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

[SheungWan]

I like to live in Thonglor, totally different than Pattaya.
I alternate my stay between Thonglor and Pattaya as I am financially unable to live in Thonglor all year.
Living in Pattaya with 45000 is perfectly doable, it isn't that evident in Thonglor.
I lived 15+ years in Pattaya, I am 71 now, my desiderata changed, Thonglor is more my liking actually. 

I guess in the end one lives in what one likes and if that is not financially viable then one has to live in what is affordable and make do. Applies in Thailand as well as anywhere else. Some guys though will prefer to cut back on their living accommodation rather than other expenditure.

Sent from my SM-N935F using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[Fred white]

11 hours ago, gk10002000 said:

And our place in Florida started demanding personal information and "security" or personnel reviews of all residents.  And the investigation forms they demanded required social security numbers and other stuff.  And you now had to report any and all tenants, even family staying there, and they mandated parking stickers and your driver license had to match the address you lived at.  I don't miss the place at all and luckily all the years I lived there I was often contracting in different places. And they now required investigation forms of all tenants, sub leasers, or prospective buyers.  These are all new rules.  So what if the people you want to rent to or sell to don't get past their investigation process or they make mistakes or are clerical nits?  All just red warning flags to me.

damn they had their own tm30 ????

[gearbox]

7 hours ago, Stanley78 said:

Yes I am kidding. Feel better?

Are you working here in Thailand? I think the original article was for people who live here on some sort of a passive income, like investments or pension.

 

I moved here to bludge, have beer at any time of the day if I want, and do other non-work related activities as I like. I think the Thais are supposedly worried how much money people like me bring in to Thailand, not about the working expats. 

[gearbox]

On 8/25/2019 at 10:48 PM, Zikomat said:

I wished I had a wife (or a girlfriend) like your one. The moment I inform my Thai GF that we start to live on 25 k a month will be the last moment I see her. What about those famous obligations of every Thai girl/woman towards her parents? My GF's father bought a car on bank loan the second day we started to live together with his daughter. Guess who is paying out that loan for 4 years already? Even more, my GF bought a car for herself too. Also on loan. The same scheme: they take a loan, you pay for it. The only consolation for me is that "I pay as I go".  The moment something goes wrong - they are left with their bloody loans, not me.

Lol. Looks like you need to start managing expectations.

 

I live in Samui and move around only by cycling and walking. I have a brand new motorbike which I very rarely use and is on my GF name. Most of the Thais around think I'm the rock bottom of the farangs, "keenok squared".  They think I'm so poor, I can't afford proper transportation and I'm forced to walk or cycle kilometres in the heat. They pity my GF of not getting a proper farang, instead of sitting home and watching soap operas all day, she needs to go and run a business to make money. 

 

The GF's staff and her family think the same way, and nobody ever approached me to borrow any money ????

 

 

 

 

[moontang]

A friend kept a few houses his company built as rentals.  His company bought a house as an investment for his manager/GF to stay in.  He acts like he doesn't care that she has seven relatives living there with her.  Bwahaha.  He knew I was going to bust his chops a little about that.  I just said, "so how do you think that is going to end?"

[Airbagwill]

Any foreigner can live on the same money as a Thai person ......... Monthly income is only part of the Story........ those without proper health insurance are the ones at real risk. Thais at least have their national healthcare.

Edited August 27, 2019 by Airbagwill

[bkk6060]

2 hours ago, SheungWan said:

I guess in the end one lives in what one likes and if that is not financially viable then one has to live in what is affordable and make do. Applies in Thailand as well as anywhere else. Some guys though will prefer to cut back on their living accommodation rather than other expenditure.

Sent from my SM-N935F using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app
 

Personally, I did not have to cut back on the quality of living accommodations.  

When rent in your home country is $2000 a month and here around $400 a month for same same or better, it was automatic.

 

[Airbagwill]

4 minutes ago, bkk6060 said:

Personally, I did not have to cut back on the quality of living accommodations.  

When rent in your home country is $2000 a month and here around $400 a month for same same or better, it was automatic.

 

When your home is in pound sterling, it is a different matter.

[rott]

4 hours ago, ThomasThBKK said:

200+ sqm condo in central Bangkok incl electricity and half of that money is gone. 

 

Nothing to do with "oppulent" lifestyle. 

Quite correct, the simple bare necessities take up so little of ones disposable income these days, I fail to see what the problem is.

[Airbagwill]

Party bus? The idea of drunks wandering loose in a moving vehicle hardly inspires one with confidence

[Zikomat]

4 hours ago, gearbox said:

Lol. Looks like you need to start managing expectations.

 

I live in Samui and move around only by cycling and walking. I have a brand new motorbike which I very rarely use and is on my GF name. Most of the Thais around think I'm the rock bottom of the farangs, "keenok squared".  They think I'm so poor, I can't afford proper transportation and I'm forced to walk or cycle kilometres in the heat. They pity my GF of not getting a proper farang, instead of sitting home and watching soap operas all day, she needs to go and run a business to make money. 

 

The GF's staff and her family think the same way, and nobody ever approached me to borrow any money ????

 

 

 

 

Isn't that too big price to pay? I mean, you pretend being poor day and night, you live like a poor, you walk kilometers under the hot sun, you probably eat the cheapest food and wear the cheapest clothes... What is that all for? At least, I live the life I can afford. When it comes to dealing with Thai family greediness, I try to control it my own way.  Loans, promises, 1k baht here, 1k baht there. Still expenses, but quite controllable ones. I think I set some limits which they don't try to cross anymore.

Edited August 27, 2019 by Zikomat

[gearbox]

42 minutes ago, Zikomat said:

Isn't that too big price to pay? I mean, you pretend being poor day and night, you live like a poor, you walk kilometers under the hot sun, you probably eat the cheapest food and wear the cheapest clothes... What is that all for? At least, I live the life I can afford. When it comes to dealing with Thai family greediness, I try to control it my own way.  Loans, promises, 1k baht here, 1k baht there. Still expenses, but quite controllable ones. I think I set some limits which they don't try to cross anymore.

Nope. I'm mid fifties, have  blood pressure 120/80 and pulse between 45 and 55. This is what it is about. Nothing to do with money, which I have more than enough.

[Nyezhov]

3 hours ago, gearbox said:

Nope. I'm mid fifties, have  blood pressure 120/80 and pulse between 45 and 55. This is what it is about. Nothing to do with money, which I have more than enough.

I love to walk. It's one of the reasons I come here, all the cool stuff I can do on foot. Plus the lard seems to shrink as I eat less in the heat. Walking across the street in my shorts to eat a bowl of pork glass noodles is far healthier than jumping in the car to go eat pizza.

 

Like you said it has nothing to do with money. Which I have too much of according to the pencil pushers.

[Ron jeremy]

Nothing wrong with being active, I take my hat off to you guys.

i ride my bike everywhere, some days 20-30 km, because I enjoy being active and fit. I guess maybe I should drive my truck to the bar and sit there all day?

[Muzarella]

On 8/21/2019 at 3:07 PM, upu2 said:

Looking at some of the monthly salaries stated in this thread I have to wonder how and why would you accept such low salaries? I understand anyone who wants to stay in Thailand but Bht40 - 50k a month is an insult to anyone

I know many people here having a very good life earning 40 to 50K Bth a month....including myself....in a country with a 10K minimum salary....but...If you want to live in Thailand like a tourist even 100K will be not enough.

Edited September 6, 2019 by Muzarella

[finnishmen]

i not understand all speaking, who need lot money, if i can live good in europe home under 25K B/month i can live 5x cheapen country lot better same money, i no has newer be any problem my life in europe or thailand now last 7 year. here can live lot lot better than europe 25K/Month. ofcourse better have if have money 40K/month but who ned ? i no has newer need more and no need in thailand anythink more than now. ewerybody have own level and own gulity how can live, but normal human can live same than europe has life. under 30K/month wery good life. peoples must looking what is important him life. ewerybody have own level. but idiot waste lot money ewery month.

[cheeryble]

Any foreigner can live on the same money as a Thai person ......... Monthly income is only part of the Story........ those without proper health insurance are the ones at real risk. Thais at least have their national healthcare.

 

Of course the whole world lived with great health uncertainty ......and toothache.....up to the last century.

Guess expectati9ns grow

[TheAceFace]

Just my 10 cents worth after reading 69 pages lol. I respect all of you who live within their means. I have just returned from Dubai where the company took care of my families needs, now I have hit reality back here, schools ect…..everything I had saved has gone for my kids education, needs to be done. Who knows what will happen next year??, right now we get by but being careful. Its a horrible place to be in when looking after money issues. Great thread.

[fusion58]

45K?

 

Christ on a lunch box - my rent is more than that!

[jackspade]

On 8/25/2019 at 11:56 AM, BritManToo said:

I live here like a pensioner (but with a much younger woman in my bed, and kids running around the house).

I used to live on 50,000bht, but now I live on 37,500bht.

Glad the teen only has 1 year of university left, but I'll be OK after that if the pound doesn't fall below 25bht/pound.

 

Better than shivering alone in a UK bedsit.

If you are a pensioner, then you're in an entirely different boat.

I'm just over 30 and don't have much savings or a long career behind me, although I still have student loans... I want to have kids running around the house someday, too, and provide them a western education. Gotta save up, and under 150k a month here is nowhere near enough to do that.

Edited October 25, 2019 by jackspade

[iamariva1957]

28 minutes ago, jackspade said:

If you are a pensioner, then you're in an entirely different boat.

I'm just over 30 and don't have much savings or a long career behind me, although I still have student loans... I want to have kids running around the house someday, too, and provide them a western education. Gotta save up, and under 150k a month here is nowhere near enough to do that.

Well... sort of depends on where in thai  you live.

[BritManToo]

54 minutes ago, jackspade said:

If you are a pensioner, then you're in an entirely different boat.

I'm just over 30 and don't have much savings or a long career behind me, although I still have student loans... I want to have kids running around the house someday, too, and provide them a western education. Gotta save up, and under 150k a month here is nowhere near enough to do that.

I've got 2 kids running around the home, they go to Thai government school and Thai university.

I'd be prepared to bet the eldest, now in her final year at University, can match any kid that went to a private western school in Thailand.

[jackspade]

2 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

I've got 2 kids running around the home, they go to Thai government school and Thai university.

I'd be prepared to bet the eldest, now in her final year at University, can match any kid that went to a private western school in Thailand.

I'm sure that having a Westerner as a father helps tremendously, and don't get me wrong, the Thai system can produce some good students. But there are other factors for me too, such as having a large extended family back home and much better career future/savings options there as well.

Edited October 25, 2019 by jackspade

[BritManToo]

7 minutes ago, jackspade said:

I'm sure that having a Westerner as a father helps tremendously, and don't get me wrong, the Thai system can produce some good students. But there are other factors me too, such as having a large extended family and much better career/savings options back home.

Got 4 kids in the Uk (2 in their 30s), none of them appear to be happy, or appear to have much of a future.

Sky high housing costs, education debt, zero hour contracts, no more company pensions and rented house shares.

My Thai daughter will finish University in Thailand next year with no debt, and walk straight into a job which will pay her enough to buy her own home (if she wants).

 

I'm not sure if it's you with an over optimistic idea about the west, or me seeing nothing but doom and gloom in the west, we both can't be right.

Edited October 25, 2019 by BritManToo

[jackspade]

21 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

Got 4 kids in the Uk (2 in their 30s), none of them appear to be happy, or appear to have much of a future.

Sky high housing costs, education debt, zero hour contracts, no more company pensions and rented house shares.

My Thai daughter will finish University in Thailand next year with no debt, and walk straight into a job which will pay her enough to buy her own home (if she wants).

 

I'm not sure if it's you with an over optimistic idea about the west, or me seeing nothing but doom and gloom in the west, we both can't be right.

I'm from a sunny part of the US, but I've heard the UK weather sucks. Anyway, at the end of the day, I can save around 7x more per year if I return to the US than I can working here making 100k +.

 

And we can both be right. Perception's not a zero sum game.

 

And P.S. maybe when I'm older and have savings in the bank, I'll move back here. Won't count it out.

Edited October 25, 2019 by jackspade

[Nong Khai Man]

On 8/5/2018 at 10:07 AM, 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......I WISH !!!

[bkk6060]

Know several stories of westerners putting their kids thru Thai private schools with high grades.

Their is a test 

1 hour ago, Nong Khai Man said:

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

I do not think many.

I have met some.

The issue is they come here after long marriages and a divorce that wipes out 1/2 of their assets with possible lifetime alimony.

 

[Ventenio]

Been in LOS for years.  Met plenty of people and about 90% do worry about money a lot more than back home.  many are spending thousands on beer and then wonder how they are in such a bad spot.  i tell them to retire they need at least 15 million at the very minimum and they are nowhere close to 1 million.  it's pretty clear that most people do come here to save money and try to live on less money.  i would say the average long-term foreigner is living on less than 60,000 a month.  it's all about surviving.  that's all they are doing. it's pretty sad but whatever.... the average thai makes around 20,000 and two earners puts them at 40,000 (medium to bigger city).  the foreigner has pressure to spend more so they will think he is in a higher class.  and the two-week millionaries really hurt their budget.  then a gf.  then a car, or kids from a previous marriage, etc.....

[sunnyboy2018]

On 8/27/2019 at 12:19 AM, drgoon said:

Barfines...  ????

And the rest!

[sunnyboy2018]

2 hours ago, Nong Khai Man said:

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

If you own properties that is not an unusual amount. Older UK expats often have at least one property. And good company pensions.