Modest drinker, no p4p, 60k month. Where can my friend afford live?

[DaveBart]

I live in Thayang Phetchaburi Provence , been here over 8 years married to a great Thai lady,we rent a large 2 bedroomed house for 5000 baht a month wi fi included,we eat out maybe 4 times a week sometimes western food sometimes Thai food,on average we spend about 25000 a month and live a good lifestyle that suits us

[scubascuba3]

1 hour ago, BusyB said:

Agreed, but it mostly is. It's an industry. The product is clear. And it is generally boring and predictable.

not for me, you need to change what you're doing, maybe you're just jaded

[QuantumQuandry]

36 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

Where in the Philippines would you move to and why?

Hey, that's a great question!  Unfortunately, I haven't lived in enough places to provide a very comprehensive answer.  But I am happy to share the little I know or have heard.

 

I lived primarily in Angeles City.  It's a small/medium sized area that is all about the girly bars.  Think Pattaya without the beach and like a third the size.  What I like about it is that it's very foreigner friendly, with many western restaurants and groceries, as well as an airport (that recently resumed flying straight to BKK).  Personally, I would go back there because I like the westernized aspects and I don't mind the red light district atmosphere.

 

There are some nicer areas of Angeles City, like Pulu Amsic, but I personally like to be near the craziness because I love to people watch.  If you want to go a bit farther out, there is San Fernando which is quite nice but not quite as westernized.  They do have an S&R, though (as does Angeles), which is a re-branded CostCo and has imported groceries at reasonable prices.

 

There is also Subic Bay, close to Angeles.  This used to be kind of what Ban Chang is to Pattaya, except AC doesn't have a beach and Subic does.  But it's smaller,  slower paced and used to be cheaper.  Not sure if it still is cheaper or not.  I am not a beach guy and Subic is too small for me, personally, but everyone has different priorities/preferences.

 

I have known a lot of people (more the young, professional types) who lived in Makati/BGC, which are like relatively rich, western bubbles in Manila.  I wouldn't live in the rest of Manila as the traffic and pollution are pretty bad.  But if you stay within the Makati/BGC bubble, things are quite upscale there.  It would be significantly more expensive than the rest of the Philippines, though.

 

Another attractive option might be Cebu or the suburbs of Cebu.  It's another large city and while it has a few bars, it's not built around them, the way Angeles is (well, the foreigner parts of Angeles, anyway).  And it has suburbs where you can pick your own price and comfort level, as far as city living goes.

 

There are also relatively developed provinces, or areas within provinces, that are cheaper without being poverty zones.  I am not as familiar with these but places like Cagayan De Oro, Tagaytay or Pangasinan, for example.

 

For me, and just knowing what I like (medium/large cities with expat restos/groceries), I would visit Cebu if I didn't want to live in Angeles, anymore, and see how it fit me.  After that, maybe San Fernando.

 

 

[NextG]

5 hours ago, Dene16 said:

It's called humour, you must be a bundle of joy to be with

All those obese, ugly, aging foreigner's i see with their 20+ year age gap partners must have just got lucky when out visiting yet another look alike Temple.

Why is it that Pattaya, pre covid, with no beach, no family facilities, had 9.5 million visitors

That was nearly half the amount of tourists entering Thailand, they weren't coming for the culture, or the non existent sightseeing, were they?

I am sorry if the facts are not to your liking but that's life.

Not everyone's the same but most of them that visit Thailand are, whether you like it or not

 

 

I call BS

There was no good humour involved then, as there is none in your reply above. 

 

This is the post to which you replied:

   20 hours ago,  Nick Carter icp said: 

There are other things in life , not just females .

He may not want to have a girlfriend , he may not need a female to walk around holding his hand 

This was your reply:
 

“Is there?

No real point in coming to Thailand then, may as well stay in his home country, or at least go to a country with less restrictions concerning visas and ownership. “
 

Where is the good humour there? 

By inference you were suggesting that there are no other reasons to be in Thailand other than the availability of females. 
An insult to Thailand. 
Worse still, you try to cover up your faux pas by delivering an insult to ‘obese farangs’. 
There was no good humour, but just an unpleasant character revealed. 

[JayClay]

50 minutes ago, AgMech Cowboy said:

"no p4p" means... Purina for Professionals or Pay for Performance? Give me a break, I've no clue what you're on about

No. No. And yes you do.

[spidermike007]

1 hour ago, bignok said:

Depends on gf style.

I suppose you are right. But, no matter how modest the woman is, I find that she will order dishes I would not, at a restaurant. And she needs her cosmetics and skin creams, there are always medical or dental costs, emergencies, etc., etc. It adds up. Trips cost more. As a rule of thumb, I like to say it costs 20 to 30 thousand baht a month to maintain a GF here. More if she is young and fine. Not an issue for many. But for a guy on a 60k a month budget, she will be a major luxury. 

[bignok]

Yeah i think skin creams will add up. Better off just saying here's 500 baht for the day thats it.

[NextG]

12 minutes ago, spidermike007 said:

I suppose you are right. But, no matter how modest the woman is, I find that she will order dishes I would not, at a restaurant. And she needs her cosmetics and skin creams, there are always medical or dental costs, emergencies, etc., etc. It adds up. Trips cost more. As a rule of thumb, I like to say it costs 20 to 30 thousand baht a month to maintain a GF here. More if she is young and fine. Not an issue for many. But for a guy on a 60k a month budget, she will be a major luxury. 

Sounds like a pet… but one with whom you can have sex. 

[NextG]

1 hour ago, Cardinalblue1958 said:

Obviously you are not living in a Land & Houses or equivalent development…

 

are you enjoying your pool, tennis courts and gym?

 

any issues with soi dogs or break away window bars?

 

 

 

A foolish post IMHO…

[newnative]

20 hours ago, cnx1204 said:

Are you saying Modest Drinker has an income of only 60,000 baht a month?

 

My immediate reaction is that 60,000 baht a month will not let him live comfortable unless he is comfortable in a studio apartment, eats and drinks at home, and has no underlying medical condition.  Toss in transportation, utilities, cell phone/internet........ Comfortable life Thai style but not western

 

Of course with that small of an income, he will have to have the 800K in the bank for his visa.

 

     I'm wondering what 'comfortable life', 'Thai style', 'western', or otherwise, he would be leading in the west on 60,000 baht, or around $1,666 a month.  Likely something bigger than the 'studio apartment' you mentioned, in the US would cost at least $1,500 a month in a decent project, not including your 'utilities, cell phone/internet'.  But, even including them in the $1500, that leaves just $166, or about $5.35 a day, to spend on everything else.  Is that going to be a 'comfortable life'?  I think not.  

    In comparison, he could move to Pattaya and rent a small 1 bedroom condo at, say, Centric Sea, a decent project, for around 11,000 baht a month.  Maybe another 3,000 baht for 'utilities, cell phone/internet'.  Good location, easy walk to either Central Festival Mall or Terminal 21, with lots of reasonable restaurant choices, shops, banks, movies in English, etc.   That leaves him with 46,000 baht a month, or 1,483 baht a day.  About $41.   Will he be living like a king?  No.  But, he'll have a roof over his head, free gyms, swimming pools, and  several sky lounges to use.  Plus, more walking around money each day--$41 vs. $5.35.  

    I've said it before, if you have a tight budget in many cases you're better off here than in the west.  Obviously, on a small budget you're not going to be living large in either place.  But, with limited funds I'd rather be in Thailand than just about any western country.  I'd rather have $41 in my pocket in Thailand each day to spend than $5 and change in the US.

[KannikaP]

22 hours ago, nglodnig said:

Mr. Pedant here but he needs minimum 65k month for retirement visa (unless he does it as lump sum)

Or your IO accepts the Combination eg Bht 320k in the bank and Bht 40k per month is just Bht 800k. Mine does.

[Iamloki]

22 hours ago, cnx1204 said:

Are you saying Modest Drinker has an income of only 60,000 baht a month?

 

My immediate reaction is that 60,000 baht a month will not let him live comfortable unless he is comfortable in a studio apartment, eats and drinks at home, and has no underlying medical condition.  Toss in transportation, utilities, cell phone/internet........ Comfortable life Thai style but not western

 

Of course with that small of an income, he will have to have the 800K in the bank for his visa.

 

No. At 60K per month he would only need 80K thb in the bank. 800,000 - (60,000*12) = 80,000. Of course he will want to be sure his monthly transfers into the Thai bank are marked FTT. I'm not sure how it works for the first entry.

 

At 60K he should do okay just about anywhere there aren't a ton of farang. I'm up north and have a Thai friend in Phayao Province with a decent 2/1/1 for rent @ 1,000thb per month. I'm in Chiang Rai & know of 3 houses in my muban  3/2/1 for 7,000... If one really wanted, it is easy to spend 50K per month here... but why?

 

Clearly, it depends on where and how one wants to live. If you want to be in BKK and want like Park Ave NYC... a boat load more that 60K will be needed... So... with a bit of thought and a bunch of research your friend should be fine.

 

 

Edited October 5, 2023 by Iamloki
correct an error

[BritManToo]

2 hours ago, Cardinalblue1958 said:

Obviously you are not living in a Land & Houses or equivalent development…

are you enjoying your pool, tennis courts and gym?

any issues with soi dogs or break away window bars?

Swimming pool is in the next Soi, 40bht to use. I prefer cycling to tennis or gym, 25Km 2x a week to the local lake.

Dogs are not allowed on our estate, my wife runs the housing committee, and has any dogs roaming removed by the Amphur next day. No crime in the past 10 years.

I've very content living here, quiet, rural, plenty of shops and a market within  200m. 

 

Swimming pool.

 

HuayJo Lake.

 

Housing estate park

Edited October 5, 2023 by BritManToo

[Iamloki]

3 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

Swimming pool is in the next Soi, 40bht to use. I prefer cycling to tennis or gym, 25Km 2x a week to the local lake.

Dogs are not allowed on our estate, my wife runs the housing committee, and has any dogs roaming removed by the Amphur next day.

Swimming pool.

 

HuayJo Lake.

 

Housing estate park

 

I am very happy for you BritMan... are you trying to live on 60K per month?

 

Me personally? I live in a muban - no soi dogs, no pool either 555. The park is about 15 minutes away, but people walk, run and bike in the muban... There are a couple pools to pick from within about 15 minutes.

 

Anyway, I'm sorry if my post upset you. It was geared toward someone looking to come here on 60K per month. Cheers!

[BritManToo]

24 minutes ago, Iamloki said:

am very happy for you BritMan... are you trying to live on 60K per month?

I spend less than 50kbht/month, the rest of my pension just sits accumulating in my UK bank account. Without the wife and my son, I'd be spending less than 30kbht/month.

As @spidermike007 says, having a Thai lady costs lots, but it's not as if I'd spend it on anything else.

Edited October 5, 2023 by BritManToo

[arithai12]

22 hours ago, OneMoreFarang said:

"no p4p"

Does that mean no girlfriend of wife?

Not everybody is in a threesome.

Seriously, I also wondered.

[NextG]

15 minutes ago, Iamloki said:

I am very happy for you BritMan... are you trying to live on 60K per month?

 

Me personally? I live in a muban - no soi dogs, no pool either 555. The park is about 15 minutes away, but people walk, run and bike in the muban... There are a couple pools to pick from within about 15 minutes.

 

Anyway, I'm sorry if my post upset you. It was geared toward someone looking to come here on 60K per month. Cheers!

Why would you think your post upset him? He wasn’t even replying to your post at that time. 

[Irish star]

On 10/4/2023 at 4:43 PM, sidjameson said:

He's about 60. Sensible. Wants nice life of course.

Thailand is more expensive of course and 60k isn't what it used to be. 

Which parts of Thailand can he afford and not afford?

Isaan and you need 65,000

[Irish star]

2 hours ago, QuantumQuandry said:

Hey, that's a great question!  Unfortunately, I haven't lived in enough places to provide a very comprehensive answer.  But I am happy to share the little I know or have heard.

 

I lived primarily in Angeles City.  It's a small/medium sized area that is all about the girly bars.  Think Pattaya without the beach and like a third the size.  What I like about it is that it's very foreigner friendly, with many western restaurants and groceries, as well as an airport (that recently resumed flying straight to BKK).  Personally, I would go back there because I like the westernized aspects and I don't mind the red light district atmosphere.

 

There are some nicer areas of Angeles City, like Pulu Amsic, but I personally like to be near the craziness because I love to people watch.  If you want to go a bit farther out, there is San Fernando which is quite nice but not quite as westernized.  They do have an S&R, though (as does Angeles), which is a re-branded CostCo and has imported groceries at reasonable prices.

 

There is also Subic Bay, close to Angeles.  This used to be kind of what Ban Chang is to Pattaya, except AC doesn't have a beach and Subic does.  But it's smaller,  slower paced and used to be cheaper.  Not sure if it still is cheaper or not.  I am not a beach guy and Subic is too small for me, personally, but everyone has different priorities/preferences.

 

I have known a lot of people (more the young, professional types) who lived in Makati/BGC, which are like relatively rich, western bubbles in Manila.  I wouldn't live in the rest of Manila as the traffic and pollution are pretty bad.  But if you stay within the Makati/BGC bubble, things are quite upscale there.  It would be significantly more expensive than the rest of the Philippines, though.

 

Another attractive option might be Cebu or the suburbs of Cebu.  It's another large city and while it has a few bars, it's not built around them, the way Angeles is (well, the foreigner parts of Angeles, anyway).  And it has suburbs where you can pick your own price and comfort level, as far as city living goes.

 

There are also relatively developed provinces, or areas within provinces, that are cheaper without being poverty zones.  I am not as familiar with these but places like Cagayan De Oro, Tagaytay or Pangasinan, for example.

 

For me, and just knowing what I like (medium/large cities with expat restos/groceries), I would visit Cebu if I didn't want to live in Angeles, anymore, and see how it fit me.  After that, maybe San Fernando.

 

 

No Ganja , No Philippines 

[OneMoreFarang]

1 hour ago, Sticky Rice Balls said:

google maps.....or ill show him ---free of charge....   somehow ive managed 15 yrs without p4p

Interesting that you think girlfriend and p4p is the same.

Obviously it's possible to manage many situations alone. But there is an advantage to learn lots of details from a local friend. 

[bignok]

30 minutes ago, Irish star said:

Isaan and you need 65,000

30,000 on pills to overcome the boredom?

[Expat68]

23 hours ago, scubascuba3 said:

There is a reason Pattaya is popular, lots of cheap accommodation, food, activities, everything. Many people live on less than 60k a month.

 

It's gets more expensive if you follow the script, buy a pick up, rent a girlfriend monthly,marry, build a house on their land 555. Avoid all that and it's no problem

If you are happy eating like a thai/enjoy cooking yourself, not a big drinker/partygoer then there are plenty of options living away from Pattaya, in fact when I visit my friend in Pattaya some of the most unhappy looking people I have seen live there

[Iamloki]

1 hour ago, NextG said:

Why would you think your post upset him? He wasn’t even replying to your post at that time. 

555 My mistake. The notification link brought me to his post. Thanks for letting me know.

[spidermike007]

2 hours ago, NextG said:

Sounds like a pet… but one with whom you can have sex. 

Women are expensive. Regardless of who they are. They need to be taken care of. 

[Nick Carter icp]

7 minutes ago, spidermike007 said:

Women are expensive. Regardless of who they are. They need to be taken care of. 

These days, woman can fend for themselves and don't need a man to give them money .

   Woman are self sufficient these days and can take care of themselves 

[bignok]

1 minute ago, Nick Carter icp said:

These days, woman can fend for themselves and don't need a man to give them money .

   Woman are self sufficient these days and can take care of themselves 

Most Thai women cant

[Nick Carter icp]

2 minutes ago, bignok said:

Most Thai women cant

You paying them to be with you is their job , so they are self sufficient. You are paying for a service they are providing = Self sufficiency  

[scubascuba3]

40 minutes ago, Expat68 said:

If you are happy eating like a thai/enjoy cooking yourself, not a big drinker/partygoer then there are plenty of options living away from Pattaya, in fact when I visit my friend in Pattaya some of the most unhappy looking people I have seen live there

unfortunately i haven't been given the authority to filter out the riff raff from Pattaya

[bignok]

42 minutes ago, Expat68 said:

If you are happy eating like a thai/enjoy cooking yourself, not a big drinker/partygoer then there are plenty of options living away from Pattaya, in fact when I visit my friend in Pattaya some of the most unhappy looking people I have seen live there

Hua Hin has lots of unhappy looking people.

[scubascuba3]

2 hours ago, NextG said:

Sounds like a pet… but one with whom you can have sex. 

Sounds about right plus thai girls curl up like cats