How Much, in hard Cash, do you Contribute to the Thai Economy Each Year? Ex Tax.

[Liverpool Lou]

On 5/9/2021 at 3:35 PM, Pilotman said:

my annual contribution, in hard cash, to the Thai economy is circa 2.3 Million Baht, ex tax.  Surly that's worth a annual extension with no questions asked.  800K stuck in the bank doing nothing much is one thing, spending that amount each year, straight into the economy, is quite another and should be recognised and rewarded by Immigration.  

Your suggestion will start to make sense the day that your own country  allows the same consideration to foreigners wanting o live there also.

[rumak]

14 hours ago, 1FinickyOne said:

14 hours ago, NCC1701A said:

my girlfriend is a smokin' hot 20 year old gogo dancer from Prachin Buri and she is way more expensive than leaving 5 air conditioners on 24/7. 

GF? - I thought that would be called employee w/benefits? 

 

haha    at least BM2 calls it like it is .

the funniest posts are the ones that say  ........ my smokin' hot girlfriend 

[Susco]

7 minutes ago, rumak said:

 

haha    at least BM2 calls it like it is .

the funniest posts are the ones that say  ........ my smokin' hot girlfriend 

 

During my time in Pattaya, I have met quite a few smokin' hot girlfriends

[rickudon]

Just being an average retired pensioner, I only contribute 500-600,000 baht a year. BUT i have been doing this for 11 years........  seen a lot of change in the Thai families welfare in that time

[grin]

I've known a few execs that were posted to Bangkok by US or international companies. My guess is that their minimum outgo in Silicon Valley was $20,000 a month. From what I can tell their spending did not decrease when they were in Thailand. Most of them even had extra expense allowances, benefits, or other compensation that enabled them to enjoy the same lifestyle in Thailand. And this is not the top end of the scale. Of course not many people on this thread including myself fit into this category.

 

My condo in the US is paid for and my wife's house in Thailand is also paid for. Pre-COVID my monthly expenses in the US were about $10,000 a month but post-COVID it's more like $5,000. Our Thai expenses are around $2,000 a month. Once I retire I hope to get my US monthly expenses down to $2,000 a month and expect our Thai expenses to go up to about $3,000 a month. That would not include vacations and travel.

 

We don't drink but like to eat out a lot and travel. It's just a matter of what lifestyle you are comfortable with. A lot of the people I know live an expensive lifestyle that is just within their reach and very few of them are satisfied with a merely comfortable life. Some of these people may have a rude awakening upon retirement. However, some have saved and invested wisely and will be able to maintain their lifestyle.

[starky]

18 hours ago, worgeordie said:

I am a 1 % er I just came here to get away from UK, ????

This thread is just about people saying they spend ,

what would be a fortune, to most people,but really

rich people talking about money is not done,bad

taste, this is like that post recommend a 4 million

Thb car for the wife....really, just buy one.

 

I don't spend a lot ,but have the funds to do so if

I wanted to, think I have everything I want, back

in the UK I had business ,flash cars,big house,

holiday homes in Florida, and Ireland, could  

spend 100 quid on groceries in Sainsburys on

a Saturday  and that was 45 years ago,got

rid of the lot ,don't have to impress anyone,

anymore, just live the life i want. ,different

people different strokes...Amen

regards Worgeordie

 

The irony is as you say 2 million baht is not a lot of money. The point is people seem to think it is. Being an Australian only spending a couple million baht a year is cheap for me, compared to what I would outlay if i spent most of my time in Australia. One poster was incredulous that I could spend 60 odd thousand a year here. You could barely live on that in Australia so again can't see the issue..

I doubt there are but a  very few super wealthy foreigners here but there are many super wealthy Thais. I have read most of the posts in this thread no one seems to be boasting just replying to the OP, and the question was how much do you spend per annum right? Are people not allowed to answer? Or are you only permitted to spend so much here? The outrage and venom in this thread seems misplaced to me.

 People say they spend 1 or 2 million here and are immediately taken to task like that is in no way possible. I agree it is certainly no great amount of money so why are people so outraged when people say that is what they spend? We aren't all retirees living here on pensions, or school teachers you know. ????????

Edited May 10, 2021 by starky

[starky]

17 hours ago, PGSan said:

Much relief! Many thanks.

Wow, you really have some issues eh? Initially I thought you were just a troll but clearly it goes a bit deeper than that.

[starky]

6 hours ago, BritManToo said:

Nobody forces you to buy 'premium car insurance'.

My pickup government minimum car insurance is 900bht a year.

Who said he was forced? 

[wolf81]

Probably around 500.000 - 600.000 THB. just monthly spending on food, insurance, school daughter, ...
 

If I include the one-time things I bought for my girlfriend (house, car, farmland, ...) the average would be higher, maybe 1.200.000 THB.

Edited May 10, 2021 by wolf81

[rumak]

6 hours ago, Susco said:

 

During my time in Pattaya, I have met quite a few smokin' hot girlfriends

 

and quite a few guys who've been smoked ......... 

[Pravda]

On 5/9/2021 at 11:45 PM, OneMoreFarang said:

It's funny that some people here brag about how much they spend.

Does this make you feel good somehow?

I think I know a couple of well off foreigners in Thailand. Most of them don't really talk about money. And if they talk about it then it's more like complaining that everything is so expensive.

But please feel free to tell us what a big spender you are.

 

 

 

Yes, a lot of big spenders here, some with well over 30,000 posts.

 

They sure "spend" a lot of time on Thai Visa.

[Pilotman]

11 hours ago, Liverpool Lou said:

They'd only have your word for that so it would never work.   For your plan, though, what would be the level of spending you'd set at which a free visa extension would be given by grovelling Immigration officers?   

A receipted evidence of 1 million Baht spent , as opposed to just banked,  in any one calendar year while still retaining the 800K in the bank rule if people decided to qualify  that way. That would include to me; all  utilities, food receipts, cash investments such as a car or motorbike, furniture purchase, kitchen/house hold goods purchased, insurance purchased, petrol, vehicle servicing, school fees   etc,  in effect, anything that you put into the Thai economy that otherwise would not be there if you lived outside of the Kingdom.  

[Pilotman]

10 hours ago, Liverpool Lou said:

Your suggestion will start to make sense the day that your own country  allows the same consideration to foreigners wanting o live there also.

Don't care about that, not my problem, or my interest. 

[PGSan]

20 hours ago, xylophone said:

I console myself with the fact that I won't have to worry for too much longer

How do you figure that out?  Is there a contract out on you for when you reach 79? Or 89? 

[PGSan]

8 hours ago, wolf81 said:

maybe 1.200.000 THB.

per year or per month? 

[PGSan]

9 hours ago, starky said:

Wow, you really have some issues eh? Initially I thought you were just a troll but clearly it goes a bit deeper than that.

Moldy rol! 

[xylophone]

41 minutes ago, PGSan said:

How do you figure that out?  Is there a contract out on you for when you reach 79? Or 89? 

Years left, relative to the years already gone.

[Kadilo]

On 5/9/2021 at 2:20 PM, bwpage3 said:

All these posters claiming to spend all this money and NOT ONE POST showing an actual factual spend?

 

Why is that?

 

If you have lived in Thailand and bought one car, are you a big spender?

 

Let's see the facts.

 

Some claim to have spreadsheets showing ANNUAL SPEND of 1.8 million baht

 

Let's see them

Awww are you upset that some people may have more money than you?

[Mason45]

2 minutes ago, Kadilo said:

Awww are you upset that some people may have more money than you?

Hi all, after 20 years living in Pattaya I've finally set my own rules. Firstly take a room for a night or two and survey what's on offer as far as accomdation prices are concerned at other places, you can save heaps. Next act your age, are you a retiree or a tourist? Get into your heads there's is no difference between a lady hawking it on Beach Road or the girls in bars. Maybe looks but the Beach Road girls are far less expensive. Most of us daddies are getting past our prime so reduce your bedroom activities. Take a few more drinks in your room at convenience store prices. Even shop at supermarkets or soi vendors for your food. Budget your spending as you would in your own country. In other words take total control of your life and you will live in Pattaya very comfortably. I'm married to a Thai, I own my own condo and while I still drink a fair bit I've reduced drinking in bars and increased drinking in my condo.  Just remember when all the borders around the World are opened again, that will be the re emergence of the Thais ripping us off but they aren't dishonest, they are only honest Buddhist loving people trying to make a living. "  YEAH " Cheers all. Keep Safe.

[Liverpool Lou]

4 hours ago, Pilotman said:

15 hours ago, Liverpool Lou said:

Your suggestion will start to make sense the day that your own country  allows the same consideration to foreigners wanting o live there also.

Don't care about that, not my problem, or my interest. 

But you'd expect Thailand to cede to your demands here by showing IOs 12 months of old shopping receipts?! 

 

Reciprocity would suggest that maybe Thailand should have the same attitude to foreigners here as you're displaying to foreigners in the same position in your country.   But you wouldn't like that, would you?

 

Hypocrisy rules, eh?

[Ventenio]

If I say I spend a lot, people might find me interesting.  and maybe jealous.  and maybe powerful.

 

if i say i don't spend a lot, maybe i'll say i have 100 million back home.

 

if i say i'm poor, then i will be ridiculed and maybe lose likes from these very important online falangs.

 

What if i say nothing?  Would I then, once again, be smarter than the sheep that proudly pound their chests while slobbering over uncooked chicken and warm beer?  

 

or i could say stuff like, 'i am extremely wealthy but it is soo dumb to talk about being wealthy.  maybe they won't see through that.  or i'll say, '10 million a month used to be real money, but now i can spend that on a Wednesday.  My rich friends tell me to not talk about money.'    

 

the only way to win is not to play.   and my rolex says it's time for supper

[Pilotman]

19 minutes ago, Liverpool Lou said:

But you'd expect Thailand to cede to your demands here by showing IOs 12 months of old shopping receipts?! 

 

Reciprocity would suggest that maybe Thailand should have the same attitude to foreigners here as you're displaying to foreigners in the same position in your country.   But you wouldn't like that, would you?

 

Hypocrisy rules, eh?

haha, I just don't care what they do in 'my country'. You don't get it do you.  I am for making my life easier,  and in doing so, maybe for other expats too,  but I don't really give a monkeys about other peoples  issues 6,000 miles away, in a country I may never see again and where I would not live if you paid me a triple pension. I'm not a charity, except to my own immediate family. 

[Liverpool Lou]

10 minutes ago, Pilotman said:

haha, I just don't care what they do in 'my country'. You don't get it do you.  I am for making my life easier...

I get it, all right, but you keep on dreaming with your fanciful, "big spender" suggestion of buying extensions of stay here with old shopping receipts!    

Edited May 11, 2021 by Liverpool Lou

[Pilotman]

41 minutes ago, Liverpool Lou said:

I get it, all right, but you keep on dreaming with your fanciful, "big spender" suggestion of buying extensions of stay here with old shopping receipts!    

I'm a bit confused by that comment, this is where I am right now, that's why. isn't that obvious?

Why fanciful?  Its a practical alternative to 800K locked up forever in a Thai bank.   I bet quite a few would rather avoid that situation if they could,. when they are already contributing many thousands of Baht to the Thai economy each year, which is not  recognised in their visa extension applications. . 

Edited May 11, 2021 by Pilotman

[bermondburi]

1.5 million and I don't even live in Thailand. 

[Liverpool Lou]

14 minutes ago, Pilotman said:

Its a practical alternative to 800K locked up forever in a Thai bank.

Really?  What would be so "practical" about IOs having to plough through 12 months of unidentifiable and unallocable shopping receipts for every extension application?  

[Pilotman]

14 minutes ago, Liverpool Lou said:

Really?  What would be so "practical" about IOs having to plough through 12 months of unidentifiable and unallocable shopping receipts for every extension application?  

have you heard of online spreadsheets?

I'm interested; why do you keep putting up objection after objection to an alternative scheme that could work for a great many of us?  Are you an undercover IO? 

Edited May 11, 2021 by Pilotman

[Liverpool Lou]

1 minute ago, Pilotman said:

15 minutes ago, Liverpool Lou said:

Really?  What would be so "practical" about IOs having to plough through 12 months of unidentifiable and unallocable shopping receipts for every extension application?  

have you heard of online spreadsheets? 

Yes, I have and they don't have to be "online".   Anyone can knock up an Excel spreadsheet!   Makes as much sense and would have as much credibility as self-assessed income statements would!

[Pilotman]

32 minutes ago, Liverpool Lou said:

Yes, I have and they don't have to be "online".   Anyone can knock up an Excel spreadsheet!   Makes as much sense and would have as much credibility as self-assessed income statements would!

funny how the US, manage  it, dont you think?

 

This debate is getting stale now so I will leave it for others ( and you) to ponder, if they can be bothered. I have just yesterday completed  my annual extension, 800K locked up in my account for the foreseeable future, which is a tad  irritating, but it is what it presently is and at least Mrs P will inherit it when I pass on to the quantum world. 

Edited May 11, 2021 by Pilotman

[wolf81]

12 hours ago, PGSan said:

per year or per month? 

Averages per year for my (now) 4 year stay.

 

So about 500.000 - 600.000 base, maybe 1.200.000 average when including one-time gifts. In the future there will be less gifts, so the average yearly spending should slowly decrease.

 

My aim is for us to live on around 500.000 THB a year and invest all extra income.