Aussies. I haters please. Genuine discussion.

[Don Mega]

6 hours ago, isaanistical said:

From July, AU's statutory minimum wage will be AUD740 per week. THB16,190. The comparable rate in TH is around 2,200 based on a 7-day working week.

 

Where does the Bt2.200 figure come from ?

[motorcycguy]

Informally I believe the cost for living in Bangkok is about the same as Phoenix Arizona. Some items are more some are less but I think about the same overall.

[LosLobo]

On ‎6‎/‎18‎/‎2019 at 9:20 AM, Don Mega said:

Which bank give 12 months travel insurance ?

 

16 hours ago, AlexRRR said:

None in AU that i know off....But the comm bank with some of there cards including Gold and Platinum give you 6 months at a time....The gold card costs around $89 a year the Platinum costs me around $260 a year plus i get rewards points...soon ditching and going to the gold as im over collecting points...

 

You could fly home for a week book a new flight apply for travel insurance and of you go again...

 

 

Commonwealth Bank Diamond has 12 months free travel insurance.

 

All their free travel insurance is only available to residents living in Australia who hold Medicare cards.

[AlexRRR]

2 hours ago, LosLobo said:

 

Commonwealth Bank Diamond has 12 months free travel insurance.

 

All their free travel insurance is only available to residents living in Australia who hold Medicare cards.

 

Whats it cost?

[Lacessit]

13 hours ago, Don Mega said:

Where does the Bt2.200 figure come from ?

Most probably rural villages. A child carer in a city gets about 8000 baht/month. Police are on 15,000 baht/month. Most of the people in my GF's village are getting 2000 - 3000 baht/month.

[Don Mega]

1 minute ago, Lacessit said:

Most probably rural villages. A child carer in a city gets about 8000 baht/month. Police are on 15,000 baht/month. Most of the people in my GF's village are getting 2000 - 3000 baht/month.

The child carer and police person wont be working 7 days a week though, well they could be be but above and beyond 48hrs a week they would be on over time.

[LosLobo]

 
Whats it cost?

$349

Sent from my SM-N9208 using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[mvsaraburi]

depends how you live.  if you buy farang food, wine, massage spas off sukhumvit all in english aimed at farang, drive german imported cars, shop at Paragon, T21, Robinson and so on, then yes it's very costly.   buy Thai products at your local market, drive an ASEAN car, build a house on your missus's land in Saraburi not some 10MB box room condo in BKK and so on and it's still far, far cheaper than the west.  

[Lacessit]

2 minutes ago, Don Mega said:

The child carer and police person wont be working 7 days a week though, well they could be be but above and beyond 48hrs a week they would be on over time.

Villagers don't work a 7 day week, maybe 6 if they are out of the village on building sites. If they are farming rice or other crops, they would be flat chat for a month or so when sowing and harvesting. Some time in weeding and crop maintenance. The rest of the time they lie around or play cards, which is why they are on such a low AVERAGE wage.

[totally thaied up]

For me, it costs more to live in Thailand then at home in Australia due to medical reasons. If you have your own home in Australia, and you live a simple life, it is just as cheap now with the poor exchange rate and with Medicare being free. I have been reading that we have the real possibilities in the years coming of getting back down once again to the high 40s, mid 50 cent range for our dollar. Let's see how many will say it is cheap at that range of the dollar scoops that low.

[madmen]

For me, it costs more to live in Thailand then at home in Australia due to medical reasons. If you have your own home in Australia, and you live a simple life, it is just as cheap now with the poor exchange rate and with Medicare being free. I have been reading that we have the real possibilities in the years coming of getting back down once again to the high 40s, mid 50 cent range for our dollar. Let's see how many will say it is cheap at that range of the dollar scoops that low.

 

Yep nailed it, if you have your own home then oz is easy doable, heck I could live on wine and cheese alone. Ok that's a bit extreme so would need to top up with grilled lamb chops occasionally [emoji23]

 

Posters on here will defend thailand to the death even when it hits 15 baht to the dollar and main reason is so many live like poor thais in thai style rooms

 

Sadly so many Ozzie expats came out the other end of a 40 year working life with zip.. Barely enough for a one way ticket to LOS.. They better hang on its gonna be a rough next 10 years if the dollar busts through 15 baht resistance and it will.. No stopping it

 

 

 

[marcusarelus]

16 minutes ago, madmen said:

 

Yep nailed it, if you have your own home then oz is easy doable, heck I could live on wine and cheese alone. Ok that's a bit extreme so would need to top up with grilled lamb chops occasionally

 

Posters on here will defend thailand to the death even when it hits 15 baht to the dollar and main reason is so many live like poor thais in thai style rooms

 

Sadly so many Ozzie expats came out the other end of a 40 year working life with zip.. Barely enough for a one way ticket to LOS.. They better hang on its gonna be a rough next 10 years if the dollar busts through 15 baht resistance and it will.. No stopping it

How much does owning your own home cost?  Sell it and put the money in Thai FD for a visa and use the interest to subtract from your living expenses and figure out the tax burden of owning your own home and then figure it.  That would be the fair way to compute the difference in living costs.  I know as I did that 20 years ago.  

Edited June 21, 2019 by marcusarelus

[totally thaied up]

1 hour ago, madmen said:

Sadly so many Ozzie expats came out the other end of a 40 year working life with zip.. Barely enough for a one way ticket to LOS

I know a few that have got money but they do not do Thailand full time. They do a mix of Australia, Europe, Mexico, and Thailand yearly. If you got money, you can do that. Other friends of mine just has a 35,000 baht a month Aussie Pension and that is it. They have had to be telling 'porkies' for years to Immigration about getting 65,000 and now they are in trouble. A few have married now and a few are talking of getting married but they don't live even with the Girlfriends full-time. Even coming up with the 400K can be a problem. They don't think that they are going to lose money from there pensions the moment they get married (they most likely will not tell Centerlink) and then go off on a wing and a prayer.

 

I would hate to have to live that way. Much easier being home in Australia if you owned something.

 

44 minutes ago, marcusarelus said:

How much does owning your own home cost?  Sell it and put the money in Thai FD for a visa and use the interest to subtract from your living expenses and figure out the tax burden of owning your own home and then figure it.  That would be the fair way to compute the difference in living costs.  I know as I did that 20 years ago.  

I would get 22,800 baht a month in interest if I did that and it is not enough to live on. I suppose if I invested it in the Aussie Share market, I would get a return above 4% and I could trade Options on my portfolio but when you are later in life, you do not want to take as much risk. I would most likely be involved in small percent in Index Funds and the rest in Bonds and cash interest to be safe. I would be better off moving home, using Medicare for all my bills and I would be ahead. Everyone's case is totally different. 

Edited June 21, 2019 by totally thaied up

[madmen]

 If I was living purely on an oz pension and struggling with an uncertain future and not meeting the 65k (obviously) or the 800k (probably) I would repatriate and buy a long wheel base van and slowly convert it to a mini home. There are thousands of youtube vids of people and couples living this way , many of them working full time and saving the rent money

 

A solar panel on the roof and you could live off grid and travel across OZ. Or setup in caravan park with an anex. Looks like great fun and piece of mind with medicare and pension cards in wallet

 

 

Edited June 21, 2019 by madmen

[Ozman52]

13 hours ago, madmen said:

 

Yep nailed it, if you have your own home then oz is easy doable, heck I could live on wine and cheese alone. Ok that's a bit extreme so would need to top up with grilled lamb chops occasionally

 

Posters on here will defend thailand to the death even when it hits 15 baht to the dollar and main reason is so many live like poor thais in thai style rooms

 

Sadly so many Ozzie expats came out the other end of a 40 year working life with zip.. Barely enough for a one way ticket to LOS.. They better hang on its gonna be a rough next 10 years if the dollar busts through 15 baht resistance and it will.. No stopping it

 

 

 

How long since you have been in Australia?  Last time I looked at lamb chops in Oz they were $44/kg, and there's not many OAPs buying them.

At the time that was B1100, while chicken here was B65 and leg pork (no bones) B140/kg

Edited June 22, 2019 by Ozman52

[madmen]

5 minutes ago, Ozman52 said:

How long since you have been in Australia?  Last time I looked at lamb chops in Oz they were $44/kg, and there's not many OAPs buying them.

At the time that was B1100, while chicken here was B65 and leg pork (no bones) B140/kg

Nope, try $10 a kilo. I always buy the fatty ones as they are best on a BBq or grill

https://shop.coles.com.au/a/a-national/product/part_2917548P

 

 

[Ozman52]

12 hours ago, madmen said:

 If I was living purely on an oz pension and struggling with an uncertain future and not meeting the 65k (obviously) or the 800k (probably) I would repatriate and buy a long wheel base van and slowly convert it to a mini home. There are thousands of youtube vids of people and couples living this way , many of them working full time and saving the rent money

 

A solar panel on the roof and you could live off grid and travel across OZ. Or setup in caravan park with an anex. Looks like great fun and piece of mind with medicare and pension cards in wallet

 

 

..........or you could move to Cambodia, $300/year visa. 2nd hand camper vans sell for $110,000, it will cost you near that to live while you DIY. How do you have enough for that if you can't raise B800,000?

[madmen]

7 minutes ago, Ozman52 said:

..........or you could move to Cambodia, $300/year visa. 2nd hand camper vans sell for $110,000, it will cost you near that to live while you DIY. How do you have enough for that if you can't raise B800,000?

Why do you keep quoting extreme pricing? A second hand long wheel base can buy for a few thousand and start with just a mattress and then as I said slowly build it up. Most of the van vids show owners buy cheap shelving etc from Ikea etc. 

 

lots of second hand campers https://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/deception-bay/caravans/1993-jayco-penguin-windup-12v-battery-awnings-finance-avail/1218269200

 

Cambodia wont change anything with OZ dollar in a downward spiral and wont solve the massive issue of medical insurance! besides it a shithole

Edited June 22, 2019 by madmen

[CapraIbex]

10 minutes ago, Ozman52 said:

Or setup in caravan park with an anex.

This option is not as bargain-priced as it used to be.

[Don Mega]

13 hours ago, madmen said:

 

 

 Or setup in caravan park with an anex. Looks like great fun and piece of mind with medicare and pension cards in wallet

 

 

How much does it cost per week for caravan park fee's ?

[totally thaied up]

35 minutes ago, Ozman52 said:

How long since you have been in Australia?  Last time I looked at lamb chops in Oz they were $44/kg, and there's not many OAPs buying them.

 I was there only 10 days ago. Lamb Chops $12 a Kilo from Woolworths. I was buying bulk Rump Steak (whole rumps) for $84 from a Whole Sale Butcher that would last me a month eating every few days. I was getting corned beef/pork for $3.99 a kilo. Pork Chops were $6.99. Chicken was $7.  Sausages $8.50 for a large pack that would last ages! I could buy a Super large Chicken to cook for $7 that would feed me for three days. I saw Lamb chops at $30 a kilo (racks) but who in their right minds would buy them. All the farang foods were a quarter of the price compared to here for the daily basics. 

Edited June 22, 2019 by totally thaied up

[Odysseus123]

2 minutes ago, totally thaied up said:

 I was there only 10 days ago. Lamb Chops $12 a Kilo from Woolworths. I was buying bulk Rump Steak (whole rumps) for $84 from a Whole Sale Butcher that would last me a month eating every few days. I was getting corned beef/pork for $3.99 a kilo. Pork Chops were $6.99. Chicken was $7.  Sausages $8.50 for a large pack that would last ages! I could buy a Super large Chicken to cook for $7 that would feed me for three days. I saw Lamb chops at $30 a kilo (racks) but who in their right minds would buy them. All the farang foods were a quarter of the price compared to here for the daily basics. 

Ah, TTU-you are injecting far too much reality into the discussion..

 

Best of luck on that one.????

[madmen]

4 minutes ago, Don Mega said:

How much does it cost per week for caravan park fee's ?

Around $25 a night for powered sites.  https://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/tolga/short-term/powered-site-and-unpowered-site-at-tolga-caravan-park/1123521926

 

Stil leaves $ 270 a week from pension plus you can knock more of with rent assistance or buy solar panels and go off grid. 

Its not for everyone but ideal for those with adventurous spirit, buy a surfboard and beach fishing rods and hit the rd

[Don Mega]

2 minutes ago, madmen said:

Around $25 a night for powered sites.  https://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/tolga/short-term/powered-site-and-unpowered-site-at-tolga-caravan-park/1123521926

 

Stil leaves $ 270 a week from pension plus you can knock more of with rent assistance or buy solar panels and go off grid. 

Its not for everyone but ideal for those with adventurous spirit, buy a surfboard and beach fishing rods and hit the rd

lol, out in the middle of nowhere.... have fun with that, much surfing to be done there ?

[totally thaied up]

5 minutes ago, Odysseus123 said:

Ah, TTU-you are injecting far too much reality into the discussion..

 

Best of luck on that one.????

Don't worry. I know they will come back saying rates are too expensive or it is a Nanny State. Consider that anyone that has half a brain has to be insured here and that alone is the cost of my rates every year. Most the guys here do not have property and that is the problem. Living in a small room here after a while would get to anyone. Sure I know guys with money as well but they live in a totally different spectrum to the average Joe. For a starter, most do not live the whole year in Thailand, so that sets them apart from the average room renter. No doubt there are people here with big dollars but most my friends are living off that 35,000 baht a month pension and not much else. Hell, I am one of them as well! 

[Odysseus123]

10 minutes ago, totally thaied up said:

Don't worry. I know they will come back saying rates are too expensive or it is a Nanny State. Consider that anyone that has half a brain has to be insured here and that alone is the cost of my rates every year. Most the guys here do not have property and that is the problem. Living in a small room here after a while would get to anyone. Sure I know guys with money as well but they live in a totally different spectrum to the average Joe. For a starter, most do not live the whole year in Thailand, so that sets them apart from the average room renter. No doubt there are people here with big dollars but most my friends are living off that 35,000 baht a month pension and not much else. Hell, I am one of them as well! 

Yes-and as you have already pointed out-those who are living on 35,000 baht a month are often illegal-as in under the Thai immigration limits.

 

 The health care costs in Thailand (and its attendant exclusions) simply priced me out of the market and I determined at exactly what point with the dropping of the dollar-that the "scissors" would cross vis a vis incoming and outgoing expenditures and that my savings would go into decline..

 

Once that point was reached-I was gone.

 

 

Edited June 22, 2019 by Odysseus123

[madmen]

17 minutes ago, Don Mega said:

lol, out in the middle of nowhere.... have fun with that, much surfing to be done there ?

Sure you can get seaside eg $25 night electric included  https://www.pitchup.com/campsites/australia/western-australia/south-west/australind/australind_tourist_park/?type=3

 

https://www.pitchup.com/tourers/australia/

[totally thaied up]

3 minutes ago, Odysseus123 said:

Yes-and as you have already pointed out-those who are living on 35,000 baht a month are often illegal-as in under the Thai immigration limits.

Yes, if I did not have the 400K in the bank, I would be on my arse. I have met a few people recently that have not the 400K and they are going to Lao to get the Visa. I mean, it is near madness to want to stay here if you don't even have 400K in the bank. Just one short stint in hospital or an accident (hit someone while riding your bike) could wipe you out. I had one Thai friend last week hit a Thai rider in her car and she had to come up with a 100K quickly for the family as she was in the wrong!

[Odysseus123]

15 minutes ago, totally thaied up said:

Yes, if I did not have the 400K in the bank, I would be on my arse. I have met a few people recently that have not the 400K and they are going to Lao to get the Visa. I mean, it is near madness to want to stay here if you don't even have 400K in the bank. Just one short stint in hospital or an accident (hit someone while riding your bike) could wipe you out. I had one Thai friend last week hit a Thai rider in her car and she had to come up with a 100K quickly for the family as she was in the wrong!

Yep-the 400,000 is a derisory buffer against either illness or misfortune.

I had a friend who paid out 1 million baht in compensation for a fatal traffic accident.

Once you start dipping into your "nest egg" in Thailand you are on the road to perdition.

I had no intention of returning to my home country with my backside hanging out of my trousers to be utterly homeless and relying wholly and solely on my pension or having gobbled up my super..

 

Nor had I any intention of totally irritating and alienating my friends and supports by loudly proclaiming that they lived in a "nanny state" whilst I roamed free in far off exotic lands..until I went bust.

That was the freeway to perdition...a road that I saw quite a few witlessly hurtling down at breakneck speed...

[tingtongtourist]

4 hours ago, Odysseus123 said:

Yep-the 400,000 is a derisory buffer against either illness or misfortune.

I had a friend who paid out 1 million baht in compensation for a fatal traffic accident.

Once you start dipping into your "nest egg" in Thailand you are on the road to perdition.

I had no intention of returning to my home country with my backside hanging out of my trousers to be utterly homeless and relying wholly and solely on my pension or having gobbled up my super..

 

Nor had I any intention of totally irritating and alienating my friends and supports by loudly proclaiming that they lived in a "nanny state" whilst I roamed free in far off exotic lands..until I went bust.

That was the freeway to perdition...a road that I saw quite a few witlessly hurtling down at breakneck speed...

You must o be absolutely ting-tong to drive on Thai roads.

With how cheap cost of transport, is just not worth it.

Stay off bikes and dont drive..

this is the best insurance and eliminating the biggest risk of all most come to grips with in Thailand.