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

[PEE TEE]

1 minute ago, kannot said:

cheapest insurance I could find and reasonably effective

very hard but there are some companies but its big money around 2500 pounds per year   some no need to answer health questions  

[Lucky mike]

And the purpose of this is ?

[PEE TEE]

17 minutes ago, wgdanson said:

Just wait until you need it.

not needed unless you are  super rich ??? 

[JAG]

9 minutes ago, Cheops said:

You really don't know anything about Thais and what they earn, do you?

Come on then, don't be a man of mystery! I know a number of Thai, from various walks of life, well enough to have a fair guess at what they earn. I don't think any of them are on over B35000 a month. 

I very much doubt if a 7/11 assistant pulls in as much as 10k.

[Cheops]

3 hours ago, Tradewind777 said:

You can rent a room in BKK for 3000baht and if you cannot live on 1000baht a day you need lessons in money management or pull your head in and live more modestly.

You can rent a room for 2000 baht if you care to look around. I know, since I rent out several rooms for 2k per month. And no, these are not very small either. They are 28 square meters, with bathroom and balcony. Sure, the apartment building doesn't look new, but all apartment buildings after 10 years look the same here. These rooms are within 1 minute walk of a main road.

[Vacuum]

19 minutes ago, wgdanson said:

Just wait until you need it.

Or when you want to use it. Could be a nasty surprice.

[khunPer]

3 minutes ago, JAG said:

Come on then, I know a number of Thai, from various walks of life, well enough to have a fair guess at what they earn. I don't think any of them are on over B35000 a month. 

Depending of what circles one walks in, I know Thais that are earning as much a month, as many a farang expat would spend in a year...?

[Cheops]

17 minutes ago, falangjim said:

I'm sure this post will rub some people the wrong way, but if you are an educated, well-mannered, hard working expat who has been living in the country over 5 years,  and you are not living large, that's completely on you.  I wouldn't dream of working for under 80K baht a month, let alone a paltry 45K.  I have a family ... and a lifestyle to support, which include the basics: mortgage on a condo, house in the countryside, tuition for two young kids at a Thai school,  and food.  And then the trimmings which make life tolerable and enjoyable here:  a swimming pool, night(s) out on Pat-pong, cable TV, and craft beer or pizza delivery every now and then; just to name a few creature comforts.  And I put away for retirement, too.  

 

I get it. If you're young and single, and Thailand is just a pit-stop to bigger and better, 50K a month is enough to enjoy yourself, maybe even sock away a few bhat.  

 

When I see or hear about guys in their 60s who live on less than 1500 USD a month, I cringe.  *insert sad story about some tart up in Issarn and blah blah blah*  Wow.  I imagine those who live like that couldn't even take the survey because they can't afford stable Internet.  Or maybe they are banging away on a grimy keyboard in a game-room somewhere, a Fanta with a straw next to them.  

 

To me the survey says this group of expats don't like Thailand; they like 'cheap.'  And there is a difference. 

 

 

 

 

You have a family with 2 young kids and you need nights out at Pat-Pong? I think that was enough info 

[dick dasterdly]

Just now, PEE TEE said:

very hard but there are some companies but its big money around 2500 pounds per year   some no need to answer health questions  

Long story and off topic, but Bupa Int. demanded close to this (when I was 55) whilst still excluding pre-existing conditions - even though I'd previously been insured with them for 30 odd years - when all the pre-existing conditions arose....

 

I made the mistake of letting the policy lapse for 3 months when I was broke ☹️.

 

Needless to say, pretty much anything and everything can be blamed on pre-existing conditions....

[BobbyL]

45k as spending money is a great amount. I spend nowhere near that in one month and I play golf regularly, go out boozing most Fridays, pay a car on finance and eat out every weekend. 

 

When you factor in rent, bills, saving for holidays etc then 45k in total really isn't much of a life here IMO. 

[Ajarnbrian]

Living on 45,000 baht a problem for expats? Expect it would be a challenge if you`re living near central Bangkok and have to pay half your salary on rent. For those with high maintenance girlfriends or who insist on eating in pricier western food restaurants, it could be hard. But if most Thai people can manage on that kind of salary, it should not be too hard for foreigners outside of those pricy areas of Bangkok to do so.

[falangjim]

19 minutes ago, Odysseus123 said:

Too many "I"s

 

The culture of Western narcissism (associated with chronic materialism and very little else)is broad and deep and much commented upon since the 1980's.

 

Enjoy your swimming pool.

Thanks!  It provides great exercise and quality time with my kids. 

[Cheops]

7 minutes ago, JAG said:

Come on then, don't be a man of mystery! I know a number of Thai, from various walks of life, well enough to have a fair guess at what they earn. I don't think any of them are on over B35000 a month. 

I very much doubt if a 7/11 assistant pulls in as much as 10k.

In that case you either don't know much Thai people or know only the low earners. At my work there are hunderds of Thai who make much more than 35k. Many Thais that I know make 80k up in engineering jobs. Several Thai that I know make 300k up for higher positions.

 

Anyway, the OP wrote: "They were trying to survive on less than 25,000 baht - about what a recently graduated twenty something Thai person might try to scrape by on in Bangkok."

And that is correct. 25k is about the starting rate for recent gradudated twenty something Thai people in the company that I work.

 

Of course uneducated work pulls in the minimum wage, which is about 9 to 10k per month. Most people working in a 7-11 are still studying. Just a job to get some extra money, same as I did when I was studying in my home country. Of course there is a big part of the Thai people who are uneducated and work on a minimum wage, but as said, there are also plenty of Thai who earn enough money. Several Thai engineers at our place who drive Benz or BMW.

[bkk6060]

 

36 minutes ago, spidermike007 said:

 

The definition of poor is very relative. If I was living in the US on $1,400 a month, I would be very poor, and would be pinching every penny. Here, it is possible to live ok on 45,000 baht. I would not enjoy having to do it, but I would not describe a foreigner who is living here on that amount poor, by any stretch. They are rich by Thai standards. And as long as they are not living in Pattaya or Bangkok, Samui or Phuket, I would imagine one can live a fairly decent lifestyle on that. Granted it does not allow much room for partying, traveling, etc. But it is a decent sum for many. This article is quite poor. 

 

Having said all that, inflation is on the rise worldwide, despite what the charlatans tell us. I see it everywhere around me. Here, and back in the states. Prices are climbing daily. So, maintaining a decent standard on a fixed income like that is going to become more of a challenge, as time goes on. 

I guess it is relative, but I do not fully agree.

An example would be if you took a person with a very low IQ and put them in a house with retarded people, would they then suddenly be smart?

I think you have to evaluate it as where they came from.

If someone is in their 60's and making $1400 a month, that is $17,000 a year which is poor in my opinion. Transferring them to a different situation does not suddenly make them rich. Just better off for that environment.

[BritManToo]

21 minutes ago, falangjim said:

 

When I see or hear about guys in their 60s who live on less than 1500 USD a month, I cringe.  *insert sad story about some tart up in Issarn and blah blah blah*  Wow.  I imagine those who live like that couldn't even take the survey because they can't afford stable Internet.  Or maybe they are banging away on a grimy keyboard in a game-room somewhere, a Fanta with a straw next to them.  

I'm in my 60s and spend about 1/2 that.

I'm single with a nice (newish) 3 bedroom house near Chiang Mai, 3BB DSL and a 55" UHD monitor/tv, 3 large Leos and a bucket of ice beside me. No tarts, but the single mom from next door (and her bf) have just invited themselves round to cook lunch and drink some of my beer (I'm hoping the 20yo daughter will turn up soon).

[CLW]

Try some good food for a change:
 
https://toptables.asia-city.com/new-venues

Oh thanks, I am gifted cook the best food by myself. Western or Thai.

[David Walden]

1 hour ago, TechnikaIII said:

Comfortably alone on 7,000 Bhat, 3,000 of which is rent for a secure, 2-story, 200 sq.m. shop style building, tiled throughout. There's plenty for the weekly 4-hour SRT trip to Bangkok and a day's buzzing around with BTS and MRT, and even a night in a hotel wherever. Locally I cycle. (Considering a Royal Enfield as an inter-provincial tourer on secondary roads. But I don't consider that purchase as part of my monthly expenses, except for the minimal cost of fuel, if I get it)

Food? In my town, I eat out a few times a week otherwise cooking at home works well. 

Booze? ... no thanks. A few bottles of beer a year and no more.                                                                                                                                                             

However, it all goes through the roof once a girlfriend is added to the equation.   ?                                    

So after you pay your rent you have Bt 4,000 per month to spend of entertainment, food, staying in a hotel a few nights P/M, 4 trips to BKK P/M  (total 16 hrs), buying a few cooked meals as well.   Are you sure you didn't leave an extra zero off the Bt 4,000...like Bt 40,000?......Hmmmm?  I suppose it could be done?

[Cheops]

4 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

3BB DSL and a 55" UHD monitor/tv,

You know DSL is ancient tech, do you? And a 55" UHD TV can be had for less than 15k THB now...

[Odysseus123]

The real deal...

 

If these folks or their parents earn over 8,000 Baht a month I will eat my completely useles 60" Kim Kardashian, classless, curved screened TV-at your behest.

[BritManToo]

1 minute ago, Cheops said:

 And a 55" UHD TV can be had for less than 15k THB now...

I paid 15k7 from Lazada last month, the Bluetooth is useful for headphones, but the voice command remote is still in the box.

It makes a great computer monitor.

[david555]

5 minutes ago, Cheops said:

You know DSL is ancient tech, do you? And a 55" UHD TV can be had for less than 15k THB now...

You do not realize that not everywhere fiber is available ….. low remark I find , I would have in my Pattaya condo fiber but 3BB can only deliver vdsl , and must admit I get 30 mb speed almost all the time , more than enough for my needs, so probably also for him .

[darksidedog]

A Spelling Police post has been removed and the poster is getting a warning.

Forum Netiquette
3. If possible please proofread your post first, poor grammar and spelling can make the post difficult to understand. However be aware that not every member is a native English speaker and excessive posts regarding others spelling and grammar not only hijacks the topic but is poor netiquette.

[WinterGael]

4 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.

I totally agree with your assessment. At the present exchange rate, I get 35 000 baht per month. My wife says it is more than enough, and she is right. After rent and utilities of 10000 baht, about 3000 baht a week is what we spend. That includes taxis. We do good and help family when we can, as another point has been given in this line. My step son makes 28,000 baht per month. Everyone else in my wife's family, and it is large, makes between 8,000 and 15000 baht a month. But we're not rich, and they all know it, so rarely request help from us. 

[Cheops]

9 minutes ago, david555 said:

You do not realize that not everywhere fiber is available ….. low remark I find , I would have in my Pattaya condo fiber but 3BB can only deliver vdsl , and must admit I get 30 mb speed almost all the time , more than enough for my needs, so probably also for him .

? yeah, I know, sorry. But I think his 4G mobile speed would be faster than his DSL. Indeed I'm on fiber in BKK, although still low speed (50Mb). I'm thinking of upgrading to the newly offered 1GB for 3k THB per month which includes also TV and mobile internet, but I will wait a bit first, since the price will come down in a couple months I guess.

(btw, 50Mb for standard internet is more than enough, even 1Mb would be sufficient for most, except I want fast speeds for my PS4 and 4k movies on Netflix etc.)

[moontang]

if you look at how many live off 25k or less, before the giveaways to abledodied Thais, the picture changes a lot.  And I would say less than 10% of recent 4 year graduates are making more than 20K....Fluffy, sensationalized garbage......

[Kadilo]

58 minutes ago, wgdanson said:

That is A LOT of expensive fun. What is it you do?

Exaggerate

[amdy2206]

That is £1000 a month. Sounds a sensible amount to me considering how much cheaper most things can be here. If you live as you would in the UK and things cheaper why the surprise - it's normal living. If you are on holiday it is totally different. 

[amdy2206]

There are not that many 'ordinary Thais' living on that much a month. 45,000B would be considerd a high wage (perhaps not in Bangkok) in most areas.

[nickmondo]

45,000 is easy as you like.

you dont need anything like this.

Here is an example of how you can live in Chiang Mai, in a great location, brilliant accomodation, cleaner once a month, etc, etc:

OUTGOINGS IN THAILAND			CHAING MAI
HOUSE			6,000
ELECTRIC			500
FOOD AT 300 PER DAY			9,000
GYM			900
PETROL			1,000
PULSE TV			1,000
INTERNET AND PHONE			210
MASSAGES ETC AT 2,500 PER WEEK			10,000
TOTAL OUT PER MONTH IN THAILAND			28,610

[coulson]

1 hour ago, Cheops said:

You really don't know anything about Thais and what they earn, do you?

25,000 or over is not a graduates starting pay unless you're on about medicine or law, read my comment in context (ignore the joke).

 

Graduates start on about 15k generally, with a masters maybe up to 20k, then after a few years experience they can reach 25k, depending on the field of course.