Quite Easy To Live On 30,000 B A Month !

[actiondell4]

I didnt know whether to post this on the Pattaya forum or on here so i will post it on here under General, I have been going to Thailand twice a year for a few years now and recently stayed my longest of nearly 3 months.

I often read on various Thai forums on how hard it is to live on less than 60,000 baht a month and how you would live like a pauper etc.

I find far from it.In fact i met guys who live on there Australian Government Pension of $1080 aud per month,around 30,000 baht a month and lived quite well.

All this talk of having to have 60,000 baht etc to have a good life is rubbish.

Many old age Aussies live on the $1080 a month old age pensions in Australia so why cant they do it here?

Take a old aussie guy i met who rents a room for 5000 baht a month,A/cond ,on bus route and walk to Jomtien beach,and he buys his own food and makes it.

When he does go with bargirls,he doesnt pay the same rate as a tourist,in fact he says about 400/500 the most he pays.

He says he has a better life here than in Australia,and has his own computer,goes to the same coffee shop everyday and yes he didnt drink alcohol but i noticed he did smoke.

Im not sure if some of you guys who are the same as me and go once or twice a year think you live the same as a tourist when you live there but you dont.

In fact this guy who was 67yo told me he eats breakfast out about once or twice a week,goes to see his mates everyday at some bar,and takes a girl about once a week.

I told him he should of bought his studio room and he would be saving 5000 baht a month,then he tells me he would be paying Strata management fees plus council rates plus maitenance etc.if he owned it.

Im sure it would still be cheaper owning the studio,but up to him.

He has a small fridge,toaster,and a mini cooker and mostly cooks himself.

He didnt drink ,and i think he may have been a alcoholic in his earlier life as he was divorced and i think not rich, relying on the Australian govt pension.

But as i said i noticed he smoked.

He was paying the standard 20% of his old age pension for his Govt owned studio flat in Sydneys Redfern per fortnight.

He knows where the cheap buffets are ,and eats at them too about once a week .

He had good knowledge of where cheaper prices were .

He lives frugally and the same as in Australia.

I asked him if he gets bored,but he goes walking everyday,reads books,visits his friends at some coffee bar place etc.

No it wouldnt be the life for me,I would get bored,but im not 67yo,i suppose if your retired and 67yo then going out partying with bar girls everynight doesnt appeal to you as much.

Then again his other life would be sitting in a council/govt owned highrise room in the crime ridden Redfern,so that would be boring too i guess.

The point is if you live there you live different to being a tourist,you dont go out every night to GO GO BARS,yytou dont eat out at expensive restaurants etc everynight in your own country.

And he said his studio room in jomtien is far better to live than living in the Govt housing blocks of the Sydneys crime ridden Redfern area where he was living before.

He said he always mostly has about 10000 to 15000 left over a month.

Thats far more left than before when the Govt deducted 20% of his pension for rent for the government housing he lived in.

He says he feels safe here ,theres no young teenage gangs roaming around and he can go for walks at night,and he doesnt have pyshiatric patients and druggies living in his building.

Now this is in Pattaya,obviously living in Udon would be cheaper,obviously Bangkok would be more expensive.

If you can live on 1080 Australian per month in Aussi Land paying more rent than 5000 b a month then you can do it in Thailand.

Obviosly you would have to come back to Australia for the free medical care if something goes wrong with your health.

Edited October 9, 2007 by actiondell4

[Jingthing]

I totally agree, especially if you own a condo and don't run a car, 30K is good living.

Edited October 9, 2007 by Jingthing

[ZukiSuzuki]

I have been going to Thailand twice a year for a few years now and recently stayed my longest of nearly 3 months.

I often read on various Thai forums on how hard it is to live on less than 60,000 baht a month and how you would live like a pauper etc.

I find far from it.In fact i met guys who live on there Australian Government Pension of $1080 aud per month,around 30,000 baht a month and lived quite well.

All this talk of having to have 60,000 baht etc to have a good life is rubbish.

Many old age Aussies live on the $1080 a month old age pensions in Australia so why cant they do it here?

Take a old aussie guy i met who rents a room for 5000 baht a month,A/cond ,on bus route and walk to Jomtien beach,and he buys his own food and makes it.

When he does go with bargirls,he doesnt pay the same rate as a tourist,in fact he says about 400/500 the most he pays.

He says he has a better life here than in Australia,and has his own computer,goes to the same coffee shop everyday and yes he didnt drink alcohol but i noticed he did smoke.

Im not sure if some of you guys who are the same as me and go once or twice a year think you live the same as a tourist when you live there but you dont.

In fact this guy who was 67yo told me he eats breakfast out about once or twice a week,goes to see his mates everyday at some bar,and takes a girl about once a week.

He knows where the cheap buffets are ,and eats at them too.

He lives frugally and the same as in Australia.

The point is if you live there you live different to being a tourist,you dont go out every night to GO GO BARS,yytou dont eat out at expensive restaurants etc everynight in your own country.

And he said his studio room in jomtien is far better to live than living in the Govt housing blocks of the Sydneys crime ridden Redfern area where he was living before.

He said he always mostly has about 10000 to 15000 left over a month.

It depends on your definition of comfortable and 'living quite well' as you put it. Personaly i would not rate living in a B5,000pm room and hunting down the all you can eat buffets for my sustinance as living quite well.

I suppose it's all down to personal standards and expectations of ones self at the end of the day.

[Jingthing]

In my case, I can AFFORD to spend much more than 30K, but I am younger and wish to preserve and grow my capital, so I CHOOSE not to spend more than that. It is no problem whatsoever doing this. Compare what 30K baht buys you here versus the west and it is no contest. I don't live in a small studio either, I would not be happy doing that. Also, this amount buys many farang necessities, if you could really live poor Thai style (I can't and don't want to) you could do it for under 10K a month. Tourists assume they will live like tourists when they move here. Some do. But my feeling is that drinking and whoring every night all the time is a recipe for all kinds of disaster, and the spending part is only a small part of it.

Edited October 9, 2007 by Jingthing

[dave111223]

It depends on your definition of comfortable and 'living quite well' as you put it. Personaly i would not rate living in a B5,000pm room and hunting down the all you can eat buffets for my sustinance as living quite well.

I suppose it's all down to personal standards and expectations of ones self at the end of the day.

I agree with the apartment comment; i am assuming his 5,000 baht a month apartment is a 30sqm room (with maybe an aircon?). Hardly what one would call living well. I would call that "Getting by"

I disagree with your "all you can eat buffet" comment. Local food is so cheap i'm sure most people could walk down their street and find 3 or 4 restaurants serving 20-50 baht meals. Hardly "searching around".

[Captain Chaos]

I have been going to Thailand twice a year for a few years now and recently stayed my longest of nearly 3 months.

I often read on various Thai forums on how hard it is to live on less than 60,000 baht a month and how you would live like a pauper etc.

I find far from it.In fact i met guys who live on there Australian Government Pension of $1080 aud per month,around 30,000 baht a month and lived quite well.

All this talk of having to have 60,000 baht etc to have a good life is rubbish.

Many old age Aussies live on the $1080 a month old age pensions in Australia so why cant they do it here?

Take a old aussie guy i met who rents a room for 5000 baht a month,A/cond ,on bus route and walk to Jomtien beach,and he buys his own food and makes it.

When he does go with bargirls,he doesnt pay the same rate as a tourist,in fact he says about 400/500 the most he pays.

He says he has a better life here than in Australia,and has his own computer,goes to the same coffee shop everyday and yes he didnt drink alcohol but i noticed he did smoke.

Im not sure if some of you guys who are the same as me and go once or twice a year think you live the same as a tourist when you live there but you dont.

In fact this guy who was 67yo told me he eats breakfast out about once or twice a week,goes to see his mates everyday at some bar,and takes a girl about once a week.

He knows where the cheap buffets are ,and eats at them too.

He lives frugally and the same as in Australia.

The point is if you live there you live different to being a tourist,you dont go out every night to GO GO BARS,yytou dont eat out at expensive restaurants etc everynight in your own country.

And he said his studio room in jomtien is far better to live than living in the Govt housing blocks of the Sydneys crime ridden Redfern area where he was living before.

He said he always mostly has about 10000 to 15000 left over a month.

It depends on your definition of comfortable and 'living quite well' as you put it. Personaly i would not rate living in a B5,000pm room and hunting down the all you can eat buffets for my sustinance as living quite well.

I suppose it's all down to personal standards and expectations of ones self at the end of the day.

Agree - I'm sure it's possible to live on 30k a month and do OK - and if a person is retired and that is all the income they have (and unlikely to increase) then most folks will find a way to make it work. Is that "living" or just "getting by" is up to personal expectations as has already been commented upon.

Relying on being able to return to your homeland for free medical treatment might be dodgy, particularly for us Poms, but I don't enough about the Aussie system to comment on that.

But if I want to live somewhere, I want to live there and get medical care there, not have to go somewhere else - so to me that feels like a cross between "just getting by" and "being a long term tourist" which personally ain't what I want.

Me? I'm working my big fat butt off down here in Singapore so that when I come to retire and my wife and I return to Thailand, I won't have to be the topic of discussions like these ...

CC

[actiondell4]

Theres nothing wrong with living in a studio if your single.

The old bloke i spoke to was nearly 68yo and i am 30 years younger than him and my months as a tourist on holiday soon bored me so i doubt myself i could live the same as him.

But then again i dont know what i would be like when im 68yo,maybe you just want to relax in life.

He told me he read a lot of books,went for long walks up some hill everyday,and met his friends at this coffee shop everyday,played darts and went to lawn bowls?

He walked sometimes from Jomtien to Pattaya he told me.

He said he walked everyday for fitness.

That was his life and he was happy with it.The alternative is sitting in his room in Sydney.

I suppose his life is no different to any other old peoples really.

I noticed the waitress didnt charge him as much for coffee as she did me,so i think anyway.

But the highlight of his day seemed to be when his friends all of who were the same age arrived at the shop bar for their daily meeting.

Edited October 9, 2007 by actiondell4

[saraburioz]

A pesioner could survive on $1000 a month much better than where I come from in Australia. I spend at least $500 a month on beer.

[actiondell4]

A pesioner could survive on $1000 a month much better than where I come from in Australia. I spend at least $500 a month on beer.

Well you would be better of moving to Thailand and you would spend less on beer per month out of your pension.

AND you could probaly get more beer for your buck.

Whats $500 aussie,about 18000 baht.

[Naam]

there's no such thing like "you need to spend a minimum of xxx Baht". it's all a matter of personal demands and of course personal financial means. those who look down on others who have to make ends meet with lower amounts than what they spend are (in my eyes) nothing but sorry clowns.

[sriracha john]

In fact this guy who was 67yo ....

... takes a girl about once a week.

well done...

[garro]

I live upcountry and life is easy on 20,000 a month.

I thought this would need to increase with the birth of my son but it hasn't.

My most expensive outgoing is the ipstar satellite for the internet.

We have a great life here and it would take effort to spend more.

[lazeeboy]

I didnt know whether to post this on the Pattaya forum or on here so i will post it on here under General, I have been going to Thailand twice a year for a few years now and recently stayed my longest of nearly 3 months.

I often read on various Thai forums on how hard it is to live on less than 60,000 baht a month and how you would live like a pauper etc.

I find far from it.In fact i met guys who live on there Australian Government Pension of $1080 aud per month,around 30,000 baht a month and lived quite well.

All this talk of having to have 60,000 baht etc to have a good life is rubbish.

Many old age Aussies live on the $1080 a month old age pensions in Australia so why cant they do it here?

Take a old aussie guy i met who rents a room for 5000 baht a month,A/cond ,on bus route and walk to Jomtien beach,and he buys his own food and makes it.

When he does go with bargirls,he doesnt pay the same rate as a tourist,in fact he says about 400/500 the most he pays.

He says he has a better life here than in Australia,and has his own computer,goes to the same coffee shop everyday and yes he didnt drink alcohol but i noticed he did smoke.

Im not sure if some of you guys who are the same as me and go once or twice a year think you live the same as a tourist when you live there but you dont.

In fact this guy who was 67yo told me he eats breakfast out about once or twice a week,goes to see his mates everyday at some bar,and takes a girl about once a week.

I told him he should of bought his studio room and he would be saving 5000 baht a month,then he tells me he would be paying Strata management fees plus council rates plus maitenance etc.if he owned it.

Im sure it would still be cheaper owning the studio,but up to him.

He has a small fridge,toaster,and a mini cooker and mostly cooks himself.

He didnt drink ,and i think he may have been a alcoholic in his earlier life as he was divorced and i think not rich, relying on the Australian govt pension.

But as i said i noticed he smoked.

He was paying the standard 20% of his old age pension for his Govt owned studio flat in Sydneys Redfern per fortnight.

He knows where the cheap buffets are ,and eats at them too about once a week .

He had good knowledge of where cheaper prices were .

He lives frugally and the same as in Australia.

I asked him if he gets bored,but he goes walking everyday,reads books,visits his friends at some coffee bar place etc.

No it wouldnt be the life for me,I would get bored,but im not 67yo,i suppose if your retired and 67yo then going out partying with bar girls everynight doesnt appeal to you as much.

Then again his other life would be sitting in a council/govt owned highrise room in the crime ridden Redfern,so that would be boring too i guess.

The point is if you live there you live different to being a tourist,you dont go out every night to GO GO BARS,yytou dont eat out at expensive restaurants etc everynight in your own country.

And he said his studio room in jomtien is far better to live than living in the Govt housing blocks of the Sydneys crime ridden Redfern area where he was living before.

He said he always mostly has about 10000 to 15000 left over a month.

Thats far more left than before when the Govt deducted 20% of his pension for rent for the government housing he lived in.

He says he feels safe here ,theres no young teenage gangs roaming around and he can go for walks at night,and he doesnt have pyshiatric patients and druggies living in his building.

Now this is in Pattaya,obviously living in Udon would be cheaper,obviously Bangkok would be more expensive.

If you can live on 1080 Australian per month in Aussi Land paying more rent than 5000 b a month then you can do it in Thailand.

Obviosly you would have to come back to Australia for the free medical care if something goes wrong with your health.

if you like rice ,dont drink and smoke ,not interested in girls ,then you could do it ,but how long .

[Sir Burr]

I wonder where the "I couldn't possibly live on less than 300,000 Bt per month" brigade are?

These threads are usually like blood to sharks, for them.

Edited October 9, 2007 by Sir Burr

[thomo]

In fact this guy who was 67yo ....

... takes a girl about once a week.

well done...

I hope I'm never 67.

He lives frugally

Sounds like fun.

If you have a fully decked out pad and a nice ride paid off, sure, 30K p/m would be ok. Not exactly the best steaks, best whiskey and the best girls when you hit the town but ok none the less.

[Jim Abbott]

It all depends how you want to live. That old guy is living in his own personal paradise. I met an aussie geezer in cambo who lived in a guesthouse for $2 a day and I bet his total expenses were dirt cheap as well. Personally I dont wanna live like those guys but power to them. For me, I need that 30K for rent and uts alone but I'm in bangkok.

Edited October 9, 2007 by Jim Abbott

[actiondell4]

Well this guy smoked but he didnt drink,and he baulked at me paying 1500 b for a bargirl,he actually looked very shocked.

Wouldnt it be a lonely type of life living like him.

I mean there would be better social and support networks for people his age back in Sydney ,Australia,than in Jomtien beach where all he had was his old mates and went off to darts or wherever they went.

I think he had some problems with crime in Australia as he told me the Govt/council owned highrises where he lived were a haven for teenage gangs preying on the elderly,so he was glad to pack up and leave.

I wonder if running away to another country is the answer,i dont think so,because as i said,he may be happy living on the same income as he was in Australia,but the social services are not there.

So he would have no where to come back too if he had to.

At least in Sydney they have Senior Citizen Clubs,never saw one in Pattaya,not that i was looking for them at my age.

Edited October 9, 2007 by actiondell4

[PeaceBlondie]

I have a piece of string that is ten miles long. It depends. To each his own hovel.

Probably thousands of single and married farang teachers in Thailand live on 30K, so it's doable. I never could, because I didn't have to.

[sriracha john]

At least in Sydney they have Senior Citizen Clubs

But then again, was he getting laid at least weekly there?....

and even if he was; was he enjoying it?

Edited October 9, 2007 by sriracha john

[ignis]

Many old age Aussies live on the $1080 a month old age pensions in Australia so why cant they do it here?

No idea.....

maybe lots of factors..

Myself live out in the sticks, own my own large house and car, I live well, over the past 3 years I spent just under 15,000 per month total and that is with the yearly Insurance for house, 1st class car and health cover..

Friend in the next Village Rents a 3bedroom house 5,300 per month, another Rent in BKK a 2bed Condo for 45,000 month !!

[soundman]

I wonder where the "I couldn't possibly live on less than 300,000 Bt per month" brigade are?

These threads are usually like blood to sharks, for them.

We just get bored of justifying why we spend more than 30k per month on house payments, car payments, credit card payments, entertainment costs, living costs, food expense & school fees for our kids, only to be told you don't need that nice house, you don't need those nice cars, your kids can go to the government school, you can eat 20B rice dishes, you don't need insurance!

Jeez, my beer bill alone is over 6000B per month.

[Neeranam]

I live upcountry and life is easy on 20,000 a month.

I thought this would need to increase with the birth of my son but it hasn't.

My most expensive outgoing is the ipstar satellite for the internet.

We have a great life here and it would take effort to spend more.

Wait till he gets to school age and you start travelling abroad with him. Passports etc. I spent 30,000 on passports and visas alone last week.

[thaiman]

It all depends how you want to live.

This sums it up! Everyone is different.

[actiondell4]

It all depends how you want to live.

This sums it up! Everyone is different.

Well everyone is.

Someone here said they have credit card payments,well,i doubt the old guy expat i met has any credit cards,in fact most senior citz over 70yo dont have them.

Yes the old guy is single so he lives frugally as he wants.

As for going out eating steaks everynight,he just like you,wouldnt do that living in his home country being Australia,so why would you do that if you live in Pattaya.

In fact on my 3 month stay,some nights i just stayed in my holiday apartment and watched cable TV,it got boring after a while going to go go bars,believe me.

[Sir Burr]

.......then at the other end of the spectrum, we have the "I spend only 5000 Bt per month and I can still save money" brigade.

The truth is somewhere inbetween.

[Jingthing]

How many people retiring in their home countries live everyday as if they are on vacation, spending like they are on vacation? When you live somewhere, it is quite normal to live normally. Happiness is not measured by extravagant spending every day. In fact, if you do that stuff everyday, you tend to become numb to it and appreciate the pleasure less.

Edited October 9, 2007 by Jingthing

[actiondell4]

Well your right,this guy probaly spends less a month than he would living in his govt council flat in Sydney.

But i think he s picked the right area to do this where there are plenty of like minded farangs,more farang services etc than say somewhere such as Udon where whilst he could live possibly cheaper he wouldnt have that social or entertainment structure and farang support.

As he told me,living in a comfortable a/cond studio near jomtien beach sure beats living in a crime ridden ghetto that he was previously living in.

He told me he buys his own food,eats a lot of fruit etc and doesnt drink and doesnt frequent bars.

It surely would be a lonely life and probaly boring too,because as i said,in Sydney he would have the senoirs clubs with the activities going on,but there in pattaya,what activities are there for old age pensioners?

If it was me i would prefer to have some emergency money in the bank,maybe he has.

Edited October 9, 2007 by actiondell4

[Sir Burr]

it is quite normal to live normally.

This little nugget of wisdom made my day.

[Jingthing]

it is quite normal to live normally.

This little nugget of wisdom made my day.

Yes, I think I have watched too many George Bush speeches! Perhaps I can pitch this gem to one of his handlers.

Edited October 9, 2007 by Jingthing

[Juzrelax]

I didnt know whether to post this on the Pattaya forum or on here so i will post it on here under General, I have been going to Thailand twice a year for a few years now and recently stayed my longest of nearly 3 months.

I often read on various Thai forums on how hard it is to live on less than 60,000 baht a month and how you would live like a pauper etc.

I find far from it.In fact i met guys who live on there Australian Government Pension of $1080 aud per month,around 30,000 baht a month and lived quite well.

All this talk of having to have 60,000 baht etc to have a good life is rubbish.

Many old age Aussies live on the $1080 a month old age pensions in Australia so why cant they do it here?

Take a old aussie guy i met who rents a room for 5000 baht a month,A/cond ,on bus route and walk to Jomtien beach,and he buys his own food and makes it.

When he does go with bargirls,he doesnt pay the same rate as a tourist,in fact he says about 400/500 the most he pays.

He says he has a better life here than in Australia,and has his own computer,goes to the same coffee shop everyday and yes he didnt drink alcohol but i noticed he did smoke.

Im not sure if some of you guys who are the same as me and go once or twice a year think you live the same as a tourist when you live there but you dont.

In fact this guy who was 67yo told me he eats breakfast out about once or twice a week,goes to see his mates everyday at some bar,and takes a girl about once a week.

I told him he should of bought his studio room and he would be saving 5000 baht a month,then he tells me he would be paying Strata management fees plus council rates plus maitenance etc.if he owned it.

Im sure it would still be cheaper owning the studio,but up to him.

He has a small fridge,toaster,and a mini cooker and mostly cooks himself.

He didnt drink ,and i think he may have been a alcoholic in his earlier life as he was divorced and i think not rich, relying on the Australian govt pension.

But as i said i noticed he smoked.

He was paying the standard 20% of his old age pension for his Govt owned studio flat in Sydneys Redfern per fortnight.

He knows where the cheap buffets are ,and eats at them too about once a week .

He had good knowledge of where cheaper prices were .

He lives frugally and the same as in Australia.

I asked him if he gets bored,but he goes walking everyday,reads books,visits his friends at some coffee bar place etc.

No it wouldnt be the life for me,I would get bored,but im not 67yo,i suppose if your retired and 67yo then going out partying with bar girls everynight doesnt appeal to you as much.

Then again his other life would be sitting in a council/govt owned highrise room in the crime ridden Redfern,so that would be boring too i guess.

The point is if you live there you live different to being a tourist,you dont go out every night to GO GO BARS,yytou dont eat out at expensive restaurants etc everynight in your own country.

And he said his studio room in jomtien is far better to live than living in the Govt housing blocks of the Sydneys crime ridden Redfern area where he was living before.

He said he always mostly has about 10000 to 15000 left over a month.

Thats far more left than before when the Govt deducted 20% of his pension for rent for the government housing he lived in.

He says he feels safe here ,theres no young teenage gangs roaming around and he can go for walks at night,and he doesnt have pyshiatric patients and druggies living in his building.

Now this is in Pattaya,obviously living in Udon would be cheaper,obviously Bangkok would be more expensive.

If you can live on 1080 Australian per month in Aussi Land paying more rent than 5000 b a month then you can do it in Thailand.

Obviosly you would have to come back to Australia for the free medical care if something goes wrong with your health.

if you like rice ,dont drink and smoke ,not interested in girls ,then you could do it ,but how long .

Jee whiz......what's the point of being in Thailand?