Many expats live in Thailand on less than 45,000 baht a month

[David Walden]

50 minutes ago, Sparkles said:

I've been here for 17 years ,work and retirement and am 76.During that time I have been back to Australia about 9 times. 

Years back it was confirmed I was no longer covered by Medicare as I had been out of the country,in their opinion, too long despite 40+ years of paying tax (unlike UK and US citizens)

 

I have been told that I would have to become a permanent Australian resident again to be accepted back into the system

 

If you happen to have a heart attack,operation or serious illness here  it could cost you up to, or over, a million baht as it has for a friend of mine.

 

If you visibly sick you may also be refused entry to the plane to return to Australia as they have strict conditions regarding their obligations for your state of health during the flight.

 

I dont have enough savings to cover a major health issue and while my wife & i  have no debts and our own home ,or hers obviously,may have to go.

 

The only other option maybe is to throw yourself on the mercy of a Gov Hospital and pay it off.  ?

Yes Sparkles Esq... your plight does not look so good.  I still do own half a house in Aus my estranged owns the other half. (we get along sort of?)  I spend much of my time in Thailand on a multi entry retirement visa.  That is about 4 month in Thailand  2 month back in Aus.  This allows me when I return to Aus to address any medical matter that needs attention including free medicine.. as I live in W.A. (Aus) the money I spend on cheap air fares to and from Aus is made up if I'd purchased the same medicines in Thailand.  I don't mind the 8/9 hour of travel at my age "time I have plenty".  You really should have made the trip back Aus before each 5 year period to preserve you Medicare entitlements.  I am a pensioner, this tooing and froing allows me to claim a single rate and the trips back restore the pension supplement to its full amount including its full amount for the 6 weeks after departure...all above board.  The extra benefits are more then the cost going too and from Aus.

I let my Medibank Private insurance of $3000 P/A lapse as to keep it up I had to pay the full premium.  Whilst out Australia private medical insurance has no entitlements and is suspended.  The full private premium must be paid if you wish to enjoy your entitlements if and when I return.   There is ofcourse a remote possibility if I sustain major medical problems in Thailand I may have to use some of my nest egg just to get back to Aus.  With the savings of $3000 a year for premiums I have decided to take that gamble.  If I'm on life support in Thailand well I think they better let me go...had a good life it's better since I've been coming to Thailand...

Edited August 6, 2018 by David Walden

[metisdead]

Inflammatory posts as well as personal bickering posts and the replies have been removed. 

[stanleycoin]

3 minutes ago, David Walden said:

"No"  is the best answer you could of given.

No , , 

Edited August 6, 2018 by stanleycoin

[David Walden]

17 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

You could move to Oman or Saudi and have your 3 wives.

I'll look into that...5555

Edited August 6, 2018 by David Walden

[David Walden]

2 hours ago, NextStationBangkok said:

Farangs have no way to spend the money, except their girl friends. ?

Look in any large shopping centre in the world. 95% of all clothing and personal intimate items shops are for ladies only.  In the Market Village shopping Centre in Hue Hin Thailand there is only one shop out of about 200 that sells men's shirts probably 50 of are ladies apparel shops, hats, bags, dresses, shoes, under garments you name it.  Go to the Wednesday night market at Cha-am if there is about 150 clothing stalls out of 500 only about 5 of them sell men's clothing...I really don't mind but I sometimes like complain just to keep up appearances.   It's all the same the World over.

[David Walden]

2 hours ago, BritManToo said:

You could move to Oman or Saudi and have your 3 wives.

I think it's 4 isn't it, that would be better?  5555.  If you have 4 wives and have every 2nd day off to rest that's called a rotating shift.  which means every 4 weeks you have a day off to go to church on Sunday...OK  

Edited August 6, 2018 by David Walden

[smotherb]

4 hours ago, bkk6060 said:

Hmm.

Sorry, I do not understand.

Can you explain this?

No explanation will work if you don't believe it. That recognition has to be in the mind of the husband. Or is that too difficult to understand?

[smotherb]

3 hours ago, David Walden said:

Well what's new I not sure if that has the case for 50,000 years or only 5000 years...take your pick.

Gee, maybe you should wake-up. There are many families where the woman is the equal or the  better provider.

[1dayumay]

The ones lives under 45,000 baht are the cheap Charlie brits, who complain and try to bargain on everything..

 

if you need more,  tell your government to stop wasting money on Muslims and immigrants,so you can get a decent pension to live off.

 

i have brit “friend” he is super cheap,never gives back money I lend to him, never pay for a drinking round, lives like a rat, but his pension is tiny.

 

So now we know why they are miserable. 555

 

NB! I’m talking about the older generation, the younger generation,they are not afraid to spend money and have fun ?

 

[Thechook]

15 hours ago, BritManToo said:

Married the wrong person ..... you mean married a female?

Equal amounts marry men.

[Davmaac]

On 8/5/2018 at 4:06 AM, MaxYakov said:

My Bangkok name is "ATM". Adopted after one of my gals indicated concern that I might think that she considered me an ATM (in the same SMS asking me to deposit 1000 baht into her bank account). The satire of my telling them my adopted name is completely lost on them. This should not surprise anyone, I suppose.

Well your "gals" do consider you to be an ATM so they probably don't see it as satire just fact. ?

[Davmaac]

7 hours ago, David Walden said:

Look in any large shopping centre in the world. 95% of all clothing and personal intimate items shops are for ladies only.  In the Market Village shopping Centre in Hue Hin Thailand there is only one shop out of about 200 that sells men's shirts probably 50 of are ladies apparel shops, hats, bags, dresses, shoes, under garments you name it.  Go to the Wednesday night market at Cha-am if there is about 150 clothing stalls out of 500 only about 5 of them sell men's clothing...I really don't mind but I sometimes like complain just to keep up appearances.   It's all the same the World over.

If you want more shopping options you could always transgender?

Edited August 6, 2018 by Davmaac

[zaZa9]

10 hours ago, David Walden said:

Yes Sparkles Esq... your plight does not look so good.  I still do own half a house in Aus my estranged owns the other half. (we get along sort of?)  I spend much of my time in Thailand on a multi entry retirement visa.  That is about 4 month in Thailand  2 month back in Aus.  This allows me when I return to Aus to address any medical matter that needs attention including free medicine.. as I live in W.A. (Aus) the money I spend on cheap air fares to and from Aus is made up if I'd purchased the same medicines in Thailand.  I don't mind the 8/9 hour of travel at my age "time I have plenty".  You really should have made the trip back Aus before each 5 year period to preserve you Medicare entitlements.  I am a pensioner, this tooing and froing allows me to claim a single rate and the trips back restore the pension supplement to its full amount including its full amount for the 6 weeks after departure...all above board.  The extra benefits are more then the cost going too and from Aus.

I let my Medibank Private insurance of $3000 P/A lapse as to keep it up I had to pay the full premium.  Whilst out Australia private medical insurance has no entitlements and is suspended.  The full private premium must be paid if you wish to enjoy your entitlements if and when I return.   There is ofcourse a remote possibility if I sustain major medical problems in Thailand I may have to use some of my nest egg just to get back to Aus.  With the savings of $3000 a year for premiums I have decided to take that gamble.  If I'm on life support in Thailand well I think they better let me go...had a good life it's better since I've been coming to Thailand...

Im all for it , but the only problem with the idea of saving $3,000 a year by not having that Health Insurance Card in your pocket , is that should you be unconscious on arrival at a hospital , that card may be the very thing the hospital is looking for before treating you... How do you access that 'rainy day' cash if you cant move or have taken a knock on the head and cant recall your pin? Its happened to me , and  the hospital would do the basics for me on arrival , but MRI and the likes were out until they saw I was covered...

[TumblinDice]

1 hour ago, zaZa9 said:

Im all for it , but the only problem with the idea of saving $3,000 a year by not having that Health Insurance Card in your pocket , is that should you be unconscious on arrival at a hospital , that card may be the very thing the hospital is looking for before treating you... How do you access that 'rainy day' cash if you cant move or have taken a knock on the head and cant recall your pin? Its happened to me , and  the hospital would do the basics for me on arrival , but MRI and the likes were out until they saw I was covered...

Then be sure to wear your lucky amulet.

[Ahab]

We live on less than 40K Baht per month here in Buriram, however our retirement income is substantially more than that amount. We just choose to live below our means.

[meechai]

Not sure why this is looked at as poverty?

Don't most expats move to Thailand for low prices & girls?

 

My wife & I lived many years in Thailand (left in 2016) for less than 45k baht a month.

But we owned our home outright

same for our truck & scooter,motorcycle etc

So no real bills, just  food & utilities

 

Was quite a good life for 30-40k a month with eating out at least once a day included.

Would have been less if we ate every meal at home

 

We had a normal life with entertainment being a couple nights out every week

Movies now & then, mall shopping for this & that etc etc

 

 

Edited August 7, 2018 by meechai

[Fex Bluse]

I would suggest that it is not expats but rather immigrants who are living on 45K baht per month. 

 

Not every foreigner is an expat. 

[lapamita]

On 8/5/2018 at 4:51 AM, CLW said:

Maybe around 10,000 per month like so many working in retail and service jobs. And they are still alive, have food everyday and lead a passable life.

sorry, but with 10k or 20k you can survive here, but not calll it "living quality or standard"

before i live in a hole without cover of health and eat only local, and must thinking how survive the next day...

i would be better off in europe ,where get payed a social wellfare, and could work a little bit black to earn little more.

No way that 10k makes you only a little quality of live.

who wants to live here like a thai??

with this low buget, if i would have it, i found arleady a better place than thailand, with high living quality for free ( nature ,air,water) and due to lack of possibilitys , low living costs ,and even a girl y could affort if y have 5k left per month

 

sorry but sure NOT THAILAND, thailand is a complete money based society.

 

I live 12yr with thaigirl ( 3 rd relation) and all have no sense to money, no thinking about future when get older ,no sense how long 1mio baht last, they never learnd it... my girl she see already 15 countrys and see proverty even in europe,but this not change anything in her mind.... good luck after 31yr in thailand i controll money and spending..arguments i brake up with " dont like -leave the door "  - bcs discussions lead to nowhere.

[David Walden]

11 hours ago, smotherb said:

Gee, maybe you should wake-up. There are many families where the woman is the equal or the  better provider.

I was not denigrating women.  Just mentioning how thing have been in the past (like history) hasn't  changed much in 5000 years.  Things are much better now days because we have a lots shops for the ladies to spend our money in.  And really us "macho" men really don't "mind" much the ladies spending our money.   Try 5555 pronounced  Ha! Ha! H! Ha!

[David Walden]

16 minutes ago, lapamita said:

sorry, but with 10k or 20k you can survive here, but not calll it "living quality or standard"

before i live in a hole without cover of health and eat only local, and must thinking how survive the next day...

i would be better off in europe ,where get payed a social wellfare, and could work a little bit black to earn little more.

No way that 10k makes you only a little quality of live.

who wants to live here like a thai??

with this low buget, if i would have it, i found arleady a better place than thailand, with high living quality for free ( nature ,air,water) and due to lack of possibilitys , low living costs ,and even a girl y could affort if y have 5k left per month

 

sorry but sure NOT THAILAND, thailand is a complete money based society.

 

I live 12yr with thaigirl ( 3 rd relation) and all have no sense to money, no thinking about future when get older ,no sense how long 1mio baht last, they never learnd it... my girl she see already 15 countrys and see proverty even in europe,but this not change anything in her mind.... good luck after 31yr in thailand i controll money and spending..arguments i brake up with " dont like -leave the door "  - bcs discussions lead to nowhere.

I gave my lady friend Bt 20,000 to sort out some of her problems, like help her Mum and settle her affairs.  Her girl friend had a karaoke bar which was going broke and could not pay the rent. My lady friend is a great karaoke singer in English and Thai.  Her girlfriend managed to pay the rent with a little help from me.  The karaoke bar still went broke...silly me.  Experience is the best teacher?  My Thai lady friend is still my now wiser friend, not sure for how long?...Oh! well that's life.

[CLW]

sorry, but with 10k or 20k you can survive here, but not calll it "living quality or standard"
before i live in a hole without cover of health and eat only local, and must thinking how survive the next day...
i would be better off in europe ,where get payed a social wellfare, and could work a little bit black to earn little more.
No way that 10k makes you only a little quality of live.
who wants to live here like a thai??
with this low buget, if i would have it, i found arleady a better place than thailand, with high living quality for free ( nature ,air,water) and due to lack of possibilitys , low living costs ,and even a girl y could affort if y have 5k left per month
 
sorry but sure NOT THAILAND, thailand is a complete money based society.
 
I live 12yr with thaigirl ( 3 rd relation) and all have no sense to money, no thinking about future when get older ,no sense how long 1mio baht last, they never learnd it... my girl she see already 15 countrys and see proverty even in europe,but this not change anything in her mind.... good luck after 31yr in thailand i controll money and spending..arguments i brake up with " dont like -leave the door "  - bcs discussions lead to nowhere.

Get yourself a life and some respect to other people. The way you talk about your "girls" is like an object not a human being, friend or partner.

[balo]

The ones lives under 45,000 baht are the cheap Charlie brits, who complain and try to bargain on everything..
 
if you need more,  tell your government to stop wasting money on Muslims and immigrants,so you can get a decent pension to live off.
 
i have brit “friend” he is super cheap,never gives back money I lend to him, never pay for a drinking round, lives like a rat, but his pension is tiny.
 
So now we know why they are miserable. 555
 
NB! I’m talking about the older generation, the younger generation,they are not afraid to spend money and have fun [emoji4]
 

Complete nonsense!

45k will give you a normal good life in Thailand, especially if you're single. Rent is cheap so 45k goes a long way.

And many young people in Thailand live on teachers salaries 30 - 40 k. So your assumption is wrong.

[mommysboy]

5 hours ago, Ahab said:

We live on less than 40K Baht per month here in Buriram, however our retirement income is substantially more than that amount. We just choose to live below our means.

Saving for the future?

 

[HAKAPALITA]

And once the Kids are gone , your rich again.[emoji125]‍♂️?.


Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect

[JestSetter]

Oh! No! 450000 B. A month! Well! As others have mentioned, it all depends. I personally don't trust the food offered in Thai restaurants. If it is not MSG, it is sugar or cheap oil used to fry that  <fill in the blank>. If you want to play golf every 2 days, the 45 K is not going to do, although they are cheap courses too. My wife and I can easily get by with 30 K. but we don't often eat out and almost never golf. Our rent is 14K for a 3 br. 2 bath, house in a very secure moobaan. I do not trust filling surveys of this nature considering who is at the helm.

[JestSetter]

Btw, many expats from the USA could go back to the USA if there was a medicare system. Even the Koch brothers' study indicates that money would be SAVED. Other research shows the same and peg the saving to up to 17 trillions over a decade. No matter what the amount of saving is many US citizens could go back and live comfortably in the USA. It is sad to see that so many voters are being lied to, but the lobbyists are very powerful. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mseqVTXVbHs&feature=youtu.be And, of course, campaign contributions (from insurance companies and others) aren't bribes! Is giving campaign contributions bribing an elected official a crime?

[balford]

Why Thai wife and I are one of the couples who 'survive' on ฿45,000 per month. My wife gets ฿20,000 per fortnight of which ฿10,000 is banked for our annual trips back to Darwin or elewhere. We live well, eat very well (way too well) and manage to keep $200 in our Australian bank per fortnight.

 

I think the secret is that we own everything and owe nothing but the two monthly bills - power and Internet. If we want something extra we are able to buy it. While we are very comfortable here we couldn't afford to live in Australia purely on my military pension.

 

We don't 'survive', we live and live well - even with six dogs...

 

Bob A. Relaxed in Lampang

[upu2]

6 hours ago, TumblinDice said:

Then be sure to wear your lucky amulet.

Amulets, one is not enough

[bkk6060]

7 minutes ago, JestSetter said:

Btw, many expats from the USA could go back to the USA if there was a medicare system. Even the Koch brothers' study indicates that money would be SAVED. Other research shows the same and peg the saving to up to 17 trillions over a decade. No matter what the amount of saving is many US citizens could go back and live comfortably in the USA. It is sad to see that so many voters are being lied to, but the lobbyists are very powerful. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mseqVTXVbHs&feature=youtu.be And, of course, campaign contributions (from insurance companies and others) aren't bribes! Is giving campaign contributions bribing an elected official a crime?

There is medicare after you are 65.  And it is not expensive.

 

21 minutes ago, balford said:

Why Thai wife and I are one of the couples who 'survive' on ฿45,000 per month. My wife gets ฿20,000 per fortnight of which ฿10,000 is banked for our annual trips back to Darwin or elewhere. We live well, eat very well (way too well) and manage to keep $200 in our Australian bank per fortnight.

 

I think the secret is that we own everything and owe nothing but the two monthly bills - power and Internet. If we want something extra we are able to buy it. While we are very comfortable here we couldn't afford to live in Australia purely on my military pension.

 

We don't 'survive', we live and live well - even with six dogs...

 

Bob A. Relaxed in Lampang

Sounds charming and cute.

What are your dogs names?

[smotherb]

4 hours ago, David Walden said:

I was not denigrating women.  Just mentioning how thing have been in the past (like history) hasn't  changed much in 5000 years.  Things are much better now days because we have a lots shops for the ladies to spend our money in.  And really us "macho" men really don't "mind" much the ladies spending our money.   Try 5555 pronounced  Ha! Ha! H! Ha!

Let me provide you a quote from my #475 post which started this circle, " I think you are still in the man-is-the-breadwinner mode; which sees any relationship as the man paying for it"