What it costs to live in Thailand, on a budget ?

[nigelforbes]

I've yet to come across a box wine in Thailand that I would rate higher than barely drinkable and I'm no wine snob. The fact is, most of them are useful for degreasing engine parts and little more. In the US the beer and wine industry is very clear on this subject. If you want something to get you high or get you drunk inexpensively, buy MD20/20 or Boones Farm but don't ever try to call either of them decent or good wines because everyone else on the planet knows they are not. An inexpensive French table wine might be described as good from time to time but not something that is nothing more than enhanced fruit juice. Read the link below if you want to understand more about fruit wines in Thailand, it'll change your mine in a hurry.

 

https://www.wineandabout.com/business/fruit-appearing-shelves/

[Adumbration]

I have a very full and interesting life and most of it is spent on, in, or under the Andaman sea, fishing, spearfishing and diving.  I have a beautiful long term GF who is nearly 20 years younger than me.

 

I catch my own seafood, and have two small farms that supply a good deal of our fruit veges and herb and spices.  

 

I live in a house that is 3 minutes from a beautiful West coast beach in a house that I paid 270K Thb for just under 2 years ago.  It is rendered brick, split level, detached and on a full red chanote block of land.

 

My out of pockets are generally less than 5K THB per month.

 

I will not eleborate further because an avalache of trolldom always follows.  If you want more details just review my post history.

[Adumbration]

On 11/8/2022 at 10:40 AM, BostonJoe said:

We live in Hua Hin family of 3 with 4 more mooching off us , so 7 all together . House, cars paid for. We spend  around 150 thousand Baht a month  If I could just get rid of thr 4 free loaders  Anyone have interest in my sister inlaw let me know

How much Dowry will to pay me to take her off your hands?

[Olmate]

26 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

I'd guess they came from China.

Nah.  Berri.South Aus.

[nigelforbes]

6 minutes ago, Olmate said:

Nah.  Berri.South Aus.

Your answer is only partially correct. The wine is indeed made in Australia but because it is a fruit wine it is blended in Asia, typically in Vietnam. Fruit wines became fashionable here because there is a tax advantage when they are imported. They aren't blended in Oz but they are  blended in Vietnam before they are imported here. Read the link a few posts above to understand that process.

[JayClay]

7 hours ago, Sparktrader said:

Like Pepsi and Coke different. 

So... Massively different, then?

 

[xylophone]

2 hours ago, nigelforbes said:

I've yet to come across a box wine in Thailand that I would rate higher than barely drinkable and I'm no wine snob. The fact is, most of them are useful for degreasing engine parts and little more. In the US the beer and wine industry is very clear on this subject. If you want something to get you high or get you drunk inexpensively, buy MD20/20 or Boones Farm but don't ever try to call either of them decent or good wines because everyone else on the planet knows they are not. An inexpensive French table wine might be described as good from time to time but not something that is nothing more than enhanced fruit juice. Read the link below if you want to understand more about fruit wines in Thailand, it'll change your mine in a hurry.

 

https://www.wineandabout.com/business/fruit-appearing-shelves/

Thanks for that link because I've been having a "discussion" on another thread (on this forum) with someone who says there is no such thing as fruit wine in Thailand, and I remember reading this article a while back and wasn't able to find it, so thank you for that.

[Olmate]

1 hour ago, nigelforbes said:

Your answer is only partially correct. The wine is indeed made in Australia but because it is a fruit wine it is blended in Asia, typically in Vietnam. Fruit wines became fashionable here because there is a tax advantage when they are imported. They aren't blended in Oz but they are  blended in Vietnam before they are imported here. Read the link a few posts above to understand that process.

So maybe the blackberries come from Vietnam but that other(not critical) wine bit is from Oz. lol.

[Hummin]

10 minutes ago, xylophone said:

Thanks for that link because I've been having a "discussion" on another thread (on this forum) with someone who says there is no such thing as fruit wine in Thailand, and I remember reading this article a while back and wasn't able to find it, so thank you for that.

No fruit wine in Thailand ????

[xylophone]

Back on the subject of what it costs to live in Thailand on a budget, I have posted before about the amount I spend on an annual basis, and I do live well and don't skimp on anything, including "real" wine.

 

However I was having a discussion the other evening with a friend of mine when we were talking about how much we could live on here if we had to, and it was quite a remarkable discussion because we both agreed that we could dispense with our "farang style food" and switch to Thai food, and do this quite easily.

 

This because we have both taken a liking to spicy Thai food and indeed, I find I am eating more of it now than I ever did. When you consider that I can make two evening meals out of 35 baht container of minced chicken, a couple of chilis and some string beans, accompanied by a portion of home cooked rice, mixed to produce Pad Krapow Gai (sorry about the spelling) and if I had to, I could live on stuff like this – – but then again I don't have to.

 

I guess what I'm trying to say is that in Thailand you can live as expensively or as frugally as you wish – – not the frugal route for me at the moment, but if it came down to it, I certainly could.

[KhunLA]

17 minutes ago, xylophone said:

Thanks for that link because I've been having a "discussion" on another thread (on this forum) with someone who says there is no such thing as fruit wine in Thailand, and I remember reading this article a while back and wasn't able to find it, so thank you for that.

Whoever you are talking to on the other thread is simply showing their ignorance.   Plenty of fruit wine in Thailand, as I've had my fair share.  I can't say I'd repurchase the same stuff but it's available.

[Adumbration]

On 11/9/2022 at 5:51 PM, xylophone said:

Back on the subject of what it costs to live in Thailand on a budget, I have posted before about the amount I spend on an annual basis, and I do live well and don't skimp on anything, including "real" wine.

 

However I was having a discussion the other evening with a friend of mine when we were talking about how much we could live on here if we had to, and it was quite a remarkable discussion because we both agreed that we could dispense with our "farang style food" and switch to Thai food, and do this quite easily.

 

This because we have both taken a liking to spicy Thai food and indeed, I find I am eating more of it now than I ever did. When you consider that I can make two evening meals out of 35 baht container of minced chicken, a couple of chilis and some string beans, accompanied by a portion of home cooked rice, mixed to produce Pad Krapow Gai (sorry about the spelling) and if I had to, I could live on stuff like this – – but then again I don't have to.

 

I guess what I'm trying to say is that in Thailand you can live as expensively or as frugally as you wish – – not the frugal route for me at the moment, but if it came down to it, I certainly could.

 

I eat Thai food everyday.  Here are some recent examples over the last two weeks all prepared by myself or my GF.

 

• Deep fried flounder in mangoe sauce with jasmine rice and steamed vegetables
• Steamed ocean king prawn sandwiches with fresh greens and thousand island dressing
• Roast free range chicken with baked potatoes, pumpkin, sweet potatoe, onion with handmade gravy
• Sauteed chicken fillets with braised vegetables including brocolli, carrots, bochoy and mushrooms
• Tom Kha aharn talay.  Coconut seafood soup with ocean king prawns, squid and chunks of de boned spanish mackeral
• Stuffed and oven baked coral trout with chunky style salt and pepper fries and onion rings
• Tempura seafood and vegetables with wasabi, chilli, and sweet soy dipping sauces
• Steamed blue swimmer crabs (Just the crabs and nothing but crabs...love em...)
• Jok.....rice soup with ginger and pork
• And on Sunday we had our own Moo Gattat at home out the back (with our dogs also waiting patiently) including beef, pork, ocean king prawns, squid and the usually veges, noodles and soup stock for the frypan.

And yes.  I am putting on weight.

[still kicking]

4 hours ago, BritManToo said:

I'd guess they came from China.

I do live in OZ 

[xylophone]

38 minutes ago, Adumbration said:

Your concept of Thai food is ignorant and myopic.

 

I eat Thai food everyday.  Here are some recent examples over the last two weeks all prepared by myself or my GF.

 

• Deep fried flounder in mangoe sauce with jasmine rice and steamed vegetables
• Steamed ocean king prawn sandwiches with fresh greens and thousand island dressing
• Roast free range chicken with baked potatoes, pumpkin, sweet potatoe, onion with handmade gravy
• Sauteed chicken fillets with braised vegetables including brocolli, carrots, bochoy and mushrooms
• Tom Kha aharn talay.  Coconut seafood soup with ocean king prawns, squid and chunks of de boned spanish mackeral
• Stuffed and oven baked coral trout with chunky style salt and pepper fries and onion rings
• Tempura seafood and vegetables with wasabi, chilli, and sweet soy dipping sauces
• Steamed blue swimmer crabs (Just the crabs and nothing but crabs...love em...)
• Jok.....rice soup with ginger and pork
• And on Sunday we had our own Moo Gattat at home out the back (with our dogs also waiting patiently) including beef, pork, ocean king prawns, squid and the usually veges, noodles and soup stock for the frypan.

And yes.  I am putting on weight.

All very nice I am sure but I don't eat seafood so much of your menu is off-limits to me. Not ignorant or myopic, just stating my preferences.........!!

 

I do eat chicken and pork along with beef, so my choices are manifold as are the dishes I like. 

 

And anyway this is not a thread on menus and I am sure you eat well and what I eat is "up to me".

[Lemsta69]

4 hours ago, still kicking said:

What's so funny 

 

go the goon bag! Five litres too, that's bigger than I've seen 'em back home in Oz. 

[Lemsta69]

well you learn something new every day. My old local Dan Murphy's sells those 5L Berri Estates goons for seventeen bucks. I used to get my Coopers Red delivered three cases at a time so I can be forgiven for being a bit out of touch ????

 

[still kicking]

2 hours ago, Lemsta69 said:

go the goon bag! Five litres too, that's bigger than I've seen 'em back home in Oz. 

I am in OZ

[Lemsta69]

9 minutes ago, still kicking said:

I am in OZ

I'm in Thailand now but I just checked my local Dan Murphy's and was quite shocked to see that have 5L goons for sale for 17 bucks. How can the nanny state let that happen?! ????

[still kicking]

23 minutes ago, Lemsta69 said:

I'm in Thailand now but I just checked my local Dan Murphy's and was quite shocked to see that have 5L goons for sale for 17 bucks. How can the nanny state let that happen?! ????

Actually, sometimes I buy wine at Aldis 4 litre for less than 10 bucks 

[bokningar]

How long is a string?

[parafareno]

eat in terminal 21, vegan plate is 40 bht only....so i take 2 plates plus some desert around 120 bht and I am fully full

[parafareno]

On 11/8/2022 at 3:57 PM, Seppius said:

In Pattaya you can have a great life on B30K, spend a bit more on a nicer condo, my rent is B6000, but the building has a gym and really nice pool, and not far from the beach in Jomtien

 

No need to go out every night, when I moved in I got a fast internet and brought a decent PC to download movies. No need for Netflix, watch football for free. I am lucky, I am happy with my own company, if you can learn to do that your life will change.

 

I love sitting at home with my self cooked food, beers from 7-Eleven, playing online or watching sport

 

Get a hobby, mine was learning how to build websites, I now have one that has started to make a small amount, hopefully that will grow.

 

Go out 2/3 nights a week, just as you would in your home country, not many people in the UK go out every night to the pub, that's all changed with £6 a pint

where is condo for 6000 bht? 25 sq meter?

[xylophone]

3 hours ago, Adumbration said:

Your concept of Thai food is ignorant and myopic.

 

I eat Thai food everyday.  Here are some recent examples over the last two weeks all prepared by myself or my GF.

 

• Deep fried flounder in mangoe sauce with jasmine rice and steamed vegetables
• Steamed ocean king prawn sandwiches with fresh greens and thousand island dressing
• Roast free range chicken with baked potatoes, pumpkin, sweet potatoe, onion with handmade gravy
• Sauteed chicken fillets with braised vegetables including brocolli, carrots, bochoy and mushrooms
• Tom Kha aharn talay.  Coconut seafood soup with ocean king prawns, squid and chunks of de boned spanish mackeral
• Stuffed and oven baked coral trout with chunky style salt and pepper fries and onion rings
• Tempura seafood and vegetables with wasabi, chilli, and sweet soy dipping sauces
• Steamed blue swimmer crabs (Just the crabs and nothing but crabs...love em...)
• Jok.....rice soup with ginger and pork
• And on Sunday we had our own Moo Gattat at home out the back (with our dogs also waiting patiently) including beef, pork, ocean king prawns, squid and the usually veges, noodles and soup stock for the frypan.

And yes.  I am putting on weight.

Another thing I forgot to mention apart from the fact that I don't eat seafood (perhaps the occasional prawn or two) is that I don't eat any fish!

 

There is a reason......working offshore Nigeria on an oil rig at the end of the Biafran war, we ran out of food, and because the whole place had been starved into submission (starvation was the main reason Biafra fell) there was no food to be had, so we took to fishing off the rig for our food supply, and the majority of the fish we caught were large barracuda, which unfortunately were full of worms. So that became our staple food for a couple of weeks and I absolutely hated it, however luckily enough, occasionally the Nigerian cooks would get some barracuda "steaks" and cook them in a very hot spicy red sauce which took away the taste and you couldn't see the worms in the flesh.

 

Never cared for fish prior to that and certainly didn't after that episode.

 

I also forgot to mention that I cook many other Thai dishes, but my original post was just an EXAMPLE as to what one could do on a tight budget.

 

So may I suggest that it is your post which is both "ignorant and myopic".

[spidermike007]

17 hours ago, BritManToo said:

Definition of comfort,

Being warm, having a bed that doesn't make your back ache and not being hungry.

Well, that is yours, and it is a rather monastic view of comfort. Some of us like our nests very nicely feathered. And a lifestyle that allows for a reasonable degree of freedom of movement and some luxury. This is an incredibly subjective area. And it is all about what one wants to do, and what one has to do in this life to survive, or live really well. 

[ChrisP24]

In Phuket I've seen some perfectly acceptable modern condos, including large swimming pools, in the Kathu district (10 minute motorbike ride from either Patong Beach or Phuket Town) for 4500 - 5000 per month.

[Adumbration]

8 hours ago, ChrisP24 said:

In Phuket I've seen some perfectly acceptable modern condos, including large swimming pools, in the Kathu district (10 minute motorbike ride from either Patong Beach or Phuket Town) for 4500 - 5000 per month.

Lots of nice little places in around Rawai and Chalong for circa 3K5.  In Phuket Town  lots of rooms for 2K5 and if you are on a very lean budget if you head out towards the Eastern side of Phuket on the way to Koh Siri you wil find big, but very old places for <2K.

[Adumbration]

9 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

Well, that is yours, and it is a rather monastic view of comfort. Some of us like our nests very nicely feathered. And a lifestyle that allows for a reasonable degree of freedom of movement and some luxury. This is an incredibly subjective area. And it is all about what one wants to do, and what one has to do in this life to survive, or live really well. 

In my life experience, endeavouring to feather ones' nest always leads to less freedom, not more.

[sqwakvfr]

On 11/8/2022 at 10:40 AM, BostonJoe said:

We live in Hua Hin family of 3 with 4 more mooching off us , so 7 all together . House, cars paid for. We spend  around 150 thousand Baht a month  If I could just get rid of thr 4 free loaders  Anyone have interest in my sister inlaw let me know

What does the Sister In Law look like?  I have lived in Chiang Mai for years.  A really comfortable lifestyle in my view has been a round 40,000 Baht per month.  I can pretty much do what I want, eat and drink where I want and can tip generously for good service.  If I am here next year plan on moving into a condo that has a swimming pool, gym and sauna.  This will add additional 10,000 to my monthly expenses.  

[Adumbration]

On 11/9/2022 at 11:16 PM, xylophone said:

Another thing I forgot to mention apart from the fact that I don't eat seafood (perhaps the occasional prawn or two) is that I don't eat any fish!

 

There is a reason......working offshore Nigeria on an oil rig at the end of the Biafran war, we ran out of food, and because the whole place had been starved into submission (starvation was the main reason Biafra fell) there was no food to be had, so we took to fishing off the rig for our food supply, and the majority of the fish we caught were large barracuda, which unfortunately were full of worms. So that became our staple food for a couple of weeks and I absolutely hated it, however luckily enough, occasionally the Nigerian cooks would get some barracuda "steaks" and cook them in a very hot spicy red sauce which took away the taste and you couldn't see the worms in the flesh.

 

Never cared for fish prior to that and certainly didn't after that episode.

 

I also forgot to mention that I cook many other Thai dishes, but my original post was just an EXAMPLE as to what one could do on a tight budget.

 

So may I suggest that it is your post which is both "ignorant and myopic".

<removed>

 

The parasitic worm that lives in barracuda is situated in the stomach lining and moves out into the flesh via the backbone when the fish dies.  If the fish is gutted and cleaned immediately after catching it there is little chance for the worms to enter its flesh.  The Nigerians catching and preparing your fish would have all been well aware of this as they would all have fished for a living at some stage of their lives.

 

Perhaps the Nigerians staffers were giving the stupid expats wormy fish for a laugh.

 

What you should have been worried about was the possible mercury content of the barra you were eating and also the possibility of ciguatera.

[BostonJoe]

28 minutes ago, sqwakvfr said:

What does the Sister In Law look like?  I have lived in Chiang Mai for years.  A really comfortable lifestyle in my view has been a round 40,000 Baht per month.  I can pretty much do what I want, eat and drink where I want and can tip generously for good service.  If I am here next year plan on moving into a condo that has a swimming pool, gym and sauna.  This will add additional 10,000 to my monthly expenses.  

She is a very nice lady and a great cook  I can send you some pictures  of her cooking if you want