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

[maxbus1]

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

... takes a girl about once a week.

well done...

I guess the retired guy had his priorities after all.

[Prakanong]

It's funny but ฿100,000 is the salary i was earning back in the Uk as a menial manual labourer.

So to all the Johnny CEO expats, i salute you "you've really set the world on fire!"

Welcome to my world...

You really think professional expats earn only 100k THB a month

Glad I am not in your world

[digitizerob]

Well i only spend time in your neck of the woods at the weekend and Yes your right, i do need to get out more, thats why im going to England for Christmas.

Were starting off in London via Bath then off to Dublin. Can't wait..

[Prakanong]

My point is that its all relative to where you are. I live in the outskirts of Bangkok, in a beautiful furn 2 bedroom house + garden (฿8000) with my wife and child.

We eat well, can go out when we like, where we like. Im happy in my job as a teacher, which believe it or not, is a worth while vocation and is highly respected in Thai society. I travel by aircon minivan (฿20) My wife studys at Uni, were going to England for Christmas fully paid.

And lastly, i can piss it up with the best of them in Sukumvit or the local beer shop all on a grand total of ฿50,000 per month. could i do that in England?

Don't necessarily disagree with any of that ... was more wondering about the "Johnny CEO expats's earning Bt100k" in your previous post. Discounting owner-operators of smaller businesses, all the CEO's of Thai companies that I know earn at least double that, and I'm talking about Thais as well as expats ...

Maybe you should spend less time "pissing it up in Sukhumvit or the local beer shop" and get out and about in the Thai economy a bit more? Teaching is a worthwhile vocation, but there's also a whole wide world outside of the classroom.

Pissing it up with the best of them on Sukhumvit will not be happening that often either - his 50K doing that barely lasts a weekend does it not?

[digitizerob]

No i didn't say CEO's earn 100,000 Its what i earn't as a labourer. Mind you, if i put the overtime in i could double that.

[Captain Chaos]

No i didn't say CEO's earn 100,000 Its what i earn't as a labourer. Mind you, if i put the overtime in i could double that.

Sorry, but in that case I genuinely do not understand your original post.

What is the relevance between your labourer's salary in the UK and what a CEO here earns, and indeed why do you care / salute them / have your world set on fire about it?

CC

[ZukiSuzuki]

it is easy to spend $ people.

nice bottle of wine 6k baht

3 days in Seoul 120k baht

new camera lens 20k baht

monthly rent 50k baht

hotel buffet 2k baht

eating out daily 10k baht

clothing 10k baht

incidentals 10k baht

cable 4k baht

internet 3k baht

weekend in phuket 30k baht

books 3k baht

television lcd 200k baht

laundry/maid 6k baht

charity donations 2k baht

birthday gifts for gf 40k baht

its very easy to spend 600k baht in a month.

I'll let you in to a little seceret. Your girlfriend does'nt realy have a birthday every month and if the guy in power buy told you that B200,000 televisions only last for one month then he was lying too.

There you go, i have just saved you nearly three million Baht per year.

[Prakanong]

it is easy to spend $ people.

nice bottle of wine 6k baht

3 days in Seoul 120k baht

new camera lens 20k baht

monthly rent 50k baht

hotel buffet 2k baht

eating out daily 10k baht

clothing 10k baht

incidentals 10k baht

cable 4k baht

internet 3k baht

weekend in phuket 30k baht

books 3k baht

television lcd 200k baht

laundry/maid 6k baht

charity donations 2k baht

birthday gifts for gf 40k baht

its very easy to spend 600k baht in a month.

I'll let you in to a little seceret. Your girlfriend does'nt realy have a birthday every month and if the guy in power buy told you that B200,000 televisions only last for one month then he was lying too.

There you go, i have just saved you nearly three million Baht per year.

I knew my electricity, water and refuse collection was cheaper in Singapore than my plas pay electric alone in Thailand for the same but I did not know my internet plus full cable was half price what he pays for cable alone!!

My weekends away are cheaper too ;-))))

[ZukiSuzuki]

Well it looks like the girl friend and the guy from power buy are both scamming him, and your right his cable bill looks excesive too.

I guess he could just be one of those victims who gets taken for a ride by everyone he meets.

I wonder what he does to be able to spend B600,000 per month, he's not in economics thats for sure.

[digitizerob]

What im saying is that what is considered big money here is small potato's abroad. by the way, anybody can call them selves a CEO of there small company and if they pull in 200,000 300,000 then sure its a huge amount over here. All i think is that 30,000 is plenty to live on here, but would be impossible back home, Hence, just as 100,000 was as a labourer in London.

[PeaceBlondie]

Nobody's saying you can't live on 30K. People really live on less than half that. It's easy:

Already have your housing and transport vehicle paid for.

Eat local cheap food always.

Never see your family back home again.

Never get seriously ill.

Work until you die.

My kid got married. It cost me 340K baht to go to the wedding.

I had two surgeries on my shoulder. Insurance paid for maybe half of that.

I wanted to buy a nine year old truck: 150K baht.

I want to see my best friends and sisters before they die, or attend the funerals. That's at least 100K baht, apiece.

[Captain Chaos]

Nobody's saying you can't live on 30K. People really live on less than half that. It's easy:

Already have your housing and transport vehicle paid for.

Eat local cheap food always.

Never see your family back home again.

Never get seriously ill.

Work until you die.

My kid got married. It cost me 340K baht to go to the wedding.

I had two surgeries on my shoulder. Insurance paid for maybe half of that.

I wanted to buy a nine year old truck: 150K baht.

I want to see my best friends and sisters before they die, or attend the funerals. That's at least 100K baht, apiece.

Think PB's raised a good point ... it is possible to live on 30k Bt (or less, if you wish) a month. But ... if you're still of employment age, and if that represents a good proportion of your income, then it will be difficult to accumulate any substantial amounts of capital. I see the problem with that being (i) how will you qualify for retirement visas when you finish work (assuming you wish to remain in Thailand) and (ii) how will you deal with emergencies, medical or otherwise, like PB suggests?

"Going local" sounds fine in principle but at the end of the day farang residents lack the one thing that most of the Thai population regard as their pension scheme ... the extended family.

If you have already retired and it just happens that 30k is what your pension / other fixed income sources pay you, then that's a different situation ... maybe you're better off in low-cost Thailand but I'd still worry about access to medical care

CC

PS. I am planning to retire in Thailand

[howard251]

I am 50 years old and retired in Chiang Mai. I own my house and two cars so no monthly payments to the bank. I do not drink or smoke and do not take out anyone from the go-go's.

Here is my break down on what it costs me to live here, others who live a different lifestyle could cost them more or less.

These are per month costs in baht.

3,600 - Gasoline for my 2005 Honda City (never higher then this, sometimes much lower)

800 - Gasoline for my partner's 1999 Honda type-Z (usually always this much - back and forth to school)

1,416 - per month for 2005 Honda, Class A auto insurance policy

1,083 - per month for 1999 Honda type-Z, Class A auto insurance policy

141 - per month for car land tax - 2005 Honda City

130 - per month for car land tax - 1999 Honda type-Z

2,299 - UBC Satellite TV

1,200 - High speed Internet and TOT telephone service

3,900 - Electricity - about 500 baht lower in winter

150 - water (average)

800 - Housing company fee covers (security, street lights, trash removal, house fixing)

500 - bug spray company per month ( 1 year contract)

3,000 - medications per month, Lipitor, Proscar, Rogain, Nizoral 2% shampoo

____________

19,019 baht for basic living

+

9,000 - (300 baht per day includes 3 meals for two people, based on a 30 day month)

____________

28,019

+

10,000 extra averaged out monthly to cover hospital visits,

visa Immigrations, movies, entertainment, travel / vacations, cloths,

groceries, car maintenance and anything else I might have forgot to mention

____________

38,019 Total for most months, higher or lower depending on unexpected expenditures.

38,019 divided bt 34 baht to the USA dollar, is $1,118 per month to exist.

I am sure I could adjust my lifesyle and services which I subscribe to which would bring my monthly costs down.

[roietjimmy]

CAN DO.. Everyday, All Day.. I CORPS

Cuaviet?

[Prakanong]

What im saying is that what is considered big money here is small potato's abroad. by the way, anybody can call them selves a CEO of there small company and if they pull in 200,000 300,000 then sure its a huge amount over here. All i think is that 30,000 is plenty to live on here, but would be impossible back home, Hence, just as 100,000 was as a labourer in London.

I suppose people can call themselves CEO's of small companies but the "standard" expat working in a professional position in Thailand or elsewhere in S E Asia most often has a "lesser" job title than that and is pulling in a lot more than that.

Its been discussed before - some people will take a lesser paying job just to be in Thailand - fair enough and good luck to them but there are plenty that would not.

[Lancelot]

it is easy to spend $ people.

television lcd 200k baht...

...its very easy to spend 600k baht in a month.

I feel bad now, I only buy a new TV every other month

[ColPyat]

38,019 divided bt 34 baht to the USA dollar, is $1,118 per month to exist.

I am sure I could adjust my lifesyle and services which I subscribe to which would bring my monthly costs down.

Yes, and if you don't own your house you have to pay rent. And if you sometimes would like to travel to your home country than you are gonna save years for such a trip. And if you have kids and would like them to have a half decent education than you can count another 50 000 to 60 000 Baht a year at least per kid.

Of course it is manageable, millions of Thais manage on much less. But it's not exactly a great life, and if one does not have an inheritance to expect it will put one into a very difficult position one day.

It's easy to say one can live on 30 000 Baht when one has assets that can be liquidated. But in the long run, 30 000 Baht in a western country go a lot further, when calculating in that in most western countries there is a social security and health system which is not available here, and especially not for foreigners.

Go and speak with the embassies, and see how many desperately impoverished foreigners here are that had sudden emergencies, and no savings to take care of them - there are lots.

Many people here get reduced to some sort of manana life style - alright for the moment, have fun, flaunt their return to nature, but when problems come, it suddenly is not alright anymore, and the sky really is falling down then, and one becomes a burden to friends and embassy officials who have the thankless task then to help sorting out such nightmare scenarios.

And no, i am not a highly paid CEO - i have presently some money trouble, and my spending money is about that, maybe a bit more. I can do. But i do put away money every month for my kid's education and my taxes in addition to that spending money, and i have moderate assets in the west, and will get a moderate to OK inheritance one day of which i can life a simple but manageable lifestyle even in the west when if i make it to retirement age. If i wouldn't have that - things would be different.

[elkangorito]

I'm a 46yo Australian. I've been living in Thailand (near Pattaya) now for about 2 years. In OZ, I was making the equivalent of 150k Baht per month & had a shit life.

I'm a teacher here in Thailand. My monthly income has just been increased from 25 000 to 26 000 .

My 1 room apartment (studio?) is about 50 square metres, air conditioned (I don't use it cos I don't like a/c) & fully furnished (not my furniture). The cost for this is 5 000 B per month plus water & elec, so on average, about 5 600 per month. My employer is across the road so I don't need transport. I drink Archa a couple of times a week & I smoke. If I'm in the mood, I "go out" once a month for some fun. Annual health insurance is about 30 000 Baht.

Your only 46yo,and your earning less than a old age pensioner on social security,i know you sound happy with your life,but the point is,you are not saving much for the future.

Whats going to happen in say 20 years,you will have to rely on the Social Security from Australia as well.

I suppose if your happy and content then trying to earn money doesnt matter as much as it did before when you lived in Australia.

I think its great you can live on that amount,the only thing is if you stayed a bit longer ,another 10 years,in Australia then you would have more money for the future.

What future? Have you got a "crystal ball" that actually works? When I cross the road tomorrow morning on the way to work, I could be killed in an instant.

Quite simply, I will die...a process to which none of us are immune. Deal with death now or deal with it later but YOU WILL DEAL WITH IT!

I don't live for any perceived future...I live for NOW.

[FarangNoi21]

Well it looks like the girl friend and the guy from power buy are both scamming him, and your right his cable bill looks excesive too.

I guess he could just be one of those victims who gets taken for a ride by everyone he meets.

I wonder what he does to be able to spend B600,000 per month, he's not in economics thats for sure.

this thread is quickly degrading in jealousy , obvousily i dont buy a new television every month, but there are always new toys, i am sure you can relate. a television this month, sound system next month, new furniture etc. fwiw, on average i probably dont spend more than 170-180k/month.

[chownah]

I think that it is obviously true that it is "Quite Easy To LIve on 30,000 Baht a Month!" here in Thailand.....by this it is meant that you can easily buy food, shelter, and clothing..and other necessities for 30,000 baht per month. This does not mean you will be happy....heck even some people who spend 100,000 baht per month here don't seem to be happy....there is never a guarantee of happiness in life.....but I do guarantee that you will be able to buy food, shelter, clothing, and all other necessities for 30,000 baht per month....as for happiness, it can't be bought.

Chownah

[torrenova]

I've just had a baby so my costs are up and I moved house and got a new truck etc.

The truck will be paid off before any school fees.

The big numbers coming up are from school fees which range anywhere from 60k per year to 600k+ per year. I do not know whether Thailand will be the right place for an education then.

I didn't think I would ever return to the corporate world and without the kid I would never have to but for that extra security blanket, you can never say never. This year has been hard on business and though things are improving, they are not back to normal and the next 6 months will be critical. The decision will be made in that time period.

I call the baby my Bt20,000,000 project. Not a million in year one but probably averaging a million over 20 years. If I cannot easily make that here, then we'll have to make it somewhere.

[FarangNoi21]

I think that it is obviously true that it is "Quite Easy To LIve on 30,000 Baht a Month!" here in Thailand.....by this it is meant that you can easily buy food, shelter, and clothing..and other necessities for 30,000 baht per month. This does not mean you will be happy....heck even some people who spend 100,000 baht per month here don't seem to be happy....there is never a guarantee of happiness in life.....but I do guarantee that you will be able to buy food, shelter, clothing, and all other necessities for 30,000 baht per month....as for happiness, it can't be bought.

Chownah

you also cant buy legal representation, hospitalization, send your kids to school, or a plane ticket home.

30k/month provides a bachelor's lifestlye and that is fine as long as it is not uprooted by getting in trouble with the law, falling in love, having health problems or getting bored of said life style.

[Jingthing]

I would have to agree would not be viable over the long term to expect to always live on 30K per month and to not have resources to deal with contingencies. I spend about this amount and am enjoying my life here immensely but I have access to much more to take care of problems that come up.

[Sir Burr]

Life in Thailand is like a sh1t sandwich.

The more bread you have, the less sh1t you have to eat.

[FarangNoi21]

more like life on earth, not jsut thailand kid.

[Neeranam]

Life in Thailand is like a sh1t sandwich.

The more bread you have, the less sh1t you have to eat.

30,000 is enough for me to send my elder daughter to a good school, pay 7,000 for car repayments, 3,000 rent(3 bed-roomed town house), cable tv, cable internet, phone bills, petrol(2,500/month) etc.

It's all relative really. If you've had to live on 15,000 before, 30,000 seems like a lot.

For a single old codger, it's plenty.

[duratanium]

4000 rent

4000 gas (car)

1000 elec + car park

6000 bar bill (LOL)

2370 vodka * 6 bottles

800 Tuk Tuks

5000 food bill

500 internet

5000 Holidays / Days out

2400 tobacco (200 baht * 3 a week)

------

31,070

I'd say it could be easy to live on less than 30K a month.

[Heng]

Life in Thailand is like a sh1t sandwich.

The more bread you have, the less sh1t you have to eat.

30,000 is enough for me to send my elder daughter to a good school, pay 7,000 for car repayments, 3,000 rent(3 bed-roomed town house), cable tv, cable internet, phone bills, petrol(2,500/month) etc.

It's all relative really. If you've had to live on 15,000 before, 30,000 seems like a lot.

For a single old codger, it's plenty.

Goes to show that the RBSC truly isn't discriminatory in its membership selection. I'd wager you're the only member who is renting a house for $100 a month. ...Unless what you meant when you said you were "at the club today" as 'standing in the club parking lot.'

I'm not a member myself, but more than a few family members are. It averages out to 10,000 a month (there goes a 1/3 of the budget for the 30k crowd), although I don't think anyone pays it month to month. It's a little over 140,000 Baht a year if I recall correctly.

[jimbim]

I used to live on a lot less than 30,000 baht. The rest went into the bank. But shit happens, and women expect nicer surroundings, so now I am living on quite a bit more than that.

Either way, at home I was making three times what I am making here, but I still save more each month that I did there.

[Neeranam]

Life in Thailand is like a sh1t sandwich.

The more bread you have, the less sh1t you have to eat.

30,000 is enough for me to send my elder daughter to a good school, pay 7,000 for car repayments, 3,000 rent(3 bed-roomed town house), cable tv, cable internet, phone bills, petrol(2,500/month) etc.

It's all relative really. If you've had to live on 15,000 before, 30,000 seems like a lot.

For a single old codger, it's plenty.

Goes to show that the RBSC truly isn't discriminatory in its membership selection. I'd wager you're the only member who is renting a house for $100 a month. ...Unless what you meant when you said you were "at the club today" as 'standing in the club parking lot.'

I'm not a member myself, but more than a few family members are. It averages out to 10,000 a month (there goes a 1/3 of the budget for the 30k crowd), although I don't think anyone pays it month to month. It's a little over 140,000 Baht a year if I recall correctly.

I'm not a member - the members I know are from the old Thai school and have lifelong memberships, unlike the Chinese "nouveau riche" who have to pay

I bet you're dying to tell us how much you need a month and how you made it big from the gutter.

Edited October 10, 2007 by Neeranam