I am almost ready to Pull the plug and leave

[taiping]

22 hours ago, geriatrickid said:

How did your car, bike  and condo get paid for? You paid for them right?

Put those costs into a monthly basis over their lifespan. It irks me when people talk of their minimal expenses, but then add, I have a car, condo  and bike. That puts you  into a different socio economic demographic than someone who only has 30K a month. You have assets with value. they do not. 

What does a modest decent secure condo go for today? 10 million baht?  Let's say someone has been living in a condo for 10 years and we value the condo in today's value, this works out to about 80,000 a month. If one stays longer, the incremental cost is less, if one is a new owner, it is considerably more. Even if it is a budget condo at 5 million, that still works out to  40,000 a month if 10 years old. The point being that many of the people saying they have  limited budgets, do not, and are far wealthier than they realize.

 

Quality food, is not the processed stuff chock full of sodium  and additives that we know is not good for us. Its the produce sourced from the produce vendors who are not using  the dangerous pesticides that are restricted elsewhere. It is the poultry  purchased from the butchers who do not purchase from the monopoly which relies on hormones and antibiotics and who don't inject water into the carcasses during processing to plump them up. It is the fish purchased from retailers who obtain fish from clean zones, e.g. not the klong, and it is bread from  bakers who don't destroy the  dough with sugar, corn syrup and other crap. And mostly it is being able to maintain a western quality lifestyle eating things like smoked  wild salmon and not the disgusting farmed salmon.

 

 

How do you know you are buying "quality food"? Surveys have shown even the supposedly organic produce contaminated by pesticides etc

[dginoob]

2 hours ago, james1995 said:

well, what about being a digital nomad?  i'm bringing in 5-10k baht daily here.  sky is the limit.  i spend just two hours on my macbook each day and "work" is done.  don't tell him to go home.  tell him to get on that laptop and start earning money.

By doing what exactly?

[scubascuba3]

It never fails to amaze and sadden me as to how people view someones difficulty or problem as an opportunity to riducule and attack them.
A guy comes on here with genuine concern and worry about a situation he has no control over (currency value) and people are so quick to attack. This is the problem with disconnected online forums. People dont see the elderly man or his expressions and the hurtful effect the words may be having, its just words on a screen.
You dont respect his feelings or position in any way. People say things that if it were "face to face" so to speak they (hopefully) wouldnt dream of saying. To a younger man it would probably result in a "smack in the mouth". So please before you hit that "submit" button just show a little empathy and try helping for a change instead of making someone sorry they asked for help or guidance with a situation.
There but for the grace of God could be anyone of us, to face those concerns late in life in my opinion must be quite frightening and certainly doesnt warrant the comments made by some.
 
Just think about the effect you may have on others and have a little compassion and dial it back a bit.
 
 
 

Sadly its the culture that's been cultivated on this forum. Another forum i use you wouldn't get responses which are often negative and sarcastic from down right awful people

[Sheryl]

  "millwall_fan" .......  What are average medical costs in 'Nam these days for an older ex-pat compared to Cambodia and Thailand... if you happen to know. ? ? 
     Thank you.  

Medical costs are less than either Thailand or Cambodia, and unlike Cambodia is of acceptable quality. Cambodians go to VN in droves for medical care.

Can't tell you anything about cost of living otherwise though nor visa situation.

Sent from my SM-J701F using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[JaiLai]

15 hours ago, BritManToo said:

Come on we all know the guys spending $$$$s have a new McMansion, new Fortuna and a gold-digger (with extended family) hanging off them.

I live a completely western lifestyle on 20k + housing, but I do cook all my own western food.

No disrespect but i'm still amazed you can live a 'completely western lifestyle' on 20K a month.

 

What do you do to occupy your time if you don't mind me asking?

 

 

[JaiLai]

On 9/5/2018 at 8:24 AM, BritManToo said:

I know a couple of Thai families living quite well on 10k/month (and paying rent and uni fees for their kids out of that).

As for health care, some of us aren't constantly ill, my last visit to a doctor was 4 years back for a few stitches after a crash (about 1,000bht). I live well on 20k/month + house loan repayments.

I've not had any health insurance since I left the UK.

If you looked closely at these thai fmailies 'living quite well on 10k/month' i think you'd find a few skeletons, they're likely in debt that they'll never be able to clear.

 

I don't know any single Thai people that can live on 10K a month, let alone a family, i call BS on this...

[dginoob]

15 hours ago, BritManToo said:

Come on we all know the guys spending $$$$s have a new McMansion, new Fortuna and a gold-digger (with extended family) hanging off them.

I live a completely western lifestyle on 20k + housing, but I do cook all my own western food.

How is this possible? Where do you buy western food to cook, and keep your monthly spend at 20k?

[CharlieH]

7 minutes ago, dginoob said:

How is this possible? Where do you buy western food to cook, and keep your monthly spend at 20k?

There is very little you cant make here. Meat and veg is readily available and most ingredients. Monthly spend depends largely on lifestyle and whether you pay rent or not.

If you are not a "bar" person and dont drink/smoke or chase women its quite doable

[WonnabeBiker]

What about Malaysia? I like what I've heard about a more lenient and welcoming Immigration service. Free extensions etc. Check out all options.

[BritManToo]

25 minutes ago, JaiLai said:

No disrespect but i'm still amazed you can live a 'completely western lifestyle' on 20K a month.

What do you do to occupy your time if you don't mind me asking?

1

Walk in the jungle and mountains, read books, listen to music, watch Tv and movies, drink beer.

Most of those free, internet 740bht/month, U-beer 52bht/bottle.

18 minutes ago, dginoob said:

Where do you buy western food to cook, and keep your monthly spend at 20k?

Flours 26-38bht/kg, fat 50bt/kg, spagetti 77bht/kg, chips 99bht/2kg.

All my bread/pizza/cakes/biscuits/pies are easily made from that.

What western food do you think I am missing?

[dginoob]

1 minute ago, BritManToo said:

Walk in the jungle and mountains, read books, listen to music, watch Tv and movies, drink beer.

Most of those free, internet 740bht/month, U-beer 52bht/bottle.

Flours 26-38bht/kg, fat 50bt/kg, spagetti 77bht/kg, chips 99bht/2kg.

All my bread/pizza/cakes/biscuits/pies are easily made from that.

What western food do you think I am missing?

Steak, wine, cider, olive oil, capsicum peppers, broccoli, breakfast cereals, tabasco sauce... to name but a few of the things that are much more expensive than back home.
It's great you are able to cook things from scratch, but I don't have the time (or skill) to do that.

[CharlieH]

2 minutes ago, dginoob said:

Steak, wine, cider, olive oil, capsicum peppers, broccoli, breakfast cereals, tabasco sauce... to name but a few of the things that are much more expensive than back home.
It's great you are able to cook things from scratch, but I don't have the time (or skill) to do that.

All readily available in any makro.Beef steak is imported and frankly not good. Pork steak is 120b kg ! Most other meats "cheap as chips" literally...?

[BritManToo]

7 minutes ago, CharlieH said:

Beef steak is imported and frankly not good.

I've given up eating beef in Thailand, like you said, quality is generally poor no matter how much you pay.

Pork, chicken, fish, seafood all really cheap (and good quality) compared to the UK.

[dginoob]

5 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

I've given up eating beef in Thailand, like you said, quality is generally poor no matter how much you pay.

Pork, chicken, fish, seafood all really cheap (and good quality) compared to the UK.

You can get very good quality beef, but the prices are very high. 

If you are giving up some of the things you used to eat in the west, then you cannot claim to be living a western lifestyle on 20k per month.

[steve73]

9 minutes ago, dginoob said:

Steak, wine, cider, olive oil, capsicum peppers, broccoli, breakfast cereals, tabasco sauce... to name but a few of the things that are much more expensive than back home.
It's great you are able to cook things from scratch, but I don't have the time (or skill) to do that.

I agree that some "western" things are more expensive here than "back-home" but if you don't cook from scratch it makes little difference. 

 

At least in T/L you have the option to have local (which needn't be overly spicy) or western food prepared for you at relatively little additional cost to buying the raw ingredients.   A basic fried-rice (or similar) dish sitting on a beach-chair, or at a market eatery can be had for the equivalent of around 1GBP.  

 

In the UK, the cheapest meal would be take-away fish and chips at now around 5-8quid, and probably similar at McD's (if you consider that food), or perhaps a sit-down meal at a Tesco's "restaurant" if you're happy to eat there. No way could someone on a basic pension "eat out" every day.  Preparing your own food would become a must.    And from what I hear, Oz is even worse.

 

 

[Odysseus123]

I lived in a  village in Isaan.

 

After conversations with various "farang" in my locale we reached the conclusion that 35,000 Baht a month was the bare minimum.

 

And that is only if you are prepared to die like a dog with no health insurance and surviving on paracetemol from the local "noi minimart".

 

The OP was looking for various options rather than Thailand to make his dollar go further.Best of luck.

[simoh1490]

This thread has turned into some sort of competition about who can live exist the cheapest by cutting all corners imaginable....living on 20k baht a month was not what the Thailand retirement dream was all about when you first started this big adventure, why should it become that now.

[BritManToo]

27 minutes ago, dginoob said:

If you are giving up some of the things you used to eat in the west, then you cannot claim to be living a western lifestyle

We shall have to disagree.

I can live without beef, cider and wine, but can still, enjoy spaghetti bolognese (15bht/plate), pork steak and chips (35bht), toasted muesli bread and vegemite (almost nothing), roast chicken, gravy & potatoes (30bht), cheese sandwiches (15bht), tuna & mayo sandwiches (10bht), beer, wine coolers, gin & tonics, vodka gimlets, for very small amounts of money and call it a 'western lifestyle'.

Edited September 6, 2018 by BritManToo

[steve73]

12 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

I've given up eating beef in Thailand, like you said, quality is generally poor no matter how much you pay.

Pork, chicken, fish, seafood all really cheap (and good quality) compared to the UK.

My local Makro occasionally has "Thai Charolais" beef available.  It's around 1.5-2x the price of local "beef", but half the price of imported Australian beef (and IMO beats the imported stuff for both taste and texture).  Even rough-cuts such as brisket can be grilled or BBQ'd, taste great (due to a relatively high fat content) and are edible even with false teeth...!  Definitely worth keeping an eye out for.

[Tanoshi]

58 minutes ago, dginoob said:

How is this possible? Where do you buy western food to cook, and keep your monthly spend at 20k?

20K is extravagant for a monthly food shop.

 

We shop Big C, Makro and the markets for a mixture of Thai and English cuisine.

Our average spend is 10K per month for a family of 5.

That includes chicken, pork, fish, potatoes, rice, vegetables, salads and fruit.

[Peterw42]

1 minute ago, simoh1490 said:

This thread has turned into some sort of competition about who can live exist the cheapest by cutting all corners imaginable....living on 20k baht a month was not what the Thailand retirement dream was all about when you first started this big adventure, why should it become that now.

There is also the other end of the spectrum, unless you are spending 100k a month, you must be some sort of looser cheap charlie. 

[BritManToo]

7 minutes ago, simoh1490 said:

This thread has turned into some sort of competition about who can live exist the cheapest by cutting all corners imaginable....living on 20k baht a month was not what the Thailand retirement dream was all about when you first started this big adventure, why should it become that now.

My retirement dream was living in a tropical country away from the British cold and rain.

Being able to live in a 3-bed house, cheaper than in my London bedsit is a bonus.

Edited September 6, 2018 by BritManToo

[transam]

1 minute ago, BritManToo said:

We shall have to disagree.

I can live without beef, cider and wine, but can still, enjoy spaghetti bolognese (15bht/plate), pork steak and chips (35bht), toasted muesli bread and vegemite (almost nothing), roast chicken, gravy & potatoes (30bht), cheese sandwiches (15bht), tuna & mayo sandwiches (10bht), beer, wine coolers, gin & tonics, vodka gimlets, for ver small amounts of money and call it a 'western lifestyle'.

I do find your prices a bit hard to believe unless that is what your lady charges you just for the service..?

[simoh1490]

Just now, BritManToo said:

My retirement dream was living in a tropical country away from the British cold and rain.

Being able to live cheaper than in my London bedsit is a bonus.

Fair enough, but let's not fool ourselves that the food items you described represent a western lifestyle, they represent a single man, easy to make, basic foodstuff, without having to delve into Asian recipe's. 

[simoh1490]

3 minutes ago, Peterw42 said:

There is also the other end of the spectrum, unless you are spending 100k a month, you must be some sort of looser cheap charlie. 

I'm in favour of the middle ground and what is reasonable which is why the figure of 45k keeps repeating in this thread.

[transam]

3 minutes ago, Peterw42 said:

There is also the other end of the spectrum, unless you are spending 100k a month, you must be some sort of looser cheap charlie. 

Drat, wheres that balcony....?

[BritManToo]

Just now, simoh1490 said:

Fair enough, but let's not fool ourselves that the food items you described represent a western lifestyle, they represent a single man, easy to make, basic foodstuff, without having to delve into Asian recipe's. 

Back in the UK, I used to live on Tesco Indian meals, 2 for a fiver.

My attic London room is too small for anything apart from a microwave. 

(600k gbp, just off Kensington gardens, in case you were wondering)

[suzannegoh]

2 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

We shall have to disagree.

I can live without beef, cider and wine, but can still, enjoy spaghetti bolognese (15bht/plate), pork steak and chips (35bht), toasted muesli bread and vegemite (almost nothing), roast chicken, gravy & potatoes (30bht), cheese sandwiches (15bht), tuna & mayo sandwiches (10bht), beer, wine coolers, gin & tonics, vodka gimlets, for ver small amounts of money and call it a 'western lifestyle'.

Is that they way that you lived in the West too?  It's much easier to live on $1000 per month if you've never lived on $5000.

[JaiLai]

1 hour ago, CharlieH said:

There is very little you cant make here. Meat and veg is readily available and most ingredients. Monthly spend depends largely on lifestyle and whether you pay rent or not.

If you are not a "bar" person and dont drink/smoke or chase women its quite doable

I do none of the things you mention in your last sentence and there's no way 20K is 'doable'

 

 

[Tanoshi]

16 minutes ago, transam said:

Drat, wheres that balcony....?

Here it is Trans:

Edited September 6, 2018 by Tanoshi