Are you still able to live comfortably?

[RafPinto]

7 minutes ago, Espanol said:

2700 euros now. 2100 euros after taxes.

 

Twice that amount in June and December. 

 

https://www.ondacero.es/noticias/economia/esta-pension-minima-maxima-2021_20210909613ad976f7c3140001544a3c.html

 

"El Gobierno establece cada año un importe máximo, tanto mensual como anual, que los pensionistas pueden percibir. En 2021, esta cantidad quedó fijada en 2.707,49 euros al mes y 37.904,86 euros al año, distribuidos en 14 pagas."

How can they afford to pay this?

[Espanol]

Just now, RafPinto said:

How can they afford to pay this?

Of course that's maximum pension for people who have contributed the maximum, many years, for high salaries.

 

I paid maximum contribution 40 years, so now I will get maximum pension. 

 

Indeed, if you never contributed or paid a minimum, now you will get minimum pension. 

[WhiteBuffaloATM]

khunLA: amazing & salutary ! now THAT is Living. sense of purpose big time. all you walking dead retirees out there take note and ACT for benefit of the needy in your community, if you have no one close to care for……

[KhunLA]

12 minutes ago, WhiteBuffaloATM said:

khunLA: amazing & salutary ! now THAT is Living. sense of purpose big time. all you walking dead retirees out there take note and ACT for benefit of the needy in your community, if you have no one close to care for……

Thanks.

 

One kid,  one dog at a time ... save the planet ... ????  Too old, 67, to take in another, as the heartache of losing a parent may be a bit traumatic to a youngin'.

 

Not for everyone, but worked great for me.

 

Stay safe

[Speedhump]

5 hours ago, Espanol said:

82.000 bahts in Spain. Net after taxes.

 

I think you can live well in Pattaya with this.

 

Only state pension? No private pension? From UK it's 40000 if you paid the state for every month of your pensionable life. That would be som tam every day... 

[Speedhump]

1 hour ago, KhunLA said:

Thanks.

 

One kid,  one dog at a time ... save the planet ... ????  Too old, 67, to take in another, as the heartache of losing a parent may be a bit traumatic to a youngin'.

 

Not for everyone, but worked great for me.

 

Stay safe

At 66 I just took a 12 year old half-lame almost deaf soi dog from  a rescue organisation. And when he pegs it I'll take another. They need and deserve TLC. 

[Speedhump]

On 10/1/2021 at 2:06 AM, Swiss1960 said:

It can be done, but why live in a city of fun (or in a city that used to be that), when you can not really enjoy the fun?

 

Your base is 50K. You will spend 10K/month on rent, water, electricity, phone. If you are not stupid, you will spend 10K/month on health insurance. That leaves you with 30K or 1K per day. 

 

1K per day in Pattaya is possible, IF... 

- you mostly cook yourself with stuff from market OR live from street food

- don't smoke and/or drink heavily

- don't expect Australian Wagyu on your plate weekly

- don't expect to have a permanent girlfriend/boyfriend

- don't want to travel

- don't want to enjoy yourself with cinema, water parks etc

- don't... basically everything I like to enjoy (except the girlfriend which I replaced by a family)

You will be living a Thai style live and will have to forego many of the perks that you can enjoy today in Australia, because they are cheap (i.e. beef, wine). Anything western in Thailand has its price which might not fit in a tight budget.

 

This is purely based on my experience and my expectations, you will need to define for yourself what you expect your life to look like. 

This is a pretty realistic costing. And I agree that health insurance shoud not be shirked here. 

[Speedhump]

On 10/5/2021 at 6:04 PM, Bruno123 said:

 

 

Nirun wouldn't be my choice if I were on such a budget. I think and I could be wrong, that the guys chose to live there because they saw it as central and cheap. They did not envisage spending much time in their rooms; so opted for cheap accommodation and more fun.

 

I think the whole 'pandemic' thing brought into view the importance of having decent accommodation; wherein you could actually enjoy spending time within.

 

That's why I posted the pics of an alternative 4k apartment in a different and frankly nicer, area.

But I think they might feel lonely if they moved away from their known community.

It's likely that that room will cost more when he comes to renew his lease, once the economy is picking up a little. Landlords have been reducing rents over the past year, a previously 4000 Baht room in Hua Hin is now around 3600, but they often won't give a full 12 month lease right now. 

[Bruno123]

1 minute ago, Speedhump said:

It's likely that that room will cost more when he comes to renew his lease, once the economy is picking up a little. Landlords have been reducing rents over the past year, a previously 4000 Baht room in Hua Hin is now around 3600, but they often won't give a full 12 month lease right now. 

Possibly not. as the price was 4k before COVID struck. It's actually under 4k now.

[Speedhump]

5 minutes ago, Bruno123 said:

Possibly not. as the price was 4k before COVID struck. It's actually under 4k now.

You should have said that. It's under 4000 now, not 4000.

[BritManToo]

29 minutes ago, Speedhump said:

It's likely that that room will cost more when he comes to renew his lease, once the economy is picking up a little. Landlords have been reducing rents over the past year, a previously 4000 Baht room in Hua Hin is now around 3600, but they often won't give a full 12 month lease right now. 

I'm surprised.

I doubt there will be many foreigners coming to Thailand before the 2022 season, and even then there's likely to be only a few.

[Speedhump]

1 hour ago, BritManToo said:

I'm surprised.

I doubt there will be many foreigners coming to Thailand before the 2022 season, and even then there's likely to be only a few.

I wasn't particularly referring to international tourism. Thailand had certainly been heavily weighted towards that particular invisible export, but that's not the only sector of the economy that's suffered for over two years. I agree that it will be mid next year or later before there's any hope for significant increase in overseas tourists. 

[Espanol]

3 hours ago, Speedhump said:

Only state pension? No private pension?

Yes. That's state pension. 

You can also pay private pension if you want (and can afford it).

[Speedhump]

9 minutes ago, Espanol said:

Yes. That's state pension. 

You can also pay private pension if you want (and can afford it).

I think it's a tough choice to try to live a  long retired life on only state pension, if you don't have to. I don't envy anyone who has to do that. I believe many people defer their retirement because they don't think they can live maybe 30 years on what the state gives them every month, plus stretching out whatever they've been able to save over their working life. 

[jacko45k]

12 hours ago, BritManToo said:

I'm surprised.

I doubt there will be many foreigners coming to Thailand before the 2022 season, and even then there's likely to be only a few.

What, the one starting in under 3 months, or much further down the road?

[FruitPudding]

On 10/1/2021 at 2:21 AM, OneMoreFarang said:

Imagine you would ask a Thai person who lives from minimum wage how he could live with 50k per month. He would probably think he won't be able to spend so much money every month.

It's all in our minds how much we think we need to make us happy.

Exactly, I earn about 50k. I support myself, my child, and my GF.

 

We stay in a spacious, modern condo close to BTS. My child studies in a top-tier Thai school. We have a few holidays within Thailand every year. I waste money on luxury food items regularly and drink more beer than I should. We all have our luxuries, in fact. We are all covered with appropriate health insurance.

 

Admittedly, I would struggle to afford a family holiday abroad regularly - but that isn't important to us.

[FruitPudding]

21 hours ago, Speedhump said:

Only state pension? No private pension? From UK it's 40000 if you paid the state for every month of your pensionable life. That would be som tam every day... 

No, somtum every day is a Thai minimum wage or an Isaan less than minimum wage earner. On a farang teacher's salary you can afford to eat international food a few times a week (eating out too, na)!

 

Actually, cooking at home, you can make international food cheaper than Thai food made at the market. I make Indian curry, Lebanese hummus, European soup, muesli, Scots porridge oats, spaghetti pesto or carbonara, and it is FAR cheaper per portion than, for example, a prawn fried rice or papaya salad meal bought from the market.

 

I mean 500 grams of lentils, chickpeas, oats, or pasta costs less than a single serving of fried rice or noodle soup from the street.

Edited October 10, 2021 by FruitPudding

[Speedhump]

1 hour ago, FruitPudding said:

No, somtum every day is a Thai minimum wage or an Isaan less than minimum wage earner. On a farang teacher's salary you can afford to eat international food a few times a week (eating out too, na)!

 

Actually, cooking at home, you can make international food cheaper than Thai food made at the market. I make Indian curry, Lebanese hummus, European soup, muesli, Scots porridge oats, spaghetti pesto or carbonara, and it is FAR cheaper per portion than, for example, a prawn fried rice or papaya salad meal bought from the market.

 

I mean 500 grams of lentils, chickpeas, oats, or pasta costs less than a single serving of fried rice or noodle soup from the street.

Fair comment. If you like to cook it's a blessing. My (British) wife would probably eat som tam every day if I let her, its her favourite Thai dish!

 

If you don't mind me asking how much does a western native-English speaking teacher in a regular Bangkok school earn a month? 50,000? Just curious. And I guess less in say Pattaya or Hua Hin? 

[thaibeachlovers]

On 10/9/2021 at 5:43 PM, KhunLA said:

Would think, most retiring, own their home and easy enough to sell and buy or rent something that wouldn't necessitate using your income / pension to pay for renting or owning in one's retirement. 

Given that, IMO, most retired farangs in LOS are divorced from wife in home country, they probably won't "own" a house there.

[FruitPudding]

1 minute ago, Speedhump said:

Fair comment. If you like to cook it's a blessing. My (British) wife would probably eat som tam every day if I let her, its her favourite Thai dish!

 

If you don't mind me asking how much does a western native-English speaking teacher in a regular Bangkok school earn a month? 50,000? Just curious. And I guess less in say Pattaya or Hua Hin? 

I'd say the average teacher earns low 40s in Bangkok. Not sure about Pattaya or Hua Hin, but out in Isaan 35k is typical and some in Bangkok will be earning that too. 

 

 

 

[georgegeorgia]

4 hours ago, FruitPudding said:

Exactly, I earn about 50k. I support myself, my child, and my GF.

 

We stay in a spacious, modern condo close to BTS. My child studies in a top-tier Thai school. We have a few holidays within Thailand every year. I waste money on luxury food items regularly and drink more beer than I should. We all have our luxuries, in fact. We are all covered with appropriate health insurance.

 

Admittedly, I would struggle to afford a family holiday abroad regularly - but that isn't important to us.

you can do that on 50,000 baht a month ? 

[VocalNeal]

^ Even 45,000. So far...

[georgegeorgia]

well lets work out a quick budget say for a 70yo male living in Pattaya 

 

1 bedroom condo say near jomtien ......about 10,000 a month ?

grocery ,3000 baht

enertainment 15000

utilities internet,electrcity water 4000

health 1000

still leaves over 10,000 baht

Edited October 10, 2021 by georgegeorgia

[JustAnotherHun]

17 hours ago, georgegeorgia said:

well lets work out a quick budget say for a 70yo male living in Pattaya 

 

1 bedroom condo say near jomtien ......about 10,000 a month ?

grocery ,3000 baht

enertainment 15000

utilities internet,electrcity water 4000

health 1000

still leaves over 10,000 baht

That's far from what I would call comfortably, but for sure better than the same amount in one of our home countries.

Btw: What about health insurance? Right now it's not mandatory for extensions based on O-Visa but I bet that will change.

[thaibeachlovers]

On 10/11/2021 at 1:06 AM, georgegeorgia said:

well lets work out a quick budget say for a 70yo male living in Pattaya 

 

1 bedroom condo say near jomtien ......about 10,000 a month ?

grocery ,3000 baht

enertainment 15000

utilities internet,electrcity water 4000

health 1000

still leaves over 10,000 baht

You are only giving 1000 a month for health. My insurance was over 60,000 a year and rising with age. That's way more than 12,000 a year.

You spend 15,000 a month on entertainment? I'm boggled.

Edited October 11, 2021 by thaibeachlovers

[georgegeorgia]

5 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

You are only giving 1000 a month for health. My insurance was over 60,000 a year and rising with age. That's way more than 12,000 a year.

You spend 15,000 a month on entertainment? I'm boggled.

my private health insurance with "extras" cover dental etc is about $230 a month Australian so no difference really to you ,of course same as you i can rely on the public health system for free,obviously if you got anything major you can go back to the UK and get free

[jacko45k]

22 minutes ago, georgegeorgia said:

obviously if you got anything major you can go back to the UK and get free

If major, one might not be in a position to travel back to the UK. Whether you qualify for free NHS service is also questionable. 

[HashBrownHarry]

7 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

You spend 15,000 a month on entertainment? I'm boggled.

Why?

 

Can spend that in a couple of hours - easy!

[thaibeachlovers]

9 hours ago, georgegeorgia said:

my private health insurance with "extras" cover dental etc is about $230 a month Australian so no difference really to you ,of course same as you i can rely on the public health system for free,obviously if you got anything major you can go back to the UK and get free

If you don't live in the UK I understand that you are no longer entitled to free treatment on the NHS, which is as it should be.

Too many foreigners were ripping the system off when I was working in the NHS.

 

Even if it was free, if one is that sick, one would have problems being allowed to fly on a commercial flight.

[thaibeachlovers]

1 hour ago, HashBrownHarry said:

Why?

 

Can spend that in a couple of hours - easy!

I'm aware of that, but most wouldn't, IMO. Not all expats are retired and cashed up millionaires.