Weekly Living Expenses

[thaimate]

To the guys who live onunder 3000 baht a week ,how the hel_l do you do it ,you dont live in one of the tin shacks near us do you? cause if you do come over for some grub you poor old soul.

[Richard7]

If it's 3000 Baht per week excluding rent then I imagine it's fairly easy if they don't drink..

[Thakkar]

I love these threads, first you have the guys that live on 3 peanuts & half sucked mango, then theres those that wipe their backsides on gold plated toilet paper & everyone in between.

PRICELESS stuff really.

I like to hire minor celebrities to wipe my bum with scented, powder-dusted, gold-plated tissue while I suck on a mango.

Can I have your mango when you're done with it?

SC

Okay. But the celebs aren't gonna be too happy, 'cause they're the ones who usually get the left over mangoes if they promise not to comment on the hairiness of my bum and other unsightly sightings they may spot while performing their duties.

BTW, 3 peanuts and half a mango is a pretty nutritious meal. That's what I told my kids just now when they came bugging me for more food as I was about to open my second bottle of Chateau margaux. Kids these days just want, want, want.

--

These threads can be interesting because, I guess, many want to know what The Joneses are spending. But I wonder (without meaning any disrespect to the OP) how reliable the information is. Besides, such threads invariably degenerate into pissing contests on both sides: those who live on 10k/month and are proud of it as it bolsters their 'nativeness' bona fide and those who spend various multiples of that and are disdainful of others that live on less.

Since Time is the currency of life, perhaps our real cost of living should be measured as how much time we spend NOT doing the things we enjoy.

[StreetCowboy]

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.....

These threads can be interesting because, I guess, many want to know what The Joneses are spending. But I wonder (without meaning any disrespect to the OP) how reliable the information is. Besides, such threads invariably degenerate into pissing contests on both sides: those who live on 10k/month and are proud of it as it bolsters their 'nativeness' bona fide and those who spend various multiples of that and are disdainful of others that live on less.

Since Time is the currency of life, perhaps our real cost of living should be measured as how much time we spend NOT doing the things we enjoy.

I find it easier to maximise the time I spend enjoying the things that I do...I find if I maximise the time I spend doing the things that I enjoy, I don't enjoy them.

Anyway, fun is like work - its better to get it finished as quick as possible, so you can move on to something more important....

Sorry - I don't have much time to plan out this email, on a fairly important topic. My apologies, but at least its bumped back to the top of the pile for our more philosophical members to address

SC

[gerry53]

I have discovered the secret is having two expense-free days per week. Just make sure you have food and booze in the fridge for those two days and don't go out except for exercise.

Doing that I have saved 15,000 per month which compensates for the <50 Baht to the GBP and keeps to my THB 65K monthly limit.

Good solution Syd for guys caught in a money squeeze or declining currency issue. I find it interesting many experienced board members love droning on and on about british breakfasts, restaurants and baht buses yet seem to find it boring or distasteful to discuss a serious issue like financing a stay here. I agree it is subjective but many newcomers probably learn a great deal from others projections and expectations. My 2 cents worth.

[jori]

I have discovered the secret is having two expense-free days per week. Just make sure you have food and booze in the fridge for those two days and don't go out except for exercise.

Doing that I have saved 15,000 per month which compensates for the <50 Baht to the GBP and keeps to my THB 65K monthly limit.

Good solution Syd for guys caught in a money squeeze or declining currency issue. I find it interesting many experienced board members love droning on and on about british breakfasts, restaurants and baht buses yet seem to find it boring or distasteful to discuss a serious issue like financing a stay here. I agree it is subjective but many newcomers probably learn a great deal from others projections and expectations. My 2 cents worth.

I'll go along with this too,sit on your hands for a day or two,but the biggest problem is an even better looking one comes along and ruins the budget.

[djinn]

around 1200000/year

No rent I own my condo

2 medical insurances

2 cars ,insurances,car taxes,condo charges (4000/month) 1 trip in Europ a year (flight included but not the cost of living in Europ)

Just 3 or 4 days to see friends in BKK per month

Could spend more.No extravagant lifestyle.Just happy sanuk

[DMC1]

Probably around 10-20K per week all in. House/car paid for and hardly drink alcohol anymore due to stinking hangovers!! so nights out are much cheaper.

[chops]

about 13k a week. ~55k/month.

believe it or not I drink and barhop on that. if I didn't, I could probably live on half of what I'm spending.

[Thakkar]

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.....

These threads can be interesting because, I guess, many want to know what The Joneses are spending. But I wonder (without meaning any disrespect to the OP) how reliable the information is. Besides, such threads invariably degenerate into pissing contests on both sides: those who live on 10k/month and are proud of it as it bolsters their 'nativeness' bona fide and those who spend various multiples of that and are disdainful of others that live on less.

Since Time is the currency of life, perhaps our real cost of living should be measured as how much time we spend NOT doing the things we enjoy.

I find it easier to maximise the time I spend enjoying the things that I do...I find if I maximise the time I spend doing the things that I enjoy, I don't enjoy them.

Anyway, fun is like work - its better to get it finished as quick as possible, so you can move on to something more important....

Sorry - I don't have much time to plan out this email, on a fairly important topic. My apologies, but at least its bumped back to the top of the pile for our more philosophical members to address

SC

"I find it easier to maximise the time I spend enjoying the things that I do...I find if I maximise the time I spend doing the things that I enjoy, I don't enjoy them."

[anon8]

10 000 a week max, rent not incl..

but now that I think about it, it isnt 10k a week.. its more likely 5000 a week. Im single, Ive lived here for a while so I very rarely pick up company, I dont drink. I eat out every day 3 times, i ride a bike. Im out most nights.

how can people spend 20k a week, as so many say they do. What do you spend it on? I mean, for guys who live here, NOT tourists. As a tourist its easy to spend tons, of course.

I'd like to know where the 20k goes. thats 80k a month. In Pattaya!

[craigt3365]

Easy! Drink good wine (over 1k Baht/bottle...can do 2 of these a day easily...more during a party), eat at nice restaurants (no street food, easily 4-5k Baht per dinner for 2), have a few cars (ever priced a new Benz...or the required maintenance for it?), have a nice place (even if paid off, common fees and utilities can be 20k Baht a month and up for really nice places), have 2 or 3 maids (my friend pays 25k Baht/month for his 3), travel a bit (a one week trip to Singapore can easily set you back 200k Baht), etc, etc, etc.

Now I don't live that lifestyle, but I do have friends who do. And it's a very nice lifestyle!

For me, I'm similar to Djinn...about 100k Baht a month. And we are not extravagant at all. But I do have a hard time getting out of Carrefour for less than 5k Baht per trip.

[gerry53]

10 000 a week max, rent not incl..

but now that I think about it, it isnt 10k a week.. its more likely 5000 a week. Im single, Ive lived here for a while so I very rarely pick up company, I dont drink. I eat out every day 3 times, i ride a bike. Im out most nights.

how can people spend 20k a week, as so many say they do. What do you spend it on? I mean, for guys who live here, NOT tourists. As a tourist its easy to spend tons, of course.

I'd like to know where the 20k goes. thats 80k a month. In Pattaya!

I spend about 2K baht per day just enjoying life (15K weekly). This is not including condo rent and utilities. (sat. TV, internet, electric and water)

It's easy to do and I don't consider it excessive:

daily 1 1/2 hr oil massage 360 - 400 B

meals twice a day 300 baht daily

gas for motorbike every few days 60 B daily

some beers or wine almost daily 300 B daily

maid service weekly at 300 baht

incidentals from tooth paste to toilet paper

topping up phone time

haircuts

bowling or a movie

date with a lady

occassional clothing, shoes etc.

Some days I spend much less and others much more but I can average 2000 baht and live very comfortably, and really enjoy my life.

[anon8]

got it,

with expensive restaurants and wine it can easyly get to few thousand per day..

edit spelling

Edited August 25, 2010 by valgehiir