Cost Of Living

[The Dude]

The Dude's rent and utilities are 60K alone sp that leaves 40K to cover visa runs, foodland, villa, gf and misc. 100K barely covers it. Never say that The Dude is full of it. Blizzard has a 6 month probationary period where he cannot receive any shovels for digging

[Dakhar]

The mother-in-law has an apt complex, 15 rooms next door in the Rangsit area. Clong 6 to be exact. She rents them out at around 1300 baht a month, and I think 1700 for the AC rooms.

I have a town house complex near by, we rent them out at 3500, 2 bedroom one bath large den.

So there are some more figures to think about.

As for me and the reality of money. Back in the US I earned 120-160K anually. The wifey begged to come back to Thailand, I secured a job that so far pays a little over 200K baht a month. I did the math, I figured if I earned 2 years income for the average Thai in one month it woulld allow for a "BLING BLING" life style.

I'm hear to tell you.... that aint the case! In the US I drove an M3, here, well I could not find one, and even if I did the best I could do is push it, not drive it. Living the BLING BLING life in Thailand is expensive. I live about as comfortably financially as I did in the states now. Meaning I never worry about money, it is just there in my wallet at all times. No biggie. I run the AC all the time, and I can afford to put in my car without a second thought. Essentially I can afford what the average American would feel the basics of life without issue. Now to a Thai, their standard of the basics is so low I live like a king in their eyes. My point is, it is all relative.

But I would rather be in the states earning the kind of money I was, because life was so much more convienient there than here. Language barriers, traffic etc. make it pretty difficult.+

[Edonista]

Cos if you can't succeed in the nanny societies of western europe, australiasia and to a lesser extent, the USA, Thailand will chew you up and spit you out. And those balconies are not getting any safer.

Working in Thailand must not be so hard if you find the time to read and post all day on Thaivisa....

[cclub75]

Regarding the discussion of poor and not so poor.

Do you know that we have in France, the RMI (Revenu Minimum d'Insertion).

Basically, it's an allowance for people without income.

Conditions ?

To be older than 25, unemployed, to not receive other helps from the State, and to sign an "insertion contract"...

And every 3 month, you receive a form in order to recalculate your rights regarding your income (basically, if you still don't work, then nothing change).

For 1 person alone, this package is 440,86 euros per month ! 20 000 THB.

For a couple with 2 children, it's 925 euros...

The beneficiaries of RMI have also a full cover of medical expenses (AKA, all their medicals expenses are paid by the State). Of course.

More than 1,26 million people receive currently the RMI !

It's possible to receive it in France... and quietly live in Thailand.

When I explain this to my thai friends... their jaws make noise. By falling on the ground.

[Edonista]

On poorer Westerners moving to Thailand, I think it is important to remember that even an English teacher making 28,000 Baht per month is actually generating more wealth for the economy than 4-5 average Thai people (this is not an argument about rights and who was born here, is Thai, etc., I am making a purely economic argument). A retiree on 50,000 Baht per month is nearly double that: 8-12 average Thai's economic power. So, all these "weird retirees" in the bush are actually contributing mightily to the Thai economy, and actually do not absorb the same amount of State resources (such as 30 baht medical care) that a 4-6,000 Baht a month Thai does. Add to it the fact that in more developed areas (Korat, Surin, Udon) businesses open to cater to their Western needs, further creating jobs and economic opportunities. Once you start adding up the numbers, you can see how important these "poor" Westerners are to Thailand's economy - even the 28k English teachers.

Quite well spoken.

[Edonista]

Regarding the discussion of poor and not so poor.

Do you know that we have in France, the RMI (Revenu Minimum d'Insertion).

Basically, it's an allowance for people without income.

Conditions ?

To be older than 25, unemployed, to not receive other helps from the State, and to sign an "insertion contract"...

And every 3 month, you receive a form in order to recalculate your rights regarding your income (basically, if you still don't work, then nothing change).

For 1 person alone, this package is 440,86 euros per month ! 20 000 THB.

For a couple with 2 children, it's 925 euros...

The beneficiaries of RMI have also a full cover of medical expenses (AKA, all their medicals expenses are paid by the State). Of course.

More than 1,26 million people receive currently the RMI !

It's possible to receive it in France... and quietly live in Thailand.

When I explain this to my thai friends... their jaws make noise. By falling on the ground.

This post gives you an idea on how much money Thailand could steal from stupid western countries if it was just ruled by less dull xenophobic government.

[bendix]

Cos if you can't succeed in the nanny societies of western europe, australiasia and to a lesser extent, the USA, Thailand will chew you up and spit you out. And those balconies are not getting any safer.

Working in Thailand must not be so hard if you find the time to read and post all day on Thaivisa....

It's not . . . for me. What's your point?

[LoveDaBlues]

Cos if you can't succeed in the nanny societies of western europe, australiasia and to a lesser extent, the USA, Thailand will chew you up and spit you out. And those balconies are not getting any safer.

Working in Thailand must not be so hard if you find the time to read and post all day on Thaivisa....

It's not . . . for me. What's your point?

lol.....of course it's easy for you.....I know what's in that pipe!

[Edonista]

Cos if you can't succeed in the nanny societies of western europe, australiasia and to a lesser extent, the USA, Thailand will chew you up and spit you out. And those balconies are not getting any safer.

Working in Thailand must not be so hard if you find the time to read and post all day on Thaivisa....

It's not . . . for me. What's your point?

I mean how do you conciliate the fact you need to work so hard to succeed in Thailand, a country that otherways chews you up and spits you out , with the fact you spend most of your time on this forum ?

[blizzard]

sorry dude.

in your original post you said you didnt eat out, etc. so i figured you didnt eat out. now you say you eat out so i have to figure you do live like the rest of us. and that cost money as you already know.

what some r trying to say is if a foreigner had to work here to survive it sucks som tum. but if you have money from pension, investments thailand rules.

$3000 in usa a month you live like regular folk. that same income here you live like paris hilton.

hey dude your girl *hot* like paris?

[uptou]

from my point of veiw,if you have 60,000 pounds in savings in the uk,i could easily retire at it earning interest at 4.5%,whereas 60,000 in the uk is going to buy nothing decent as far as housing goes.i sometimes cant understand why more people dont at least consider it.

[Dakhar]

sorry dude.

in your original post you said you didnt eat out, etc. so i figured you didnt eat out. now you say you eat out so i have to figure you do live like the rest of us. and that cost money as you already know.

what some r trying to say is if a foreigner had to work here to survive it sucks som tum. but if you have money from pension, investments thailand rules.

$3000 in usa a month you live like regular folk. that same income here you live like paris hilton.

hey dude your girl *hot* like paris?

Beg to differ.... I earn well over that, and I do not live the Bling Bling life that Paris Hilton does. Secondly, one most consider the older years. I try to save money too, just as I would anywhere else. So yea, budget wise I imagine one can live off of 30K baht, but what does one save on top of that?

[The Dude]

sorry dude.

in your original post you said you didnt eat out, etc. so i figured you didnt eat out. now you say you eat out so i have to figure you do live like the rest of us. and that cost money as you already know.

what some r trying to say is if a foreigner had to work here to survive it sucks som tum. but if you have money from pension, investments thailand rules.

$3000 in usa a month you live like regular folk. that same income here you live like paris hilton.

hey dude your girl *hot* like paris?

No dude, The Dude doesn't eat out, you misunderstood his post. He buys his food at the Foodland and Villa supermarket and preps at home. I do think that foreigners working here for smalls wages would be a major drag for sure. Dudes who can rake in north of 100K per month are in ok shape and better as you get up to 200K and up naturally. $3000 here gets you a nice place in Sukhumvit ghetto, basic expenses but very little else. That's just the way it goes dude. Let me spell it out in plain English

rent: 60K (200 sq 2 or 3BR Apt)

elect: 5K

Net: 1K

Phone: 1K (mobile incl)

Food: 10K

Beer: 5K

Visa Costs: 5K

GF allow: 12K

transport: 1K

Where's the extravagance here? This is 100K with no bars, no eat outs, no trips (cept visas), no clothing, no health ins, no cars, no motos, no goodies, no extras, no luxuries. This is 100K for simple basic BKK living albeit in a nice APT, which The Dude requires. That 5K elect is frugal on the AC also or you can double that cost easy

[farang prince]

the dude is full of it. the dude dont do anything yet goes thru what he goes thru.

the dude girl must not be so hot........methinks..............lol.

THE DUDE MUST SPEND ALL DAY SMOKING WEED. KHAO JAI MAI............LOL.

SAME SAME FOR new nex and his partner. if you live basic in new mexico , no way you need 5,000 american dolla. new mex just like bkk wo the nightlife........lol.

Then you obviously have not been in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Have you been to Thailand? I wonder.

[Dakhar]

the dude is full of it. the dude dont do anything yet goes thru what he goes thru.

the dude girl must not be so hot........methinks..............lol.

THE DUDE MUST SPEND ALL DAY SMOKING WEED. KHAO JAI MAI............LOL.

SAME SAME FOR new nex and his partner. if you live basic in new mexico , no way you need 5,000 american dolla. new mex just like bkk wo the nightlife........lol.

Then you obviously have not been in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Have you been to Thailand? I wonder.

Sante Fe, that is considered an up scale area for those that don't know. A lot of well to do Californian's have second homes in Sante Fe, or they have sold out and left Ca for good to retire in Sante Fe. I would not want to live there myself, I lived in El Paso, and that was bad enough. I never learned the native language spoken there too well, so I had to go.

Fleece Navidad (sarcasim)

[tropo]

Frankly, I can't understand why anyone would come to live here if they're worrying about budget. If you're asking how much is enough to live, you probably don't have enough.

Thailand generally and Bangkok in particularly is NOT the place for a foreigner to merely exist or eke out a living. There are enough 'walking dead' farang wandering aimlessly, making their 500 baht a day allowance stretch, already thank you very much.

It's much better to be poor in your own country.

I agree 100%, and if your home country has solialized medicine such as Australia, you'd be nuts living an impoverished lifestyle in BKK.

I believe living in Asia is about better value for money meaning you can live better on the same budget. It just doesn't seem right for foreigners to be living worse off than the locals.

[Dakhar]

sorry dude.

in your original post you said you didnt eat out, etc. so i figured you didnt eat out. now you say you eat out so i have to figure you do live like the rest of us. and that cost money as you already know.

what some r trying to say is if a foreigner had to work here to survive it sucks som tum. but if you have money from pension, investments thailand rules.

$3000 in usa a month you live like regular folk. that same income here you live like paris hilton.

hey dude your girl *hot* like paris?

I flicked a lizard turd out of my dinner last night... or at least I hope it was a lizard turd.... I don't think Paris Hilton does that. I can't even begin to imagine the depths of poverty folks must be in if they think 3000 USD in Thailand can bring a Paris Hilton life style!

[blizzard]

i was exaggerating sir.

3000$ in thailand you should live comfortably, unless you have a harem which i bet some do.

sorry never knew new mexico had high income neighborhoods..............lol. thought it was all desert...lol

hey dude get a cheaper apartment , it seems based on yr income housing cost too high for you .your girlfriend allowance seems fine. or maybe have your hot girfriend get a job.

60,000 out of 100,000 budget for housing, on 2nd thought is way out of line. 60% for housing.....up to you.

im staying in a hotel, right where a single guy who enjoy the temples, etc should be, smack in the middle of nana area. $450 a month. at first i thought this is great price but i think i can get it down to $200 in phayatai area.

1/3 of food budget is for beer.....................lol.

[Dakhar]

Well stupid me, I believed those exageration that were peppered all over this forum before comming here. So I tend to like to set the record straight regarding the Bling life style tht can be had for a meere 3000 USD. 3000 USD will give you the life style of an American that earns around 60-75K a year (I estimate on that)

Regarding New Mex:

www.ruidoso.net/ I too thought the place had little to offer, until I went there. Beautiful place.... I just can't afford the place.

Toodles, and good luck to the OP

[t.s]

sorry dude.

in your original post you said you didnt eat out, etc. so i figured you didnt eat out. now you say you eat out so i have to figure you do live like the rest of us. and that cost money as you already know.

what some r trying to say is if a foreigner had to work here to survive it sucks som tum. but if you have money from pension, investments thailand rules.

$3000 in usa a month you live like regular folk. that same income here you live like paris hilton.

hey dude your girl *hot* like paris?

No dude, The Dude doesn't eat out, you misunderstood his post. He buys his food at the Foodland and Villa supermarket and preps at home. I do think that foreigners working here for smalls wages would be a major drag for sure. Dudes who can rake in north of 100K per month are in ok shape and better as you get up to 200K and up naturally. $3000 here gets you a nice place in Sukhumvit ghetto, basic expenses but very little else. That's just the way it goes dude. Let me spell it out in plain English

rent: 60K (200 sq 2 or 3BR Apt)

elect: 5K

Net: 1K

Phone: 1K (mobile incl)

Food: 10K

Beer: 5K

Visa Costs: 5K

GF allow: 12K

transport: 1K

Where's the extravagance here? This is 100K with no bars, no eat outs, no trips (cept visas), no clothing, no health ins, no cars, no motos, no goodies, no extras, no luxuries. This is 100K for simple basic BKK living albeit in a nice APT, which The Dude requires. That 5K elect is frugal on the AC also or you can double that cost easy

why doesn't it suprise me that the dude pays for his girlfriend. that made my day. dig it.

[viciouskitty74]

It is refreshing to be reading the male caucasian views against my own askew female asian views.

Those most of it, just sort of flew past me.

[Prakanong]

It is refreshing to be reading the male caucasian views against my own askew female asian views.

Those most of it, just sort of flew past me.

What are their views then Kitty - genuinely interested?

PS: I keep thinking I am spotting SPG's but they have yet to approach us - here we are senior managers, Dr's and Professors as well ;-))))

[viciouskitty74]

It is refreshing to be reading the male caucasian views against my own askew female asian views.

Those most of it, just sort of flew past me.

PS: I keep thinking I am spotting SPG's but they have yet to approach us - here we are senior managers, Dr's and Professors as well ;-))))

aiyai yai yai yai!!!!!

Snr Managers, Drs & professors??? How can that be that you spot them and they didnt spot you!!!

Come come....I try to see how soon I can be back in Singapore and bring you guys around. Interested?

[Prakanong]

It is refreshing to be reading the male caucasian views against my own askew female asian views.

Those most of it, just sort of flew past me.

PS: I keep thinking I am spotting SPG's but they have yet to approach us - here we are senior managers, Dr's and Professors as well ;-))))

aiyai yai yai yai!!!!!

Snr Managers, Drs & professors??? How can that be that you spot them and they didnt spot you!!!

Come come....I try to see how soon I can be back in Singapore and bring you guys around. Interested?

Its true - a Regional I.T. Manager for a very large MNC, a Consultant Neuro-Radiologist at SGH and a visiting Profesor to the MBA at NUS - not a sniff ;-))))

After all I had read too ;-))))

Going to the wrong places - Boat and Clarke Quay do not seem to be cutting it!

Emerald Hill next week when my pal comes in from Scotland

[viciouskitty74]

What are their views then Kitty - genuinely interested?

Truthfully, I think caucasians are used to a different lifestyle choices and envioronment then asians.

Though asians have welcomed the caucasians technologies & lifestyle; they still hold onto a different value.

For asians, blood family comes first. Comfort for the family members is more important then enjoying yourselves.

Living well, means the whole family lives well too. So they spread the money around widely to bring comfort to the whole family instead of focusing on personal styles or lifestyle preferences.

[Prakanong]

What are their views then Kitty - genuinely interested?

Truthfully, I think caucasians are used to a different lifestyle choices and envioronment then asians.

Though asians have welcomed the caucasians technologies & lifestyle; they still hold onto a different value.

For asians, blood family comes first. Comfort for the family members is more important then enjoying yourselves.

Living well, means the whole family lives well too. So they spread the money around widely to bring comfort to the whole family instead of focusing on personal styles or lifestyle preferences.

Of course - I can see that throughout Asia

The thought of me giving any money to my family outside a dire emergency just does not occur to me or to them.

Harry Lee's old Asian values ;-))) (Rebutted by Amyarta Sen though)

[viciouskitty74]

Its true - a Regional I.T. Manager for a very large MNC, a Consultant Neuro-Radiologist at SGH and a visiting Profesor to the MBA at NUS - not a sniff ;-))))

After all I had read too ;-))))

Going to the wrong places - Boat and Clarke Quay do not seem to be cutting it!

Emerald Hill next week when my pal comes in from Scotland

ehhhh....Carnegies at Far East Square? (Is it still around???)

You guys can do salsa? Union Square at Amara Hotel?

I wont be in Sg for some time then, you want to contact me by messenger and email first and I get my g/f to contact you guys?

[email protected] or [email protected]

[Prakanong]

Its true - a Regional I.T. Manager for a very large MNC, a Consultant Neuro-Radiologist at SGH and a visiting Profesor to the MBA at NUS - not a sniff ;-))))

After all I had read too ;-))))

Going to the wrong places - Boat and Clarke Quay do not seem to be cutting it!

Emerald Hill next week when my pal comes in from Scotland

ehhhh....Carnegies at Far East Square? (Is it still around???)

You guys can do salsa? Union Square at Amara Hotel?

I wont be in Sg for some time then, you want to contact me by messenger and email first and I get my g/f to contact you guys?

[email protected] or [email protected]

Lets see how we do in the coming month - I am not really looking for someone and while I do like the Filipino maids and TG's that talk to us on a personal level I am not interested in taking it anywhere with them currently ;-) (although I do need a part time maid for my condo)

My Boss is always trying to fix me up (she is Filipina) as she does with a Dr I work with - he hides now ;-))

I was at a party the other week with girls who all went to Katong (???) school in their youth - they were funny

[viciouskitty74]

Lets see how we do in the coming month - I am not really looking for someone and while I do like the Filipino maids and TG's that talk to us on a personal level I am not interested in taking it anywhere with them currently ;-) (although I do need a part time maid for my condo)

My Boss is always trying to fix me up (she is Filipina) as she does with a Dr I work with - he hides now ;-))

I was at a party the other week with girls who all went to Katong (???) school in their youth - they were funny

Dont take me wrong, I am not hooking you up per se, I am hooking you up to the network of friends I have back in SG. They are not SPGs per se. They are just ladies who are comfortable with decent friendly caucasians instead of whats in your wallets.

They dances, rides motorcycles, does police work, hold down regular jobs & knows where's the best places for good tasty foods, drinks & company.

Emerald hill is cool. but it can never beat, wearing pair of shorts, slippers a comfy t-shirt, sitting at a local coffee shop with friends relaxed and feet propped up on coffeshop chairs, eating plates of braised duck and swigging beers. I miss that terribly.

Katong Convent Girls School? Yeppers. know where the school is.

[Prakanong]

My pal says try the coffee shops.

I have noticed some bar's and restaurants on upper Bukit Timah Road not far from my place in Bukit Timah - might drag my Scottish pal there as its no good trying to get my other pals to leave Clarke/Boat quay or Orchard Road