What's your cost of living here in Thailand?

[JaiLai]

2 hours ago, dallen52 said:

I'm not normally one to comment, but...

 

I'm trying to get by on the average expat farang pension funding the monthly for myself and my partner. 60,000 is the current costs.

Plus the odd excursion into savings of recent. 

 

This as posted above is obviously going to attract the questions..

 

Where is the location?

 

And, why ?

If you dont live there.

 

That's a lot of dosh in any currency. 

Especially if you dont know where its actually going..

 

Good for your wife, kids, maid, the local food industry, bank, and private schools whose fees are extra you say...

 

1.68 million baht. 

Plus school fees on top..

Plus what she earns.

 

And she says it's not enough..

 

Thank you for the contributions to the economy...

if he earns 500K a month plus then it's not really that much....

[Naam]

13 hours ago, Polaky said:

a kitchen so you can cook the occasional breakfast, a pack of cereal and carton of milk for the rest of the week is worth about as much as a full english breakfast 200tb at the bar ,  for dinner a bowl of soup....

...for dessert and added protein a few roaches caught with a hammer in the kitchen.

[lanng khao]

pretty much what my budget is and where I spend my baht....rent-etc,,,street food--gas--phone........sangsom!

A lot of people are on a budget, I've got a friend who's a midget, even he's struggling to put food on the table..

Sent from my SM-G955F using Tapatalk

[balo]

Actually I hope Manjara is joking with us , but if it's true what a lucky Thai family / relatives etc. They hit the jackpot. 

 

[dallen52]

6 minutes ago, balo said:

Actually I hope Manjara is joking with us , but if it's true what a lucky Thai family / relatives etc. They hit the jackpot. 

 

You took the words out of my mouth.

 

Sounds like he is keeping a small community with that much outlay every month...

 

His partner must be called Pandora..

 

She must have one hell of a magic box. 

Getting financial support like that.

 

Plus he isn't even living here....

 

[Naam]

18 hours ago, Polaky said:

I guess it's certainly possible when you budget as you do, realistically for a single retiree.....

A modern condo with sea views, a decent gym and pool can be had for about 12,000tb, you don't need larger than a studio of 25m2 so long as it has a kitchen, balcony, and nice bathroom, at that size it is cheaper to cool, and less lights etc, a kitchen so you can cook the occasional breakfast, a pack of cereal and carton of milk for the rest of the week is worth about as much as a full english breakfast 200tb at the bar ,  for dinner a bowl of soup, sorry guy's but there are way too many men that are overweight in los, it is the perfect environment to lose weight , like walking around inside a sauna, if you locate close to where you want to be then you don't need a car or even a bike, so your day would begin with breakfast, followed by a rigorous workout in the gym for an hour, off to the pool for as long as you like, then a nice long walk along the beach ogling the beach beauties, what more does a man in his twilight years need?.

let me tell you a secret my good man (but don't tell anybody because then it's not a secret anymore!). you possess a wealth of no idea what other men in their twilight years need, want, can afford and enjoy. take off your blindfolds.

[manjara]

12 hours ago, dallen52 said:

I'm not normally one to comment, but...

 

I'm trying to get by on the average expat farang pension funding the monthly for myself and my partner. 60,000 is the current costs.

Plus the odd excursion into savings of recent. 

 

This as posted above is obviously going to attract the questions..

 

Where is the location?

 

And, why ?

If you dont live there.

 

That's a lot of dosh in any currency. 

Especially if you dont know where its actually going..

 

Good for your wife, kids, maid, the local food industry, bank, and private schools whose fees are extra you say...

 

1.68 million baht. 

Plus school fees on top..

Plus what she earns.

 

And she says it's not enough..

 

Thank you for the contributions to the economy...

I travel back about 9 or 10 times a year, and to be honest, I can easily see how she could spend 10k a week on food so it's not completely unreasonable. A pizza meal from Pizza company will cost close to 1000 baht, and if you go out for dinner (with 6 people) then you will spend more. 

Perhaps I'm being naive (braces for the flood of agreement!), but I wonder how some of the people can survive on 20k a month, which I know many people do.

Obviously, when I retire, I will not be able to sustain this level of expenditure, but I don't see my wife spending money on gambling or plastic surgery or a bunch of Thai gik, so I'm wondering where my savings are going to come from! 

I'm damn sure I can live in the UK on a lot less than we spend in Thailand, so perhaps that's the answer (see thread on leaving thailand after 13 years). 

I expect to have about 80-100k a month in retirement, so that's my target, but it may require a change of wife to reach it! ? 

[Kadilo]

3 minutes ago, manjara said:

 

Perhaps I'm being naive (braces for the flood of agreement!), but I wonder how some of the people can survive on 20k a month, which I know many people do.

 

Because they don’t have a wife like you 

[manjara]

1 hour ago, balo said:

Actually I hope Manjara is joking with us , but if it's true what a lucky Thai family / relatives etc. They hit the jackpot. 

 

If I take out the loan repayment, then they are spending about 100k a month, which is definitely excessive, but not completely ridiculous. I'd like to get it down to 80k or lower, so that I'll have some money for travel when I retire. 

The problem is being able to afford the good things in life when you go below that level. Wine, cheese, massage, gik, etc.

 

[simon43]

Manjara - you wonder what is happening with the other 55,000 baht each month that she isn't spending.  The likely answer is that she's saving it in her private bank account, as a large financial cushion for when you kick her out (or she moves on to someone else).

 

Just saying ?

[manjara]

14 minutes ago, simon43 said:

Manjara - you wonder what is happening with the other 55,000 baht each month that she isn't spending.  The likely answer is that she's saving it in her private bank account, as a large financial cushion for when you kick her out (or she moves on to someone else).

 

Just saying ?

No, that's just a dream I have on a regular basis!  it's a good dream! ?

[baansgr]

back on track for costs.  single dad with three kids,  accommodation and transport paid for.  bills,  Wi-Fi,  water,  electric, car bike insurance and phone 4k...food and everything else toiletries days out 21k....east,  that's good food, sweets,  a few beers. 

 

You guys spending 100k and more.... Blah,  blah,  blah.... Your Mrs is spending it.  It's still so cheap here unbelievable 

Edited August 8, 2018 by baansgr

[totally thaied up]

On 8/7/2018 at 6:50 PM, Polaky said:

I guess it's certainly possible when you budget as you do, realistically for a single retiree.....

A modern condo with sea views, a decent gym and pool can be had for about 12,000tb, you don't need larger than a studio of 25m2 so long as it has a kitchen, balcony, and nice bathroom, at that size it is cheaper to cool, and less lights etc, a kitchen so you can cook the occasional breakfast, a pack of cereal and carton of milk for the rest of the week is worth about as much as a full english breakfast 200tb at the bar ,  for dinner a bowl of soup, sorry guy's but there are way too many men that are overweight in los, it is the perfect environment to lose weight , like walking around inside a sauna, if you locate close to where you want to be then you don't need a car or even a bike, so your day would begin with breakfast, followed by a rigorous workout in the gym for an hour, off to the pool for as long as you like, then a nice long walk along the beach ogling the beach beauties, what more does a man in his twilight years need?.

I have a house (well, wifey does) and my bedroom is not much more then 18m2 but I must admit, I need not much else in the house so it does make sense a little if you are by yourself. My room has everything. 65'' Wall Mounted TV, the latest sound system with some very sweat speakers, two Computers and 32'' Screens that are wall mounted and hidden away, Google Home and temperature (28,000 BTU Air Con) and smart lighting, fridge, QNAP servers and I have to admit, my room is very comfortable. I suppose if I was single, I would just need a small kitchen and not much else. I could have made a man cave for myself but I am sick a great deal of the time and my wife when she is not working, spends most her time with me gaming (we play PS4 together) or watching Movies on Netflix at night in bed. I have one friend whom is a multi-millionaire living in a 30m2 Condo in Chiang Mai, rides a Honda PCX and is happy as a flea on a fat dog. We are all pretty much different. 

 

My month's cost for July was 40,000 and the wife had 5,000 in work on her teeth out of that. Since the home has been mostly finished, my costs have gone done from 55-65,000 a month a lot. The only fee I am paying extra yearly is my health Insurance at US$1200 a year but I pay that off once in January. I had a good month last month, so I am not complaining at all.

Edited August 8, 2018 by totally thaied up

[ChakaKhan]

18 hours ago, lanng khao said:

A lot of people are on a budget, I've got a friend who's a midget, even he's struggling to put food on the table..

Sent from my SM-G955F using Tapatalk
 

Reminds me of my buddy who is always Frank and Earnest with the ladies...

 

He's Frank in the City and he's Earnest in the Country!     hey-yo!   zing!

[David Walden]

On 8/5/2018 at 7:20 PM, manjara said:

I'm not actually in Thailand, but I send money back each month. As far as I know, the costs are as follows (same as above, wife, 3 kids etc)

 - Maid :  9000

 - Electric : 8000 (Aircon in 4-5 bedrooms all night!)

 - Loan repayment : 35000  (Wife built an extension)

 - Petrol  : 8000  

 - kids  :  6000  (pocket money)

 - Alcohol  : 10000

 - MIL : 10000

 

As I send back about 140,000 a month, I presume the rest, about 55,000, is spent on food and house maintenance!  (wow, those kids are hungry!)

I also pay school fees directly, on top of that.

 

My wife claims she has income as well, that she spends all of!  ( as she is always saying I don't send enough)

Free Advice...turn the wife into "the maid"...save Bt9000.  Turn the air-cond up in your bedroom and off in the kids bedroom...save Bt4000.  Sell house and get a smaller one. You can rent  three (3)  3BR houses in Cha-am for the cost of your extensions and nice.  You can get a very flash house in Cha-am for Bt 20,000 pool and all.  Pay 12 months up front and get  it for 16,000  P/M  save about 5 million... Petrol Bt8000 that 80 litre a week struth!!  get that down to Bt4000, are you a free taxi for the kids.  Pocket money...Bt2,000 P/M save Bt4,000.  MIL Bt10,000  What the hell is MIL? get rid of it save Bt10,000....Increase Alcohol consumption to Bt20,000 you need it.  Likely savings at least Bt50,000 a month

  Your much like the man who keeps banging his head against a brick wall,  Your gunna feel a lot better when you stop doing it...that's the best advice I can give you....5555...Easy fixed

[JaiLai]

22 minutes ago, David Walden said:

Free Advice...turn the wife into "the maid"...save Bt9000.  Turn the air-cond up in your bedroom and off in the kids bedroom...save Bt4000.  Sell house and get a smaller one. You can rent  three (3)  3BR houses in Cha-am for the cost of your extensions and nice.  You can get a very flash house in Cha-am for Bt 20,000 pool and all.  Pay 12 months up front and get  it for 16,000  P/M  save about 5 million... Petrol Bt8000 that 80 litre a week struth!!  get that down to Bt4000, are you a free taxi for the kids.  Pocket money...Bt2,000 P/M save Bt4,000.  MIL Bt10,000  What the hell is MIL? get rid of it save Bt10,000....Increase Alcohol consumption to Bt20,000 you need it.  Likely savings at least Bt50,000 a month

  Your much like the man who keeps banging his head against a brick wall,  Your gunna feel a lot better when you stop doing it...that's the best advice I can give you....5555...Easy fixed

See post #331

[David Walden]

On 7/29/2018 at 12:32 AM, KittenKong said:

I find that things like insurance, fuel and most labour-related services are quite cheap here. Also condo common fees are very low. Local food is also cheap. Just about everything else often seems quite expensive to me, especially anything imported.

 

I dont pay rent, or finance any Thais, and I dont go to bars so I dont actually spend very much every month apart from on eating out and occasionally on hotels and travelling around. So for me income largely exceeds expenditure.

I live 4 months in Thailand and 2 months back in Australia.  I find the expat farangs and Thai social contacts I have made in Cha-am just loverly.  Yes sometimes drinking and womanising in moderation?.  I've covered much of my great experience in some of my other posts on this site.  Soon I'll make my time in Thailand for each trip longer.  Cha-am lovely place to live as are many other places in Thailand.

[HAKAPALITA]

Ive got a Mate who brings me Brightons Best Pies back from Ozz.. Nothin else matters.?[emoji481]


Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect

[David Walden]

18 hours ago, manjara said:

I travel back about 9 or 10 times a year, and to be honest, I can easily see how she could spend 10k a week on food so it's not completely unreasonable. A pizza meal from Pizza company will cost close to 1000 baht, and if you go out for dinner (with 6 people) then you will spend more. 

Perhaps I'm being naive (braces for the flood of agreement!), but I wonder how some of the people can survive on 20k a month, which I know many people do.

Obviously, when I retire, I will not be able to sustain this level of expenditure, but I don't see my wife spending money on gambling or plastic surgery or a bunch of Thai gik, so I'm wondering where my savings are going to come from! 

I'm damn sure I can live in the UK on a lot less than we spend in Thailand, so perhaps that's the answer (see thread on leaving thailand after 13 years). 

I expect to have about 80-100k a month in retirement, so that's my target, but it may require a change of wife to reach it! ? 

Most men who come to Thailand and are nice to Thai Ladies will find that you can find a nice happy lady rather quickly. You don't want to be shy.  To many examples are available to list here.  A few not so good? What's different in the West.   It could be a bar girl who is getting on a bit who would like to get out of the business, has 2/3 kids, husband a butterfly (Gone with the wind) plenty of them in Thailand.  Many are there because that's the best job they can get.  They are mostly just nice people who do not have a regular male partner.  These ladies are not just bar girls they can be working in a 7/11, big  "C", Tesco, Makro or anywhere, like the lady along the Cha-am beach road I often buy fruit from who is concerned that I go walking each morning on my own and no lady.  She assures me she can fix that for me in a day and make me happy.  Much BS and laughter on the subject, she even tells me she'll sell the side car on her fruit motor bike and she''ll make me happy "if you like"   I think she means it?  Sometimes from 50 metre away when I'm walking past a flash restaurant  she'll call out "you got girlfriend yet" speaks quite good english,  " I fix "she says.  all the people in the street front hotel flash dinning room their ears prick up...but it's all fun.

    Manjara... with an income of Bt 80/100 you can live in Thailand very comfortable and even be quite generous.  Bt 10.000 will get you a nice 2b/r town house with a Thai lady partner , especially in my town of Cha-am...I am sort of breaking the unwritten rules among us farangs/expats in Cha-am about telling people how good it is...psss "don't tell anyone" Prachurup, Ranong , Ban Pae, Chiang Mai, Nong Khai all very good also "try them".  Please keep it a secret about how good Cha-am is.  Beautiful beach, Mon to Fri quite. Sat and Sun traffic crazy.  Makro here soon, magic market every Wed night 500 stalls etc...don't tell anyone.

Edited August 9, 2018 by David Walden

[sanemax]

2 minutes ago, David Walden said:

Most men who come to Thailand and are nice to Thai Ladies will find that you can find a nice happy lady rather quickly. You don't want to be shy.  To many examples are available to list here.  A few not so good? What's different in the West.   It could be a bar girl who is getting on a bit who would like to get out of the business, has 2/3 kids, husband a butterfly (Gone with the wind) plenty of them in Thailand.  Many are there because that's the best job they can get.  They are mostly just nice people who do not have a regular male partner.  These ladies are not just bar girls they can be working in a 7/11, big  "C", Tesco, Makro or anywhere, like the lady along the Cha-am beach road I often buy fruit from who is concerned that I go walking each morning on my own and no lady.  She assures me she can fix that for me in a day and make me happy.  Much BS and laughter on the subject, she even tells me she'll sell the side car on her fruit motor bike and she''ll make me happy "if you like"   I think she means it?  Sometimes from 50 metre away when I'm walking past a flash restaurant  she'll call out "you got girlfriend yet" speaks quite good english,  " I fix "she says.  all the people in the street front hotel flash dinning room their ears prick up...but it's all fun.

    

Although she isnt trying to make you happy , shes hoping that you will make her/her friend happy by financially supporting them .

  Tell her that if she wants to make you happy , ask her to find you a pretty 22 year old with no husband or kids , has a well paying job and is looking for an older felang guy to be her fully supported boyfriend 

[rodney earl]

For what it is worth. My advice. Go back to os. If I wasn't so embedded here I would be on the first plane.!!

[David Walden]

3 minutes ago, sanemax said:

Although she isnt trying to make you happy , shes hoping that you will make her/her friend happy by financially supporting them .

  Tell her that if she wants to make you happy , ask her to find you a pretty 22 year old with no husband or kids , has a well paying job and is looking for an older felang guy to be her fully supported boyfriend 

Some people are just stuffed in the head.  That's the best reply I can give you.

[David Walden]

6 minutes ago, rodney earl said:

For what it is worth. My advice. Go back to os. If I wasn't so embedded here I would be on the first plane.!!

I am really sorry you feel that way.  Hope you get better soon.

[rodney earl]

There is nothing wrong with me (that I am willing to admit to ha ha) I am just so tired of all of the b s that goes on in this country.!!

[sanemax]

6 minutes ago, David Walden said:

Some people are just stuffed in the head.  That's the best reply I can give you.

Yes, because the reality is that you will be financially supporting her or her friend and that will be what the relationship is based on .

[David Walden]

On 8/2/2018 at 8:19 AM, starky said:

Yeah it's taken me quite a while to put it all together. I believe there is a lot more books than that! although I do have quite a few doubles and books that probably turn up in more than one category but I've done my best to avoid it. Having said that it's a monstrous effort trying to just go through it all. Lol

Edit: just whipped open file commander apparently it's 300GB 447 930 books so you were pretty much spot on.

 A long walk in the morning (8KM) watch Netflix usually during the hot part of the day in Thailand in my Air-cond room.  Often snoose also at the hot times, 30 mins of physical jerks at 4.30 pm which gives me strength to soldier on into the night.  All changes when I get back to Aus.  I do read books now mostly from Amazon Bt 25 each.  Lots and lots available, sometimes no good.

[David Walden]

14 minutes ago, sanemax said:

Yes, because the reality is that you will be financially supporting her or her friend and that will be what the relationship is based on .

What different in the West...like a pussy cat "if you stop feeding them they'll leave you"...dogs different,  you should get a dog?...Plenty of soi dogs available in Cha-am.

Edited August 9, 2018 by David Walden

[sanemax]

9 minutes ago, David Walden said:

What different in the West...like a pussy cat "if you stop feeding them they'll leave you"...dogs different,  you should get a dog?

We are not talking about what happens in the West .

Although relationships in the West usually begin with mutual attraction .

The attraction to some Thai ladies is financial support and if that financial support isnt forthcoming , there will be no attraction .

   If you are happy to fully financially support a female and her kids and family , get into a relationship .

   If you dont want to be a meal ticket, stay single

[David Walden]

3 hours ago, sanemax said:

We are not talking about what happens in the West .

Although relationships in the West usually begin with mutual attraction .

The attraction to some Thai ladies is financial support and if that financial support isnt forthcoming , there will be no attraction .

   If you are happy to fully financially support a female and her kids and family , get into a relationship .

   If you dont want to be a meal ticket, stay single

Oh! your talking about the hollywood version of falling in love in the West, where people live on love alone...I tried that when I was young, didn't work.  Had another go that didn't work either but I do have a MBR with my now estranged wife.  If you have a relationship with a Thai lady it will most likely be a Mutually Beneficial Relationship an MBR.  Frankly most of the blokes I know in Thailand with a younger lady partners are very happy with that MBR.  They will often suggest "yes it cost a bit more but life is better"  if it doesn't work "pick yourself up dust yourself off and start all over again"  

Edited August 9, 2018 by David Walden

[manjara]

11 hours ago, David Walden said:

Most men who come to Thailand and are nice to Thai Ladies will find that you can find a nice happy lady rather quickly. You don't want to be shy.  To many examples are available to list here.  A few not so good? What's different in the West.   It could be a bar girl who is getting on a bit who would like to get out of the business, has 2/3 kids, husband a butterfly (Gone with the wind) plenty of them in Thailand.  Many are there because that's the best job they can get.  They are mostly just nice people who do not have a regular male partner.  These ladies are not just bar girls they can be working in a 7/11, big  "C", Tesco, Makro or anywhere, like the lady along the Cha-am beach road I often buy fruit from who is concerned that I go walking each morning on my own and no lady.  She assures me she can fix that for me in a day and make me happy.  Much BS and laughter on the subject, she even tells me she'll sell the side car on her fruit motor bike and she''ll make me happy "if you like"   I think she means it?  Sometimes from 50 metre away when I'm walking past a flash restaurant  she'll call out "you got girlfriend yet" speaks quite good english,  " I fix "she says.  all the people in the street front hotel flash dinning room their ears prick up...but it's all fun.

    Manjara... with an income of Bt 80/100 you can live in Thailand very comfortable and even be quite generous.  Bt 10.000 will get you a nice 2b/r town house with a Thai lady partner , especially in my town of Cha-am...I am sort of breaking the unwritten rules among us farangs/expats in Cha-am about telling people how good it is...psss "don't tell anyone" Prachurup, Ranong , Ban Pae, Chiang Mai, Nong Khai all very good also "try them".  Please keep it a secret about how good Cha-am is.  Beautiful beach, Mon to Fri quite. Sat and Sun traffic crazy.  Makro here soon, magic market every Wed night 500 stalls etc...don't tell anyone.

Thanks for the words of encouragement! My wife and I know Cha-am very well and usually go there when we go to the beach! My wife still manages to spend at least 5k on a day out in Cha-am!  Couple of kilos of roast pork, chickens, prawns, hoi of different types, many dishes, wine, beer, banana boats, deck chairs, shirts, toys, shoes, sun cream, etc for about 8 people usually! 

We also know about places like Lampang, Koh Phayam, Sam roi Yot

I realise I only have myself to blame here, but there is not one big expense, it's just the sheer volume of 'good value' transactions! 

MIL = mother in law, by the way!