Monthly budget in Thailand

[BritManToo]

5 minutes ago, London Boy said:

I agree with OntheLash. Having a child, and paying international school fees, dramatically increases costs. I spend around 200k a month atm and that's just with one child.

Not sure about that,

My 12yo is in a CEP class (Chinese an English project) at a Thai  government high school (24 in the class), he is fluent in Thai and English, and learning Chinese fairly well. Fees are 8kbht a term (5kbht this first year for uniforms and shoes), bus is 1,300bht/month, and he gets 100bht/day for food and snacks. We also pay a teacher from his school for 3 private lessons a week to improve his Thai reading and writing 500bht/week.

 

Total costs under 5kbht/month.

[BritManToo]

15 hours ago, KhunLA said:

Wife, now, being 22 yrs my junior, hence the house, solar & EVs, so she's set for quite some time, as all new.

Why the monthly bills structured to be silly inexpensive.  Kid's out of Uni, self employed, hooked up and living her life @ Krung Thep, so I'm on retirement # 2 

Actually did everything I ever wanted to do before I retired.  Now the family thing is checked off, so this is all new to me 

Same for me, plus I paid for her to attend high school and University, my Thai wife tells me I'm the best Dad she ever had!

Edited July 3 by BritManToo

[Celsius]

21 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

As a pensioner nearing death (like most forum members), I'd like to know why I need to save 45kbht a month?

 

You will live 100 years. I know your type.

[Stocky]

18 hours ago, susanlea said:

Walk free

Reading free

Gym can be free

Riding a bicycle can be free

Motorbike cheap

120 baht massage

Watermelon shake 35 baht

 

Why do you need to spend lots of money to have fun?

 

Most people buy crap they dont need or pay 5 to 10 times the cost price in expensive restaurants.

 

 

But if you've worked hard to earn money are you not entitled to spend it?  Whilst I admire your frugality it's not how I, or many others, wish to live their lives. I don't consider my lifestyle especially extravagant but it does consume about Bht100,000 per month.

[Gottfrid]

1 hour ago, susanlea said:

Which info did I twist? Is the house and car in your name? Does your wife pay half the food bills? 

Yes, now that she run a shop, we put same much in for cover the shared bills. Of course the house is not in my name, as that is not lawfully possible in Thailand. But, no big deal, as a man usually lose the house in a divorce with a western woman when kids are involved. The car is in my name.

[susanlea]

12 minutes ago, Stocky said:

But if you've worked hard to earn money are you not entitled to spend it?  Whilst I admire your frugality it's not how I, or many others, wish to live their lives. I don't consider my lifestyle especially extravagant but it does consume about Bht100,000 per month.

Depends how old you are and whether you need to spend to have fun. No wrong answer.

[jerrymahoney]

42 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

No doubt silicone 

Well gee I never saw that one coming.

[scubascuba3]

23 minutes ago, Stocky said:

But if you've worked hard to earn money are you not entitled to spend it?  Whilst I admire your frugality it's not how I, or many others, wish to live their lives. I don't consider my lifestyle especially extravagant but it does consume about Bht100,000 per month.

How do you spend 100k a month? not easy, maybe with family and school fees

[Bangel72]

Been Bangkok 20 years and its always been around the same  80 - 100k a month.

 

Times have changes, cheaper accommodation, living with a partner, being single, moving slightly away from main area, now with kid and school costs.

 

The amount though has stayed the same throughout 80 to 100k, lifestyle just adjusted and traded some things for others but have never felt I'm living cheaply or missing out on anything.

 

Only time I dropped below that was when I was not working and saving, might have been closer to 60k then but with kid on tow now, that might be challenging.

 

Outside Bangkok, I suspect easily half that maybe less if I stayed at village house, not much there to spend things on even if I had spare cash.

[susanlea]

5 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

How do you spend 100k a month? not easy, maybe with family and school fees

80,000 hard to do unless kids. Your budget of 35,000 looks reasonable. If you rented still only be 45,000. 

[cdemundo]

21 hours ago, susanlea said:

My favourite restaurant in Bangkok has great 69 baht meals. 3 a day is 207 baht.

what restaurant is that?

[susanlea]

Just now, cdemundo said:

what restaurant is that?

Curry shop. Fairly small but great curries. Every dish is around the same price. Friendly service. The quality is 8 or 9 out of ten. For the price a bargain. Only ever saw one other farang in it. Like to keep it that way. The area is 99.5% Thai. If in the area I eat there everyday. 

[ujayujay]

Living with GF and Dog:

 

House                         17,500 Baht/Month

Maintenance                  500

Food                           15,000

Own old Car                3,000

Electric/Water              1,200

Household Money     10,000

 

Hua Hin Westcoast.

 

Edited July 3 by ujayujay

[Yellowtail]

8 minutes ago, cdemundo said:

what restaurant is that?

Not unusual. 

[Ben Zioner]

15 hours ago, Hummin said:

Decent living with Kitchen facilities you cant get below 15 000 - 18 000,- a month. 800 baht electric and water  additional.

 

Decent quality food for home cooking 12 000

1500 a month for gym

 

29 300,-

 

 

Yea, and what are you doing all day long?

[Fat is a type of crazy]

25 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

How do you spend 100k a month? not easy, maybe with family and school fees

One subset of people where 100,000 is not enough are those that would keep a presence in their home country, added travel costs, maintain first rate health insurance, and when in Thailand have additional expenses as they live more like a long term tourist who wants to enjoy retirement on those terms rather than someone who considers Thailand their home and settles down as such.  

[susanlea]

3 minutes ago, Ben Zioner said:

Yea, and what are you doing all day long?

He talks to me a lot.

[Hummin]

16 minutes ago, Ben Zioner said:

Yea, and what are you doing all day long?

I think me and the one who I replied to,  described basic cost before spendings for fun, traveling and insurance.

 

I have lived in new appartments for 3500, but it is not sustainable for longer periods, due to noise and the people it attracts for living there. 

 

 

Edited July 3 by Hummin

[susanlea]

1 hour ago, BritManToo said:

As a pensioner nearing death (like most forum members), I'd like to know why I need to save 45kbht a month?

How do you know most people are close to death?

[BritManToo]

Just now, susanlea said:

How do you know most people are close to death?

Isn't that the definition of pensioner?

[susanlea]

Just now, BritManToo said:

Isn't that the definition of pensioner?

How old is Clint Eastwood?

[Yellowtail]

4 minutes ago, susanlea said:

How do you know most people are close to death?

Unless they are already dead, everyone is getting closer death. 

 

 

[Hummin]

5 minutes ago, susanlea said:

How old is Clint Eastwood?

Clint will die with his boots on, he is not yet retired. 

 

What is Clint Eastwood doing now in 2024?

He's currently directing and producing (2024) the upcoming movie Juror No.15. apr. 2024

Edited July 3 by Hummin

[susanlea]

Just now, Hummin said:

Clint will die with his boots on, he is not yet retired. 

 

 

But he is probably 30 years older than the average age on here. Maybe retirement brings death on sooner due to boredom and no meaningful experiences in life?

[Gottfrid]

2 hours ago, susanlea said:

You are living in denial. 90% of people would say you bought a wife. I'm not the weird one. I'm in the majority. 

I just waited a while before answering this one. Now you can take a look at your replies, which have negative emoji´s, and then you compare that to mine you replied to, that have positive emoji´s.

Think that is a good pointer to where the majority falls. Or maybe, you just have another stupid remark out of sync with reality for that too.

[susanlea]

3 minutes ago, Hummin said:

What is Clint Eastwood doing now in 2024?

He's currently directing and producing (2024) the upcoming movie Juror No.15. apr. 2024

Bit of a legend really. Not sitting in crappy bars whinging about Trump.

[Hummin]

1 hour ago, Celsius said:

 

You will live 100 years. I know your type.

Grumpy men live longest

 

3 minutes ago, susanlea said:

But he is probably 30 years older than the average age on here. Maybe retirement brings death on sooner due to boredom and no meaningful experiences in life?

Exactly, I'm going back to work as long I can. 

Edited July 3 by Hummin

[KhunLA]

1 hour ago, scubascuba3 said:

How do you spend 100k a month? not easy, maybe with family and school fees

Easy to spend if you have bills, mortgage/rent/car and or MB loans, kids in school and support partner's family.   Might even need 200k 

 

But myself & wife w/dog ... don't know how I would spend the ฿2700 baht a day extra.   With all of 2k baht mandatory monthly bills, leaves 98k to play with.  15k for mandatory food, leaving ฿83k

 

฿83k left, (actually about what my Soc Sec is, depending on exchange rate).   In USA, yes, that would be easy.  One night hotel stay.   Last O&A, think most expensive room was ฿1000/$27, meal, maybe ฿800/$21

 

Even a full day of driving, 4- hrs, (320 kms) only cost ฿375 (EV)

 

Can't remember last time a room cost >฿2k or a meal >฿1k.  We don't do big metros or tourist areas.  I guess if we stayed on the road, everyday, in a hotel, dined out, we'd spend ฿100k a month.  That's not looking for any bargains and being thrifty, and still think we'd have plenty left over.   If I ate western food w/alcohol, then it would be a lot easier to spend ฿100k a month, when O&A, but not from home.

 

That would be holiday mode though.   We like our bed, our food, and the view from the veranda, along with 5 ish minutes from surfside.  

 

At least the wife has stopped asking me, why we go O&A, on holiday, when we moved to our favorite holiday location in TH ... hmm  

Edited July 3 by KhunLA

[Yellowtail]

As long as you have more "in the bank" at the end of the year than the start, that's all that really matters. 

[bob smith]

1 minute ago, Yellowtail said:

As long as you have more "in the bank" at the end of the year than the start, that's all that really matters. 

...you all about the money, honey?

 

bob.