13 hours ago, ratcatcher said:

Most of the posts here are discussing the ability of people to live on 35K-40K per month, with many of them living in places like Pattaya, Udon Thani & Chiang Mai. I am sure there are a great number of foreigners here who can manage OK on that sum providing they don't have rent and entertainment expenses. Many farangs married to Thais don't spend time bar-hopping or playing golf. Thai food is not too expensive especially when it is cooked at home by wives who are capable cooks. 

If you have all the necessities in the home, your actual monthly expenses come down to food, electric bill, internet, water, car fuel etc.  It may not be the excitement of Pattaya or Bangkok, but it is certainly feasible.

With such a lifestyle it is indeed feasible.

 

34,162.70 baht feasible to be precise.

 

 

8 hours ago, georgegeorgia said:

Did u say electricity was 4,000 to 6,000 average per mnth??

Yes

No wonder Kuala Lumpur is rated the cheapest capital city of Southeast Asia. You can get a 3-bedroom apartment in KL for as low as RM1,000 (7400 baht) per month, so if you are only looking for a room, you probably can get one for around RM350.

 

KL cheapest Asean city to live in, Singapore world's most expensive

 

If one is willing to live slightly further away from KL, but still within the Klang Valley, one can even rent a 3-bedroom apartment for as low as RM500.

10 hours ago, gearbox said:

Look on the bright side. OAP is means tested and I'll get zero when the time comes, unless start splashing soon on expensive hookers and booze ????

I feel your pain.  Compulsory Superannuation along with some salary sacrifice pretty well stuffs it for me too. The annoying part is those that have done nothing or have been on the dole for many years will still get it and I'll be paying for it. 

19 hours ago, worgeordie said:

you could not live off 40K now, after 10-13 years inflation

you are going to need,50-60K, did the Oz  pension increase

that much over that time frame.if it did he would be OK,

it's all about budgeting your income.

regard worgeordie

That's odd, I've lived comfortably and happily for extended periods quite recently on far less than 40k/month. Just depends how much you crave your farang comforts.

13 hours ago, totally thaied up said:

I get $600 per fortnight for a married man pension.  I get around 24,000 a month.  I spend 7,000 on medication, 2,500 on power (due to illness I stay home most the day now), water is free due to a well, internet is 590, phone is 400 for both of us, the rest is spent on Food and a day out. The only thing I do is swim most days. My wife owns her house, works part-time, I have 400K in the bank, fully insured for hospital (30 million a year) and have a car and PCX. 

 

I do live a comfortable life. I still have considerable funds at home but come from a wealthy family that helps out if needed. I plan to go home to Australia in the future with my wife but I have reasons why not now (mainly the elderly age of my wife's parents and the fact they are sick and need help with household chores.  My parents are very old but cashed up and don't need me). I have not burnt my bridges at home. 

 

I do not really ever go without things, eat well and content with my wife. If I was not content with my wife, I would be back in Australia tomorrow as my life is much easier with my family at home. Most my wife's friends only earn 8,500 a month and they live okay. Much cheaper in a village for just about everything.

Where do you live ?

4 hours ago, bkkcanuck8 said:

Yes

4,000 to 6,000 baht per  month nth in electricity???

 

Omg ???? thats more expensive than Australia!!

7 hours ago, Selatan said:

No wonder Kuala Lumpur is rated the cheapest capital city of Southeast Asia. You can get a 3-bedroom apartment in KL for as low as RM1,000 (7400 baht) per month, so if you are only looking for a room, you probably can get one for around RM350.

 

KL cheapest Asean city to live in, Singapore world's most expensive

 

If one is willing to live slightly further away from KL, but still within the Klang Valley, one can even rent a 3-bedroom apartment for as low as RM500.

where?? all the apartments i looked at there were 2000-3000rm a month for 1 bedroom lol.

 

 

2 hours ago, georgegeorgia said:

4,000 to 6,000 baht per  month nth in electricity???

 

Omg ???? thats more expensive than Australia!!

my electric is 1000thb month with aircon on 24/7 pretty much but on 25-26C and the room still feels cool.

Being single you can easily live here on 20k month as described in my other post, can go to the beach daily, play tennis, volleyball etc etc. The main reason people cannot live here on 20k month is basically because they spend 20-30k on girls, drinking, smoking a month or have wife and kids as schooling here is expensive as hell.

On 8/15/2019 at 10:09 AM, georgegeorgia said:

 

I think hs rent was 3000 baht a mnth,no air con 

Just what we all look forward to in our last few years of life.

23 hours ago, giddyup said:

Yes, you're correct. When I first came 9 years ago I was getting over 30 baht to the dollar, so the pension has devalued by a third.

On top of the cost of living having risen at least 10 - 20% ????

On 8/15/2019 at 11:11 AM, Joe Mcseismic said:

This thread is going to be like a red rag to a bull for all the ultra cheap Charlies.........

Like the guy who reckons he can live on Sukhumvit on 250 bt per day .....

18 minutes ago, geronimo said:

Like the guy who reckons he can live on Sukhumvit on 250 bt per day .....

You can live there for free if someone else is paying ????

 

17 hours ago, Matzzon said:

Another topic that has all the figures wrong. If this man the OP is mentioning had 35K baht in pension more than 10 years ago, he was in the elite class of pensions. Thoose that are that today can still live like same.
 

Get back to the desk and create a topic that has some kind of foundation in reality.

With due respect you dont seem the brightest fish in the tank, ????hope your not managing your own finances.????

 

if he was getting 35,000 baht per month in a Aussie pension 12 years ago and your getting the same now, what could that mean do you think ?

 

If he is getting the same today he wouldn’t “live like same”“ as you put it ...because......

 

i will let you figure it out though  ????.....

 

if you cant ....phone a friend????

8 hours ago, Selatan said:

 

If one is willing to live slightly further away from KL, but still within the Klang Valley, one can even rent a 3-bedroom apartment for as low as RM500.

 

BBB (beers,beaches,bitches) either missing, more expensive or lower quality there ????

 

23 minutes ago, georgegeorgia said:

With due respect you dont seem the brightest fish in the tank, ????hope your not managing your own finances.????

 

if he was getting 35,000 baht per month in a Aussie pension 12 years ago and your getting the same now, what could that mean do you think ?

 

If he is getting the same today he wouldn’t “live like same”“ as you put it ...because......

 

i will let you figure it out though  ????.....

 

if you cant ....phone a friend????

It´s you that don´t understand what you read. My post say that the ones that have what you can call an elite pension today, can still live same. Due to that one would be much higher today. Now you can go back to the planning table again and pratise more read and understand.

On ‎8‎/‎15‎/‎2019 at 3:27 PM, giddyup said:

If a room costs you 8,000 baht a month, still leaves around 20,000 a month to live. You'd need to be pretty frugal to survive on that.

In Lamphun, rooms available for about 2,000 a month. It is possible to live on the pension, as long as one has the 800,000 segregated and can live without insurance.

1 hour ago, Matzzon said:

It´s you that don´t understand what you read. My post say that the ones that have what you can call an elite pension today, can still live same. Due to that one would be much higher today. Now you can go back to the planning table again and pratise more read and understand.

You would have got 33,000 baht a month in 2009. The baht was 33 to the dollar and the monthly aged pension was around 1,000 dollars. I imagine the money went a lot further in 2009 due to a lower cost of living.

7 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

In Lamphun, rooms available for about 2,000 a month. It is possible to live on the pension, as long as one has the 800,000 segregated and can live without insurance.

I was quoting a price for something reasonably comfortable, with air etc. You can probably find some abandoned building and squat if you really want to economise.????

1 minute ago, giddyup said:

I was quoting a price for something reasonably comfortable, with air etc. You can probably find some abandoned building and squat if you really want to economise.????

Why assume they are horrible? Thai families live in them.

1 minute ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Why assume they are horrible? Thai families live in them.

I've seen where some Thai families live and I wouldn't keep my dog there.

1 minute ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Why assume they are horrible? Thai families live in them.

I believe most normal people have higher aspirations than living in what impoverished Thai people find acceptable. I am sure those Thai people think any Farang living there by choice, unless its an absolute matter of necessity are stark raving mad.

 

Most people aim up in life, on Thai Visa it often seems to be that everyone aspires to reach the bottom. I a sure 99% of Thai people would give a lot to have the opportunities of education that most Westerns take for granted, and i am sure should they have had that they would aspire to a hell of a lot more than living in a 2,000 baht room.

6 minutes ago, smutcakes said:

I believe most normal people have higher aspirations than living in what impoverished Thai people find acceptable. I am sure those Thai people think any Farang living there by choice, unless its an absolute matter of necessity are stark raving mad.

 

Most people aim up in life, on Thai Visa it often seems to be that everyone aspires to reach the bottom. I a sure 99% of Thai people would give a lot to have the opportunities of education that most Westerns take for granted, and i am sure should they have had that they would aspire to a hell of a lot more than living in a 2,000 baht room.

Yes it would be mad if you can easily afford better.

But as far as normality, I don't think people should worry very much what other people regard as normal, whether Thai or otherwise.

3 hours ago, theonetrueaussie said:

where?? all the apartments i looked at there were 2000-3000rm a month for 1 bedroom lol.

You can try using propwall.my

 

Here, I have created a link for you to search for a condo apartment in KL between RM500 to RM100. You may refine the search further:

 

Search for an apartment in KL between RM500 and RM1,000 per month

 

You might even be able to find some apartments that are located near LRT or MRT stations for around RM1,200 to RM1,500 per month. Don't forget that most of these apartments have 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. Of course, the closer to KLCC, the more expensive it would get.

17 minutes ago, giddyup said:

I've seen where some Thai families live and I wouldn't keep my dog there.

Hence why they drive around and around and around in their cars as it is better than.............

 

Indonesia is the same.

On 8/15/2019 at 10:27 AM, giddyup said:

If a room costs you 8,000 baht a month, still leaves around 20,000 a month to live. You'd need to be pretty frugal to survive on that.

I can't agree with that, I, my wife and son could live of that easily. We have our own house, I could pay the electric, TOT, food, petrol and still have some left over. We live in the country so a minimal social life as far as going out is concerned, I don't drink or frequent bars.

7 hours ago, georgegeorgia said:

Where do you live ?

25 minutes outside of Chiang Mai in a small village.

6 minutes ago, soalbundy said:

I can't agree with that, I, my wife and son could live of that easily. We have our own house, I could pay the electric, TOT, food, petrol and still have some left over. We live in the country so a minimal social life as far as going out is concerned, I don't drink or frequent bars.

Not saying it isn't possible, but you are forgoing some of the nicer things in life, like a good bottle of wine, lamb chops or good steak occasionally. I spend 20,000 a month on food and electric, but we eat out 2 or 3 times a month and that's an extra. I expect to be able to enjoy most of the same things I would if still back in Australia.

2 hours ago, gearbox said:

 

BBB (beers,beaches,bitches) either missing, more expensive or lower quality there ????

 

Haha. BBB all available, maybe at prices and quality not to your liking. Local prostitutes are getting rarer, most are foreigners (Thai,Viet,Indo,China). We do have a legal casino, one hour away, 6000 feet high to escape the heat once in a while. 

5 minutes ago, giddyup said:

Not saying it isn't possible, but you are forgoing some of the nicer things in life, like a good bottle of wine, lamb chops or good steak occasionally. I spend 20,000 a month on food and electric, but we eat out 2 or 3 times a month and that's an extra. I expect to be able to enjoy most of the same things I would if still back in Australia.

on 20k? and paying double for oz food here your dreaming buddy

57 minutes ago, giddyup said:

I've seen where some Thai families live and I wouldn't keep my dog there.

sadly many don't have a choice so why be so harsh?