What is the cost of rearing a toddler in NE Thailand?

[RabidRenu]

What's the amount required per month to raise a toddler in North East Thailand?

[RabidRenu]

4 minutes ago, Ralf001 said:

How long is a piece of string ?

 

Food, milk, clothing, nappies, health - you know, the usual string length...

[KhunLA]

Way too many variables.   The basics, same as it would cost for you.  They won't eat as much, till a teen, but as youngin', will need other things you don't, as you noted.

 

Private schools can range from inexpensive, to silly price.   Along with after hours & weekend course being extra.   School transport can start to add up, unless finding a safe van driver.  Especially if living out of town.   For us, that was 70 kms a day (2X35 kms worth of petrol), till we found a safe van driver.  Then inexpensive.  Private school (non Uni) cost <฿30k-50k a year, not including transport, 2005-2017.

 

Our daughters Uni was inexpensive ... BUT ... not local, so housing & food was a lot extra.  Dorms were dumps, so she leased a condo, then add transport, if service wasn't provided.  All in Uni cost ฿30-35k a month, 7-3 yrs ago.

[Ralf001]

1 hour ago, RabidRenu said:

Food, milk, clothing, nappies, health - you know, the usual string length...

 

To a Thai standard or western ?

[SAFETY FIRST]

1 hour ago, RabidRenu said:

raise a toddler in North East Thailand?

My girlfriends child is mostly cared for by her mother in Ubon.

 

She gives her mother 5000 baht a month for child care, a few thousand baht for nappies and milk, then you have transport and hospital fees for vaccinations etc.

 

Not expensive. 

 

Edited June 23 by SAFETY FIRST

[KhunLA]

8 minutes ago, Ralf001 said:

 

To a Thai standard or western ?

What would be the difference ?   Same as in the 'west', you get what you pay for ... sometimes.

 

Would expect any farang/Thai family to be the same as any middle class Thai/Thai family, income & educational opportunity wise.

 

Not everyone needs or wants private schooling or Uni.   Many succeed quite well, picking a a trade on their own and then going self employment.   Same worldwide.

Edited June 23 by KhunLA

[BritManToo]

4 minutes ago, SAFETY FIRST said:

She gives her mother 5000 baht a month for child care, a few thousand baht for nappies and milk, then you have transport and hospital fees for vaccinations etc.

Vaccination/hospital is free for Thai children.

[SAFETY FIRST]

4 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

Vaccination/hospital is free for Thai children.

Yes, good point, just have to budget for transport to and from, maybe the occasional medication, paracetamol etc. 

 

Edited June 23 by SAFETY FIRST

[Ralf001]

11 minutes ago, KhunLA said:

 

 

Would expect any farang/Thai family to be the same as any middle class Thai/Thai family, income & educational opportunity wise.

 

 

 

Yes some clarity from the OP would be nice.... the string is long !

[RabidRenu]

1 minute ago, Ralf001 said:

 

Yes some clarity from the OP would be nice.... the string is long !

well, toddler (as mentioned) so not at school. So really food, clothing, utilities (home built and above middle class) so he doesn't need to pay rent, free sticky rice from the paddock.

[BritManToo]

25 minutes ago, RabidRenu said:

well, toddler (as mentioned) so not at school. So really food, clothing, utilities (home built and above middle class) so he doesn't need to pay rent, free sticky rice from the paddock.

It's only nappies and milk that will cost.

 

[msbkk]

24 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

It's only nappies and milk that will cost.

 

Mostly yes, but it adds up, especially milk powder.

[ezzra]

Are you asking in preparation to have one or you have one already? anyway, the cost is pretty much to the couple's affordability,

keeping in mind to provide the newborn with it's absolute necessities and than extra if you can afford them, and in time you'll learn

what is the best for you and the kid,

but nothing is too  much if you love the kid...

[pomchop]

I suspect the cost depends on who is giving you the quote and who is picking up the tab...for farang in west sending $$ every month a heck of a lot more than local mom sending money back to grandma who actually likely will raise the toddler.

 

Somebody has to also watch and tend to the kid so that person normally can not be gone all day/night working in a job....and that person also needs food and $$ to support the household while they stay home to take care.  Lots and lots of thai kids get raised by grandma and grandpa or even great grandma/pa.

[mokwit]

10,000 baht a month used to be the money demanded by Mama to raise the kid and its new motorbike and gold.

[SAFETY FIRST]

3 hours ago, SAFETY FIRST said:

a few thousand baht for nappies and milk

You'll find these items will be your biggest expense until the kid gets to school. 

 

[Photoguy21]

Define the parameters. Good quality clothes and food, private schooling. What are the criteria you are basin the question on?

[Yellowtail]

Not much in the scheme of things. I think it was about the biggest bargain of my life. 

 

Toddlers are not in school so that costs nothing.

They can also eat whatever you eat, but much less, so that costs very little. 

While they still need diapers there's that, but a dozen lasts a year and costs B200

Mostly they need loving and caring parents. 

 

 

[RabidRenu]

34 minutes ago, Photoguy21 said:

Define the parameters. Good quality clothes and food, private schooling. What are the criteria you are basin the question on?

all of these you mention

[Gottfrid]

4 hours ago, SAFETY FIRST said:

Yes, good point, just have to budget for transport to and from, maybe the occasional medication, paracetamol etc. 

 

Hospital and medicine is also free.

[billd766]

6 hours ago, RabidRenu said:

Food, milk, clothing, nappies, health - you know, the usual string length...

The string just got longer.

 

From what age to what age?

 

Is the toddler at kindergarten, at junior school or high school? Government or Private school? How many different types and how many different sets of school clothes would be needed? Don't forget normal out if school clothes as well.

 

Would you be taking the toddler to school yourself, sharing as part of a group or using school bus transport?

 

How about pocket money? Mine started at 20 baht a day and when he left high school at age 18 to go to university he was on 100 baht a day, Now starting he second year at uni I send him 18,000 baht a month for food, rent and living expenses plus pay his mobile phone bill.

 

The string gets longer still.

 

I live in rural Kamphaeng Phet which has similar costs to Issan and I have supported my wife for some 30 years and our son for over 20 years.

 

Neither come cheap, but they are really worth it.

Edited June 23 by billd766

[billd766]

1 hour ago, Celsius said:

Another Thai rip off Farang thread 

NO it isn't.

 

It is a perfectly reasonable and sensible question for any farang to ask, if they are paying to raise a child anywhere in the world. Even more so, if the farang father is not living with the mother and child in Thailand.

 

If you don't like the thread then simply skip it along with your pointless posts.

[RabidRenu]

40 minutes ago, billd766 said:

The string just got longer.

 

From what age to what age?

 

Is the toddler at kindergarten, at junior school or high school? Government or Private school? How many different types and how many different sets of school clothes would be needed? Don't forget normal out if school clothes as well.

 

Would you be taking the toddler to school yourself, sharing as part of a group or using school bus transport?

 

How about pocket money? Mine started at 20 baht a day and when he left high school at age 18 to go to university he was on 100 baht a day, Now starting he second year at uni I send him 18,000 baht a month for food, rent and living expenses plus pay his mobile phone bill.

 

The string gets longer still.

 

I live in rural Kamphaeng Phet which has similar costs to Issan and I have supported my wife for some 30 years and our son for over 20 years.

 

Neither come cheap, but they are really worth it.

Thank you for your kind and considered response, a rare thing on this mucky forum of bored ol' stale try hard insensitive comedians.

 

[ElwoodP]

Unhelpful and off topic posts removed.

[billd766]

41 minutes ago, RabidRenu said:

Thank you for your kind and considered response, a rare thing on this mucky forum of bored ol' stale try hard insensitive comedians.

 

It was a good and sensible question but with too many variables to put an accurate figure on.

 

For example a pack of pampers in a 7/11 would be more expensive than a similar or larger pack in BigC or Makro, and even more expensive in Robinsons.

 

Similarly  a village government school is a little cheaper than a city government school and much cheaper than a private school, depending on the distance and the private school may also be a boarding school which, is even more expensive as there would be the cost of boarding, food etc.

 

I am glad that you did ask the question, as it forced me to think about how much it has cost me to raise mine until age 21 with 2 more years to go.

[Photoguy21]

On 6/23/2024 at 12:19 PM, RabidRenu said:

all of these you mention

I would guess something like 50 to 60000 Baht a year. University depends on which one but you would be looking at something like 90000+ Baht a year depending on course, location accommodation and food etc. would be closer to 120,000 Baht and up per year

[Bangel72]

Some families are likely doing it on a couple of thousand baht a month on the cheapest of cheap things with support from village and temple. Maybe an impact on long term health, mental growth etc that goes with being poor.

 

When older and eating same food as family in can be cheaper as its often just some extra rice and chicken at the family meal that's not noticed, free local village school etc, no trips. 5k to granny seems common

 

Now if its younger then they have special addition costs, if your goal is not the lowest amount but an amount that lets the family take care of the kid and keep it healthy. Lazada bought Milk 2k a month, semi-solid food packages 3k, nappies 2k, monthly transport to doc etc. So 10k a month to mother or family may be pretty close, accept risk they may go cheap and use money elsewhere so order direct for the kid where you can.

 

Now if its more about sending support to someone else for your own kid. Consider the alternative, if the kid came to you what would be your costs. It's likely you'd have the above plus full time nanny costs above this so you end up closer to 25k.

 

School cost can start later, though many schools have 3 year old entry options, pretty much day care.

 

If you have responsibility and you want to take it seriously look for something between what it would cost to be with you and what the basic costs would be, potential win/win but keep an eye on any money you are sending so it going where it should.

 

[kwilco]

Jeeez! Some people talk like they're raising a dog!

[norsurin]

I raised up 2 of my own kids in thailand. Didnt cost alot.After 3 years we moved to my country. Been here for 17 years now.Good education and both working too...Never ever regret that decition.