Hard Times In Expat Thailand

[Ricardo]

Times are hard, the value of my overseas-investments are down, living-costs are rising, and the Strong Baht reduces further the value of my money when I bring it into Thailand. I'm not skint ... but I am hurting.

So like many other expats, I've looked to reduce my monthly outgoings, in what small ways I can. (Imagine a smilie in-a-kilt here !)

For example, I no longer cook with healthy tasty olive-oil, at 400B per litre, but instead use healthy-ish sunflower-oils instead, at 90 Baht per litre. And I found a very reasonable own-label lime-soda at Tesco, 13B per big bottle, instead of 24B for Sprite. That's for the kids ... not me, might I add, unless you want a shandy when visiting, instead of a beer.

We also entertain less than we did a couple of years ago. Maintenance on the house & garden are being stretched-out. Annual holidays to Europe are replaced with slightly-shorter trips more-locally. Gifts to parents-in-law are reduced in size & frequency.

What substitutes or cost-savings have other TV-members found, or are you just eating/drinking-out less, or are you simply not affected by all this ?

[patklang]

reduce the ladies to only 2 a night and only have steak 5 times a week now.

SERIOUSLY

my life would be the same if i had another 20,000 baht a week or 10,000 less a week,i dont need to act rich i love my life as it is ty

[freitag1]

I actually make more money every month now and we plan to build a new house next year (but wait until the financial crisis is really reflected in the land prices here).

I guess it really depends in what kind of area you are working or if you are working at all.

On the other hand I agree with patklang. Even though my business does better in the recent months I do not spend more or less money. That's the beauty of Thailand, I pretty much live exactly like I want to and the budget is still just a fraction of what it would cost in western countries.

Edited December 28, 2008 by freitag1

[BigSnake]

Wine and fast Women, darn miss them both.

Edited December 28, 2008 by BigSnake

[sorensen]

Wine and fast Women, darn miss this both.

What are you doing now BigSnake? Beer and slow women?

[patklang]

A mate of mine lives on over 200,000 baht a month here in pattaya.

he drinks every night at 120 baht for a drink X 30 average X 7 days = 25,200 baht a week without st/lt

are you telling me i am envious of this guy who could be dead if he continues to drink to excess.

i know this is only 1 example of how not to live,but the point is,if you had more money would you go out more,eat at more at expensive restaraunts,have a bigger house,maid.

all bullshit

to be happy the first thing is good health then everything else is a bonus

btw

nobody knows how much i am worth unlike some of my boastful mates.

[Japhrodisiac]

I moved house, from a 20,000 baht/month rental to a smaller but just as nice 11,000 baht/month place nearby. the landlord was hurting so i took advantage and locked in a long term at this price. I drive the car less and the motorbike more, we are eating in a bit more but frankly unless you go extravagant it is usually not too much more to eat out than at home. Buying dvds instead of going to the theater, and thats about it.

[RPETER65]

Times are hard, the value of my overseas-investments are down, living-costs are rising, and the Strong Baht reduces further the value of my money when I bring it into Thailand. I'm not skint ... but I am hurting.

So like many other expats, I've looked to reduce my monthly outgoings, in what small ways I can. (Imagine a smilie in-a-kilt here !)

For example, I no longer cook with healthy tasty olive-oil, at 400B per litre, but instead use healthy-ish sunflower-oils instead, at 90 Baht per litre. And I found a very reasonable own-label lime-soda at Tesco, 13B per big bottle, instead of 24B for Sprite. That's for the kids ... not me, might I add, unless you want a shandy when visiting, instead of a beer.

We also entertain less than we did a couple of years ago. Maintenance on the house & garden are being stretched-out. Annual holidays to Europe are replaced with slightly-shorter trips more-locally. Gifts to parents-in-law are reduced in size & frequency.

What substitutes or cost-savings have other TV-members found, or are you just eating/drinking-out less, or are you simply not affected by all this ?

What living costs are rising? Gas is down, food is almost a non factor, water and electric havn't changed in the two and a half years that I have lived here. What are your major expenses?

[patklang]

medical up,many bars are increasing prices

[sorensen]

medical up,many bars are increasing prices

This is not what the OP asked for, but I agree many things have increased in price from noodle soup to fine dining, Visa, BKK taxi fairs, Bangkok Post, beers, hotels and most supermarket items.

[Ricardo]

What are you doing now BigSnake? Beer and slow women?

My single friends inform me that slow women are easier to catch !

What living costs are rising? Gas is down, food is almost a non factor, water and electric havn't changed in the two and a half years that I have lived here. What are your major expenses?

Food certainly isn't a non-factor, with a family of 4 to feed, butter/milk/cheese are up 50-75% this year, fried-rice was 15-20B and is now 30B+, the 39B all-you-want buffet is now 49B, and you're paying for the water, agreed diesel is down but that's the exception to the rule, I'm afraid. Beer & spirits just went up again too !

And the pound which got me 60-70 Baht, is now worth 49-50 Baht, instant price-increase !

Edited December 28, 2008 by Ricardo

[Maverell]

Yep - the exchange rate is hurting me, as are the beer prices in Soi Cowboy. My consumption of alcohol has reduced by 30 per cent.

[torrenova]

I think that people will be looking at whether they really want to enter into long term commitments. I mean, say you have a 4 year old car and the finance is paid off. Perhaps you don't substitute a new payment on a new car for the old monthly payment but perhaps keep the car a while longer, benefiting from not having to pay monthly for the luxury.

I don't see how changing from a Bt15 soda to a Bt10 soda will help. If things are that bad they the soda has to go completely.

I can see how entertaining, going out for a beer or taking the family to a restaurant can eat into a budget unnecessarily and it is an easy area to trim some fat from the carcass.

One thing I think some people do not consider is their rental costs. Usually people pay more than they need to. I would certainly be in discussion with my landlord if I was in that position looking for a rent reduction.

[Jingthing]

I now mop my own floor. I fired the maid. Also, this is free exercise I don't have to pay for. I stopped buying some luxury foods like smoked salmon and ricotta cheese. I now buy decent but off brand non-Russian vodka. I eat out at expensive farang food restaurants a bit less.

Edited December 28, 2008 by Jingthing

[ilyushin]

I have been reducing some costs like booze and entertainment because of other bills like children's education, medical, insurance, etc... Also just watching the wallet more these days with all the bad economic indicators.

I have found that reducing the booze and bars alone will cover the new bills and have some change left over. Feels good not to blow loads of money on the town.

Near my house are several PXs that offer cheaper beer prices so I can have loads of beers for only a small amount and entertain myself at the old special missions runway watching some RC planes and rotors buzzing around.

Regardless of the money you make today, you still need to be concerned about tomorrow with this current economic crisis setting in. Most expats will have to reduce spending eventually.

[G54]

Believe it or not, my life has become a lot cheaper since I got the current g/f.

I have now - voluntarily - cut back my nights out from 5 a week to 2 nights a week. I do the cooking (she works) instead of going out to eat most nights too. The veg and other ingredients cost so little at the market and little or no waste now I cook for 2.

And I d/l a lot of movies instead of buying or renting them.

All in all I must be saving 15k a month.

Had an unexpected bonus this last month. I paid half the price of the electricity bill because the house is owned by a teacher (something to do with the previous government). Though how long that will be for I do not know.

There is also the added advantage of cosy nights in on the sofa watching movies whilst the g/f snuggles up. Then when she has to go to work early on a morning we go to bed earlier too

[patklang]

stop tipping at beer bars unless you buy a few drinks.i used to tip at least 20b even if had one drink but now the rules are 1-2 drinks no tip after that maybe 10-20b.if the ladies want to increase their st i will decrease my tips lol lol.

[MJP]

Used the downturn and the Pound/Toilet to finally sort the old woman's spending habits. It's been a wonderful thing!

I can live on about 1000 Baht a week. She used to spend that on a pot of face cream. Not that it made a blinders bit of difference. Like putting a silk hat on an a dam_n pig anyway.

Was going to buy a big motorbike to symbolise my mid-life crisis. No chance now. Well, I guess that saved my life.

That twot has been the cause of my buying more Baht than George Soros over the past seven years. My Forex broker may top himself over it, which would be a shame because he's a nice guy.

Edited December 28, 2008 by MJP

[OxfordWill]

Ive had to fire the drivers and the maids, and don't even get me started on the cutbacks in the kitchen quarters. belt tightening indeed.

[Shotime]

I know you meant <deleted>, and, yes, you're right. That expense had to go.

[Ulysses G.]

Less messages. Less happy endings. Less Japanese food at the chain places. More at the cheap Japanese restaurant near the night bazaar.

[garro]

I gave up food and now live on rain or river water. I have found that this means that I hallucinate a lot and so don't need to waste money on a television or other entertainment -double savings.

[syd barrett]

The facts are that if you like a drink, cutting out the visits to the more expensive bars can save a fortune. Plus I walk more instead of getting baht bus or motorcycle taxis and I read all newspapers online. Plus I gave up all beef and pork and just eat chicken and fish.

Total savings per month= 13,000 baht = 250 British Pounds

[Kerryd]

Hard times ? What hard times ?

I've just agreed to rent two more apartments adjacent to mine, and renovate them so I have a large, 4 room apartment.

Another 45k of mods to the Harley in progress, plus another 30k of accessories just ordered.

40k for a honkin' big (individually crafted) gold ring (for me), (but only 20k on a chain for the g/f 'cause I'm a cheap SoB).

Other recent purchases including new bed and mattress (old one broke from over use apparently), new computer (old one broke

from spending too much time on TV when not trying to break the bed apparently).

Even dear old dad is having a blast. Instead of living in a frozen icebox for half the year, watching taxes and rising costs eat up more of his savings and pension each year, he's moving from his apartment into a nice house and shopping for a Harley for himself.

Admittedly, some have it harder than others. I've seen people decide not to exchange a hundred pounds, hoping that in a day or two the rate may change and they'd get an extra hundred baht or so (which they apparently needed). Some people seem to be barely hanging on in Thailand, makes you wonder what they'd be living like back in their home countries.

Exchange rates can be a killer wherever you are. I remember back when I was first posted to Germany in the early 80's. We were getting a little over 3 Deutsche marks to the dollar. I could pay my rent and all my bills (food, gas, telephone, TV, electricity, etc) on a third of my pay. Some guys were buying new Mercedes and Volvos, even Porches.

But then the exchange rate started to slide. A couple years down the road and the dollar was trading at almost the same level as the mark. Suddenly, those car payments were the same as a whole months pay by themselves.

When we were posted out 4 years later, there were quite a few broke (even bankrupt) people that had been living like kings not long before.

I am still a little surprised, after all the doom and gloom over the politics and airport closures, that the baht seems to have hardly been effected (vs the US $ at least). Sheesh, even the slightest bit of bad news on the economic front tends to make the Canadian dollar dive like an Olympic medallist, yet the baht seems to be holding steady.

[tb86]

Yup new house 80% complete, 2 new restaurants, 2 more launching in mid jan <deleted>, we only live once.

feel like were the only people spending more than we were a year ago, oh well

[torrenova]

Believe it or not, my life has become a lot cheaper since I got the current g/f.

I've said for years that the biggest ticket items on the budget list are the booze and the birds. Get a girlfriend and you automatically cut down both costs as you've found out.

I couldn't be always on the search for new conquests anyway.

stop tipping at beer bars unless you buy a few drinks.i used to tip at least 20b even if had one drink but now the rules are 1-2 drinks no tip after that maybe 10-20b.if the ladies want to increase their st i will decrease my tips lol lol.

I know I'm biased as I have been in the bar business but my decision to go into a bar includes an amount for a small tip unless they piss me off. It is part of their salary structure and I would rather impose other restrictions on myself.

Used the downturn and the Pound/Toilet to finally sort the old woman's spending habits. It's been a wonderful thing!

I've also tried to get mine to understand that the businesses are not likely to rake in as much this year as previously and I am not prepared to reinvest the proceeds from those I have sold until conditions improve.

The facts are that if you like a drink, cutting out the visits to the more expensive bars can save a fortune. Plus I walk more instead of getting baht bus or motorcycle taxis and I read all newspapers online. Plus I gave up all beef and pork and just eat chicken and fish.

Total savings per month= 13,000 baht = 250 British Pounds

I wouldn't give up the paper but I do understand your drinking policy. I personally think this is the beginning of a fundamental shift which will kill off a lot of the higher priced bars.

Just think about a real scenario for me. Go to local bar, pay about Bt60 or so. Have 10 drinks and get a bill for Bt600. Leave Bt40 tip so pay Bt640. Get a taxi into town (Bt80) and pay an average of Bt90 or so. Leave a similar tip but have to pay Bt250 or thereabouts for a taxi back as don't want a motorbike when drunk. Total cost Bt900+40+80+250 = Bt1270 or roughly double ! Sure it is not quite the same but the difference is more pronounced if you just want a few drinks and not 10 as the transport costs remain the same.

Order a pizza and some wings - Bt420. Order some Thai food - Bt100 say.

I think UBC is good value so I would not change that.

Internet can go down to Bt500 if you have to, still 1024/512

Not sure how changing from beef / pork to chicken and fish saves money but ......

If you live here and don't have a cheap laundry then you can save loads by buying a washing machine. Not so much if you live along I grant you but as a couple you save loads. I reckon that even before the baby, we saved over a thousand a month.

Rice cooker, remainder in bags in freezer, 3 mins in microwave from frozen etc. Just convenience but I reckon it saves money.

Again, booze and birds. Get those costs in control and you don't really have to worry too much about the rest.

[mistresserika]

Have changed to a cheaper brand of champagne.

Cut down on Argentinian fillet steak.

Only fly business class now.

Only go to Singapore once a month now.

Times are a little harder now.

[Ricardo]

Switch from LCC-plane to bus, unless connecting with a long-haul flight, when it's got to be TG, because of carrying the extra weight without wanting to surcharge for it !

Last October we took the family CNX-HDY for 25,000B, this year Air Asia wanted 36,000B & TG 40,000B, just one more example of rising costs. We didn't go.

[MJP]

Have changed to a cheaper brand of champagne.

Cut down on Argentinian fillet steak.

Only fly business class now.

Only go to Singapore once a month now.

Times are a little harder now.

Have changed to Tesco diet coke instead of real.

Cut down on protein.

Flying New Year's Eve because it saved 50 quid.

Only go to Makro once a month now.

Times are a little harder.

[wolfmanjack]

Not sure how changing from beef / pork to chicken and fish saves money but ......

Beef is over 200 baht a kilo and pork is around 100 baht a kilo while boneless skinless chicken breast is only 65 baht a kilo according to what i just paid yesterday. I switched to boneless skinless chicken breast to save money but it will save my waistline as a bonus.