Pocket money for my son

[ChaiyaTH]

Just thinking about this, in addition to school costs of like 15-20K, and then clothing, phone, a sport or music as a hobby, pocket money, birthday parties, how does this not bankrupt like 95% of the people? Or is everyone here magically earning so much on average? I mean I am not doing that bad, I earn like 180-250K a month but I came from nothing and all these future fixed costs just shock me every time.

It often seems that with all these additional 'child costs', specially as they age towards also doing sports or music, having their own mind etc + a billingual school at least, the costs aside of normal Thai rent and utilities, basically equal the costs of renting in Europe too, while school etc etc is then free. And the taxes that would needed to be paid, would actually also provide health care and a small pension + money in case of sickness etc. 

This while Thailand now soon also considers to tax, not that I am worried or believing it until seeing it being enforced. Am I alone with these thoughts? 

In regards to pocket money, I'd guess if around age 13 or so, I would give at least 2K a month. Could also do a lower fixed amount of like 1K and then for helping out once a week 250 each time more.

[JeffersLos]

I was working at 13!!

 

He's lazy. Get him out working for his money. Money for nothing, no wonder the current lot are disgusting! Get him working! 

[Will B Good]

13 hours ago, stoner said:

 

so you were sneaking onto the golf course and playing without paying. 

 

 

555....No...I was joshing.

[steven100]

On 8/2/2024 at 9:56 AM, jvs said:

I would not just give him pocket money but i would teach him about money also.

I would give him the monthly average of the water and electricity bill plus maybe

1000 baht but no more.

As you said 2000?That is a lot of money all at once and it does not matter how much you can afford but how he deals with it .

Maybe also include clothing money and other things you are paying for him.

Why should you make him pay for water and elec?

So he learns to turn of the lights and when the elec.bill is lower he has more to spend on other things.

Teach them young!

 

are you joking ?  ......   1000 baht is around 33 baht / day ..    he can't buy too much for 33 baht  !!

 

give him 2000 .... have him do odd jobs around the condo/house or whatever.  

 

that's 66 baht a day ...   that is fair. 

 

1000 is laughable ....    and a cheap charlie ...    that's for damn sure.  

[jvs]

10 minutes ago, steven100 said:

 

are you joking ?  ......   1000 baht is around 33 baht / day ..    he can't buy too much for 33 baht  !!

 

give him 2000 .... have him do odd jobs around the condo/house or whatever.  

 

that's 66 baht a day ...   that is fair. 

 

1000 is laughable ....    and a cheap charlie ...    that's for damn sure.  

Really you would want to make him work for it?

talk about cheap charlie.

[steven100]

1 minute ago, jvs said:

Really you would want to make him work for it?

talk about cheap charlie.

 having him do some odd jobs makes him learn life isn't free,  it teaches him that he has to do jobs to get pocket money.   But I think 2000 is enough.    When I say odd jobs, I mean like clean the balcony,  cut the grass if any,  tidy up the garage..... simple jobs. 

and he'll respect you for it,   if you give him 1000,  he'll laugh. 

[Gottfrid]

On 8/2/2024 at 9:39 AM, PoorSucker said:

He's 13 this year, how much should I give him....

Posting here because prices are different on Koh Samui compared to Pattaya where I live now.

If I give him 2000 baht per month is it spoiling him or is 1000 baht enough.

Thanks for advice...

Yeah, I have a 12 year old daughter, that are going first year in high school. It all depends, as 1000 baht can be fine, as 2000 baht or more can be fine too. I don´t know your situation regarding school. My daughter goes in private school, and have to buy lunch everyday. Not much, but ends up with 25-40 baht a day, and maybe she want a juice or a tea/coffee from the school shop during the day. That might be 20-25 baht more. After school, I can be a little late sometimes, but she don´t mind as many of her friends are there after school as well. Just outside the school gates, they have a very popular and modern café/eatery. That might be another 30-40 baht. As we can see, the day can total around a 100 baht.

Just giving her a 1000 will not cover much in our situation. I do give both my younger daughter and the high school one a 1000 baht each per month. After that, I send them with daily money for things they buy in school. For the older one it usually total 1000 + 2000. For the younger one she have food included in school, so that totals 1000 + 1000 as she buy something in her school shop, a private school where they also have a café that are ran by the school. So about 100 baht extra a day for high school and about 40-50 baht extra for the younger one.

[ChaiyaTH]

21 hours ago, Gottfrid said:

Yeah, I have a 12 year old daughter, that are going first year in high school. It all depends, as 1000 baht can be fine, as 2000 baht or more can be fine too. I don´t know your situation regarding school. My daughter goes in private school, and have to buy lunch everyday. Not much, but ends up with 25-40 baht a day, and maybe she want a juice or a tea/coffee from the school shop during the day. That might be 20-25 baht more. After school, I can be a little late sometimes, but she don´t mind as many of her friends are there after school as well. Just outside the school gates, they have a very popular and modern café/eatery. That might be another 30-40 baht. As we can see, the day can total around a 100 baht.

Just giving her a 1000 will not cover much in our situation. I do give both my younger daughter and the high school one a 1000 baht each per month. After that, I send them with daily money for things they buy in school. For the older one it usually total 1000 + 2000. For the younger one she have food included in school, so that totals 1000 + 1000 as she buy something in her school shop, a private school where they also have a café that are ran by the school. So about 100 baht extra a day for high school and about 40-50 baht extra for the younger one.

That is called lunch money, not pocket money. Pocket money is supposed for the person to do fun things aside of all you mentioned, and to learn how the world and money works / having to do something for money in return.

 

For example to save up and buy a new playstation game, buy some tuning thing for his/her bike etc etc etc.

[brewsterbudgen]

Just now, ChaiyaTH said:

That is called lunch money, not pocket money. Pocket money is supposed for the person to do fun things aside of all you mentioned, and to learn how the world and money works / having to do something for money in return.

 

Correct.  My 9-year-old gets 40 baht a day for school snacks and 50 baht a week for pocket money.

[ChaiyaTH]

22 hours ago, steven100 said:

 having him do some odd jobs makes him learn life isn't free,  it teaches him that he has to do jobs to get pocket money.   But I think 2000 is enough.    When I say odd jobs, I mean like clean the balcony,  cut the grass if any,  tidy up the garage..... simple jobs. 

and he'll respect you for it,   if you give him 1000,  he'll laugh. 

Yeah well that is truth at the end of the day anyway, isn't it? It is mainly This being so ignorant and lazy, that causes them often to be suffering due to their finances. There is a huge shortage to even find people cleaning up a place, which easily could pay 1-2K baht per day if doing 3-4 condo's.

 

If it was only allowed for foreigners to work, this country would be running pretty well within a year with a huge service industry. I think it could give a kid a good idea of potential, even they could be the owner rather than the actual worker.

 

Still better than working with 6 people in a tiny 7/11, having to share the income making the pay so bad... If they were actually competent it should mean they could easily earn 25-30K a month working there.

[Gottfrid]

2 hours ago, ChaiyaTH said:

That is called lunch money, not pocket money. Pocket money is supposed for the person to do fun things aside of all you mentioned, and to learn how the world and money works / having to do something for money in return.

 

For example to save up and buy a new playstation game, buy some tuning thing for his/her bike etc etc etc.

Did you read anything more than lunch? I referred to coffee or tea, instead of free water and also money for café after school time. Just included lunch money to sum it up. If you just have tried to use one brain cell, you would have figured that out.

[FritsSikkink]

10 thb per day per year => 13 = 130 thb per day 

when young paid daily, later weekly

[FritsSikkink]

8 hours ago, ChaiyaTH said:

If it was only allowed for foreigners to work,

it is