Do you spend more, less or about the same as you thought you would before coming to Thailand?

[SiSePuede419]

Compared to San Francisco, I'm saving a lot more money than I expected.

 

For example, food delivery. 

 

In San Francisco (Silicon Valley, to be more specific--a very expensive part of the Bay area) order from a good American/Cantonese Chinese restaurant, two menu items, delivered plus $5 tip = $50.

 

Here, I order from Grab and it's $15 at the most for MK Chinese or Ribs&Co Shredded Pork Sandwich, French fries and Salmon Salad.

 

I paid $1500 a month for rent (cheap!) and here my wife let's me live for free. ????

 

OK, San Francisco has much better food than here, but I paid $100-200 for a top notch meal.

 

Here, it's more like 600 B for a good (Thai) meal, 5-6 dishes.  Not quite Michelin, but mighty tasty for the money.

 

And travel expenses are much lower here.  Air Asia is the best budget airlines in the world.  Hotels in America have gotten crazy expensive since COVID.  In the Bay Area, I paid $1000/week for a dump right next to the freeway and could barely get them to change the sheets.

 

Here 3000-4000B/night maximum for a 4 star hotel at a tourist location.

 

I stayed at a bungelow on the beach for 600B.

 

Almost everything is less expensive here, if you're earning Farang wages back home and working remotely here. ????

Edited July 18, 2023 by SiSePuede419

[freedomnow]

In Chiang Mai definetly less or same.

 

Once you get your restaurant/coffee shop network in place. Western food which I thought was 'same price now' as back home...indeed no...food in UK pubs etc up 50-100% in 10 years or so it seems.

 

Quality beer is only nasty priced thing here that springs to mind and Rimping foreigner back home type craving foods. You can get great craft beer in UK supermarkets 80 baht by local prices. Double here in supermarkets.

 

I mean, 'Cinema day Wednesday' or wharever it is called is about 1/10th of UK single ticket and the places are fresh withough nasty little chav culture disrupting the movie.

[LikeItHot]

I used to give my ex 12000 baht "candy money" every month.  I also gave her two businesses so she could earn on her own.  Her two kids lived with us.  She would complain and complain how all I ever gave her was 12000 a month and how she couldn't believe how Kee Neow I was.  I tried to explain there were expenses she was not considering but she wouldn't hear of it. When we were together I spent on average 150000 a month.  When we split up my total monthly expenses dropped to 60000.  Who ever said "it's cheaper to keep her" never met this money pit witch.  

[NextG]

3 hours ago, alien365 said:

I know what you mean. I will usually buy meat from Betagro as I dislike meat left in the open with just a CD to keep the flies away. They also have better quality chicken available at a price. For the vegetables, I do worry about the chemicals and pesticides that are used, but hey ho. I've contemplated ordering medical grade vegetables from Distar fresh, but I know I wouldn't get through the weekly bags they send.

I soak mine in a solution of bicarbonate of soda and water for at least fifteen minutes. Then rinse thoroughly. 

[newnative]

Less.

[alien365]

16 minutes ago, NextG said:

I soak mine in a solution of bicarbonate of soda and water for at least fifteen minutes. Then rinse thoroughly. 

How much do you use and does this change the flavour of the vegetables?

[NextG]

10 minutes ago, alien365 said:

How much do you use and does this change the flavour of the vegetables?

Doesn’t change the flavour at all. Perhaps a heaped teaspoon in a bowl of water. Check online for recommendations. You might want to use more or less. Won’t harm you but helps to remove any waxy pesticides etc

[flexomike]

23 hours ago, scubascuba3 said:

Keep searching the street food places until you find what you want. I go to one place (Soup Nazi) who puts a lot of varied vegetables in my chicken vegetables on rice, I can't match that, 50 baht

No soup for you - 555

 

[flexomike]

I spend a lot less, wife spends a lot more, so I guess it would be just about what I had planned for

 

[swm59nj]

Depends entirely on your standard of living. When living in Bangkok for three years up until March 2023. The only thing I was saving on was rent.  And since I didn’t own a car.  Auto insurance 

[problemfarang]

im living in thialand probably 17 years or 18.

when i came here i was getting 1000UK pounds and it was around 45K baht. Life was great tbh. I could do almost everything i want. If i remember correctly Leo was 35baht. I was again almost the only farang in Khon Kaen. Plus i was young

 

nowadays things are really expensive. 45K is not enough for a luxury life. Most likely will only save the day. My salary is higher than 45K now but again its not good as 17 yrs ago.

 

Also prices are really high after covid. 

 

Sometimes i watch youtubers telling how to live in thialand with 250 baht per day or similar things. I just laugh at them because i know its not true and impossible. 

[55Jay]

16 minutes ago, problemfarang said:

im living in thialand probably 17 years or 18.

when i came here i was getting 1000UK pounds and it was around 45K baht. Life was great tbh. I could do almost everything i want. If i remember correctly Leo was 35baht. I was again almost the only farang in Khon Kaen. Plus i was young

 

nowadays things are really expensive. 45K is not enough for a luxury life. Most likely will only save the day. My salary is higher than 45K now but again its not good as 17 yrs ago.

 

Also prices are really high after covid. 

 

Sometimes i watch youtubers telling how to live in thialand with 250 baht per day or similar things. I just laugh at them because i know its not true and impossible. 

Yep, double that to 500/day, and that's only if you don't do a whole lot.   1,000/day provides more leeway but still a very limited way of life.  

Never mind having a wife to support.  Kids?  ????

[wwest5829]

I confess I came with hopes of finding a great house at a considerable reduced cost. Gave up that thinking some time ago. I just changed from an OA Visa for reason of Retirement to an O Visa for reason of Marriage to a Thai national. When asked about income by the Immigration interviewers who came to the house, I said I knew that I would only be required to bring in 40K a month but that I would continue brining in 65K as that is what we spend almost every month. 

[ross163103]

More, because I don't want to live like a Thai. I sacrificed all my working years so now I want to live a nice happy life with no scrimping. I don't spend foolishly but I do buy whatever I want --within reason.

[ArnieP]

21 hours ago, problemfarang said:

Sometimes i watch youtubers telling how to live in thialand with 250 baht per day or similar things. I just laugh at them because i know its not true and impossible. 

Strange sense of humour. 

 

250฿ a day is around 7,500฿ a month. It would be limiting but not impossible to live on. Depending on location rent could be 3-5000฿, utilities 1000฿ (electric 750฿, water 50฿), the rest on food at home either self-cooked or street food takeaway, and transport. Not much scope for paid entertainment but overall doable.

 

[fredwiggy]

On 7/18/2023 at 6:26 AM, scubascuba3 said:

you lost people on McDonald's, american food has got to be the worse, anyway staying in Thailand and not liking thai food is a shame

American food, meaning born in America, can be healthy or unhealthy. As far as being "good", that's personal. Millions enjoy Mexican food, especially in Texas where I came from before moving here, but some Mexican food is lousy, and some is great. Barbecue was born in America, and is fantastic, especially from Texas. Cheeseburgers are also delicious, especially with all the variety you can have from the meats, cheeses and toppings. Pizza, especially New jersey of New York style, is the best worldwide. Deep dish pizza, Chicago style, is also very good, as are the hot dogs from Chicago and New York. Buffalo wings are great, although i don't eat them because of the fat content. I love, but rarely eat, pecan and apple pie. Reuben sandwiches are fabulous. Philly cheese steaks are great, and not that fattening. American food also means food from everywhere else, and everywhere there are restaurants that serve food from every country that is as good or better than the country of origin,mainly because the people that cook it are from those countries. I used to eat, weekly, Thai food from a restaurant in San Antonio that is as good as anything here. They are from Korat. There are at least 7 Thai restaurants in the San Antonio area , all with good food.

[problemfarang]

2 hours ago, ArnieP said:

Strange sense of humour. 

 

250฿ a day is around 7,500฿ a month. It would be limiting but not impossible to live on. Depending on location rent could be 3-5000฿, utilities 1000฿ (electric 750฿, water 50฿), the rest on food at home either self-cooked or street food takeaway, and transport. Not much scope for paid entertainment but overall doable.

 

well again its not much of a life or living, is it?

they are just doing it for get more attention and raise their watchers. If you come here and want to stay couple of weeks... maybe. But again, if you cannot see around or able to do things then why are you here. if you are living here then thats impossible. I dont think someone can live on eating rice and chicken for 55 baht per day and every day. 

Edited July 20, 2023 by problemfarang

[problemfarang]

1 minute ago, problemfarang said:

 

wrong post im sorry

Edited July 20, 2023 by problemfarang

[scubascuba3]

2 hours ago, fredwiggy said:

American food, meaning born in America, can be healthy or unhealthy. As far as being "good", that's personal. Millions enjoy Mexican food, especially in Texas where I came from before moving here, but some Mexican food is lousy, and some is great. Barbecue was born in America, and is fantastic, especially from Texas. Cheeseburgers are also delicious, especially with all the variety you can have from the meats, cheeses and toppings. Pizza, especially New jersey of New York style, is the best worldwide. Deep dish pizza, Chicago style, is also very good, as are the hot dogs from Chicago and New York. Buffalo wings are great, although i don't eat them because of the fat content. I love, but rarely eat, pecan and apple pie. Reuben sandwiches are fabulous. Philly cheese steaks are great, and not that fattening. American food also means food from everywhere else, and everywhere there are restaurants that serve food from every country that is as good or better than the country of origin,mainly because the people that cook it are from those countries. I used to eat, weekly, Thai food from a restaurant in San Antonio that is as good as anything here. They are from Korat. There are at least 7 Thai restaurants in the San Antonio area , all with good food.

yeah I'm sure it tastes good but it's not surprising so many in the US are overweight or obese, talk about fat content and too much food

[fredwiggy]

3 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

yeah I'm sure it tastes good but it's not surprising so many in the US are overweight or obese, talk about fat content and too much food

People are overweight in every country. It's the junk foods and inactivity. What might be surprising is that the countries leading the lists are the Pacific Islands, Nauru, Palau, Marshall Islands, Tuvalu, Tonga , Samoa, Micronesia etc. The US is ranked 10th, followed by many Middle eastern countries.

[4MyEgo]

On 7/17/2023 at 7:38 PM, sidjameson said:

My monthly costs are about 80% of what I estimated. How about yours?

My estimated monthly budget when I came here in 2015 doubled + 20% in the 8 years I have lived here, although I do try to keep a lid on it to around 60,000 baht per month, with a wife and kids, including domestic holidays and eating good quality home cooked mostly imported foods. It is still far cheaper than back home believe it or not.

 

In other words everything, and I mean everything costs me about 2,500 baht per day for wife and kids, no mortgage, no car repayments or health insurances.

 

Some might say that's not cheap, but like I said, we eat good quality imported foods, use good oils and drink moderately, that said, I would hazard a guess it would be more than double the above back in the old country from what friends have been tell me.

[ross163103]

2 hours ago, 4MyEgo said:

My estimated monthly budget when I came here in 2015 doubled + 20% in the 8 years I have lived here

Agree, when I first came here Thailand was a cheap place to live, not so much now days. But then again I've been here 30 years so in that time you have to expect prices to go up--just more than I thought they would. Also it depends on how you want to live, I live like a westerner not a Thai so spend quite a bit more than the average Thai would.

[sidjameson]

2 hours ago, ross163103 said:

Agree, when I first came here Thailand was a cheap place to live, not so much now days. But then again I've been here 30 years so in that time you have to expect prices to go up--just more than I thought they would. Also it depends on how you want to live, I live like a westerner not a Thai so spend quite a bit more than the average Thai would.

What things have gone up the most?

[Hummin]

7 minutes ago, sidjameson said:

What things have gone up the most?

Thai baht! 

 

 

[scubascuba3]

14 minutes ago, sidjameson said:

What things have gone up the most?

Probably healthcare costs

[giddyup]

On 7/17/2023 at 6:09 PM, scubascuba3 said:

Keep searching the street food places until you find what you want. I go to one place (Soup Nazi) who puts a lot of varied vegetables in my chicken vegetables on rice, I can't match that, 50 baht

Are all those vegetables free of chemicals, and been washed thoroughly in clean water?

[Hummin]

2 minutes ago, giddyup said:

Are all those vegetables free of chemicals, and been washed thoroughly in clean water?

Eat home, then you know what is done to the food. Even better if you grow and breed yourselves. 

[scubascuba3]

25 minutes ago, giddyup said:

Are all those vegetables free of chemicals, and been washed thoroughly in clean water?

Probably same everywhere, it's not something i overly worry about, i doubt our cause of death will be chemicals on vegetables

[Rhys]

Spend less... since buying a home and settling down... no more out and about...

[rickudon]

My calculated budget when I came in 2010 was 30,000 baht a month. Never happened. Actual was 40-50,000; There were lots of startup expenses, house was wife's, but a bare Thai house, needed to buy fridge, TV, kitchen utensils, furniture, HP for car, etc. The house was basically a lot of empty rooms! And then a daughter came along. Also some big 'one off's' like house improvements (one room at a time).

 

The good thing is it is still around 40-50,000 most months, as lots of those early expenses only happen when replacements needed. There are still a few 'one off's' but i limit it to one a year - digging fish ponds, still a few house improvements,  this year a family trip to UK. 

 

Food - used to eat out more, now mainly at home, Groceries were cheaper in the UK except for fresh food. UK prices didn't go up much first 10 years, except for eating out, but have exploded recently. In Thailand has gone in bursts - some items still the same as 10 years ago, others doubled.

 

 Cartagenawarlocks hatred of British food makes me think he was either raised in an institution or was in jail - still prefer some English. Back in  1960 food was boiled beef and carrots, but not any more! Wife and daughter liked the cooked English breakfast, and pies, strawberries and cream. Cakes and biscuits infinitely better than Thailand. Eating English or European is more expensive in Thailand (not counting restaurants) but still need that fix. Only thing i agree with Cartagena on is Macdonalds fillet of fish burger - my go to if eating there.