I tried livng very cheap for 1 month

[tropo]

10 minutes ago, AloisAmrein said:

Minimum salary in Thailand is 300 Baht per day, so if working 27 days per month they get 8100 Baht. And even not all get the minimum pay, specialle cheap workers from Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia. So many Thais and foreign workers live with about half of the "cheap way".  Would like to see him living this really cheap way.

Minimum wage is not average wage. Why always compare with the poorest when we're considering budgets? We hear people talking about the poorest minimum wage earners all the time on here). There are plenty of Thai people living a luxurious lifestyle too. The roads are jam-packed with expensive new cars. When I go out to many middle-price restaurants (around 500 baht per diner), they are jam packed with Thai people spending a lot more than I do. Perhaps the OP's budget is more in line with the low - average Thai earner.

[Naam]

3 hours ago, Spaniel said:

Where is ''flybird condo?

it's an exclusive very luxurious building located in an area of Pattaya where only quality expats live who look down on sexpats who are here for beer, booze and the ladies.

[AloisAmrein]

15 minutes ago, tropo said:

Minimum wage is not average wage. Why always compare with the poorest when we're considering budgets? We hear people talking about the poorest minimum wage earners all the time on here). There are plenty of Thai people living a luxurious lifestyle too. The roads are jam-packed with expensive new cars. When I go out to many middle-price restaurants (around 500 baht per diner), they are jam packed with Thai people spending a lot more than I do. Perhaps the OP's budget is more in line with the low - average Thai earner.

That is why it is called minimum wage. Expensive new cars who are not paid. Thais tend to spend more then they can afford. Just look in the bank accounts of Thais. The upper class is a different thing, they are rich because the others are poor.

[titanio82]

I also save a lot of money, every day.... in the hours that I do not spend anything. 

[Bigdogfarang]

Impressive in a way I suppose but who the <deleted> wants to live like that. The whole idea of moving here (mine anyway) is to enjoy a better standard of living than I could afford in the UK for the same money not to live like a hobo ... each to their own I suppose. 

[balo]

7 hours ago, adammike said:

As long as you stay away from alcohol and girls it's actually easy,you need accommodation that's high up so air can flow freely then you don't need airco just a fan,go to the market for fresh fruit and vegetables and salad stuff eat Thai and avoid all imported stuff.you really can eat for a few hundred baht a day, in survival mode in Jomtien and away from pattaya beach and second Rd walkingstreet you can just survive on 15,000 a month ,it would cost a lot more to go to a so called de-tox resort on Samui,if you need to lose weight it might be the way to go,time to get rid off excess baggage you don't need stuff.

Actually it should be possible to live on even less, if you find a room for 2500 baht per month . Many Thais live in fan rooms like this.

So 2500 + electric/water 800 , phone 500, internet 500 = 4300  and the rest goes for food and clothes.  

10-15k and you can live a comfortable life if you stick to Thai food, no girls and no alcohol. . 

 

 

[AloisAmrein]

4 hours ago, Goldbear said:

OP,  what was your purpose for your four week experiment? Are you trying to find out whether you can live cheap so that you can retire earlier and on less money?

 

I do find that sort of thing interesting. Thanks for posting. 

I don't find it interesting, it is of that kind of people, who cannot live a decent live in their home country. Thailand is full of such farangs, who run away from the home country in the hope to make a better living in Thailand, but since prices go up and up it becomes more difficult every year. I fully unterstand Thai immigration that they do not want people without medical care insurance and spend as little as possible, doing visa runs, etc. They are the reason why immigration laws are tightened every year. Anyone, who wants to spend little money, is in the wrong country. Vietnam, Laos and Indonesia are quite a lot cheaper and have less stringent immigration laws.

[tropo]

1 hour ago, AloisAmrein said:

That is why it is called minimum wage. Expensive new cars who are not paid. Thais tend to spend more then they can afford. Just look in the bank accounts of Thais. The upper class is a different thing, they are rich because the others are poor.

I knew someone would bring up the fact that many cars are not paid. So what - in the West most cars are bought on finance too. Who really cars if they are bought on finance - they are enjoying driving them around, aren't they? In the West most property is financed too and a large percentage of people live on credit.

 

You're quite welcome to use the minimum wage as a yardstick to what you consider expensive or not, but it doesn't really work that way. You can't make products and food cheaper just because minimum wage earners cannot afford them. I would prefer to use the average wage as a determining factor if that's ok. If I used the minimum wage to determine my price level, imagine how much 30,000 per month rent is. As it is, my basic rent, electricity, Internet and water cost over 40k per month. It costs quite a bit to live at the same level that you'd live at back home, and that's a better comparison IMO. We should be comparing apples with apples, not oranges so to speak. A lot of the food I buy costs more than back at home. Put another way, the frugal lifestyle that the OP tested out for a month could conceivably cost less back at home and be healthier and more enjoyable if I chose a warm climate near a tropical beach. I don't see that month as anything other than a waste of a plane ticket. I wouldn't call a month like that a holiday at all... but that might depend on how good his lifestyle is back where he lives in Farangland.

[inThailand]

Tv is amazing! The most popular posts are about living cheap or cheaper booze, cigs and hookers.

[tropo]

38 minutes ago, AloisAmrein said:

I don't find it interesting, it is of that kind of people, who cannot live a decent live in their home country. Thailand is full of such farangs, who run away from the home country in the hope to make a better living in Thailand, but since prices go up and up it becomes more difficult every year. I fully unterstand Thai immigration that they do not want people without medical care insurance and spend as little as possible, doing visa runs, etc. They are the reason why immigration laws are tightened every year. Anyone, who wants to spend little money, is in the wrong country. Vietnam, Laos and Indonesia are quite a lot cheaper and have less stringent immigration laws.

I wouldn't use the health insurance to determine who's a "high quality" expat or not. I don't have any but still, spend plenty. I'm self-insured. So far I've saved 24 years of insurance payments (me and my wife). We'll keep looking after ourselves and try to save more. As has been mentioned before, no one wants to ensure old men and the payments can become rather extreme.

[tropo]

Just now, inThailand said:

Tv is amazing! The most popular posts are about living cheap or cheaper booze, cigs and hookers.

What did you think should be the most popular threads? Where can I find peanut butter?.. or something along that line. Plenty of those here.

[inThailand]

Let's not talk about relgion, politics, ww3, investing, etc cause some might get their underwear binded.

 

Btw where can I get cheaper beans?

[whitemouse]

6 hours ago, inThailand said:

Tv is amazing! The most popular posts are about living cheap or cheaper booze, cigs and hookers.

 

This thread is very interesting.

 

And TV is quite amazing, you are right!

[MadMuhammad]

4 hours ago, tropo said:

LOL> nah ... looks like one of those weight loss ads claiming impossible things - didn't want to get into it. Whatever I said about 15kg in a month is applicable here, only more so.

lol I can assure you it was totally legit mate. Balanced but limited calorie diet, super hard work and commitment.

No tricks, no secrets and no 'amazing new super food weight led pill that's just been discovered!'. 

 

I lost 7.5kg in the first week, 5.5 week 2 then average 4kg a week for a month. 1hr HIIT cardio 6am & 6pm, group class 6 evenings a week and a minimum 10km walk of a night (thanks mum.)

 

 

[joecoolfrog]

12 hours ago, soistalker said:

If you lost 15kg in one month, then you have AIDS.

You can't safely lose more than 4kg in a month.

Unless you are hugely obese to start with !

[AloisAmrein]

When comparing live quality and costs in Thailand with other countries, I am clearly against Thailand. Prices go up, live quality remains low compared to many countries in the West. In South East Asia, Vietnam, Laos and Indonesia are better options, when it is a question of money. In Europe countries of the Balkan offer better options when in comes to live quality and money, property cheaper then in Thailand, food better choice and cheaper, savety better then in Thailand. Another option is Argentina, Chile or Uruguay.

[inThailand]

2 minutes ago, AloisAmrein said:

When comparing live quality and costs in Thailand with other countries, I am clearly against Thailand. Prices go up, live quality remains low compared to many countries in the West. In South East Asia, Vietnam, Laos and Indonesia are better options, when it is a question of money. In Europe countries of the Balkan offer better options when in comes to live quality and money, property cheaper then in Thailand, food better choice and cheaper, savety better then in Thailand. Another option is Argentina, Chile or Uruguay.

When you ever live here please re-comment.

[joecoolfrog]

9 hours ago, seancbk said:

 

He complains about walking in the heat, I'm guessing he is, or was, over 80 kgs. 

If he lost 15 kgs in a month then he would have started way , way over 80 kgs , 150 kgs would be closer.

[inThailand]

5 minutes ago, joecoolfrog said:

If he lost 15 kgs in a month then he would have started way , way over 80 kgs , 150 kgs would be closer.

Yup he was a handsome fat bastard 

[silverado1]

if you don't go to the gogo bars, no drink beer/alcool, no smoke and enjoy the thai company, why staying in Pattaya ?????

why the hell such challenge as it's absolutly not usefull  (and even so frustrating !!!) ????? are you masochistic ????

so easy  (and without pain) to stay on this budget in a small village lost in the middle of the rice fields in issaan.... here also so much easyer to lose weight as you seems to enjoy fresh fruits, vegetables and fish, bicycle and walking, ...

otherwise , why the hell coming to thailand ?????

if it's a true story, what was the goal actually ???? 

Edited September 22, 2017 by silverado1

[AloisAmrein]

47 minutes ago, inThailand said:

When you ever live here please re-comment.

I think I know Thailand a bit better then you, my first visit to Thailand was in 1972. Where have  you been in 1972? I have been living in Thailand, may be before you even knew that this country exists.

[MadMuhammad]

1 hour ago, AloisAmrein said:

When comparing live quality and costs in Thailand with other countries, I am clearly against Thailand. Prices go up, live quality remains low compared to many countries in the West. In South East Asia, Vietnam, Laos and Indonesia are better options, when it is a question of money. In Europe countries of the Balkan offer better options when in comes to live quality and money, property cheaper then in Thailand, food better choice and cheaper, savety better then in Thailand. Another option is Argentina, Chile or Uruguay.

I guess everyone has a different opinion in quality of life. 

I travelled extensively, 20+ countries, and spent quite a lot of time in many. At this time I live in one of the worlds most lovable cities but I still choose Thailand over any of them. 

Although cost of living is rising it is still ridiculously cheap, thai food is my absolute favourite international cuisine, I don't plan on purchasing property and the weather is the ultimate 

I do admit safety, especially om the roads, can be questionable but if you take care and stay aware at all times your chances of getting hurt are no worse than anywhere else IMO.

I don't feel quality of life is better in the west. Easier sure. With all the safety nets, government controls and regulations but outright quality, weather, stress levels, basic costs and relaxed way of living South East Asia is right up there with the best.

[smotherb]

On 9/21/2017 at 10:08 PM, chickenslegs said:

Yes, almost unbelievable.

 

 

Not really, it depends upon several factors, one of which is your weight. When I was young and playing gridiron, I could fluctuate 10 kilos in a week. Of course I weighed 120 kilos at the time.  When I was in Iran in my early thirties, I had stopped playing ball, lost a lot of my muscle tone, and gotten fat; I weighed 126 kilos. I started an exercise regimen of Taekwondo three hours a day, three times a week, and played softball for three or four hours the other four days. I ate nothing but lean meats and veggies and drank only black coffee, water, and vodka. I went down to 94 kilos in two months--you could actually see my ribs.

[jacko45k]

Well I managed to stay away from Subway yesterday... I see they have put their prices up!

My once a week foot-long  is a little too much now.

 

Surely Nirun is pretty close to 3rd Rd.

 

Interesting though as a friend of mine stays in a cheap condo when here and I have visited him.... certainly not my idea of being happily retired nor on holiday.

[AloisAmrein]

28 minutes ago, MadMuhammad said:

I guess everyone has a different opinion in quality of life. 

I travelled extensively, 20+ countries, and spent quite a lot of time in many. At this time I live in one of the worlds most lovable cities but I still choose Thailand over any of them. 

Although cost of living is rising it is still ridiculously cheap, thai food is my absolute favourite international cuisine, I don't plan on purchasing property and the weather is the ultimate 

I do admit safety, especially om the roads, can be questionable but if you take care and stay aware at all times your chances of getting hurt are no worse than anywhere else IMO.

I don't feel quality of life is better in the west. Easier sure. With all the safety nets, government controls and regulations but outright quality, weather, stress levels, basic costs and relaxed way of living South East Asia is right up there with the best.

I travelled extensively so far in 68 counties, but Thailand is no more my favoured place, Thai food is boring when staying for longer time, other countries offer more varied food, and the raining season in Thailand is more then boring. Safety on the road: Thailand is the 2nd-most dangerous country worldwide. When living in South East Asia I prefer Vietnam. People more friendly, less hassles, less police, less visa restrictions.

[MadMuhammad]

I respect your opinion. And who knows I may feel different after an extended period. 

In saying that, I'm a very simple guy with very simple needs. 

Tine will tell....

Edited September 22, 2017 by MadMuhammad

[The Deerhunter]

15 hours ago, heybuz said:

iv'e always wondered do people know that they have lived a bit longer?

Never regret old age.  It is denied to so many. Paradoxically often because of self denial based on lack of same.

[The Deerhunter]

49 minutes ago, AloisAmrein said:

I travelled extensively so far in 68 counties, but Thailand is no more my favoured place, Thai food is boring when staying for longer time, other countries offer more varied food, and the raining season in Thailand is more then boring. Safety on the road: Thailand is the 2nd-most dangerous country worldwide. When living in South East Asia I prefer Vietnam. People more friendly, less hassles, less police, less visa restrictions.

A lot of the famed Thai food is not very healthy either. Deep frying, over cooked meat and sugar loaded in everything.  I just (mostly) described Western food but as Thais invented everything, we must have copied them. LOL.

[Naam]

6 hours ago, AloisAmrein said:

That is why it is called minimum wage. Expensive new cars who are not paid. Thais tend to spend more then they can afford. Just look in the bank accounts of Thais. The upper class is a different thing, they are rich because the others are poor.

how does one look into the bank accounts of Thais? can you provide a link?

[Naam]

4 hours ago, AloisAmrein said:

When comparing live quality and costs in Thailand with other countries, I am clearly against Thailand. Prices go up, live quality remains low compared to many countries in the West. In South East Asia, Vietnam, Laos and Indonesia are better options, when it is a question of money. In Europe countries of the Balkan offer better options when in comes to live quality and money, property cheaper then in Thailand, food better choice and cheaper, savety better then in Thailand. Another option is Argentina, Chile or Uruguay.

your alternatives apply only to those who are financially not exactly well off and therefore don't care what percentage the taxman in any of your listed countries is demanding.