The eternal battle: how much does it cost to live in Thailand.

[KhunLA]

2 minutes ago, Yellowtail said:

The labor department mandates full time employees on a daily rate be paid for 30 days even if they work five days a week, and I do not doubt Swenson's complies with the law. 

 

I went to the Swenson's at the new "Bangkok One" on Rama IV yesterday. Life for an old man just does not get much better than eating ice cream in comfortable seating served by attractive, nice young girls in short skirts. 

Tuesdays 2 for 1 scoops, doesn't get any better.  Was a regular, till last year, when didn't renew member card.   Will renew soon, as miss it, and just try to keep my visits monthly, instead of weekly.  Along with 2 scoops instead of 4 

[NorthernRyland]

24 minutes ago, KhunLA said:

... new job ฿100k a month, now 9 to 5 w/weekends off 👍

 

What job is this and where? She's earning close to the US median salary in Thailand. This is a huge amount of money in Thailand I personally couldn't spend that if I wanted to.

 

(100000/33.5)*12=$35,820

 

 

[NorthernRyland]

14 minutes ago, Yellowtail said:

The labor department mandates full time employees on a daily rate be paid for 30 days even if they work five days a week, and I do not doubt Swenson's complies with the law. 

 

 

The  company my wife works for hires the laborers and cleaners only 11 months of the year to avoid some labor laws. These people crawl by on 8000 baht per month and then are out of work for 1 month a year yet they keep coming back because it's actually a good place to work besides that.

 

We hire a couple of the women to do extra cleaning and whatever. The men are hopeless. Drunks, dangerously low IQ and generally shiftless. I almost feel like it's charity hiring them for 8000/month because they can actually cost more than they're worth.

[NorthernRyland]

20 minutes ago, Yellowtail said:

I went to the Swenson's at the new "Bangkok One" on Rama IV yesterday. Life for an old man just does not get much better than eating ice cream in comfortable seating served by attractive, nice young girls in short skirts. 

 

It's been a long time since I ate ice cream at the mall but there was often the  old farang sitting there and eyeing the girls. This was you? 😂

[KhunLA]

17 minutes ago, NorthernRyland said:

 

What job is this and where? She's earning close to the US median salary in Thailand. This is a huge amount of money in Thailand I personally couldn't spend that if I wanted to.

 

(100000/33.5)*12=$35,820

 

 

Yea, tell me about it,  and now, more than my income (SS + pension), the little bi-atch.  Marketing department at HQ of a skin clinic chain at Bangkok.

[KannikaP]

11 hours ago, still kicking said:

Don't waste your time I posted many times how much I pay on rent for my 2 bedroom unit in the west and it has been always lower than in LOS

Rather a vague answer to a relevant question. I too, would ask why the big swing from 20k to 100k.

I do not think that renting like-for-like properties in the West, which could be anywhere from Europe to America, can be cheaper than here. But if you have different experiences, then let us all know please.

[EVENKEEL]

4 hours ago, IvorBiggun2 said:

How long is a piece of string?

How very original. 

[NorthernRyland]

8 minutes ago, KhunLA said:

Yea, tell me about it,  and now, more than my income (SS + pension), the little bi-atch.  Marketing department at HQ of a skin clinic chain at Bangkok.

Thailand is nice because you can find  cheap housing anywhere. US totally screws you there. If you're making a top salary position in NYC rent chews up all your money. If you can avoid the trappings of the city you could save mega baht and retire early. That's what I would do.

[NorthernRyland]

9 minutes ago, KannikaP said:

I do not think that renting like-for-like properties in the West, which could be anywhere from Europe to America, can be cheaper than here. But if you have different experiences, then let us all know please.

 

to my points, some people live in areas which don't reflect anything of the national average and they think 20k/month is dirt cheap where for most Thais this is a sizable mortgage they will pay off over 30 years like the rest of us.

[KannikaP]

2 minutes ago, NorthernRyland said:

 

to my points, some people live in areas which don't reflect anything of the national average and they think 20k/month is dirt cheap where for most Thais this is a sizable mortgage they will pay off over 30 years like the rest of us.

One of 'the rest of us' does not pay off a mortgage here. 

[KhunLA]

6 minutes ago, NorthernRyland said:

Thailand is nice because you can find  cheap housing anywhere. US totally screws you there. If you're making a top salary position in NYC rent chews up all your money. If you can avoid the trappings of the city you could save mega baht and retire early. That's what I would do.

That's her goal, follow my plan, and  a chip of the ol' man.   Got her own online business going, and started RE investing, with 2 rental properties already.  Her partner has a nice salaried job also, he's in banking.  Shooting to retire around the 50 yr old mark.  Another 25 years and the mortgages will all be paid off by then.

[hotandsticky]

16 minutes ago, KannikaP said:

Rather a vague answer to a relevant question. I too, would ask why the big swing from 20k to 100k.

I do not think that renting like-for-like properties in the West, which could be anywhere from Europe to America, can be cheaper than here. But if you have different experiences, then let us all know please.

 

 

You might be waiting a long time.......................

[Yellowtail]

31 minutes ago, NorthernRyland said:

 

What job is this and where? She's earning close to the US median salary in Thailand. This is a huge amount of money in Thailand I personally couldn't spend that if I wanted to.

 

(100000/33.5)*12=$35,820

 

 

I managed a manufacturing facility in Prachinburi, and the at least six people were above B100K per month and another twenty that were above $60K per month.

 

Everyone in the plant got a minimum one-month to maximum four-months' salary for annual bonus depending on plant metrics. 

[Ralf001]

53 minutes ago, Yellowtail said:

The labor department mandates full time employees on a daily rate be paid for 30 days even if they work five days a week, and I do not doubt Swenson's complies with the law. 

 

 

 

 

Yeah, the 30 days is a salary... get paid if you work 1 or 30.

 

Are Swenson employees full time or casual... casual would get day rate.

[Dan O]

1 hour ago, NorthernRyland said:

 

And by the way that would mean per capita income (which is the same meaning as average I think) in Thailand is closer to 300 USD/month, which I think is too low.

 

Annual GDP per capital is $7182 so 7182/12/2=299

In NST outside the main city an average shop or store salary is about 9000 to 11000 baht even with a degree in most towns. A mid level position is about 18 to 25 k.  These are real numbers as we have staff and its normal for a rural area across the country. 

[Harrisfan]

55 minutes ago, KhunLA said:

Tuesdays 2 for 1 scoops, doesn't get any better.  Was a regular, till last year, when didn't renew member card.   Will renew soon, as miss it, and just try to keep my visits monthly, instead of weekly.  Along with 2 scoops instead of 4 

Any other cheap tuesday places?

[noobexpat]

I'm a low spender but pretty high income earner and super high capital. Just hit age 50, so not on retirement visa. Average bangkok rent.

 

Midweek i spend next to nothing because of work, although its only about 3 or 4 hours. 100b for dinner is typical. 

 

Saturday night cocktails here don't come under 450b. My 'luxury' spending. My visa is the most i've spent here.

 

I don’t need 800k in thai bank but keep far more anyway.

No health insurance because of capital.

Not interested in buying lots of stuff. 

 

12 noon, better do some work!

 

 

[Wrwest]

Retired to Thailand from USA in 2011. Monthly sustainable budget is $2400 ($1604 of that from SS). I have continued transferring $2200 each month ($200 left at US bank to cover any US credit card use here). So, family of three, Thai Wife and Stepdaughter in uni. We seem to have no trouble spending most of the monthly income, although some remains to build up for domestic travel. Living a comfortable working middle class retirement that I cannot afford in the USA. Happy camper.

[newbee2022]

14 hours ago, NorthernRyland said:

it's kind of fascinating how much hostility it causes. 

Never came across with hostility in Thailand. Where and how did you feel it?

[JonnyF]

I think you can spend as much or as little as you want.

 

Some weeks I might only spend a couple of thousand Baht from Monday to Friday, especially if work is busy - but then I might blow 10k on a Friday night out and another 15k over the course of the weekend (more if I pop down to Pattaya).

 

Another weekend I might prefer to watch sports at home, go to the gym, wander round the night market or go for a motorbike ride and only spend 2,000. 

 

I don't pay for rent or petrol so I reckon I could spend as little as 20k a month if I had to. In reality I spend several times that but don't really keep tabs on it. 

 

 

[Yellowtail]

"Happiness is not getting what you want, it's wanting what you have." 

[Lacessit]

13 hours ago, NorthernRyland said:

Here's another question what is the average monthly wage in Thailand? I hear this 29,000 baht number quoted often but I don't think it's correct. GPD per capital is 7000 USD year which is 583 USD/month and currently 19,500 baht per month which sounds right to me. I did a little research and GPD per capita is pretty closely tied to average wage as I understand it.

 

I think that's tight but I know many Thai people live in generational homes and may not have rents or built homes on family land which is a one item purchase.

There are people in my GF's village living on 2000 - 3000 baht/month. Foodstuffs are bartered.

 

The Thai age pension is 600 baht/month at age 60. Make it to 90, 1000 baht/month.

 

It's the reason Thai families are so loyal to each other.

[Gottfrid]

It´s no eternal battle at all! It´s all soo simple.

If you live alone, you can live on almost what you see fit as long as you have the economy for it.

If you have family, like wife, children and costs regarding that such as school and so on..... Then it will be more expensive, but you still have to see to that you have the economy for it.

 

If you wish to support your inlaws, up to you, then that will cost you extra. Are you paying your wife every moth, that will cost extra.

Depending on choices a single person can live on all from about 12k to unlimited amount of baht.

For a family it usually ranges from 25k up to 100k baht depending on the choices or costs. Here, the option unlimited is also available for the ones who have the economy for it.

For me and my family the mount per month will differ, but it never dips below 100k baht, but mostly 150-200k and sometimes more depending on what we do.

[noobexpat]

15 minutes ago, Yellowtail said:

"Happiness is not getting what you want, it's wanting what you have." 

 

A nice quote. Deserved more than an anonymous like.

[madone]

9 hours ago, Confuscious said:

A friend of mine, 75+ years and living in Korat

 

9 hours ago, Confuscious said:

A friend of mine, an 80+ old german guy

 

9 hours ago, Confuscious said:

Another  friend of mine, 75+ years,

 

You need younger freinds

[OneMoreFarang]

Some Thai people survive with their family on 10k per month. If it is possible for Thais, why should it not be possible for farangs?

And then I remember a friend who told me he just can't understand how anybody in Thailand can live with less than 100k per month...

People are different.

[spidermike007]

There is no doubt and that life here is dramatically less expensive than in the US or in Europe. I know many people that pay 10,000 baht per month for nice three bedroom homes in smaller towns.

 

On the average I would say between 50,000 and 100,000 baht per month is required for a couple to live comfortably here. Of course there's a huge variation depending on how spartan you are, or how well you're living. But many of us spend at least 100,000 baht per month. Which is reasonable to live well these days. 

[NorthernRyland]

2 hours ago, newbee2022 said:

Never came across with hostility in Thailand. Where and how did you feel it?

 

I see the most on YouTube comments. I think they are very fresh expats or people planning on moving to Thailand. The forum members here despite our usual cynical and bitter nature seem to be more realistic and understanding. 

[Yellowtail]

2 hours ago, noobexpat said:

 

A nice quote. Deserved more than an anonymous like.

And a great one to live by. No idea where it originated. 

 

Another favorite: "Do things that make you feel good about being you, not things that just make you feel good." 

[NorthernRyland]

1 hour ago, spidermike007 said:

On the average I would say between 50,000 and 100,000 baht per month is required for a couple to live comfortably here. Of course there's a huge variation depending on how spartan you are, or how well you're living. But many of us spend at least 100,000 baht per month. Which is reasonable to live well these days. 

before I started watching YouTube channels about YouTube during COVID I literally did not know anyone spent that much in Thailand. 🙂 That's about the median income in the USA and ~5x the median in Thailand so the top %1 of earners probably.

 

This must be in Bangkok, Phuket, Samui etc...? I could not spend that much if I wanted to. I would need to move and go out of my way to find a house far too big for me and eat out as much as possible.