What's your cost of living here in Thailand?

[smotherb]

55 minutes ago, JAZZDOG said:

Bottom line is LOS must be cheaper or most people would opt for someplace else. I sailed here from Cal in my Ketch taking in most all the pacific before selling my boat last year in Kota Kinabalu. Thought I would try Thailand for awhile and it indeed is cheaper but it is a reach to say it is better. IMHO if you weigh in what you give up living in a 1st world country with a stable government, less corruption, cleaner everything along with things that work and roads that aren't suicide traps then LOS is really no bargain at all. For folks that love it here that's cool but there is no denying that if you could live in Japan, Oz, USA or even Europe for the same money the only ones remaining would be the old bar fine guys and Chinese.

So, you don't think many would stay for the weather and the temples?

[JAZZDOG]

22 minutes ago, sirineou said:

 Not true, Money is not the only reason people are here.some people are here because of family.

A valid point that also has a flip side. Quality of education, even involving expensive private schools, is a huge factor in families seeking out a different option than LOS.

I think we can all agree that schools and universities here are not nearly as good as many other countries. Not bashing, just facts. It's like driving a Honda Civic and a 911 C4S, they both will get you there, you pay more for the experience. Thailand is as good as it gets living on less than US$ 1200/month. I do question the folks who say they own their home and car here spending 100-120K/ month. There's a whole bunch of places I would rather live spending that much money! 

[Naam]

7 hours ago, BritManToo said:

7 hours ago, starky said:

15000 a month! wow! that's less than most Thais I would think. I'm 150000 a month easy I don't have a super extravagant lifestyle but I am very comfortable. 

I cook all my own food at home, drink all my beer at home, and all my entertainment comes over the internet for 631bht/month (Movies, TV shows, Books, Music, social interactions)

Without any bars, restaurants, street food, coffee shops, What else do you spend money on?

maid, cook, gardener, driver, old classic cars, new german cars, 24/7 airconditioned home, french cheese, italian salami, german ham, shoes and handbags for the Mrs., avoiding cattle class when flying...  

[Naam]

6 minutes ago, JAZZDOG said:

A valid point that also has a flip side. Quality of education, even involving expensive private schools, is a huge factor in families seeking out a different option than LOS.

I think we can all agree that schools and universities here are not nearly as good as many other countries. Not bashing, just facts. It's like driving a Honda Civic and a 911 C4S, they both will get you there, you pay more for the experience. Thailand is as good as it gets living on less than US$ 1200/month. I do question the folks who say they own their home and car here spending 100-120K/ month. There's a whole bunch of places I would rather live spending that much money! 

that whole bunch of places gets rather small when looking at applicable income tax!

[Gecko123]

4 hours ago, smotherb said:

I am surprised at the number of respondents who are spending more than a pittance to live here. In past TV forums, I saw far too many who claimed they lived well on B20k/mo or even less. As with any claim of little expenditure, I wonder what it must be like to not enjoy the things you want--within reason--just because they are expensive. Some say, they enjoy living on the cheap. I do not know if they see it as a challenge or simply have gotten used to living at minimum; however, I suspect for most it is because they have no more to spend. I wonder if their monthly income were doubled; would they spend or save the excess income?

I think you''re overlooking a few reasons why people spend below their means. People may wish to leave money to their loved ones. There is also a great deal of uncertainty in the West about the reliability of pensions and social security which causes people to underspend. And many people simply aren't that into consumption and ostentatious materialism. Think Warren Buffett.

 

Another factor is that if you happen to be living in a less affluent area of Thailand, how advisable is it be to be tooling around in a Lamborghini or building a huge lavishly furnished house? Are you going to enflame class resentments, attract burglars and people who want to borrow money? I live in a three bedroom two bath house, well-furnished, plenty of the latest appliances, but I lead a very simple life mainly centered around bicycling, gardening, camping, writing, language study, and travel abroad a couple of times a year. I could be spending three times what I spend on average here but don't for a combination of the reasons cited above.

Edited July 29, 2018 by Gecko123

[smotherb]

50 minutes ago, tingtongtourist said:

when first in Thailand over 10year ago  i could live on 15k a month easy, but no gf and limited times of funny business.

As you go on and because of boredom, is impossible to go back to the 15k thing once ladies involved.
So yes, Gf's that come and go is obvious dead money but who can be without some action?
you will just be alcoholic if no job, retired and left to your own and Pay to play 

Some guys cant understand what/how/why i waste money on what i do here, but one thing, i never lost on a house or business so i now can live good.
Unlike others that lost 3million on assets then they must go back to mamma noodles and fan appartment and cry into the chang beermug. for them they wasted millions and now worry about every 10baht. rediculous.

I had money all along i could have spend but i did 15k budget every month as far as can tolerate because at the time i know it would help to stay longer.
Its like i explain to Thai gf's..you are rich by putting money INTO bank not wasting on cars and hi lifestyle thinking it will impress others.

Even now i can live in decent appartment around 7k a month and happy to save every month 3-8k to spend on other stuff that make life better, compared to others renting 10-15k/month.

Your base cost is rent. Stay on lowest rent as possible that can still live happy and the budget will follow that.

Some FB adverts you see renting larger appartments in the city at 20k-40k/month.
to me that is just rediculous waste of money unless you working earning 100k/month or only stay short term

I have never wanted to be rent poor.  I learned long ago the best budget is to spend less than you make and invest the difference; and the best way to do that was to have the contract pay expenses. When I worked, the contracts paid for the housing; when I lived in the States, the contracts paid for the houses I bought. Now that I am retired, I spend B8k/mo on rent--yet I have a very nice three-story, 4 bedroom, 4 bathroom row-house in a quiet well-to-do downtown neighborhood. Yet I still manage to spend over six figures monthly.

[JAZZDOG]

3 minutes ago, Naam said:

that whole bunch of places gets rather small when looking at applicable income tax!

Many places like the USA it doesn't matter except the few with double taxation.

[Naam]

 

3 minutes ago, JAZZDOG said:

8 minutes ago, Naam said:

that whole bunch of places gets rather small when looking at applicable income tax!

Many places like the USA it doesn't matter except the few with double taxation. 

i think there is some misunderstanding. i was referring to Thailand with its zero income tax on offshore earnings and claimed that there are not many other countries who offer that advantage.

[tropo]

1 hour ago, sirineou said:

 on the top right corner of the quoted post. there is a small curved arrow, If you click on it it will take you back to the complete quoted  post . with this devise one can bach track a particular conversation.

Thanks for that - I never noticed it. I prefer to include the post one is referring to in the quote, so there's no uncertainty. Here's a tip for you that could help. Highlight a post and reply and click quote... The post and quote will appear in your submission.

[melvinmelvin]

8 minutes ago, Naam said:

 

i think there is some misunderstanding. i was referring to Thailand with its zero income tax on offshore earnings and claimed that there are not many other countries who offer that advantage.

 

Cayman, Brunei and Vanuatu come to mind

 

[jenny2017]

1. Nice villa for only 4,000 baht/month - two bathrooms, one inside the Master bedroom- carport, nice area- huge

 2. Electricity- 1,100- 2,000 baht/month

 3. Reliable High-speed Internet 750 baht

 4. Water between 230 and 400 baht/ month

 5. Gasoline and Diesel oil around 5,000/ month

 6. Beer/ Buris around 5,000/ month

7. Food/drinks around 12,000 baht, incl. eating out often

8. Usually a few thousand baht for repairs, car & motorbike service, not every month.

9. Cooking gas around 800 baht/ month

10. Unkown costs that usually just pop up xxx baht.  

11. Trashmen 30 baht. 

12. Unplanned adventures depending on beauty xxx? baht. 

13. Social security 440 baht/month

 

Edited July 29, 2018 by jenny2017

[tropo]

1 hour ago, tingtongtourist said:

 Even now i can live in decent appartment around 7k a month and happy to save every month 3-8k to spend on other stuff that make life better, compared to others renting 10-15k/month.

Your base cost is rent. Stay on lowest rent as possible that can still live happy and the budget will follow that.

Some FB adverts you see renting larger appartments in the city at 20k-40k/month.
to me that is just rediculous waste of money unless you working earning 100k/month or only stay short term

7

I've done a lot of apartment searching over the years, and after the most recent search (just over a year ago) cannot find a place under 25k/month that I would want to stay in, and ended up settling for a good deal at 30k/month because I didn't really like the places that were 25k.

 

Now you're comfortable in a 7k per month place and think people who pay 10-15k/month are overspending. Everyone has different living standards. You can't judge people for what they spend on rent. It's a home for me - I spend 90% or more of my days at home. It's a very important part of my daily life and monthly spending. I'd rather save money on other things.

 

I'm pretty sure that if I had to I could survive in a 7k rental - but I don't want to. It's not just about money.

[Naam]

4 hours ago, despicable alien said:

am currently in the "even less" category.
i find the amount of money one spends determines the quality of people one associates with.
i find those who think that the sun shines out of their wallet to be among the vilest on earth and best to be avoided while the people i associate with being in the "even less" category are nice pleasant honest people.

no need to bend backwards to avoid those "vilest" people as they avoid chaps with your attitude.

[Naam]

2 hours ago, BritManToo said:

What makes you think the 'thrifty' don't enjoy the things they want.

 

I buy as many Leo and Tiger beers as I want, if I bought more I'd be dead.

I enjoy listening to music, watching movies and tv shows along with reading books, all for 631bht/month (55" lcd tv).

Western food is cheap to cook for myself, if I ate any more I would explode (eating less food so I can still drink the beer).

 

What more could I possibly want?

How would spending more money improve my current life?

 

 

a Learjet, a Lamborghini, two mistresses tucked away?

[smotherb]

3 minutes ago, Gecko123 said:

I think you''re overlooking a few reasons why people spend below their means. People may wish to leave money to their loved ones. There is also a great deal of uncertainty in the West about the reliability of pensions and social security which causes people to underspend. And many people simply aren't that into consumption and ostentatious materialism. Think Warren Buffett.

 

Another factor is that if you happen to be living in a less affluent area of Thailand, how advisable is it be to be tooling around in a Mercedes Benz or building a huge lavishly furnished house? Are you going to enflame class resentments, attract burglars, people who want to borrow money? I live in a three bedroom two bath house, well-furnished, plenty of the latest appliances, but I lead a very simple life mainly centered around bicycling, gardening, camping, writing, language study, and travel abroad a couple of times a year. I could be spending three times what I spend on average here but don't for a combination of the reasons cited above.

 

4 minutes ago, Gecko123 said:

I think you''re overlooking a few reasons why people spend below their means. People may wish to leave money to their loved ones. There is also a great deal of uncertainty in the West about the reliability of pensions and social security which causes people to underspend. And many people simply aren't that into consumption and ostentatious materialism. Think Warren Buffett.

 

Another factor is that if you happen to be living in a less affluent area of Thailand, how advisable is it be to be tooling around in a Mercedes Benz or building a huge lavishly furnished house? Are you going to enflame class resentments, attract burglars, people who want to borrow money? I live in a three bedroom two bath house, well-furnished, plenty of the latest appliances, but I lead a very simple life mainly centered around bicycling, gardening, camping, writing, language study, and travel abroad a couple of times a year. I could be spending three times what I spend on average here but don't for a combination of the reasons cited above.

I am proud to be a consumer and contribute to the economy in which I live. I do not believe doing what I like is being ostentatious--to me that is only if you spend to impress others.

 

I neither tool around in an MB or have a lavish house--I live in a three story row house and drive a Toyota. I do have a Harley, but I've had Harleys since I was in my early twenties--and I have another one in storage in the States. However, if I want a steak, a bottle of wine, a good cigar, or a weekend in Singapore; I get it. If I need new clothes, or gifts for my grandson, or medical work, or repairs for the vehicles, I get them.

 

I think your comments have just reinforced mine about staying on the cheap because you have only that much to spend. 

 

I agree there is always uncertainty. Having only a pension in old age is not an enviable position. Diversification of assets is much better.

 

I too want to leave something to loved ones. We have already given our son an education and some of our assets to give him and his family a good start.

 

My wife, his mother, has her own retirement and social security. So, she doesn't need mine; although, my social security is a bit more than hers, so she will get the difference from mine.

 

She also shares our properties and investment portfolio; because she too contributed to them--we have been married almost 40 years. So, any money we spend now is spent from our joint assets.

 

Consequently, we are doing as I suggested; the best budget is to spend less than you make and invest the rest. The problem, is having enough to live well and not spend it all--which is one of the reasons we are retired in SEA. 

[Naam]

28 minutes ago, melvinmelvin said:

 

Cayman, Brunei and Vanuatu come to mind

 

do you have any idea of the property prices in the Caymans? no beer in Brunei, in Vanuatu they switch of the lights with a hammer.

[Mansell]

2 hours ago, JAZZDOG said:

Bottom line is LOS must be cheaper or most people would opt for someplace else. I sailed here from Cal in my Ketch taking in most all the pacific before selling my boat last year in Kota Kinabalu. Thought I would try Thailand for awhile and it indeed is cheaper but it is a reach to say it is better. IMHO if you weigh in what you give up living in a 1st world country with a stable government, less corruption, cleaner everything along with things that work and roads that aren't suicide traps then LOS is really no bargain at all. For folks that love it here that's cool but there is no denying that if you could live in Japan, Oz, USA or even Europe for the same money the only ones remaining would be the old bar fine guys and Chinese.

Not true. I found life in SoCal very sanitized and bordering on boring. I decided I wanted to retire to the tropics, always wanted to live in the tropics after seeing Africa at seventeen, and Asia at nineteen......it just took a while. Also if I lived in any of the countries you mentioned I wouldn't be living with a beautiful woman at my retired age......maybe an overweight and angry woman, but not funny and sexy, and makes me laugh many times a day. A joy to be with. If I had big big money I might consider living in England in the summer, and Santa Barbara in the winter. But I do not, so I enjoy my later years happy and comfortable.

[wolf81]

I've built a house for my GF and daughter and will be staying there, so no rent. And I live on the countryside where food is even cheaper than in the city. Not many options for western meals though, but I don't mind.

 

We get water from a pit (underground river or something) of the neighbours and make it drinkable using a machine from Giffarine (IIRC). Makes cost of drinking water cheap as well and in our experience water from local water company sometimes is not being delivered for a few hours, so it's nice to have our own source.

 

We'll buy a car soon and while my GF prefers a pick-up, I am considering maybe a Toyota Yaris or Vios. Much more fuel efficient and therefore cheaper in use. Not yet sure how much we'll need to pay for gasoline each month, but I imagine we'll do around 1 trip a week in the near area.

 

With all of the above said, I just send my GF around 25.000 Baht a month to take care of groceries, food, maybe buying some toys and clothes for our daughter, pay electric and gas, etc...

 

Then I myself might use at the moment around 10.000 Baht a month on coffeeshops and some larger occasional expenses (e.g. plants for our garden, a washing machine, etc…). But recently got a good espresso / cappuccino machine at home, so those costs should lower in the coming months.

 

At the moment I don't have any insurance, but it seems to be available for around 5000 Baht a month.

 

In the end that would amount to around 40.000 Baht a month. Hopefully in the future we can lower it a bit to 35.000 Baht a month or so.

 

But for a family of 3 I'd say that's quite ok spending. If I'd be single, I could probably get by for 20.000 - 25.000 Baht a month.

[BobBKK]

around 40,000 (own my home) no kids

[Monkeyrobot]

19 hours ago, Psimbo said:

My budget is none of your business but how about reading one of the MANY threads on this subject?

 

It's been done to death.

Look who’s having a dummy spit today , hold your breath for 10 seconds and then exhale and relax, the member was just asking as he has just moved here, prices go up all the time so past forums do not really mater , that’s if the member even knew about them. 

[BritManToo]

1 hour ago, smotherb said:

So, you don't think many would stay for the weather and the temples?

The weather is the biggest draw for me.

[BobBKK]

Just now, BritManToo said:

The weather is the biggest draw for me.

Availability of women, cost of living and other countries near-by when I need a break fro LOS (around 3 to 4 times a year). Weather is a consideration but the other two come come ahead. 

 

No girls (or boyz depending on your thing) and expensive will see 95% of us leave no matter how much dat sun shines.

[jenny2017]

30 minutes ago, Naam said:

a Learjet, a Lamborghini, two mistresses tucked away?

Aeeh, a helicopter should be part of it. 

[JLCrab]

Well I don't know 'bout all of you but my life now and eventually may end up some reasonable variation (but lower numbers) of this:

https://www.cnbc.com/2018/05/08/how-a-96-year-old-secretary-amassed-a-secret-8-million-fortune.html

[JAZZDOG]

45 minutes ago, Naam said:

 

i think there is some misunderstanding. i was referring to Thailand with its zero income tax on offshore earnings and claimed that there are not many other countries who offer that advantage.

No, I understood. I can exclude US$ 102K of offshore income but because I am a resident of Brazil I must pay taxes there where most all my income originates. In any case treaties in place preclude me having to pay taxes in both countries on the same income originating in Brazil. 

[Gecko123]

39 minutes ago, smotherb said:

I think your comments have just reinforced mine about staying on the cheap because you have only that much to spend. 

How my post managed to reinforce your view when I did nothing but take exception to it is beyond me. Oh well.

 

Maybe if you're pushing 80 or 90 years old, the uncertainty about whether social security is going to be there for you, or how your investment portfolio is going to perform in the coming years can be brushed aside, and a 'can't take it with you, might as well spend it while you can' mindset takes hold, but, fortunately, I'm not there yet.

 

It's a little insulting to keep telling everybody who says they're living below their means in reality just doesn't have the money to spend any more than they do.

Edited July 29, 2018 by Gecko123

[Lacessit]

2 hours ago, JLCrab said:

I work on solving some of the world's probems -- at least a small sliver component of them -- at the UN/Geneva, the EU Parliament, and the US Congress, through a US registered NGO all whilst sitting at my computer in Isaan ... and I am a pain in the A&&ss to most but not all of them as well.

Noooo. I just can't believe you would be a pain in the A&&SS.

[Spidey]

33 minutes ago, Naam said:

a Learjet, a Lamborghini, two mistresses tucked away?

Couldn't fly a Learjet, a Lamborghini would be a nightmare over the speed bumps round here and only got energy for one mistress at a time (tucked away, of course).

[Naam]

3 minutes ago, JAZZDOG said:

1 hour ago, Naam said:

 

i think there is some misunderstanding. i was referring to Thailand with its zero income tax on offshore earnings and claimed that there are not many other countries who offer that advantage.

No, I understood. I can exclude US$ 102K of offshore income but because I am a resident of Brazil I must pay taxes there where most all my income originates. In any case treaties in place preclude me having to pay taxes in both countries on the same income originating in Brazil. 

using foreign income exclusion means you are a U.S. citizen working in Brazil which is completely different from the average participant of this forum who lives a retiree live in Thailand. 

[melvinmelvin]

35 minutes ago, Naam said:

do you have any idea of the property prices in the Caymans? no beer in Brunei, in Vanuatu they switch of the lights with a hammer.

 

yes, Cayman is costly the other two - not so

 

all 3 sport way better beaches than LoS

 

come to think of it, Luxembourg and Belgium also have fairly good arrangements for overseas earnings