Could you afford to live in the UK compared to Thailand?

[Denim]

10 hours ago, KIngsofisaan said:

Any comparison between the first world and third world is simply foolish.

Could you clarify which ones which ?

[Denim]

7 hours ago, RichardColeman said:

During the pandemic I stayed in a B and B, about £400 month

I think I know that one. Is this the one? Only 12 quid a night with free brekky.

 

[Nong Khai Man]

4 hours ago, Nurseynutcase said:

Sorry but the retirement age in the UK is now 66 due to rise to 68 depending on your date of birth.

 

Also in response to the OP I am a pensioner and I pay wodges of tax in the UK.

 

 

Also in response to the OP I am a pensioner and I pay wodges of tax in the UK.......Well You must have a Whopper of a Private Pension then ??

[Photoguy21]

Yes

[NoshowJones]

1 hour ago, shackleton said:

I retired in Thailand knowing all the facts and figures ????

Going back  to UK is not going to happen????

"I retired in Thailand knowing all the facts and figures" So did I, but I never thought things would change the way they did through the years.

In saying that and compared to the UK today, even allowing for a Junta government, Thailand is a much better place to be than the UK.

[NoshowJones]

57 minutes ago, Excel said:

My apologies, you are correct indeed. That's makes them both equals then.

Even where education is concerned. ????

[Excel]

Just now, possum1931 said:

Even where education is concerned. ????

I'm not sure about that as I don't know whether the military academy that Prawit attended has sodomy as an initiation act, unlike Eton so perhaps the unacademic subject matters are not comparable.

[Tropposurfer]

Leave LOS and live in 'Ol Blightey' .... are you barking mad! 'Mad dogs and Englishmen ...' 

[KhunLA]

46 minutes ago, possum1931 said:

Then you haven't walked past any taylor shops in Pattaya. ????

Why would I ever be in Pattaya ?

 

Guessing the tailor shops were there long before most expats lived there.  Hope they didn't think they'd not be aske simply because now they are expats instead of tourist.

 

Move to a place with a bunch of tailors, expect to be ask if you want a suit.

[NoshowJones]

13 minutes ago, Excel said:

I'm not sure about that as I don't know whether the military academy that Prawit attended has sodomy as an initiation act, unlike Eton so perhaps the unacademic subject matters are not comparable.

My answer would be what would a "Military" anything have to do with any type of education that you would get in the UK? Or any other country for that matter.

[Excel]

2 minutes ago, possum1931 said:

My answer would be what would a "Military" anything have to do with any type of education that you would get in the UK? Or any other country for that matter.

Read this and learn a bit

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chulachomklao_Royal_Military_Academy

[Gandtee]

Short answer. No. And wouldn't want to.

[BritManToo]

40 minutes ago, Nong Khai Man said:

 

Also in response to the OP I am a pensioner and I pay wodges of tax in the UK.......Well You must have a Whopper of a Private Pension then ??

UK pension is 9,300 pounds, tax allowance is 12,500 pounds.

Some may consider a private pension of 3,000 pounds/year a 'whopper' ...........

[itsari]

56 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

That happens when people vote for a clown.

 

What other clown would of been a better choice ?

[BritManToo]

1 minute ago, itsari said:

What other clown would of been a better choice ?

I would choose Boris over Teresa, and Trump over Hillary.

I only voted in elections 3x in my life .........

1. Maggie's Conservative party (win)

2. Arthur's Socialist Labour party (lose)

3. Myself (win).

[itsari]

3 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

I would choose Boris over Teresa, and Trump over Hillary.

I only voted in elections 3x in my life .........

1. Maggie's Conservative party (win)

2. Arthur's Socialist Labour party (lose)

3. Myself (win).

Good you give a decision made by your good self in preference to just call individuals a clown .

[chilly07]

No!

Property is the biggest difference.

Thailand 2 bed 2 bathroom bungalow 3.5m BHT rent 13k pm

UK closer to 10.5m BHT if you can find one rent 100k pm.

 

[BritManToo]

3 minutes ago, chilly07 said:

No!

Property is the biggest difference.

Thailand 2 bed 2 bathroom bungalow 3.5m BHT rent 13k pm

UK closer to 10.5m BHT if you can find one rent 100k pm.

The mortgage on my 2Mbht 3 bed house in Thailand is 220pounds/month.

Doubt I could rent a 3 bed house in Brighton for under 2,000pounds/month.

[Dont confuse me]

Short answer is, "I couldn't enjoy the same quality of life in UK"

However without going into pages of comparison I can live a far better life in Spain than Thailand with hardly any cost difference! 

The average monthly wage in Spain is around €1200 so if your income is more or less the same then you could live comfortably in Spain, where you can purchase and own outright property, you can work (pre Brexit) with no problem.

You can buy a 1 bed apartment with sea view (if that's your thing) for as little as €40,000, rent a 3 bed 2 bath penthouse with sea view for €420 plus utilities.

[madmitch]

Whilst the OP might be poorly written and researched, it has prompted quite a reaction on here and that's what it's all about.

 

I've been back in the UK for a year after 18 years in Thailand so am probably in a better position than most to comment.

 

The obvious expense differences are in property, either rent or purchase, eating out, fuel and utilities. Groceries are probably a little more expensive but my partner, who's here at the moment, believes that most meat is no more expensive here that in Thailand. I'm not talking Waitrose of high street butcher prices, of course, but lower end supermarkets. Even bananas are the same price here. If you eat a predominantly Western diet, grocery shopping in the UK is probably cheaper than Thailand but add a few more exotic ingredients and the tables soon turn.

 

I bought a secondhand car for 70,000 baht. 10 years old. The GF expected an unserviceable old banger but she was surprised to see a decent runaround that would cost around 250,000 baht in Thailand..

 

I think people's circumstances should be taken into account. Not everyone is living off a UK state pension, renting a cheap bungalow and living off noodles and phad khaprow. If you are then don't even think about returning to the UK.

 

Unfortunately I am one of those idiots that sold my house. I'd be totally self-sufficient had I not done so, however the proceeds funded my lifestyle in Thailand, including a business the GF now runs. But it was a huge financial mistake.

 

I have a private pension, no state pension yet, and savings but I am also a professional in my field and have been able to pick up lucrative contract work whilst still calling myself semi-retired. This has enabled me to pay a high rent in West London. I have no school fees to pay and no medical insurance costs (though I have kept a basic policy with a very high excess on the go in Thailand as I probably will return sometime and don't want to end up unable to buy insurance).

 

NB the OP's comment about being unable to register with the NHS is simply untrue. All you need as a National Insurance number and proof of citizenship.

 

My daughter works part-time in a restaurant and attends a school (free). She funds her own clothes and expenditure and even gets child benefit.

 

There are aspects of Thai life I miss but I'm enjoying pubs, English beer, gigs, theatre, the arts, country walks, and free public transport (being over 60 in London).

 

Yes, I'd spend less in Thailand but money is not the be all and the end all for everybody. I'll be back sometime, when I no longer want to work (or nobody wants me!) and when my daughter finishes her education.

[Almer]

Has anybody got a view on there seems to be a lot of expats less nowadays, in an Issan city where I live I don’t see the same faces about like I did pre Covid days, are they broke, have they gone back, or heavens forbid did Covid get them, what’s your view?

[twix38]

If You have a place to live in UK then personally I think it's better and costs are comparible. after 15 years in Thailand I moved back to UK. 

2nd hand cars are far cheaper here. food is similar if on western diet. ability to work and earn and get any state benefits due. Pension increased rather than frozen. Free health care. 

 

it's no longer the easy decision that Thailand is better when you get posioned from pesticides and the EXCHANGE RATE plus inflation really doesn't make it the obvious winner anymore. Sure Thailand is still cheaper but not enough and  for me I prefer a walk/bike ride in the countryside than skin cancer in the sun or running from soi dogs....sun damage is a real complacent issue that mounts up over lifetime exposure. I stayed out of sun but still got Actinic Keratosis on ears and hands and friend died of Melenoma. 

Not for me any longer and I'm far happier back in UK where excluding accommodation costs - I have accommodation at minimal cost - then overall I'm actually better off in fact in my personal circumstances. Might even look for part time job as that's always an option. Far happier here and social life and sleep in peace and quiet far better too. Been back for over 2 years now

Edited August 15, 2022 by twix38
Update

[malthebluff]

Should compare first world countries with first world countries and third with third, try comparing Thailand and vienam and then the uk and france. There are lots of reasons expats stay here but I doubt it's the cost of living. If people planned their retirement with enough money to live on then like my dad used to say every country is the same if you have enough money

[connda]

Predicted energy costs per year:  5000 quid.

No thanks.

[talahtnut]

In the UK, I have just had breakfast, which was one tomato,

fresh from the greenhouse, and a glass of water from the well,

a smoke, and now ready for doing stuff.

In Thailand, breakfast covers the table with bowels of all sorts

of grub, and just induces 'fat and lazy'.

Not thinking of cost, its the lifestyle which is important.

The geezer likes doing stuff, which is easier to do in the UK.

[jingjai9]

I did not see any mention of the quality of infrastructure in the comparisons, things such as the infamous hanging telephones wires of Thailand or the terrible smells from open sewers. Ever try to eat a meal at a sidewalk eatery in Thailand and gag from the sewer smell? How about the unlevel foot paths (sidewalks). How many trips have you taken? What of the Soi dogs? The unruly road culture? I would venture to say these affect quality of life markedly. Perhaps the western countries are more expensive because the infrastructure is cleaner, maintained better, and road traffic is more predictable. You have to pay for that somehow. What about the extent of the corruption?

 

I am here in Thailand and my home country is the US. I think the US and Thailand have an equal number of problems, maybe 75% of the problems are the same and the other 25% unique to each country. So dollars or pounds cannot tell the whole story.

[zzaa09]

The expected and ever present comparisons continue to be inane. 

Perpetually.

[Autonuaq]

the most important item that is take out of the equation is forgotten.

 

in Thailand you are always a foreigner and that makes you are depending on a pension from abroad and have not rights you have as a citizen. When you are having a permanent residence all is already more different as well easier for on. Since you are then more seen as a person who stays in the Kingdom. Of course when you have Thai Citizenship it would be more correct to compare. 

 

In the UK you are a citizenship and will always be allowed to stay, not have problem with the exchange rate too.

 

Most people who have to return is due that they can not pay the costs or are not able to fulfill the minimum requirements set by the government to the alien. Because that is the hard fact we are people from abroad allowed to stay as long as we comply to the minimal needs.

[WhatsNext]

Interesting topic, i come from the Netherlands myself and for sure it's a lot cheaper here but i do miss some 1st world things. 

One remark though : Thailand's housing market is totally incomparable to anything in the EU/UK. Here you can rent a cheap furnished condo with a choice from hundreds if not thousands that are available. Finding anything for rent in The Netherlands, let alone furnished for a reasonable price, is bordering on the impossible. 

 

better to compare living costs with a paid for condo/house to make it more fair. 

[Lacessit]

4 hours ago, KhunLA said:

Why would I ever be in Pattaya ?

 

Guessing the tailor shops were there long before most expats lived there.  Hope they didn't think they'd not be aske simply because now they are expats instead of tourist.

 

Move to a place with a bunch of tailors, expect to be ask if you want a suit.

Would not even know if there was a tailor in Chiang Rai. In any case, my GF buys good quality clothes for me in the secondhand shops.