Cost of Living in Thailand: Save money? You're having a laugh!

[bkk6060]

1 hour ago, BritManToo said:

Never met any Thai that doesn't have a family farm they can go and live on.

Food grows all year round in Thailand, life never gets that hard.

And if you don't know how to forage, any temple will feed you.

I have to admit I have not.

I have met several who live in the farming areas but have a small metal roof hut,  or I guess you can call it a house. I think the every a Thai has a family farm went some time ago.

[DonaldBattles]

14 hours ago, ZeVonderBearz said:

Yeah but it's impossible to live in Thailand on less then 40k a month, so no wonder they can't save. I read this on TV often. Where are the Thais mentioned in this article getting their fix of premium import beer and superior western food from?

THE COST OF LIVING FOR FARANGS IN THAILAND CONTINUES TO RISE. PAYING B2792 PER MONTH FOR CABLE TV IS JUST AN EXAMPLE. The government continues to increase the tax of wine to the point where it is not worth drinking. To say the least about the quality of the box wine. Thank god I live close to the border. Imported foods from Top's is almost prohibitive. Maybe they think we should eat sticky rice and chicken on the stick every meal. The import tax on US beef is impossible starting at 50% ++. If the US put this level of tax on importing Thai rice they would get real in a hurry. No beef fit to eat and rot gut wine is a way of protecting peoples income as no one wants to pay the price. The 420% import tax on wine for a country that has no market for local made wine is crazy.

[manarak]

1 minute ago, DonaldBattles said:

THE COST OF LIVING FOR FARANGS IN THAILAND CONTINUES TO RISE. PAYING B2792 PER MONTH FOR CABLE TV IS JUST AN EXAMPLE. The government continues to increase the tax of wine to the point where it is not worth drinking. To say the least about the quality of the box wine. Thank god I live close to the border. Imported foods from Top's is almost prohibitive. Maybe they think we should eat sticky rice and chicken on the stick every meal. The import tax on US beef is impossible starting at 50% ++. If the US put this level of tax on importing Thai rice they would get real in a hurry. No beef fit to eat and rot gut wine is a way of protecting peoples income as no one wants to pay the price. The 420% import tax on wine for a country that has no market for local made wine is crazy.

lol, I think I pay about 900 baht annually for cable tv.

[simoh1490]

2 minutes ago, DonaldBattles said:

THE COST OF LIVING FOR FARANGS IN THAILAND CONTINUES TO RISE. PAYING B2792 PER MONTH FOR CABLE TV IS JUST AN EXAMPLE. The government continues to increase the tax of wine to the point where it is not worth drinking. To say the least about the quality of the box wine. Thank god I live close to the border. Imported foods from Top's is almost prohibitive. Maybe they think we should eat sticky rice and chicken on the stick every meal. The import tax on US beef is impossible starting at 50% ++. If the US put this level of tax on importing Thai rice they would get real in a hurry. No beef fit to eat and rot gut wine is a way of protecting peoples income as no one wants to pay the price. The 420% import tax on wine for a country that has no market for local made wine is crazy.

Don, those are lifestyle choices and exchange rate issues although I agree the tax on imported items are a significant contributor. But just because wine and US steak are expensive here doesn't mean that the general cost of living costs are proportionately as high.

[bkk6060]

3 minutes ago, DonaldBattles said:

THE COST OF LIVING FOR FARANGS IN THAILAND CONTINUES TO RISE. PAYING B2792 PER MONTH FOR CABLE TV IS JUST AN EXAMPLE. The government continues to increase the tax of wine to the point where it is not worth drinking. To say the least about the quality of the box wine. Thank god I live close to the border. Imported foods from Top's is almost prohibitive. Maybe they think we should eat sticky rice and chicken on the stick every meal. The import tax on US beef is impossible starting at 50% ++. If the US put this level of tax on importing Thai rice they would get real in a hurry. No beef fit to eat and rot gut wine is a way of protecting peoples income as no one wants to pay the price. The 420% import tax on wine for a country that has no market for local made wine is crazy.

What for cable??

They must be stupid and have never heard of the black box...

 

[soalbundy]

In Germany I've seen a different sort of snobbishness, 'I've got more debt than you', seems fairly prevalent in the Isaan villages as well although their debt is forced on them. where I am we had very little rain so the rice yield is poor as is the quality, some farmers wont even harvest the whole field as the cost will outweigh what they get for it, instead they cut enough for their own use.

[zzidenn]

31 minutes ago, Lacessit said:

Dear God, why is this so difficult for you to understand? There are tens of thousands of villages in Thailand virtually identical to the one my GF lives in.

Do you know where the statisticians are gathering their data? The 14K baht/month average income you quote - is that data from the cities alone, or does it include village data? I've never seen a policeman in my GF's village, let alone any other kind of government official. Most of the villagers don't have bank accounts, it's a cash and barter economy. Some like my GF's father have never been outside the village in their entire life. How do you get a sample size of 100% on BOT stats for people whose biggest capital investment is a bicycle?

As I said before, try getting out into the real world.

It’s very similar in the south. My bf’s family can barely afford food and the rent for their house, they need a small car and a bike for commuting, they are doing fine but no money for furniture or anything out of the ordinary, like a sketchbook for my young brother in law. Everybody is working hard and chipping in to stay alive, maybe some people here don’t understand how poor really works. 

Yes many young people strive for the western ideals of new gadgets and shiny things, but so do many others young folks in other countries. For many, a nice phone is their only escape from the shitty reality they live in. 

[zzidenn]

7 minutes ago, manarak said:

lol, I think I pay about 900 baht annually for cable tv.

Me too and I have 100mbs Glasfiber Incl tv( which nobody here uses) with great deals all the time with results in approximately 600 the a month. Btw. Tops has reasonably priced items too, I shop everywhere but I look for good bargains. 

[CGW]

14 hours ago, Chomper Higgot said:

This is no longer the case, credit and debts from credit have stripped land from millions of ordinary Thai people.

Just like it was intended to do.

Sums it up! so all the data being collected & subsequent algorithms are working very well, end result a "slave" society - where those in control will get richer, the poor - well we know how that works.................????

[zyphodb]

11 hours ago, DrTuner said:

Depends. If you live in a bamboo shack in the jungle, don't drink and eat from your garden yeah sure you can save - if you bother to work at all. Get stuck somewhere in a dead-end job in the middle of BKK and you're one satang from starvation. Thailand has a wide spectrum of lifestyles.

At least in Thailand you still can live in a bamboo shack in the jungle, although this only works if most people don't. Try it in the UK...

 

[BritManToo]

17 minutes ago, zzidenn said:

but no money for furniture

Rural Thais don't use furniture, they sleep on a mistress laid on the floor and eat sitting on a mat on the floor. I have furniture, but Thais that visit still mainly prefer to sit on the floor.

[wealthychef]

It also doesn't help that investment choices for Thais are limited as well.  You can buy a condo, which is popular but risky and high entry cost.  Or you can invest in the Thai stock exchange, no thanks.  Or put it in a bank for super low ROI.  Pick your poison.  

[Shiver]

My first week of working as a teen my new boss (and since then life time friend) said to me that a wage raise only lasts about 2 weeks, and by then people find new things they 'need' to fill in the difference and everything remains the same.  It stuck in my mind, and have always tried to live on a least a little less than I earned.  I've come unstuck a few times, but that only took me to zero, not below except one time which was the seed of me eventually coming to Asia (in hindsight).

 

Thailand or any country seems to have a similar mentality (with some notable exceptions - particularly where it's a family team challenge and honour and integrity are highly valued).  Face, one upmanship are something to avoid if you want to get ahead.  Another would be trying to carry too many other people's weaknesses/mistakes where really we should be the complement of another to be strong where others are weak, and they are strong where we are weak.

It doesn't help that those big screen TV's, the shopping Malls are showing us pictures of perfection in the body, iife style and its trappings that are not obtainable by the majority lest it becomes the new bottom standard (look at oil countries with garages full of supercars and classics, where money is their higher authority).

I had a book called "how to live on 10% of your income".  For the longest time I couldn't live on less than 15% no matter what I did unless I was really punishing myself.  I eventually figured it out, but it took decades, and now I have people wanting me to be their prop, and so have a whole new set of skills to learn in defending myself. [short version: Lower expenses *and* aim to increase wealth - it will exponentially accelerate rate of ascent, and save years, and time being something unbuyable currently, will add huge value to your life proposition].

I still live fairly frugally, with the occasional mad blow out on something I've promised myself if reaching a goal (definitely no debts involved though).

Those who are best set in life tend to have a good mentor that is harsh on them.  It's a thankless task for the most part, but if you love someone, be prepared to be let go of, knowing you've done the right thing.  If they smarten up they'll suss it out.  Not everyone does.  The sun will still rise and set, and the land will be swept clean for the next round of contestants in getting a chance to experience a fulfilling life.

[roo860]

Rural Thais don't use furniture, they sleep on a mistress laid on the floor and eat sitting on a mat on the floor. I have furniture, but Thais that visit still mainly prefer to sit on the floor.

'They sleep on a mistress '! Where does the wife sleep?
[emoji23] [emoji23]

Sent from my SM-G920F using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[zyphodb]

53 minutes ago, crazykopite said:

Koh Samui and Koh Phangan are regarded as the most expensive places to live in Thailand you can pay upwards of 150 baht for a meal that would cost 40/50 baht in other parts of the country , gasoline and diesel is more expensive as for furniture it’s double what you would pay in Bangkok but saying all that there are plenty of Thais who drive in nice cars how they manage I don’t know.

 

No they're not... Phuket & the Andaman sea coast, Khao Lak area are both a lot more expensive than Samui or Phangan, go take a look.....

[Lacessit]

51 minutes ago, simoh1490 said:

You want me to agree with your theory that Thailand is populated almost exclusively by poor rural villages where the population earns next to nothing and as a result the average wage in Thailand should be next to nothing....I don't the evidence suggests otherwise.

Your post is deliberately misleading. I never said that, only made the statement there is missing data in the average wage statistics.

FYI, the Emerson aphorism is " A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of small minds".

[masuk]

15 hours ago, Lungstib said:

On the very far north border where I live people earn minimal wage and know they have to live simple, make it go round and there is little competition to outdo their neighbours. Saving is virtually impossible. But down in C Mai there is a class of workers who want the good things in life and are not prepared to go without. They buy expensive big screen TV's, computers, mobiles, auto's and even houses to keep up with their neighbours and borrow to do so. You'd be hard pressed to find a group of Thais with ordinary jobs who actually save money monthly. For that you would need to look at business owners, managers etc. Bangkok is maybe a different world, I know nothing of how they live.

I can never figure out how come so many Thais can afford any of the Apple I phones.  I've made do with a quite reasonable phone for the past 3 years, which cost $169 new.  There must be a lot of borrowing somewhere.

[bluesea]

And maybe if all the Foreigners did not come here anymore because there 800,000 Baht  Immigration wants in a bank Account  adds to There Yearly world bank report on Thailand Economic Status i reckon your in the Shit.

 

 

[GalaxyMan]

The Thai people live too much in the here & now. They give little to no thought about the future. Immediate gratification is all they seem to understand, as tomorrow is just a maybe.

[johnarth]

I could be wrong but I think Thai people are going to face a bigger problem soon, somehow the Thai baht is holding a higher value than what it is worth and sooner or later it will have to be devalued, just what it will do I hate to guess, could the Chinese government be at work again?

[JimP]

I save roughly 9-15K baht a month, depending on how 'foreign' I want my lifestyle to be. Bangkok Bank and other financial institutions offer sound investment plans, which also help you receive more during tax time. 

[Andrew108]

Around the world the rich are getting richer and workers are getting poorer. 

 

As an aside: an iPhone or other type of smartphone represents amazing value when you look at the functionality they offer. They have become essential items.

 

But what can we do about the fact that incomes are shrinking whilst the value of assets is increasing year after year? Nothing at all. The global financial system is rigged to prefer growth over sustainability and capital flows towards those countries that have a controlled workforce and secure assets that can be invested in.

 

Democratic balances are seen as untoward market interference causing capital to flow away from that country. This is neo-liberalism. Get people scared and angry. Fill them with desire. Authoritarian governments form and liberal democracy dies. 

 

Its happening all around the world where the majority of workers are pretty much working to live rather than working to prosper. 

Edited November 3, 2018 by Andrew108

[ZeVonderBearz]

1 hour ago, DonaldBattles said:

THE COST OF LIVING FOR FARANGS IN THAILAND CONTINUES TO RISE. PAYING B2792 PER MONTH FOR CABLE TV IS JUST AN EXAMPLE. The government continues to increase the tax of wine to the point where it is not worth drinking. To say the least about the quality of the box wine. Thank god I live close to the border. Imported foods from Top's is almost prohibitive. Maybe they think we should eat sticky rice and chicken on the stick every meal. The import tax on US beef is impossible starting at 50% ++. If the US put this level of tax on importing Thai rice they would get real in a hurry. No beef fit to eat and rot gut wine is a way of protecting peoples income as no one wants to pay the price. The 420% import tax on wine for a country that has no market for local made wine is crazy.

I like you're enthusiasm. 

[dallen52]

My partners friend sits on the doorstep some morning waiting to ask for the next borrow. 

Bank of farang is officially closed, since she not pay back the last one.

[thaiguzzi]

14 minutes ago, GalaxyMan said:

The Thai people live too much in the here & now. They give little to no thought about the future. Immediate gratification is all they seem to understand, as tomorrow is just a maybe.

Sounds alright to me.......

[RotBenz8888]

Considering how little they seem to care about the car crash statistics, i doubt they care about saving to their pensions. Future is something very blur.

[ZeVonderBearz]

1 minute ago, Andrew108 said:

Around the world the rich are getting richer and workers are getting poorer. 

 

As an aside: an iPhone or other type of smartphone represents amazing value when you look at the functionality they offer. They have become essential items.

 

But what can we do about the fact that incomes are shrinking whilst the value of assets is increasing year after year? Nothing at all. The global financial system is rigged to prefer growth over sustainability and capital flows towards perthose countries that have a controlled workforce and secure assets that can be invested in.

Democratic balances are seen as untoward market interference causing capital to flow away from that country. This is neo-liberalism. Get people scared and angry. Fill them with desire. Authoritarian governments form and liberal democracy dies. 

Its happening all around the world where the majority of workers are pretty much working to live rather than working to prosper. 

Once we destroy the human race and all other species completly we can always eat our credit cards, right? Few thousand calories in the iPhone, very good value at only $1000+. 

[Rimmer]

Off topic removed, topic is not about US or Trump

[dallen52]

15 hours ago, ZeVonderBearz said:

Yeah but it's impossible to live in Thailand on less then 40k a month, so no wonder they can't save. I read this on TV often. Where are the Thais mentioned in this article getting their fix of premium import beer and superior western food from?

All the farang relationships who contribute to these people. 

The same ones who are going to have to show 65,000 a month income or savings of 800,000 in order to stay here.

[thaiguzzi]

15 hours ago, PatOngo said:

Says a lot about the distribution of wealth in the country, when the govt continually sprouts about how well the country is doing. There's enough people to do something about but they all just seem to bend over and cop it!...………………...Let's buy some submarines!

Off topic slightly, maybe.

Read this in a report recently;

China, 47% of the wealth is owned by 1% of the population

India, 45%  "     "      "            "        "  1%  "   "   population

*************************

Thailand, 96% of the wealth is owned by 1% of the population............