I'm Dying For Some Advice

[Sagui]

Hi,

I’m planning to move to Thailand at the end of May of this year and I would really appreciate if you could answer a couple questions.

What’s the cost of living in Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Hua Hin/Cha-am? It is possible for two people (couple) to live on $1000 USD a month? What would it cost to rent a two room house(nice, not fancy ) – How much for utilities and food ? Are cars very expensive? What is the cheapest region, the most expensive? Is Thailand a very bureaucratic country or is it rather easy to get things done--for example, exporting goods or owning a business.

thanks

[candoman89]

Thailand is one of the places in the world where there is no middle-ground. everything is binomially distributed...people are either rich or poor, well educated or um, er, not so educated; really nice or a$$holes etc. etc.

That being said; in a word NO...two people can't live on $US 1,000/month unless you want to live under a bridge with all the other people not so well off.

You can get a single room for $100/month (complete with cold water and squat toilet) in Bangkok and share it with the crustaceans and arthropods that will inhabit same room. yes you can get a bowl of noodles for $1 (and drink water for free from the noodle seller). Alternately you can get a room for $4,000/month and spend $100 per meal. UP TO YOU.

Bangkok is most expensive; Chiang Mai and Hua Hin/Cha Am are cheaper but can't say specifically how much cheaper.

Answers to specific questions........

2 room house (cheapest in Bangkok) you are looking at a few hundred $/month out in the boonies with only bus access to the city.

Utilities........with aircon you are looking at another $100 or so (minimum) for a 2 room house

Food...........minimum of $150

Cars...........i think they are expensive- to rent long term will cost $300/month + gas tolls etc. To buy new will cost you $20 K

Cheapest region............Yala; Narathiwat; Songkhla; Pattani; Satun (bring your bomb / bullet proof clothes)

Is Thailand bureaucratic...... :D Man you ain't seen nothing yet. There is a saying here called TIT (This is Thailand) which is an all encompassing reason/justification for doing something that has absolutely nothing to do with logic or reason.

Yes you can own a business (not easy though) and it would take too long to explain everything..........see some of the other forum sections.

Exporting.... Don't know much about that but other people do it and I know there are pitfalls, dangers, and extra expenses everywhere.

Think very carefully if you plan on moving here with $US 1,000/month.

hope this helps

[Jamie]

Hi,

I’m planning to move to Thailand at the end of May of this year and I would really appreciate if you could answer a couple questions.

What’s the cost of living in Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Hua Hin/Cha-am? It is possible for two people (couple) to live on $1000 USD a month? What would it cost to rent a two room house(nice, not fancy ) – How much for utilities and food ? Are cars very expensive? What is the cheapest region, the most expensive? Is Thailand a very bureaucratic country or is it rather easy to get things done--for example, exporting goods or owning a business.

thanks

If you are planning on moving to Thailand, you might want to spend a bit longer than a weeks vacation there before diving in head first.

[naka]

Why would you plan to move here if you have never been here before ?

Anyway, 1k a month would provide two people with a pretty bare existance.

Naka.

Edited February 25, 2008 by naka

[tb86]

MMM yeah cars arent to bad here toyota, isuzu, can be had brand new for 15k usd........ import cars on the other hand run about triple the price that they do elswhere.....

as far as 1k a month it could be done,,,,, but you wont be happy with the way you live.....

as far as setting up a biz it can be done but if you dont speak thai or know some one well that does your gonna have a long hard road ahead of you

[Sagui]

MMM yeah cars arent to bad here toyota, isuzu, can be had brand new for 15k usd........ import cars on the other hand run about triple the price that they do elswhere.....

as far as 1k a month it could be done,,,,, but you wont be happy with the way you live.....

as far as setting up a biz it can be done but if you dont speak thai or know some one well that does your gonna have a long hard road ahead of you

I appreciate your response. I'll be in Thailand by the end of May maybe you can show me some of the nice restaurants since you love eating as much as I do. Also, do you think you would be able to give me a hand with buying a car? I've seen some very nice Toyotas for 12-15k.

Thanks

Have a good time

[gunnyd]

You coming to retire? How old are you? and are you married to a Thai? These are all cogent questions. After the immigration "reforms" of 2006 you can't just show up and do endless visa runs to stay indefinitely any more. I suggest you look over this forum. http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?showforum=1

Staying in LOS is more complex then just having the money to do it.

To give you an example: If you get a Non-O A retirement visa you have to be over 50 have 800Kbaht ($25000+USD) in a bank account 3 months and a verifiable 40K (about $1300USD) monthly pension.

GunnyD

[Hawkup2000]

Can you even own a car without workpermit or a retirement visa?

[Sagui]

You coming to retire? How old are you? and are you married to a Thai? These are all cogent questions. After the immigration "reforms" of 2006 you can't just show up and do endless visa runs to stay indefinitely any more. I suggest you look over this forum. http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?showforum=1

Staying in LOS is more complex then just having the money to do it.

To give you an example: If you get a Non-O A retirement visa you have to be over 50 have 800Kbaht ($25000+USD) in a bank account 3 months and a verifiable 40K (about $1300USD) monthly pension.

GunnyD

Hi there,

thanks for you concern. In fact, my girlfriend is Thai American and we are planning to get married here in buenos aires and I don't think it will be a problem for me to stay in Thailand -- this is not an improvised, i have two passports, an Argentine and a canadian one. With the Argentine passaport i can stay for nine months if i want since i'm not required visa. To your question i'm not planning to retired i'm too young for it i'm only 33 yr. old and i'm not rich but i got some money + plans for an exporting job... Any other advice you could give me ?

As far as i know there's always a go arround ... in third world countries.

My best to you ...

[gunnyd]

I stay in Bangkok so I can give you my experience from there. The monthly cost of living for me and my wife runs about $1500 USD a month. That is for a 1 bedroom serviced apartment (including electrical and water) with ADSL Internet access, and UBC Platinum TV service, food, drink, incidentals, and entertainment.

I assume you hold dual citizenship with Argentina and Canada since you have passport from both countries. You describe your GF as Thai-American. My question would be is she native born Thai Naturalized US citizen or was she born in the USA. If she was born in Thailand she should be able to get dual citizen status with her birth certificate or an old Thai passport. My second question would be whether you are planning on getting her an Argentine passport since you say you are getting married in Buenos Aries.

You state you are planning on running an export business, to do this legally you will need to get a Non-B visa irregardless of your nationality. Also you want to own a car for that you will need a Non-O or Non-B visa with a work permit for info on this go here: http://www.thaivisa.com/own_car_thailand.0.html

To make all of your plans work you will definitely need local legal help such as Sunbelt Asia Group or Siam Legal

You would do well to do plenty of searches on ThaiVisa.com. There is loads of information on everything Thailand.

Hope this helps,

The dastardly GunnyD

[Sophon]

With the Argentine passaport i can stay for nine months if i want since i'm not required visa.

Are you sure about that? The IATA database has this information:

National ARGENTINA (AR) /Destination THAILAND (TH)

THAILAND (TH)

Passport required, which must be valid at least 6 months and

in good condition.

1. If travelling for touristic purposes:

visa not required for a max. stay of 90 days.

Extension possible. Fee THB 1,900.- (1 photo required).

Note: there is a max. limit of a total of 90 days stay

within any 6 month period. Return/onward ticket is required.

2. In all other cases: visa required.

Travel on one-way ticket is permitted.

Sophon

[Sagui]

yes, you are right indeed. All the info you stated in this forum it is correct, anyways the thai embassy here in Buenos Aires offered me a one year long "non-inmigrant visa" so this may not be a problem for me. i'm more concerned about other legal issues, things like - Exporting regulation and marriage laws in thailand. I read somewhere that you have to have proof of 400.000 thb in a bank account + 40.000 thb monthly income. (is this a clause for marriage or marriage extension) As for the money in the account it's no problem but for the monthly income might be - the first year i'll use it to settle, learn thai and have my business running therefore i wont be working since my visa wont allow it. Do you have any comment on that? Is there a legal way through, like hiring some lawer or something... . Does the monthly income declaration have to be on my part or could it be done by gf and i together?

thanks, appreciate your response !

[Sagui]

Hi there,

i'd like to thank you for the time you invested to answer my questions and the links you send me, they came very handy.

We keep in touch ...

[lioness]

Just a thought, the places you mention are all relatively expensive compared to some other regions. If you go to a high tourist area or the city you will pay more for everything.

There are some beautiful places in Thailand, not on the beach that have a far cheaper cost of living. Also it depends on how you want to live, want to live the high life then you will of course pay more.

In my home town area 2 of you would live very well indeed on 1,500 US a month, and I guess that goes for most regions not overly populated by Foreigners.

[tw25rw]

I met an American woman in Chiang Mai once (same songtaew from the airport) who had moved to Thailand not long before having never previously visited.

Said she owned a house in the US, but couldn't afford to retire. So she sold up and moved to CM and bought a condo.

Seemed happy, though her spoken Thai was so bad that even I could hear it.

[pampal]

Don't make any long term plans, try to play it by ear.

[craigrs]

Yes you can live on $1000 a month easy..

Me and my Thai wife stayed in Jomtien and $1000 a month is (now 32k)

our rent was 7500 for a studio condo

Bills about 2500 baht

Condo had a great pool and Tv, Fridige ect ect .. Hop on the 10 baht truck and go anywhere in that pattaya area for no more then 30 baht each..spend 100-300 baht a day at the market for food..and still have movie money and going out easy..Yes it can be done very easy and you can do it and be happy.

Like many spending $1000 a month can be done but whats a killer is not making a living while your spending $1000 a month.. I'm now in the states depress with no wife and wish i could go back to spending a $1000 a month in thailand.

Edited March 1, 2008 by craigrs

[howtoescape]

I have never lived in LOS and this is about what i spend in a week on my hols, i like the ladies, eat only farang food and spend about 1 or 2 k a night on digs.

However back here in blighty i imagine if i had my rent paid and only had utility bills to pay i could live on 1000USD a month ok, In that i eat in everynight, go to the gym most nights, and drink only once or twice a week.

So why not try it in LOS, if the worst comes to the worst you can always go back to where you came from.

Me personally i am qualifying as a tax consultant which will take 2-3 years in the hope this can be my ticket out of England forever, there is plenty of work in Singapore and HK for this trade.

[ballbreaker]

When you received 40-44 baht to the dollar $1000 was possible if you didn't waste money. At the current 32 baht and at the predicted 25-28 baht per dollar by end of 2008 things might be a little tough. I suppose if you are willing to cut back your life style to that of a lower income Thai then it still can be done.

[sweetchariot]

When you received 40-44 baht to the dollar $1000 was possible if you didn't waste money. At the current 32 baht and at the predicted 25-28 baht per dollar by end of 2008 things might be a little tough. I suppose if you are willing to cut back your life style to that of a lower income Thai then it still can be done.

A lower income Thai would be living on 4-5,000 per month not 32k.