How Much For A Single Bed Flat In Muang, Phuket?

[solo siam]

BKKDude ... people are different .. that is for sure!

If you RE_READ the post you quoted I did say western food was to be counted in the entertainment budget

but in this case we are talking about a teacher at a school ..... the school canteen covers about 20 meals a month ....

(but yes I am sure about 3600 being doable

I don't think I'd ever like to be in the position where having a couple of can's of coke would put the daily budget for eating into sever jeopardy.

Are people really suggesting someone comes to Phuket and lives on 30k baht a month.

Seriously, there's medical expenses, even a bi-annual trip home would eat into about 3-5k baht a month, Visa runs, clothing, shoes, girlfriend expenses, phone calls. I have never seen an apartment or Thai style condo for 3k baht here either, I've seen some at 5k baht but you wouldn't want to live there. Seriously who could live like that when the Laundry bill is 7% of your entire wage.

Whats the point in moving here to live like a beggar, I'm sure Thais could do GREAT on 30k baht, but they don't have Visa runs, Medical expenses, expensive tastes (laundry, medical care, internet etc..), trips home etc.. - I think you could do Bangkok or Chiang-Mai on that sort of money a lot more comfortably, 30k baht in Phuket nowadays doesn't exactly go far.

[jdinasia]

Ben@ ----

It costs me the same amount of money to live in BKK or Phuket ... I looked around Phukettown and saw a few places in the 5K a month range that would have done me well (Granted I chose a place in a beach town ... that happened to be a house ...with a yard and a guy that does the gardening ... for only twice that ... but I don't spend a whole lot more than 30 a month ... I have the means to ... and i don't count my housing in my monthly budget ... but I could do it and still have the life I like to lead (working would actually save me money .. since I tend to go to Starbucks near the beach FAR too often ... at 125 baht a drink!) ... but the idea of working ... well ..... ewww

If you look at the budget I outlined above .... it would leave a bit over 500 a day for extra food .. drinking ... etc

Edited June 18, 2007 by jdinasia

[BKKDUDE]

Even on 30K a month, i knew Iranian guy was leading very colorful lifestyle in bangkok, his GF was paying for all extra expenses

[N47HAN]

30k is possible , i managed for nearly a year ( with my gf) it wasnt any fun i can tell you. It really is extremely difficult to get by ,and the sheer fact of seeing tourists and expats enjoying themselves not caring about the money really can be depressing as your couting the coins just b4 pay day.

Personally this was a means to end , and now through good fortune and hard work the struggle was well worth it and the rewards have been very fruitfull.

HOWEVER there was a point..... The end Goal if acheived was worth enduring the hardship.

Why on earth would you even contemplate this salary if there was no reasonable expection of at least trebling this if not more so.

Ok you may get by or not , but surely you must consider your future... saving for a rainy day , children , etc.etc.etc..

Or you could just "experience" it for a while to say , yeah i worked in phuket as a teacher when i was younger, as you stand in the dole que back home!

Gl in whatever you choose mind.

Just my point of view

[jdinasia]

30k is possible , i managed for nearly a year ( with my gf) it wasnt any fun i can tell you. It really is extremely difficult to get by ,and the sheer fact of seeing tourists and expats enjoying themselves not caring about the money really can be depressing as your couting the coins just b4 pay day.

Personally this was a means to end , and now through good fortune and hard work the struggle was well worth it and the rewards have been very fruitfull.

HOWEVER there was a point..... The end Goal if acheived was worth enduring the hardship.

Why on earth would you even contemplate this salary if there was no reasonable expection of at least trebling this if not more so.

Ok you may get by or not , but surely you must consider your future... saving for a rainy day , children , etc.etc.etc..

Or you could just "experience" it for a while to say , yeah i worked in phuket as a teacher when i was younger, as you stand in the dole que back home!

Gl in whatever you choose mind.

Just my point of view

wow! .. you managed 30k for 2 people! I am impressed in a strange way! That puts you up there with greenwanderer!

So ... if 30k can be done for two people .. then wow!

[LivinginKata]

My wife and I live on about 25,000 baht/month, although we mostly eat & drink at home (we are not night/party people), have 2 bikes and a new car (SUV), although we had the initial expense of buying a home & vehicles = a frightening load of dosh.

My eat, western food only = 150 baht/day = 4,500 baht/month

Wife eat, Thai food = 100 baht/day = 3,000 baht/month

Drinking (modest & mostly at home) = 3,000 baht/month

Health Insurance = 2,000 baht/month

Car/Bike insurance/tax/repairs = 4,000 baht/month

Fuel = 2,500 baht/month

Electric & water = 1,500 baht/month

Phone/internet = 1,500 baht/month

Total = 22,000 baht/month

That leaves 3,000 baht/month for clothing, treats & unexpected. BTW my annual visa extension costs 1,900 baht/year and I have no visa run costs. We are lucky enough to have plenty more money in reserve, but the 25,000 baht/month is usually adequate. If we had to rent a house then add 15,000 baht/month (for a very nice place) = 40,000 baht/month for quite a good stay-at-home lifestyle with my Thai wife. I have no 'send home' costs = a huge saving.

[jdinasia]

My wife and I live on about 25,000 baht/month, although we mostly eat & drink at home (we are not night/party people), have 2 bikes and a new car (SUV), although we had the initial expense of buying a home & vehicles = a frightening load of dosh.

My eat, western food only = 150 baht/day = 4,500 baht/month

Wife eat, Thai food = 100 baht/day = 3,000 baht/month

Drinking (modest & mostly at home) = 3,000 baht/month

Health Insurance = 2,000 baht/month

Car/Bike insurance/tax/repairs = 4,000 baht/month

Fuel = 2,500 baht/month

Electric & water = 1,500 baht/month

Phone/internet = 1,500 baht/month

Total = 22,000 baht/month

That leaves 3,000 baht/month for clothing, treats & unexpected. BTW my annual visa extension costs 1,900 baht/year and I have no visa run costs. We are lucky enough to have plenty more money in reserve, but the 25,000 baht/month is usually adequate. If we had to rent a house then add 15,000 baht/month (for a very nice place) = 40,000 baht/month for quite a good stay-at-home lifestyle with my Thai wife. I have no 'send home' costs = a huge saving.

take the car and wife out of the equation (for the benefit of the OP) and that would drop about 6000 ... making 16k ..... still doable on the OP's budget of 30k ... with a wide margin for having a life :0

[LivinginKata]

Getting back to the original question, no-one seems to have menioned the actual tax & social security costs/month. On a 30,000 baht/month salary then income tax = 1,500 baht/month & social security = 7% = 2,100 baht/month, so the 30,000 baht/month is reduced to 26,400 baht/month actual spending money.

[jdinasia]

Getting back to the original question, no-one seems to have menioned the actual tax & social security costs/month. On a 30,000 baht/month salary then income tax = 1,500 baht/month & social security = 7% = 2,100 baht/month, so the 30,000 baht/month is reduced to 26,400 baht/month actual spending money.

did you exclude the first 100k baht from that figure?

[LivinginKata]

I assume you mean the personal tax allowance, which is now 14,000 baht/month. Yes I did.