get to stock up on anything you want to bring back, as they simply didn't check your car, surprisingly.

When I took the bus, they did advise us, they will leave without you. I believe the actual policy was, not to even accept foreign customers without the visa already in hand. Also told us, to take our bag (carry on) with us. Any other, UP2U, and it might be at bus (morning market) station office when you do arrive. Return was always hassle free. My last time was August 2013 (?), and the last time I entered TH.

Yea, now she can run on her record, during the administration. Border Czar ... I certainly wouldn't attempt to take credit for the failures of the administration. She has nothing to run on ... Maybe she can remind people how tough she was on drugs in the past, while she enjoyed using

Unemployment down ??? From the previous years since Covid, I would hope so. Inflation, highest administration since 2000, according to my COLA Stock market only affects those that play, and hold long term. Not my style. Here's your inflation, since 2000 via COLA, which everyone would agree, they're BS A few years of -0- inflation I deal in facts, not BS. Even the fake #s show biden is a failure, across the board IMHO Not that I care, as it works out perfect for me, along with the exchange rate since he's been in office. Hope harris gets the nod & WINS

Always make sure you read the entire listing of products. Here's one way to guarantee a 5* rating ... ... "Warranty •Air pump guaranteed for 1 year (only for the motor, excluding cases of dropping, impacting, and getting wet) •Air mattresses are guaranteed against manufacturing defects. They can be exchanged within 7 days after receiving the product (excluding leaks caused by sharp objects). •We have spare parts for mattresses sold separately and have excellent after-sales service. ** The right to guarantee is reserved for customers who give a 5-star rating to the product only (in the case of giving a product rating lower than 5 stars, the air pump is guaranteed for 7 days)" I read the five !* reviews, and only one has to do with the product. 3 didn't read the listing or instructions. 1 complaint about long shipping time. 2* complaint - wrong color received (tough crowd) 3* complaints - only a couple about the product Don't know how people review something before testing

Yes, her ratings were so low, she withdrew before the primaries even got under way. Ended her attempt way back in Dec 2019

I knew I wasn't returning, as well thought out and planned for years. Although TH was a quick and TBH, not researched like other options. Didn't really decide to stay until after kid done High School. Held off on building the 3rd house (first 2 sold), or buying a car worth keeping till it dies. Still gave it 3 yrs to think about (2017-2020) @ PKK, after 17 years already here @ Udon Thani. Hindsight, it probably would have been better to keep my RE, (5 units) and rented out, although I don't need the income or can even think what I'd spend it on. My SS is a bit more than I can spend without being frivolous. RE investment here, made up for any loss rental income from the USA. Having Thai partner made that possible. Although, USA housing prices the past few years would have added quite a bit of equity. Definitely better price selling today than 24 yrs ago. Could return USA and buy back in, but have no desire to, along with, less play money every money if I did. At near 70, why bother, since I did leave, along with healthcare so expensive. So far, haven't really needed anything here. Just a couple inexpensive procedures. Even those would have cost 10-20X if out of pocket. If insured, still cheaper here vs premiums & deductibles. That's the sad state of healthcare in the USA.

Privacy means single house, and as pointed out, the more land, the better. I prefer rural myself, though need to choose wisely. First house, 1 rai, walled, and no neighbors till a year or so before selling and moving. Second house was on 6 rai, surrounded by farmland. Present house, only 1/4 rai, walled, with another 1/4 rai, across the soi as greenhouse/garden. Closest house 140 meters away. Surrounded mostly by pineapple & coconut farming. Unpaved soi access Living in urban environment ... Good Luck Rural ... BLISS

My hobbies seemed to have morphed from active/action, outdoors, nature, water sports, to more sedentary, less physical type hobbies. From hiking, nature parks, white water rafting, simple canoeing, boating, scuba diving. Seas & waterways here are simply too polluted or fished out to bother. My holidays used to revolve around being on or in the water. Now I just look at it. Now it's more photography, knocking around town, or drone (seated, standing still), RC toys, again, not much movement. Daily walks with the dog. Out & about in the car, coffee shops w/view and or landscape. Cut way back on hiking, damn mozzies & snakes, along with brutal temps at times. I actually download movies and watch them. Before TH, I didn't even own a TV