Thailand Still cheaper than home

[GinBoy2]

3 minutes ago, marcusarelus said:

Every day expenses are a pittance why even talk about them?  Since Farang can't own homes in Thailand rent is really the only large expenditure one can realistically compare.  Thailand is 100% cheaper.  Utilities USA .18 Thailand .11  Australia .49

https://www.statista.com/statistics/477995/global-prices-of-electricity-by-select-country/

I hate myself for even bothering to reply, but it intrigues me what as to what inner issue you try to hide.

 

I'm not hiding behind some website of relative numbers, just giving you actual real life numbers, from 'my' experience.

 

'If' you are really an American, which is doubtful, you would know full well cost comparisons across the US are hugely variable, let alone trying to compare any  western country to Thailand.

 

Your sole purpose on this forum seem to be the Ann Coulter of TVF!

[White Christmas13]

2 hours ago, vinegarbase said:

Picked up a half gallon of organic milk in the USA for about 90 baht not long ago. How much are you paying in the 'cheaper than home' Thailand. Picked up an 18' New York Pizza for about 300 baht in the USA, cost about 400 in Thailand. Heck, I even picked up fresh organic coffee beans from Central America for less than I pay for Thai coffee. How much is gas costing you in Thailand for your car? It's about 60 baht a gallon now in the USA right now. Speaking of cars, how much would you pay for a car in Thailand compared to the USA? Condo? The terrible quality jail cells they are selling I could get a nice mobile home on a half acre in the countryside in the US for the same price. I hate to say this bluntly but if you are struggling to get by on $4500 USD a month when your rent it $1500 you are an idiot with money and could make some serious adjustments. Furthermore, how can you compare it's cheaper than home when you are barely even allowed to work a job in Thailand? 

 

The cheap Thailand thing is a myth. People think just because they ate pad thai on the street one time for 30 baht that suddenly Thailand is the cheap living wonderland. Granted there are some things that might be a little cheaper but overall I have found Thailand to be much more expensive than the USA for most important things. 

I can't talk about the USA but most things in OZ are cheaper than in Thailand 1tr of milk is about 22 baht

Pizza at Dominoes is 120 baht 4 litre box of good wine (not fruit wine) is 120 baht  

Edited January 6, 2019 by White Christmas13

[HuskerDo]

4 hours ago, Sophon said:

I changed to David Shield six months ago. The premium I paid as a 56 year old was USD 1,704 and at the time the premium for a 66 year old was USD 2,530 and for a 74 year old USD 3,540. That's for an overall coverage of USD 1.2 mio.

 

Sophon

Th

 

4 hours ago, Sophon said:

 

 

Thanks Saphon. Question... The charts you posted for David Shield don't go beyond age 64. Is that the age limit he'll only insure to or is there another chart for later ages? Thanks!!!

[sirineou]

1 hour ago, GinBoy2 said:

1 hour ago, marcusarelus said:

Every day expenses are a pittance why even talk about them?  Since Farang can't own homes in Thailand rent is really the only large expenditure one can realistically compare.  Thailand is 100% cheaper.  Utilities USA .18 Thailand .11  Australia .49

https://www.statista.com/statistics/477995/global-prices-of-electricity-by-select-country/

I hate myself for even bothering to reply, but it intrigues me what as to what inner issue you try to hide.

 

I'm not hiding behind some website of relative numbers, just giving you actual real life numbers, from 'my' experience.

 

'If' you are really an American, which is doubtful, you would know full well cost comparisons across the US are hugely variable, let alone trying to compare any  western country to Thailand.

 

Your sole purpose on this forum seem to be the Ann Coulter of TVF!

absolutely right about different locations in the US, I had to give up my home in NY when I decided I was getting close to retirement, and we started living more in FL and Thailand, My property taxes along  in NY was a about $900 a month, in Florida, 10 min from the beach with better services than NY I pay about $2000 a year for a less than a 10 year old house in a good area.

 

There ia a whole country between NY and California with a lot of affordable locations.

The poster you are responding too said "Since Farang can't own homes in Thailand rent is really "

Not so, marry right and and you can own a house in Thailand trough your wife, 

We own two houses dont pay rent, you probably still have your own home in Thailand, every farang I know in Khon Kaen have their own homes. Being married to my wife now over 10 years not a problem (well the usual) not a worry , I am sure I will spend the rest of my life with her, my only worry is that one day I will die and live her by herself, the thought stresses me greatly, economically she will be Ok , but I am afraid she will be lonely (we don't have children together) .  

  

Edited January 6, 2019 by sirineou

[55Jay]

5 hours ago, Mavideol said:

sorry to disagree but lived in San Diego & Santa Monica and know for a fact for the amount of 78,000 baht month (+- 2,500 USD) you can't have all you mentioned

Well yeah, that's pretty much what I said.  Genius you are.  LOL.  ????

[55Jay]

7 hours ago, marcusarelus said:

I hear you.  I miss California too.

Well yeah, if you lived in a cardboard box, I bet Thailand is a dream come true. 

[GinBoy2]

58 minutes ago, 55Jay said:

Well yeah, if you lived in a cardboard box, I bet Thailand is a dream come true. 

Well he's living in some fantasy land, drug induced, who knows!

 

On the Cali thing. I was born in Kern County in the Central Valley, although lived most of my early adult life in the Bay Area, San Diego and Los Angeles.

 

Now, where our erstwhile friend is correct, I'd love to live back somewhere in San Diego County, which is for me close to perfection.

 

But I can't afford that, and I wouldn't want to deal with the traffic anymore.

 

That being said, California is in itself a huge place, and i could and wished to live back in the Central Valley, I could quite cheaply.

 

In point of fact I could still build a house there, roughly for what I built my house in Khon Kaen for.

 

But as happenstance is, I love the Rocky Mountain Midwest, and here we are. In another twist of fate, I started off working for Rockwell, deploying the first B1 bombers, my wife as a material scientist now works for DoD working on extending their lifetime.

 

Life ends up having some weird twists

Edited January 6, 2019 by GinBoy2

[55Jay]

The value decision is a personal thing, I suppose. 

 

Me personally, been screwing around this side of the world for most of my adult life.  Thailand isn't exotic.  it's just another Asian hump hump "developing world" bullshit country where top knot wanna be hippies, burn out alcoholics, and untraveled idiots from YurLope, think they've stumbled onto some kind of undiscovered paradise. 

 

And then another A380 lands and a whole new pack of idiots gets off the jet and thinks the same thing. Just like we all did 5, 10, 20, 30 years ago.  Like damn, didn't know she could do that with a ping pong ball..... and these street vendor noodles are so authentic. 

 

But cheaper?  <deleted> yeah it is.  Try getting a massage from some angry, white single mom in Los Angeles with saggy tits for less than $60 for 15 minutes, and no happy ending.  ???? 

[madmen]

Nonsense.  Perhaps if you ever visited Thailand you might be pleasantly surprised.  The Detroit of Asia has been here for quite a while.  I had a home there in 1968.  It has changed a bit for the better since then.  

Been here 13 years bought in BKK Asoke back then.

Sorry to burst your bubble but that just looks like any farang house in isaan or by the sea 20 kms from the nearest mall. Same all over thailand except phuket. Krabi is dirt cheap also

They are dirt cheap for a reason.. Probably the house is worth more than the land.

[madmen]

And for further information the specifics for the plan I selected:

 
Thailand is in zone 5. Note that the premiums quoted are monthly premiums. You can choose to pay monthly or yearly, there is no difference in the cost.
 
Sophon

I was going to look into it but a Google search shows no feedback to negative feedback

https://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/994639-davidshield-health-insurance/

https://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/1033609-affordable-health-insurance-for-anyone-in-thailand/?page=4

feeling it was to good to be true. 38 million baht max for a measly 50k baht per annum? You struggle to find even a few reviews in Thailand

Good luck with that .. All the charts in the world are meaninglessness when trying to contact some company in Isreal for emergency in Thailand

Pass!! Wouldn't touch it for half the price

[55Jay]

34 minutes ago, madmen said:

Been here 13 years bought in BKK Asoke back then.

Sorry to burst your bubble but that just looks like any farang house in isaan or by the sea 20 kms from the nearest mall. Same all over thailand except phuket. Krabi is dirt cheap also

They are dirt cheap for a reason.. Probably the house is worth more than the land.
 

In the end, suspect the land is worth more than the house. 

 

Edit: Assuming a McMansion in Nakhon Nowhere could even sell. 

Edited January 6, 2019 by 55Jay

[madmen]

In the end, suspect the land is worth more than the house. 
 
Edit: Assuming a McMansion in Nakhon Nowhere could even sell. 

Not by much. His wife has borrowed the money and I guess he is paying for.. Not many farang in that position as we all paid cash no loans

Payments are $400.. You can work it out from there. He is on some remote stretch of coast line. While it may be nice to retire to it holds zero appeal to investors

[55Jay]

15 minutes ago, madmen said:

Not by much. His wife has borrowed the money and I guess he is paying for.. Not many farang in that position as we all paid cash no loans

Payments are $400.. You can work it out from there. He is on some remote stretch of coast line. While it may be nice to retire to it holds zero appeal to investors

Yeah, well, at least he (she) locked in the land at X rate years before, so when they decide to sell and return to civilization, they can probably get their money back (plus some) on the land value. 

 

The house itself is probably a write off. 

[madmen]

Yeah, well, at least he (she) locked in the land at X rate years before, so when they decide to sell and return to civilization, they can probably get their money back (plus some) on the land value. 
 
The house itself is probably a write off. 

Doubt it. After they pay interest over the next 15 years they will be in a hole.

Seriously or your kidding? Who goes out of their way to buy houses on remote stretches of coast unless it's phuket?

This ain't the West coast of the USA or the east coast of oz

I wish him a happy life if that's where he will retire.. But his door getting beat down with offers is non existant

[marcusarelus]

8 hours ago, GinBoy2 said:

I hate myself for even bothering to reply, but it intrigues me what as to what inner issue you try to hide.

 

I'm not hiding behind some website of relative numbers, just giving you actual real life numbers, from 'my' experience.

 

'If' you are really an American, which is doubtful, you would know full well cost comparisons across the US are hugely variable, let alone trying to compare any  western country to Thailand.

 

Your sole purpose on this forum seem to be the Ann Coulter of TVF!

It was you who were comparing USA vs Thailand and anyone who has lived in both places knows you are in error. 

 

Facts vs flames and personal attack. 

 

Since Farang can't own homes in Thailand rent is really the only large expenditure one can realistically compare.  Thailand is 100% cheaper.  My condo maintenance fee in Florida was more than my house payment (rent) in Thailand. 

 

Utilities USA .18   Thailand .11     Australia .49

https://www.statista.com/statistics/477995/global-prices-of-electricity-by-select-country/

 

 

[marcusarelus]

5 hours ago, madmen said:

Been here 13 years bought in BKK Asoke back then.

Sorry to burst your bubble but that just looks like any farang house in isaan or by the sea 20 kms from the nearest mall. Same all over thailand except phuket. Krabi is dirt cheap also

They are dirt cheap for a reason.. Probably the house is worth more than the land.
 

Why knock a place you have never been?  The Rayong area is now the boom area of Thailand.  Thais with a lot of money from industry.  The road will be done in a year and the high speed train has started construction.  This is the manufacturing center, and the shipping center.  Thailand exports cars and this is where they ship from.  Rayong area looks nothing like Issan.  You didn't burst my bubble you are just shooting your mouth off about a place you have never seen. 

[GinBoy2]

4 hours ago, madmen said:

Doubt it. After they pay interest over the next 15 years they will be in a hole.

Seriously or your kidding? Who goes out of their way to buy houses on remote stretches of coast unless it's phuket?

This ain't the West coast of the USA or the east coast of oz

I wish him a happy life if that's where he will retire.. But his door getting beat down with offers is non existant

A mixed bag

 

If I had to do a cost comparison building my house in Khon Kaen versus my house in the US, which was pre built, couldn't do it. Building standards are totally different, build the same quality house we have in the US in similar location in Khon Kaen, God knows.

 

Now on cost/price. Let's put it this way. If you intend to build in Thailand, live and die there, you probably won't lose money.

 

I have no illusions that i could or would be able to recover all my equity in my Thai home, but I didn't build it as an investment, I went into that with my eyes wide open to the Thai housing market.

 

For my condo rentals in Thonglor, on an equity basis I broke even, but with rental income I came out on top, which is probably about the best you can expect in Thailand

[marcusarelus]

9 hours ago, MarkyM3 said:

I'm calling BS on the housing costs. Might be true for central London but not outside of there. I live 20 miles outside of London in a wealthy commuter town, 1 bed apartment, 51sqm, fully modernised. Present market value £275k or thereabouts, that link says it should cost £400k. Own another 2 bed apartment in York in northern England that I rent out. Bigger apartment with 2 balconies, river view etc. £200k present market value.

 

Also, would like to know what the current per meter square cost is in Bangkok - when I've been there recently and looking at advertised developments, did not strike me as great value.

 

Present utility costs for me in my 1 bed apartment - £12 per month for water, combined gas and electricy is about £40-45 per month and I work at home all week on a computer. My utility costs in a 70sqm apartment I rent in Bangkok are no cheaper than that, in fact the reverse, probably due to the amount of aircon I use. However, I got to pay council tax which is around £130 per month so if you factor that in then the picture changes.

 

Find another comparison website and link it and use baht as the pound is dropping so quickly who knows what the exchange rate will be. 

[marcusarelus]

9 hours ago, sirineou said:

This type of thread comes up on TVF with regularity.

The answer is always the same . Labor is less expensive in Thailand so Thai  labor dependant products and services are less expensive by that component. everything else is more expensive and of lesser quality from the west, do to scale of markets and taxation.

  If you have solved your housing needs in the US at a low property local. you can live for the same or less than Thailand. 

  Me and my Thai wife own two houses in Thailand and one in Florida, all our houses are mortgage free by now, and the property tax of out Florida home are very low under the primary residence homestead exemption act , Central A/C and heat 24/7 average bill $160 p/m, food very cheap, cars much less expensive than Thailand, top of the line medical for the family  from work now,  on medicare in three years.

   For me, monthly costs are about the same in FL than in Thailand, (not so at NYC where I work right now, where it costs me 1600 bht just to go to work every day .) 

So let's compare  Apples and Apples  and Oranges and Oranges, 

Having said all that, I still like living in Thailand more.

If you have a million US dollars in the bank you can live for the same in the USA as Thailand.  I agree. 

 

You wrote, "If you have solved your housing needs in the US at a low property local. you can live for the same or less than Thailand."

 

What is it with you fellows?  Housing is the largest budget item by far.  You can't take that out of the equation and have a meaningful comparison.

[marcusarelus]

8 hours ago, White Christmas13 said:

I came to LOS because of business I went back because I lost every thing (don't give me that crap you only invest what you can afford to lose) I had my heart reset (cardio version) last year and it cost me nothing 

and the hospital I went to was 1000 times better than the private ones in Thailand and yes i have seen

the hospitals in Thailand 

I didn't mention anything about hospitals but I can compare VA care in the USA and Thailand and Thailand is 1000 times better.  Your health care is free in Australia and mine is free in Thailand - OK.  You lost everything in Thailand I didn't.  I guess I'm more disposed to like Thailand than you and I can understand that. 

[JAFO]

13 minutes ago, GinBoy2 said:

 

I have no illusions that i could or would be able to recover all my equity in my Thai home, but I didn't build it as an investment, I went into that with my eyes wide open to the Thai housing market.

Same here. My wife and I built our home for us not as an investment. It's only an investment if you plan on selling and moving and starting again. Our house is paid in full. Simple and easy life with no endless property tax, HOAs etc.  

 

These threads have far to many variables as age, financial needs, expectations, etc impact ones point of view significantly.

[marcusarelus]

5 hours ago, madmen said:

Not by much. His wife has borrowed the money and I guess he is paying for.. Not many farang in that position as we all paid cash no loans

Payments are $400.. You can work it out from there. He is on some remote stretch of coast line. While it may be nice to retire to it holds zero appeal to investors
 

I live close to Sukhumvit, close to shopping, private and government hospitals, malls, international airports and bus terminals.  I live close to the sea but above the floodplain. 

 

I would never buy a home in Thailand because I can't own it.  If I were to divorce I walk away with what I came with and consider my share of the house payment rent. 

 

You don't know anything about my house so why criticize it? 

 

There are many places around Rayong where the sea winds blow daily and prices both current and future make it a good investment as Rayong has the highest income per capita in Thailand.   

 

 

 

[BritManToo]

7 hours ago, sirineou said:

I am sure I will spend the rest of my life with her,

But she, almost certainly, won't be spending the rest of her life with you.

[sirineou]

2 minutes ago, marcusarelus said:

If you have a million US dollars in the bank you can live for the same in the USA as Thailand.  I agree. 

 

You wrote, "If you have solved your housing needs in the US at a low property local. you can live for the same or less than Thailand."

 

What is it with you fellows?  Housing is the largest budget item by far.  You can't take that out of the equation and have a meaningful comparison.

 of course housing is the biggest part of the equation, No one is taking it out of the equation, One would need housing whether in Thailand or back home. 

when I compare my living expenses between Thailand and the US I include housing in both places. Housing is less expensive in Thailand , I said that labor is less expensive in thailand and everything depending on local labor is also less expensive by that component, but then IMO the savings achieved from the less expensive housing is lost to the more expensive consumer goods , and cost of health insurance

So IMO some things cost less in the US ( can only talk about the US) other things cost less in Thailand , in the balance if you compare the same standard of living  cost  is relatively the same.

[BritManToo]

5 hours ago, madmen said:

Not by much. His wife has borrowed the money and I guess he is paying for.. Not many farang in that position as we all paid cash no loans

Got a 90% loan on my 3 bed house, repayments 11k/month for the next 23 years.

[BritManToo]

3 minutes ago, sirineou said:

but then IMO the savings achieved from the less expensive housing is lost to the more expensive consumer goods , and cost of health insurance

My LG TV was cheaper in Thailand than the UK (20KBht from Lazada Vs 540GBP from John Lewis). That's about the most expensive 'consumer goods' I own.

I'm not sick, no need for health insurance, a bit of accident damage that cost about 7KBht over the past 10 years. (let's say average health care 1,000bht/year)

[sirineou]

2 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

But she, almost certainly, won't be spending the rest of her life with you.

 Sadly yes.  

[sirineou]

2 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

My LG TV was cheaper in Thailand than the UK (20KBht from Lazada Vs 540GBP from John Lewis). That's about the most expensive 'consumer goods' I own.

I'm not sick, no need for health insurance, a bit of accident damage that cost about 7KBht over the past 10 years. (let's say average health care 1,000bht/year)

I was "the Iron man" until age 57, run marathons, played tennis for hrs in the hot sun, never a sick day in my life. Then at a routine physical a heart murmur was detected, upon further diagnosis  it was discovered that I was birt with an abnormal Aortic heart valve.  Open heart surgery,  aortic valve replacement $240, 000 . Thank god I had good insurance.

Everyone is healthy until they are not. I sincerely hope your luck holds up.

As far as consumer goods go, I already said that I can only talk about the US,  Do to scale of markets, consumer good are less expensive in the US and of better quality. 

 

[theguyfromanotherforum]

11 hours ago, marcusarelus said:

I went to the bank to make our house payment for our new by the ocean house $400.  Same thing in the states costs $1200 (big down payment) that gives me $800 to buy milk. ????

 

I don't know about the important things but the largest budget item in almost any budget is housing.  

 

Sorry fella you are way off base.

https://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/compare_cities.jsp?country1=Thailand&amp;country2=United+States&amp;city1=Rayong&amp;city2=Sarasota%2C+FL

 

 

Big difference is that you actually own a house in USA.

 

Numbeo numbers are deceiving. They take the average numbers.

 

The condos in Bangkok may appear cheaper, for example because places with cockroaches, toilets on balconies and Cambodian slave labor construction are taken into account.

[BritManToo]

11 minutes ago, sirineou said:

hen at a routine physical a heart murmur was detected, upon further diagnosis  it was discovered that I was birt with an abnormal Aortic heart valve. 

 

Let's face it, they scammed you, you would have probably still been playing tennis and running marathons.

Did you ask for a refund on all the previous check-ups that didn't notice the birth defect for 57 years?

 

Edited January 7, 2019 by BritManToo