6 hours ago, Sir Dude said:

Thailand provides a lifestyle for all levels of financial capability. As long as you know your sustainable level, then you are good to go even though there are many caveats to navigate. Trouble is that many people have unrealistic expectations and entitlement, thinking that because they have done some rough math and watched a few YouTube videos then they have it nailed.

The other problem is that when they get here they naturally gravitate to the places they went to on holiday and enjoyed, which will drain your pocket fast if coming to find longevity and be a real expat. Visiting and living here are two whole different things with many obstacles in your way to square away if you want to stay.

As for work, yeah, you can do the remote thing but the visa situation can rapidly change at any given time with no notice. People think about teaching, but even that isn't as easy as it was, as to be legit, you need a non-immigrant visa (either a B or an O) and the non-B has to be applied for from outside of Thailand these days, only the non-O is relatively unchanged and ideally that means being officially married and even immigration offices in the normal places are watchful these day.

Main initial problems you have to get covered is your plan for meeting long-term visa requirements, health insurance, realistic income and location, bank and Wise account, possible tax return filings if a resident... not just showing up and thinking you can "wing it" and decide/sort stuff out on the hoof.

Are you a Thai Financial advisor? If so what is your commission? I can only spend 20 Baht per day.

3 hours ago, bwanajohn said:

Things change...you have to adapt ..

in 40 years I've seen the the baht to Cdn dollar exchange rate range from 16 to 35 baht plus .

I used to get a plate of rice with Penang beef curry for 5 baht by the railway station in Bkk

Change is the one of two things you can count on and your ability to cope and adapt will be the key to surviving.

The second thing you can count if you're lucky is you will grow old,weaken and die..No amount of magical thinking will stop this two things happening..

Remember the boy scout motto

Be Prepared

I agree. But I sure like those Girl Scout...cookies!

25 minutes ago, KhunLA said:

Over the years, bottomed out at high 29/ 30 / $1. Been steady, 15+ years before Biden, USD stayed consistent, between 30 - 35. Which is fine. Biden was a pleasant surprice, with 35+ to USD, along with largest COLA, to Soc Sec, employer/govt pension plan.

My budgeting is extreme. I plan for a 25% haircut of my social security at some point in the future, and an exchange rate of 25 THB / USD. Odds are I will always be better off than that scenario.

12 minutes ago, novacova said:

23 minutes ago, Liverpool Lou said:

Penang curry? Sarawak curry is a better option!

Personal favorite is the wife’s hunglay, though she whips up some others that are pretty damn good

How's her "Penang" [sic] curry that I referenced from someone's post? My favorite that I cook regularly is panang curry!

17 minutes ago, spidermike007 said:

I am having one of them replaced next month, hallelujah! Just say no to pain.

Can you start a thread about that, please? I'me gettiung to that point myself! Place, cost, rehab aso.

7 minutes ago, Liverpool Lou said:

How's her "Penang" [sic] curry that I referenced from someone's post? My favorite that I cook regularly is panang curry!

Personally think she cooks it better than anything other I’ve had. All from scratch and roasts the chilis and she’s pretty creative, and she never laces anything she cooks with sugar.

7 hours ago, newbee2022 said:

What is that?

I think it's a modern word for losers.

No job at home

Not eager to work daily 8-5

No education

No money

Scrap the DTV visa for all of them❗

Content creators read unemployable morons. 🤷🏼

17 minutes ago, unblocktheplanet said:

Poor Canucks!

Yea, I almost added, after, '30 is better than 25' ...

... at least I'm not from CA, AU

UK is finally rebounding after getting spanked for brexit 🙄

1 hour ago, Liverpool Lou said:

The funny thing is that Thai authorities have never officially stated that any foreigners can support themselves on 800k

They have in the past.

True for anywhere in the world where someone is living. Thailand might be better than many as your cash may last longer here. But, you still need a steady income to last anywhere. If you don't have it--don't come. Stay in your home country and work some more.

Not surprising when one sees all those highly ego boosted western men acting it big, throwing money around with their rent-a-week thai girlfriend who will of course always invite all her friends when she goes out with her cash cow who will be expected to pay for all....or all those others squandering money with hookers and gogo bars and so on. At such a rate of expense even those well off can end up in financial hassles. A fool and his money are soon parted. © TT

10 hours ago, Georgealbert said:

Viajero said some online content suggests that US$15,000 to US$20,000, is enough to live like a king in Thailand. He described that belief as a serious mistake, particularly for people intending to spend their savings while hoping to find work later.

Without being too flamboyant, I find 15-20 US grand a month OK to scrape through on.

7 hours ago, FlorC said:

So you can't use your phone while driving , but you can vlog.

Sure handsfree , but driving and making a video ?

Many of these YT video's do this.

Looks like he’s sitting in the back seat. So how could he be driving?

I have certainly pushed some buttons in some of the trolls in this... lol. You'll get over it.

8 hours ago, PingRoundTheWorld said:

Yeah! why are you..... yeah I don't care that much. Next.

It’s a great place to retire if you have the income to do so. Been here 13 years live on social Security and retirement income. Save 50% of our income every month for medical and travel. Also emergencies . We planned this move years before moving. Planning is a must to make it work.

1 hour ago, JJ-Thailand said:

2 hours ago, Liverpool Lou said:

The funny thing is that Thai authorities have never officially stated that any foreigners can support themselves on 800k

They have in the past

No, they have not...unless you can produce the quote, of course.

I've always wondered how much YouTubers actually make. I have a friend that has 3mil IG followers. Posts great content every day. Said he gets about $100 a month. Side gig for him that is part of his regular business, so basically bonus money, but not main gig. Not sure how many people actually watch the content, but I would expect he gets decent views. He said his real bonus money comes from the very occasional endorsement, but not enough to live on. How many people other that Dude Perfect and Mr. Beast actually have a business and not just lunch money. Some of these guys I see in Thailand that look like they are full time YouTubers get 300 views or something like that on a good day. Can't believe they even get paid for that.

1 hour ago, Red Forever said:

Looks like he’s sitting in the back seat. So how could he be driving?

Back seat ? Go look again.

Maybe a car with 3 rows of seats .

Trafic is on the left.

Pretty sure he is driving.

7 hours ago, Muhendis said:

I agree. It's definitely not economical but certainly not a struggle (for me).

I'm hanging on here 'til the Baht gets back up to 72 - 75/£ then I'll start partying again if my knee joints are still available then.

I think the days of those kinds of rates are long gone.

Might as well start partying now before you cant even party anymore.

13 hours ago, SiSePuede419 said:

"biggest problem for foreigners who struggle in Thailand is money."

Wow.

What insight this person has. 😄

Years of seeking 'the' answer and here it was all the time.

Presented by a millennial guru who can see what others can't, his wiseness is much greater than his years.

. Can you live on 800,000 Baht per year alone? Yes, you can. Can you live on 400,000 Baht per year if you are married to a Thai lady (that probably don't work)? No hope in hell.

What social circles are you talking about?

The labor force participation rate for married women in Thailand is historically high, remaining close to 80% over several decades.

I see daily people coming with advices on fex FB about life in Thailand.Some have just stayed for few months there and already acting like Thailand experts.Mostly totally BS!

Some sell all they have in the home country and brags about the new life and say they never move back.After 2-3 years the money is gone and they arrive home in the walk of shame.

I wonder how many more who might loose the homes they invested millions of baht after the crackdown in nominee companies?And as I expected they also go after foreigners in the restaurant and bar businesses.Nowone who invested all their savings is safe now.I know mostly of them believed the real estate and thai lawyers but now the truth came up.

21 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

It says an awful lot about contemporary society that young people with virtually nothing to say can create a YouTube or Tiktok channel and get tens of thousands of followers. In some cases hundreds of thousands.

I have a friend who's a "YouTube influencer" and creates the most dull videos about changing the oil in his bike, and eating in a new restaurant and other incredibly inane and super uninteresting topics. And he has tens of thousands of "followers".

It is certainly a bizarre world that we live in these days, and it seems to me that the standards are lower than ever.

Most of those followers are just fake bots that don't even make them money.

19 hours ago, ikke1959 said:

It is no surprise, but you can live in every country if you make enough money. If you have a job no problem or a pension. Without money it is difficult so survive no matter where you are. Another problem however is the bureaucracy and outdated laws in Thailand. If you have a workpermit you are only allowed to work on the place and in the job you have a permit for. Switching jobs is a lot of paperwork, is difficult to keep your visa, and not easy at all. Almost all jobs are for Thais only, so if you, loose the job you are in real trouble. I am just wondering why foreign people can work here as youtuber, influencer, or whatever name you give to someone who post videos and reals. It should be stopped to give a visa for that

Apparently it's literally 'shall issue' for a DTV if you have a basic tik-tok account account with a few videos on it! LOL

20 hours ago, JJ-Thailand said:

But the funny thing is that you only need 400,000 if you are married to a Thai lady.

Well you can supposedly have it for free at home rather than paying for it, so it makes sense!

14 hours ago, norsurin said:

Some sell all they have in the home country and brags about the new life and say they never move back.After 2-3 years the money is gone and they arrive home in the walk of shame.

2-3 years used to be back before DTV. These days the types coming would hardly make it beyond year 1.

20 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

I am having one of them replaced next month, hallelujah! Just say no to pain.

OK Mr. Spider. I had a hip replacement following a fall and fracture so not degenerative. It has slowed me down a bit but 4+ years on NO pain.

Go 4 it.

Edited August 14Aug 14 by JerryM

On 8/13/2026 at 8:09 AM, spidermike007 said:

It says an awful lot about contemporary society that young people with virtually nothing to say can create a YouTube or Tiktok channel and get tens of thousands of followers. In some cases hundreds of thousands.

I have a friend who's a "YouTube influencer" and creates the most dull videos about changing the oil in his bike, and eating in a new restaurant and other incredibly inane and super uninteresting topics. And he has tens of thousands of "followers".

It is certainly a bizarre world that we live in these days, and it seems to me that the standards are lower than ever.

Yes, it's all ridiculous, but hey, if people wanna look at crap, then. Why not? I don't look at Tiktok, but. The screams that come out of the phone. 100 times. Why would one want to look at some stupid thing one 100 times is beyond me, but they do. Go figure. Up to them.

If these things are attractive to. Numb brain people. It's their path in life.

Just made for fun, for someone around my age, between 50 and 60. Some additional savings are preferred, and the emergency savings budget is a bit low, but pick your numbers and see where you end up.