Is It Time To Go Home

[nam-thip]

It's slowly but surely getting that way that over-all it’s much cheaper for me to live in the UK.

I pay heavily to live here but at what point do I say enough is enough?

In Thailand i rent a house for 15.000 Baht per month.

In the UK I own my own house.

In Thailand my lady costs me somewhere in the region of 20.000 Baht every month.

That’s 35.000 Baht or 700 pounds worth of outgoings I don’t have in the UK.

The annual visa shit is another story.

Contrary to belief, the cost of living in the tropics doesn’t come cheap.

I've had twelve wonderful years here but!!

Is it time to bail out and go home?

Edited May 15, 2009 by nam-thip

[girlx]

if you are asking that question the answer is probably yes

[pattaya_girl]

Why don't you rent your house in the UK, I do.

I agree about the money situation though, I think everyone is feeling it.

Maybe when you get back to the UK, you will want to come back again.

[nam-thip]

Why don't you rent your house in the UK, I do.

I agree about the money situation though, I think everyone is feeling it.

Maybe when you get back to the UK, you will want to come back again.

Maybe, but on a six monthly basis when the UK is cold, cold, cold

I do rent my house buts it’s difficult to manage at a distance as i don’t have family just an 84 year old father.

Agents are f*****g useless at best

Edited May 15, 2009 by nam-thip

[LivinLOS]

When you live in a 15k type house the costs of living are usually less than the west and there are other benefits (I cant stand winter climates)..

I do find the value balance shifts quickly when you want a little more.. Here a little more costs many multiples more.. A merc or a beemer.. hidef films.. quality net connections.. high end electronics.. These things, if even available end up costing a lot.. So much so that its an odd balance.

[livinthailandos]

I dont know about the UK since I am from the US but from my experience

price of water in thailand vs US ( thailand still cheaper )

price of running electricity vs US ( thailand still cheaper )

cost of seeing a movie here vs US ( thailand still cheaper ) brand new movie thailand 3 dollars US 8 dollars

local thai food vs fast food ( 2 dollars get me beef noodle soup, rice, thai ice tea, US mcdonalds

home internet vs US ( thailand is still unlimited in the US there starting to use broadband caps

petrol slight cheaper but can't use real comparsion since in the US we use gallons and not liters

mobile phones at least here I dont have to sign a freaking contract just to get a phone

[Pierrot]

Why don't you rent your house in the UK, I do.

I agree about the money situation though, I think everyone is feeling it.

Maybe when you get back to the UK, you will want to come back again.

Maybe, but on a six monthly basis when the UK is cold, cold, cold

I do rent my house buts it’s difficult to manage at a distance as i don’t have family just an 84 year old father.

Agents are f*****g useless at best

Agree with both on you, on the cost of living, the weather ... and the agents

My wife and I agreed (especially I) that when we retire we will spend our time half half between Europe (South !) and Thailand. We took into account family, friends, food, cultural aspects (Museum, theatres, ...), and also the weather. I don't know about you but sometime I miss snow !

[kennkate]

I do think a lot depends on your Age Health Ect

No it is not Cheap here for us anymore Not Cheap in the UK.

It is sort of 50/50 Much the same if you take everything into consideration

But I think you will miss Thailand I know I will, But age and future health have to be considered

I do miss Englands green pleasant land TV Internet and long summer nights.

As for me well i go back. Like you I have my own House

Only You can Decide.

[Boater]

the anwser is yes, it now cost me double here then it did 4 years ago !

also buiness has become slow and unrelible in the LOS

[craigrs]

go home

[Pierrot]

I do think a lot depends on your Age Health Ect

No it is not Cheap here for us anymore Not Cheap in the UK.

It is sort of 50/50 Much the same if you take everything into consideration

But I think you will miss Thailand I know I will, But age and future health have to be considered

I do miss Englands green pleasant land TV Internet and long summer nights.

As for me well i go back. Like you I have my own House

Only You can Decide.

I forgot this one, definitively agree !

Especially a jazz concert during a summer evening !

[LivinLOS]

I dont know about the UK since I am from the US but from my experience

price of water in thailand vs US ( thailand still cheaper )

price of running electricity vs US ( thailand still cheaper )

cost of seeing a movie here vs US ( thailand still cheaper ) brand new movie thailand 3 dollars US 8 dollars

local thai food vs fast food ( 2 dollars get me beef noodle soup, rice, thai ice tea, US mcdonalds

home internet vs US ( thailand is still unlimited in the US there starting to use broadband caps

petrol slight cheaper but can't use real comparsion since in the US we use gallons and not liters

mobile phones at least here I dont have to sign a freaking contract just to get a phone

And the entire savings gone the second you buy a BMW..

Thats my point.. it takes an awful lot of cheap plates of rice to make up for the differences in what I consider only middle class luxuries.. Bought a bluray player here lately ?? Or a media center ?? Or high end audio (I nearly had a heart attack when i looked and B&W's price list) ??

Sure my laundries done cheaply.. And a maid isnt expensive.. But to live cheap requires giving up things or lowering standards. the balance is the climate, ability to go yachting more, those kind of intangibles..

[Birdman]

I do think a lot depends on your Age Health Ect

No it is not Cheap here for us anymore Not Cheap in the UK.

It is sort of 50/50 Much the same if you take everything into consideration

But I think you will miss Thailand I know I will, But age and future health have to be considered

I do miss Englands green pleasant land TV Internet and long summer nights.

As for me well i go back. Like you I have my own House

Only You can Decide.

I forgot this one, definitively agree !

Especially a jazz concert during a summer evening !

or a small chamber orchestra playing Bach at an old country castle illuminated by hundreds of candles on a warm summer evening

[binnsy]

If you feel the need to go home best that you go if not you will only regret it in the future and if it is not as comfortable back home then you can always return back to LOS.

[teacup]

I enjoy the western country, esp the USA more than thailand

What not to like....just naming a few here

- 4 seasons

- cleaner air

- dependable laws and order

- excellent infrastructures

- housing price is getting sooo cheap now, better to buy than rent....and much better quality built (generally) than in thailand

- good consumer protection laws

- endless activities and entertainments

- true internet shopping experience,

...etcs

This is me tho

Edited May 15, 2009 by teacup

[t.s]

I dont know about the UK since I am from the US but from my experience

price of water in thailand vs US ( thailand still cheaper )

price of running electricity vs US ( thailand still cheaper )

cost of seeing a movie here vs US ( thailand still cheaper ) brand new movie thailand 3 dollars US 8 dollars

local thai food vs fast food ( 2 dollars get me beef noodle soup, rice, thai ice tea, US mcdonalds

home internet vs US ( thailand is still unlimited in the US there starting to use broadband caps

petrol slight cheaper but can't use real comparsion since in the US we use gallons and not liters

mobile phones at least here I dont have to sign a freaking contract just to get a phone

may i ask how the unit of volume prohibits a comparison?

[lazygourmet]

- 4 seasons

... in one day; I rather prefer Melbourne!

[flying]

may i ask how the unit of volume prohibits a comparison?

As soon as I saw it I knew it was coming

[noahvail]

If you feel the need to go home best that you go if not you will only regret it in the future and if it is not as comfortable back home then you can always return back to LOS.

Despite the run-on sentence, I entirely agree with Binnsy. Give you an example. My Grandmother lived in Connecticut. At the age of 95, she sold up and moved to California. After giving California a reasonable chance - two year's worth - she sold up at 97 and moved back to Connecticut. The only way you will *really* know if the move is right for you is to do it. And keep tabs on the political stuff in LoS from back home, you might find it better - either better here, or better there. Best of luck to you

[PhilHarries]

go home

Wow! Did you type that all by yourself, unaided?

To the OP a couple of points:-

Regarding the housing costs have you checked out what your council tax bill is going to be?

As for the girlfriend, yes going back home you will be without that expense but you will also be without that company. So which is more important the money or the company? Both options are available in Thailand.

Do you work? Getting a job back in the UK right now is no fun. Transport in the UK is expensive and if you drive chances are you'll be appearing on the new police reality show "Speeding Fine".

Anyhow we all, in our hearts, know when it's time for a reality check better to go now on your own terms and still loving Thailand than to leave it until you are stony broke or bitter and twisted or both.

Every airliner leaving Thailand has a return sometime.

[dbrenn]

It's slowly but surely getting that way that over-all it’s much cheaper for me to live in the UK.

I pay heavily to live here but at what point do I say enough is enough?

In Thailand i rent a house for 15.000 Baht per month.

In the UK I own my own house.

In Thailand my lady costs me somewhere in the region of 20.000 Baht every month.

That’s 35.000 Baht or 700 pounds worth of outgoings I don’t have in the UK.

The annual visa shit is another story.

Contrary to belief, the cost of living in the tropics doesn’t come cheap.

I've had twelve wonderful years here but!!

Is it time to bail out and go home?

You could always sell your house in the UK, buy a condo in Thailand and call it quits with your girlfriend.

Whenever I think of the UK, the first thing that comes to my mind are dark Winters, slate grey skies and driving freezing rain.

Actually, it's not all that bad over there and I do enjoy visiting there in the Summer, but I couldn't live there again.

Each to his own I guess. But think it through - after 12 years you will get reverse culture shock back there, and you may wish that you had never left Thailand. You might start to miss your girlfriend too. The economy in the UK is prerry bad at the moment too, so (if you need to work) factor in that you might need longer than usual to find a job, perhaps a lot longer.

[Tagaa]

My thought exactly the minute I read the line. One gallon is 3.79 liters IIRC. Convert Baht per liter to baht per gallon, then convert baht to $. Last time I did it diesel & gasoline were more expensive here than in the US by about 20%, again, IIRC.

I just bought a Denon amp & a JBL surround sound system...about 2.5 x's the price in the US. You would think that these things would be cheaper here as they are all made in Asia. But no...

[LivinLOS]

Regarding the housing costs have you checked out what your council tax bill is going to be?

Both my parents are currently in rentals. Both get considerably more for thier rents and taxes than I get in mine..

Even a basic 2 bed is 25 - 30.. A nice but simple detached home with pool is often over 50.. Really nice places are 80 or 100 plus..

As for the girlfriend, yes going back home you will be without that expense but you will also be without that company. So which is more important the money or the company? Both options are available in Thailand.

They dont have women in the west ??

Do you work? Getting a job back in the UK right now is no fun. Transport in the UK is expensive and if you drive chances are you'll be appearing on the new police reality show "Speeding Fine"

Dont need to work no.. Tho in the UK the barrier to start a business and the level playing field might mean I do one for fun.. Had lots of businesses in the west, all of which made real money, unlike the options here..

Basically I just dont understand why people vilify the choice to live or spend time in the west.. I love my life in asia but I would be lieing if I didnt say I missed the chance to do motorsport, have fast cars, the summer festival scene, beer gardens on a sunny day, etc etc etc..

[teacup]

You could always sell your house in the UK, buy a condo in Thailand and call it quits with your girlfriend.

The problem is ... it's so difficult to unload any property right now, too high inventory

So the OP is practically stuck, unless he can find the renter or sell it at the give-away price.

Edited May 15, 2009 by teacup

[yogi100]

Cut down on your expenses and stay put. If 'home' is the UK you'll last about a week.

[alfieconn]

It's slowly but surely getting that way that over-all it's much cheaper for me to live in the UK.

I pay heavily to live here but at what point do I say enough is enough?

In Thailand i rent a house for 15.000 Baht per month.

In the UK I own my own house.

In Thailand my lady costs me somewhere in the region of 20.000 Baht every month.

That's 35.000 Baht or 700 pounds worth of outgoings I don't have in the UK.

The annual visa shit is another story.

Contrary to belief, the cost of living in the tropics doesn't come cheap.

I've had twelve wonderful years here but!!

Is it time to bail out and go home?

How does one lady cost you 20,000 baht every month ? i could understand having many ladies costing you 20,000 baht per month !!

[JohnGotti]

You should go home. I am staying.

[JohnGotti]

How does one lady cost you 20,000 baht every month ? i could understand having many ladies costing you 20,000 baht per month !!

What else don't you understand? Geometry? Bathing? Why the grass is green? How to open a can of Pepsi? Turning left in an automobile?

[CWMcMurray]

It is much cheaper to survive in Thailand, but at least as much as in the west to live a normal middle class lifestyle.

If you want to drive more than a standard low end Toyota...

-or-

If you have kids in school and are at all interested in sending them to a school with a western style education, then it costs significantly more to live in Thailand than it would in the west.

[livinthailandos]

TO: tea cup

I enjoy the western country, esp the USA more than thailand

What not to like....just naming a few here

- cleaner air ( that is true the US does have cleaner air on some areas but not all, then again I live on samui where I don't see much pollution anyway )

- dependable laws and order ( maybe so but how much redtape do you still see get through )

- excellent infrastructures ( last time I check roads, bridges, sewage system and electric grid need a massive improvement and will need at least 1 trillion dollars to update the system and make it better, excellent infrastructure is only as good as the weakest link in the structure )

- housing price is getting sooo cheap now, better to buy than rent....and much better quality built (generally) than in thailand ( cheap on housing depends on where your buying the house at. )

- good consumer protection laws ( I"ll agree with this on many parts but always have to read that really small fine print and companies have gotten better at hiding details through endless pages on user agreements or warranties etc )

- endless activities and entertainments ( i suppose as long as you have a real job to support all those activities its fine, and as long it pays well )

- true internet shopping experience, no comment on this as its very true

...etcs

TO: LivinLOS

And the entire savings gone the second you buy a BMW.. ( well i dont ever buy luxury vehicles so no worries on that and I have gotten one car and am prepared to take care of it and maintain it ) if you are talking about buying a second BMW that you must have more money that the rest of us to spend on material items

Thats my point.. it takes an awful lot of cheap plates of rice to make up for the differences in what I consider only middle class luxuries.. Bought a bluray player here lately ?? Or a media center ?? Or high end audio (I nearly had a heart attack when i looked and B&W's price list) ?? ( No interest in a blueray player and blueray has not really caughten on here yet. For you maybe it takes an awful lot to make up for the differences in what you consider middle class luxuries but I don't have much need for much luxuries, but then again everyone has different taste on material items.

Sure my laundries done cheaply.. And a maid isnt expensive.. But to live cheap requires giving up things or lowering standards. the balance is the climate, ability to go yachting more, those kind of intangibles.. ( to live cheap requires giving up things or lowering standards, that all depends on the person themself )

The defintion of a luxury depends on the context, I consider having electric, air conditioning, internet, cable tv a luxury item

Take a tv, car, house, cell phone you can easily consider them a long term investment that you have paid for. I don't plan on changing my tv for quite a long time or my cell phone.