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

[3NUMBAS]

how will they cope when they have to enter the thai old folks home and how much to pay per mun?

[ostyan]

First I arrived here ten years ago and get a decent salary. The work was good easy 18-20 periods a week. One dish cost me 20-25 Baht, Thais watched me jealously. Now I have exactly the same salary. I work more than 25-27 periods a week and the same dish cost me 40. The only what remained to the same is the jealousy. 

[Boricua67]

14 hours ago, brianp0803 said:

Many Thai people earn less than 15,000 baht a month. If someone make three to four times their salary would be considered rich enough  to have enough money to share with them.

 

Many expat over 50 living in Thailand very likely have assets in their home country in excess of a million dollars.

 

"Many expat over 50 living in Thailand very likely have assets in their home country in excess of a million dollars." ???

If you had that much money, there would be no need to live outside your home country. I live in California. If it wasn't for how expensive the cost of living is, I'd stay here. But as soon as I hit retirement age, I'm out of here.

 

[TumblinDice]

3 hours ago, robblok said:

Yes it is, been here 10 years i know the stories.. and actually I had a home with my Thai ex and guess what upon divorce I ended up with the house. Not all Thai ladies are out to cheat you. 

I wonder what the stats are on that statement? For them (ime) its always been about money, support & social status.

[ttrd]

18 minutes ago, Boricua67 said:

 

RE - If you had that much money, there would be no need to live outside your home country. I live in California. If it wasn't for how expensive the cost of living is, I'd stay here. But as soon as I hit retirement age, I'm out of here.

 

Thats just one of the reasons some choose to live in Thailand and doesnt apply for all expats living in Thailand or other low cost countries. Key words as opportunities, change of life style and climate related Health issues are other reasons which again not neccessary is linked to the individuals weak economy.

Edited August 5, 2018 by ttrd

[janclaes47]

4 hours ago, johncat1 said:

45,000 a month I could live like a king on that In fact most of the time it is around 20,000 and I still eat well  and run 2 cars

 

What you seem to forget is that those cars also had to be paid when you bought them, require road tax - insurance - maintenance and fuel, and need to be replaced some time in the future.

 

So if you divide all that cost, and include rent or purchase price of your residence, and utilities and maintenance I doubt you live like a king on 20K.

 

4 hours ago, johncat1 said:

But I never frequent bars  ( socialize with a lot of p***heads ? No thank you ) apart from which groups of farangs attract attention from the parasites ( male and female ) and that is not even mentioning the police 

I keep myself to myself and stay away from farangs  and of course the trouble they attract

There is even a word for that kind of lifestyle, think it's called asocial.

 

 

 

Edited August 5, 2018 by janclaes47

[Bangkokazy]

It is no wonder at expats looking as poor as many Thai
When Thai ladies have taken everything from them.

[The manic]

15 hours ago, 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. So please TV stop spreading myths and foreigners should stop moaning that you can't survive with or less than 25k per month. Of course if you drink everyday, only eat out and with western food, probably frequent some bars it can be difficult....
But other than that with a moderate lifestyle 25k is doable in BKK, more even in smaller cities or upcountry.

Doable is the operative word. Means can survive on....No thanks

[stanleycoin]

1 hour ago, Bangkokazy said:

It is no wonder at expats looking as poor as many Thai
When Thai ladies have taken everything from them.

Well the real truth is.

They can only take what we give them. 

 

Edited August 5, 2018 by stanleycoin

[theguyfromanotherforum]

Commenting on articles of this nature where everyone's comparing the size of their wallet is pretty useless....yet here I am.

 

But 2 things come to mind.

 

I have been living in Thailand on less than 30k a month for the past 4 years. I came in here earning 60,000 a month and my income has  continuously been dropping and these days I make less than 40k.

 

Yet, despite my crappy useless degree in music and my parents being totally broke I am now worth half a million bucks. In 10 years I expect this to double. Why? Because of......

 

......You can live on 100,000 baht a month have a 15mil baht property and drive a Benz, but if at the end of the day you are a dumb foreigner who got involved with a girl of dubious character, you will lead a life poorer than a degreeless TEFLer.

A fact proven countless times.

 

Good luck with the surveys, but they are as useful as a bumgun inside a swimming pool.

 

Edited August 5, 2018 by theguyfromanotherforum

[ttrd]

22 minutes ago, stanleycoin said:

Well the real truth is.

They can only take what we give them. 

 

Well, not quite correct - they can only take what we give them the possibility to take….

[stanleycoin]

35 minutes ago, ttrd said:

Well, not quite correct - they can only take what we give them the possibility to take….

Who's fault is that then ?  

Edited August 5, 2018 by stanleycoin

[Chelseafan]

I would much rather live on 25,000 a month in Thailand than £568 in the UK !

 

[Thechook]

Do it easily without even trying

 

[bwpage3]

7 hours ago, mommysboy said:

Those friends being middle class, and of course  thus not representative of the tens of millions who have quite a different salary level.

What salary range do you classify Thai middle class?

[JLCrab]

6 hours ago, smotherb said:

I think you have no idea. I want them to want me.

And do they? When the girl is 30+ years younger than you, it is a different set of metrics.

[notmyself]

46 minutes ago, Thechook said:

Do it easily without even trying

 

 

Yep... the 'trying' part is all important 

 

 

[Thian]

18 hours ago, BEngBKK said:

Yess.....You just have to meet a woman with education, instead choosing the first one that spread her legs.....

Exactly, and those make much more money than 25k a month....

[metisdead]

A post in which the quoted content had been changed to a foreign language has been removed:

 

English is the only acceptable language anywhere on ThaiVisa including Classifieds, except within the Thai language forum, where of course using Thai is allowed.

 

16) You will not make changes to quoted material from other members posts, except for purposes of shortening the quoted post. This cannot be done in such a manner that it alters the context of the original post.

[Iquot70]

I think there are other elements to be considered. Thai minimum wage , if I'm correct, is now at 9,400 baht a month and I believe a lot of Thais live with that, how can they do it?

If I look at the Thais working with me, they are mostly in 20k range, because of service charge and other benefits, I can tell that most of them have their own car/motorbike, many of them is paying mortgage for their own house. As a foreigner that would be simply impossible, no way to pay for a car or house in installments, unless of course, it's everything under the name of a Thai. My point is that although the foreigner's wage can be much higher, it does not mean foreigners have the same benefits, particularly access to credit terms, which in turn makes their life more expensive. Plus, generally speaking, most foreigners tend to live by the standards of their origin countries, meaning that there are a lot of extra costs due to import duties or simply better standards, i.e. how many foreigners would go in a public hospital? How many foreigners eat only Thai food? how many Thais drink wine? and so on and forth...

[Iquot70]

I'd also like do add that this story about walking ATMs is starting to get on my nerves! If a "farang" (I really hate that word) reduces himself to a mere walking ATM is ONLY because of his own bad choices. No one forces "farangs" to marry improductive partners (read "Bar Girls"), it's their choice. For what I am concerned, my Thai partner and mother of our three children works as hard as I do, not because I force her, but because she is a responsible and productive adult, law abiding citizen and caring mother and partner. Am I Lucky? Sure I had enough luck to meet her at a certain point of my life, however, the chances I would have found her in a Men's Club or GoGo Bar were ZERO. Again it was my choice, and only my choice to frequent other environments rather than just bars and clubs. I'm no moralist, and I definitely had my share of crazy nights in red light districts when I was single, sure I thrown away a substantial amount of money in those above mentioned amusements, but when it came to chose the partner of my life, I exercised a totally different judgment, which in turn became a long and happy relationship. I can say exactly the same for many of other foreigners I know, people who have fantastic Thai partners and spouses who don't treat them as walking ATM, and we all have the same thing in common, just better judgment....

 

[tryasimight]

20 hours ago, gk10002000 said:

I think you may be surprised.  Many millionaires got there because they are frugal or spend efficiently.  Some millionaires may not have a lot of cash flow but own property that has fairly large net equity value should they sell, so until that time, they spend within their means.  I am a single millionaire, that with my stuff invested in pure stocks, ETF, bond funds, etc.  earn over 5% a year.  I live fairly cheaply in the USA, having always owned my car, don't have any debts, no credit card balances, no loans etc.  And those monies will stay in the USA and I will withdraw and use the monthly passive income starting, well, maybe this year.  I personally knew several Brits when I used to hang in Pattaya a lot that controlled fairly large property investments back home.  One fellow had a chain of old folks care homes.  I know his lifestyle in Pats and besides some rather large Bar bills, he did not spend nor need to spend too much in Thailand

Stop the presses.... Breaking news... Millionaire owns his own car!!!! 

[suzannegoh]

4 minutes ago, tryasimight said:

Stop the presses.... Breaking news... Millionaire owns his own car!!!! 

A million dollars is not that much money any more.  Just as a general rue of thumb, if you have a $1M net worth upon retirement you're going to have to keep you annual expenses under $40K.  While that might sound like big money in Thailand because it works out to 110K baht per month and to earn that much you'd need to make the equivalent of 600 baht per hour, in the US that buys you a standard of living only slightly better than that of people working at McDonalds.

[yellowboat]

10 hours ago, GazR said:

I live alright on 20k per month including 7k for rent on my shop house  - and no, I'm not making this up ?

Friend of mine who was flat broke in the late 90's got a job.  When that business failed to make money, they closed shop and moved to South Korea and took him with them.  They were their when the country needed to be bailed out and made tons of money. 

 

Even tho he is wealthy, he says he could live extragently in Bangkok for B50K a month.   

 

I believe you.  I like old Bangkok and decent meals are between B40-100 and I am slim.   My friends in the west are always dieting. 

[tryasimight]

20 hours ago, beavenlen said:

THANK YOU Thaivisa. about time someone recognized that some expats can survive comfortably on a uk state pension.

We are not all from the UK.  We are not all on a state pension.  Not all of us are economic refugees. I'm really surprised Thailand doesn't do something about this situation.  How can allowing old single men into the country be beneficial for the native population in any way? Old, single, rich men who may bring investment and help develop the country I can understand..... But poverty level refugees? 

My view is that bona fide married to a Thai should be welcomed with open arms and given an easy path to citizenship.  A retirement visa/ extension of stay should be 10 million baht. 

Just my thoughts 5555.

[tryasimight]

6 minutes ago, suzannegoh said:

A million dollars is not that much money any more.  Just as a general rue of thumb, if you have a $1M net worth upon retirement you're going to have to keep you annual expenses under $40K.  While that might sound like big money in Thailand because it works out to 110K baht per month and to earn that much you'd need to make the equivalent of 600 baht per hour, in the US that buys you a standard of living only slightly better than that of people working at McDonalds.

I understand perfectly what you are saying. 

[stanleycoin]

1 hour ago, Iquot70 said:

I'd also like do add that this story about walking ATMs is starting to get on my nerves! If a "farang" (I really hate that word) reduces himself to a mere walking ATM is ONLY because of his own bad choices. No one forces "farangs" to marry improductive partners (read "Bar Girls"), it's their choice. For what I am concerned, my Thai partner and mother of our three children works as hard as I do, not because I force her, but because she is a responsible and productive adult, law abiding citizen and caring mother and partner. Am I Lucky? Sure I had enough luck to meet her at a certain point of my life, however, the chances I would have found her in a Men's Club or GoGo Bar were ZERO. Again it was my choice, and only my choice to frequent other environments rather than just bars and clubs. I'm no moralist, and I definitely had my share of crazy nights in red light districts when I was single, sure I thrown away a substantial amount of money in those above mentioned amusements, but when it came to chose the partner of my life, I exercised a totally different judgment, which in turn became a long and happy relationship. I can say exactly the same for many of other foreigners I know, people who have fantastic Thai partners and spouses who don't treat them as walking ATM, and we all have the same thing in common, just better judgment....

 

Yes totally agree 

 

[tryasimight]

20 hours ago, fakser said:

I pay 7,000 THB a month for a specious condo in Pinklao.

I spend 10,000 for food and petrol for my Motorbike

Add entertainment 13,000.

It sums up to 20k. And by no means I am poor.

No not poor...... Just bad at maths. 

[Iquot70]

2 minutes ago, tryasimight said:

 No not poor...... Just bad at maths. 

Very bad... Even assuming that he has zero utilities, he doesn't change/buy clothings, no telephone expenses...

[tryasimight]

20 hours ago, mommysboy said:

Agreed, it really is easy to eat well and cheaply- Foodland and KISS provide a good base as do Food Halls in Lotus or Big C.  Then fruit can he had cheaply and you can make sandwiches at home.  Even those Big C ready meals can be supplemented with veg.

Whilst keeping a keen eye peeled for balloons.