Living In Thailand

[monochaser]

Cuba is an outstanding country I might add.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

And the women are nicer looking

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Cuban women nicer looking than Thai? What you been smoking, man...

Cuba is far from being an outstanding country and their government sucks...

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Cuba is an outstanding country. clearly you've never been there. The Cuban people are the friendliest sincerest I have found in any foreign country, much moreso than Thailand.

[Ijustwannateach]

Oooooh, Boris, you're NOT bragging or saying you're better than other people, but the "cheapskate element" is over-represented here? Time for more analysis, old son, the two halves of your brain are contradicting each other again!

Incidentally, the initial claim was that it was "impossible" for a farang to live on 20K. My post was simply to show that claim is incorrect. I'm not recommending it as a lifestyle, unless someone's inclined to it. Someone who is not materialistic may very well find that 20K is way too much.

I find from long experience that people who find it necessary to brag about material aspects of their lives on internet forums generally have very little else to brag about......

Where's Heng when you need him? He's generally useful at bursting the bubble of financial boasters on the forum....

"Steven"

[Boon Mee]

Oooooh, Boris, you're NOT bragging or saying you're better than other people, but the "cheapskate element" is over-represented here?  Time for more analysis, old son, the two halves of your brain are contradicting each other again! 

ncidentally, the initial claim was that it was "impossible" for a farang to live on 20K.  My post was simply to show that claim is incorrect.  I'm not recommending it as a lifestyle, unless someone's inclined to it.  Someone who is not materialistic may very well find that 20K is way too much.

I find from long experience that people who find it necessary to brag about material aspects of their lives on internet forums generally have very little else to brag about......

Where's Heng when you need him?  He's generally useful at bursting the bubble of financial boasters on the forum....

"Steven"

Well, Boris was a bit reticent in making no mention of his Golf Club membership in that budget!

[kreon]

Let's see... I've done this before on several forums, one more shouldn't be too hard:

Rent (in suburbs/country): 4000B

Electricity/water (use a fan, as many cold showers a day as you like): 1000B

Laundry DIY(at 20B a load for coin washer, you provide soap): 200B

2 hrs Telephone (not mobile, 5B a minute for local calls on room line): 600B

Food (4 plates a day plus one snack and 2 soft drinks): 130B

Transportation (one local round trip a day on average): 1200B

Miscellaneous soap, pharmaceuticals, dry goods: 1000B

That's a roughly 8K a month fixed budget there including a bare minimum of the necessities (and even a couple of extras). On 20K, that gives you a flexible, spendable income of 12K more.

Not so hard, is it?

"Steven"

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I'm not boasting nor do I think my relatively high spending(actually its modest compared to many expats) makes me a better person, though it does suggest I have been fairly successful in a material sense.But I think there needs to be a greater awareness that there are different legitimate lifestyles for different people.I do however believe that for a Westerner living in Thailand surviving on a very frugal budget far from bringing enlightenment can be soul destroying.The cheapskate penny pinching element is over represented on this forum.The people who live this life often console themselves that they somehow enjoy a better understanding of the real Thailand than the farang fatcats.Its often a delusion because wealth is not really a relevant factor in being at home in Thai culture.

Anyway for what its worth my budget is as follows.

Rent Bt 60,000

Wife allowance 20,000

Driver 12,000

Maid 6,000

Car expenses 5,000

UBC 2000

electricity 5,000

phone/mobiles 4000

water 1000

groceries/market 8,000

books/dvds 5000

eating out 10,000

wine 4000

medical/insurance 4000

clothes 5000

miscell (incl travel) 20000

Grand Total 171,000

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

i am with you on this one boris, i for one also did not come here to lead a frugil live, for what, i come here to live and enjoy my life, not to be stucked in a cubby hole

even though my apartment is cheap, as i only spend about 6 months a year here, i still could not go without my regular steak at the marriot, fine wine and dining, first class travel and 5 star hotel's and disco's

when i mentioned once on tv that i spend about bt.150-200k a month, i got slagged for it as well &lt;deleted&gt;, its what we call tall poppie syndrome

sh1t, when in paris i spend double that

Edited February 23, 2005 by kreon

[boris]

Oooooh, Boris, you're NOT bragging or saying you're better than other people, but the "cheapskate element" is over-represented here? Time for more analysis, old son, the two halves of your brain are contradicting each other again!

Incidentally, the initial claim was that it was "impossible" for a farang to live on 20K. My post was simply to show that claim is incorrect. I'm not recommending it as a lifestyle, unless someone's inclined to it. Someone who is not materialistic may very well find that 20K is way too much.

I find from long experience that people who find it necessary to brag about material aspects of their lives on internet forums generally have very little else to brag about......

Where's Heng when you need him? He's generally useful at bursting the bubble of financial boasters on the forum....

"Steven"

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

[/quote

I can be accused of many things, including a tendency to tease, but not I think of financial boasting.I included my monthly budget because I think it is more representative of the typical expatriate lifestyle.I went out of my way not to suggest it represented anything special, and in fact it doesn't -being no more than the average UK wage.Your drivel about puncturing the bubble of financial boasters says more about you than me.

Yes the cheapskate element probably is over represented on this forum.I don't have a big problem with this given that the fully occupied probably don't have the time to participate very actively! But I do object when some kind of moral superiority is claimed for what is very often a squalid and unfulfilling existence.There are many expats-I am friends with several-who have a low income life style(NGO workers, teachers,embryonic entrepreneurs) and for these I have nothing but respect.These are not the cheapskate elements I was referring to, namely the misfits, resident sex tourists,alcoholics,visa runners,self deceiving pederasts- usually English teachers,Jomtien condo owners,Pattaya riff raff and other assorted fat white plonkers.

Your comment on the "two halves of my brain" doesn't make sense.There is no contradiction in my comment.

[monochaser]

But I do object when some kind of moral superiority is claimed for what is very often a squalid and unfulfilling existence.

Very Well Said!

[Boo]

& moral supiriority isn't claimed when spending larger amounts of money than others??? Monochaser, you have done nothing but slag other people off on this topic just cause they have stated that they can live on a small buget than you, you don't think your being morally superior?? I think you are.

Just cause someone lives on a smaller buget than you doens't mean they live a squalid life, it just means they have different tastes & ideas about what life has to offer. I choose not to spend my money on fine wines or eating out, totally boring to me, would rather be at the local with a good band playing, having a laugh with my mates. Buying plants for my house, cooking meals for my husband & friends & saving for my future.

Your choice is no better than mine but from your posts you seem to think they are.

For all others who have a higher buget, the issue was never about what someone could afford it was about what you could live well for in Thailand. You have more expensive tastes than some others but seem to think it gives you the right to critisise them for their lifestyle. It doesn't, if you have a very nice expensive lifestyle in LOS, your choice, enjoy it, but others are just as happy with a cheaper lifestyle, accept it, you don't have to live like that, but just cause they do doesn't make them inferior or you superior.

[boris]

& moral supiriority isn't claimed when spending larger amounts of money than others???  Monochaser, you have done nothing but slag other people off on this topic just cause they have stated that they can live on a small buget than you, you don't think your being morally superior?? I think you are.

Just cause someone lives on a smaller buget than you doens't mean they live a squalid life, it just means they have different tastes & ideas about what life has to offer. I choose not to spend my money on fine wines or eating out, totally boring to me, would rather be at the local with a good band playing, having a laugh with my mates. Buying plants for my house, cooking meals for my husband & friends & saving for my future.

Your choice is no better than mine but from your posts you seem to think they are.

For all others who have a higher buget, the issue was never about what someone could afford it was about what you could live well for in Thailand. You have more expensive tastes than some others but seem to think it gives you the right to critisise them for their lifestyle. It doesn't, if you have a very nice expensive lifestyle in LOS, your choice, enjoy it, but others are just as happy with a cheaper lifestyle, accept it, you don't have to live like that, but just cause they do doesn't make them inferior or you superior.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Don't know about Monochaser but I would go along with most of what you say, as you would know if you read my posts carefully.The point is that from what you tell us you have a worthwhile life and the fact you achieve this without being loaded is great.You rightly say that being inferior or superior has nothing to do with one's lifestyle cost.However-and this is the nub-there is a vocal group which DOES claim that their cheap lifestyle does conveys moral superiority or a greater awareness of Thailand or a non-materialistic world view or some such nonsense.

[Boo]

Boris, I found nothing in you posts to disagree with it just seems that now we have a couple of people having a go about people who don't spend a fortune being somehow less than the ones that do. Sorry if you read my post as relating to you.

[monochaser]

& moral supiriority isn't claimed when spending larger amounts of money than others???  Monochaser, you have done nothing but slag other people off on this topic just cause they have stated that they can live on a small buget than you, you don't think your being morally superior?? I think you are.

Just cause someone lives on a smaller buget than you doens't mean they live a squalid life, it just means they have different tastes & ideas about what life has to offer. I choose not to spend my money on fine wines or eating out, totally boring to me, would rather be at the local with a good band playing, having a laugh with my mates. Buying plants for my house, cooking meals for my husband & friends & saving for my future.

Your choice is no better than mine but from your posts you seem to think they are.

For all others who have a higher buget, the issue was never about what someone could afford it was about what you could live well for in Thailand. You have more expensive tastes than some others but seem to think it gives you the right to critisise them for their lifestyle. It doesn't, if you have a very nice expensive lifestyle in LOS, your choice, enjoy it, but others are just as happy with a cheaper lifestyle, accept it, you don't have to live like that, but just cause they do doesn't make them inferior or you superior.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

This thread was started by someone seeking to move to Thailand and wanting to know how to do it cheaply. I am not talking about moral superiority here. I am talking about being realistic. To suggest that someone who has never lived here can move here and exist on 10-20k/mo is not realistic. It is a poverty line existence that should not be promoted on this open forum as it is an existence that 90% of farangs would not be able to maintain and thus is basically a pipe dream. Boris here has pointed out that your average expat has not the time to post here on this forum but is rather out trying to better himself and his situation which leaves the poverty packers to infiltrate this forum and make it appear that this type of lifestyle and expense is not only doable but the norm. This is completely untrue and I think enough to stand up and state that in a firm manner because packing your bags and moving to a foreign land under these terms can have devastational effects on a misled person. For the record, I do not live a Boris type lifestyle or the cheap charlie one either. I am right down the middle of the road. I think there is plenty of room in the middle. The low extreme cannot be done as far as I'm concerned. And remember ms Boo, 30 days is a long time. You speak of "going out" to watch music or have a drink or whatever. Bar tabs are cash x # of times out. That stuff and everything else adds up over 30 days. Spending 1000/day on food, going out and other stuffs if flipping supremely easy. there's 30k per month on nothing. I live very modestly personally

[Boo]

Again, Monochaser, thats your opinion, doesn't make you right & not everyone living on a 20k pm budget doesn't have the money to spend more, they just CHOOSE not to. Depending on the individual needs of the OP he would need a lot or a little. What I don't like is when someone like you comes on thaivisa & call people liars & makes assumptions on other poeple lifestyles & assumes that just because you spend that money then everyone would have to.

Considering other people manage to live a decent lifestyle on 20k a month would suggest that is it possible to do so, whether the OP or others could do is something for them to decide, they are after all, adults, so I think you concern about his welfare is a little misplaced.

I added my experiences as did others, what you did was call me a liar & slag off everyone who didn't agree with you.

As for your opinion of who posts on this forum, maybe you shouldn't bother if they are just a bunch of wastrals & poverty packers

[Jack Jones]

Anyway for what its worth my budget is as follows.

Rent Bt 60,000

Wife allowance 20,000

Driver 12,000

Maid 6,000

Car expenses 5,000

UBC 2000

electricity 5,000

phone/mobiles 4000

water 1000

groceries/market 8,000

books/dvds 5000

eating out 10,000

wine 4000

medical/insurance 4000

clothes 5000

miscell (incl travel) 20000

Grand Total 171,000

You spend more than me and I live in England but then I drive myself and clean my own house.

Maybe I should do a western comparison?

Edited February 23, 2005 by Jack Jones

[toastwars]

Anyway for what its worth my budget is as follows.

Rent                Bt 60,000

Wife allowance      20,000

Driver                  12,000

Maid                      6,000

Car expenses        5,000

UBC                      2000

electricity                5,000

phone/mobiles        4000

water                      1000

groceries/market    8,000

books/dvds            5000

eating out              10,000

wine                      4000

medical/insurance  4000

clothes                    5000

miscell (incl travel)  20000                 

Grand Total            171,000

Modest??!!!!?? BWAHahahahahahahahaah

[Blake7]

Something I've said before (and got slated for) ...

before doing these kind of sums and thinking about how little money you can live on just remember that one day you might want to return to farang land. My advice to anyone who wants to work here on a Thai wage is to bear in mind that when you return home your final months wages wont go very far while you try and sort yourself out with job and a pad in London

[p_brownstone]

Something I've said before (and got slated for) ...

before doing these kind of sums and thinking about how little money you can live on just remember that one day you might want to return to farang land. My advice to anyone who wants to work here on a Thai wage is to bear in mind that when you return home your final months wages wont go very far while you try and sort yourself out with job and a pad in London 

Plus, the gaping hole in your c.v. is unlikely to impress anyone interviewing you when you decide to return to gainful employment!

Patrick

[horke999]

& moral supiriority isn't claimed when spending larger amounts of money than others???  Monochaser, you have done nothing but slag other people off on this topic just cause they have stated that they can live on a small buget than you, you don't think your being morally superior?? I think you are.

Just cause someone lives on a smaller buget than you doens't mean they live a squalid life, it just means they have different tastes & ideas about what life has to offer. I choose not to spend my money on fine wines or eating out, totally boring to me, would rather be at the local with a good band playing, having a laugh with my mates. Buying plants for my house, cooking meals for my husband & friends & saving for my future.

Your choice is no better than mine but from your posts you seem to think they are.

For all others who have a higher buget, the issue was never about what someone could afford it was about what you could live well for in Thailand. You have more expensive tastes than some others but seem to think it gives you the right to critisise them for their lifestyle. It doesn't, if you have a very nice expensive lifestyle in LOS, your choice, enjoy it, but others are just as happy with a cheaper lifestyle, accept it, you don't have to live like that, but just cause they do doesn't make them inferior or you superior.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

170 ,000 Bhatt is about £1000 a month more I earn in the UK as a full time teacher , after tax ect . I have never had a maid or driver , and don't really want them . What kind of world do you live in ? If I had 170,000 equivalent in the Uk , I'm not sure what I'd spend it all on . I manage well on £1500 after tax and other deductions but perhaps I'm lucky as I have a small mortgage .

[ace]

I tried it on a teacher's wage (25-30k), couldn't hack it in bangkok. I would say 60k should do the job, if you want to enjoy yourself at least a little.

ace

[monochaser]

I tried it on a teacher's wage (25-30k), couldn't hack it in bangkok. I would say 60k should do the job, if you want to enjoy yourself at least a little.

ace

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

OMG a realist. amen to that, dude

[boris]

& moral supiriority isn't claimed when spending larger amounts of money than others???  Monochaser, you have done nothing but slag other people off on this topic just cause they have stated that they can live on a small buget than you, you don't think your being morally superior?? I think you are.

Just cause someone lives on a smaller buget than you doens't mean they live a squalid life, it just means they have different tastes & ideas about what life has to offer. I choose not to spend my money on fine wines or eating out, totally boring to me, would rather be at the local with a good band playing, having a laugh with my mates. Buying plants for my house, cooking meals for my husband & friends & saving for my future.

Your choice is no better than mine but from your posts you seem to think they are.

For all others who have a higher buget, the issue was never about what someone could afford it was about what you could live well for in Thailand. You have more expensive tastes than some others but seem to think it gives you the right to critisise them for their lifestyle. It doesn't, if you have a very nice expensive lifestyle in LOS, your choice, enjoy it, but others are just as happy with a cheaper lifestyle, accept it, you don't have to live like that, but just cause they do doesn't make them inferior or you superior.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

170 ,000 Bhatt is about £1000 a month more I earn in the UK as a full time teacher , after tax ect . I have never had a maid or driver , and don't really want them . What kind of world do you live in ? If I had 170,000 equivalent in the Uk , I'm not sure what I'd spend it all on . I manage well on £1500 after tax and other deductions but perhaps I'm lucky as I have a small mortgage .

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Teachers are not paid well in the UK and good ones should be paid a great deal more.My British teacher friends tell me that the declining respect for the profession makes the poor salaries harder to bear.In Bangkok I have a maid and driver but I couldn't afford this in the UK, and my lifestyle is by no means flamboyant..I am glad you manage well on a low salary.So far so good.... but your post becomes silly when you start flailing away at those with different lifestyles. and sillier still (given your low salary) when you say you are not sure what you would spend extra money on.To take just one point, it's always rewarding to be able to give money away, help good causes, needy relatives etc.

[RamdomChances]

There is not right or wrong buget, it up to personel choice and cicumstances. Boris's buget is obviously the upper end and he seams to be doing well, good luck to him, but it is possible to live here comfertably for 30,000 bht a month ( I think that was what the OP asked). Whether you can do this initialy is an other question as there is a lot of time " finding you feet" you will spend much more initaly, you will pay more then Thai's/longer term ex pats, until you learn whre to eat, live how much things actually cost ect. On that sort of money you should really have some reserves back home to cover emergancys. I think Steven's buget was fairly resonable to live a modest life.

One of the problems I think is that if you regulary spend "a lot" it is difficult to imagine life on much less money and if you usually get by on 20-30,000 a month then someone telling you that they NEED 150-200,000 a month is fairly hard to belive. I can live on less than 10,000 bht a month IF I HAVE TO I know cos i've done it, but I can also spend 100,000 plus without really trying.

So yes I think you can live comfertably on 30,000 a month but its best to have a bit of money set aside for emergencys.

Cheers RC

[Wanraya]

Let's see... I've done this before on several forums, one more shouldn't be too hard:

Rent (in suburbs/country): 4000B

Electricity/water (use a fan, as many cold showers a day as you like): 1000B

Laundry DIY(at 20B a load for coin washer, you provide soap): 200B

2 hrs Telephone (not mobile, 5B a minute for local calls on room line): 600B

Food (4 plates a day plus one snack and 2 soft drinks): 130B

Transportation (one local round trip a day on average): 1200B

Miscellaneous soap, pharmaceuticals, dry goods: 1000B

That's a roughly 8K a month fixed budget there including a bare minimum of the necessities (and even a couple of extras). On 20K, that gives you a flexible, spendable income of 12K more.

Not so hard, is it?

"Steven"

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

The 130b you quote for food and drink is surely a DAILY budget - which would give a monthly total iof 4000B and a fixed budget of 12k a month.

[charles]

this thread has really become ludicrous with the pittance amounts of cash spent monthly. I do not believe it for a second. I give my gf 20k/mo for pocket change

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Wow, 20K a month for "pocket change", your bird must wake up and think it's Christmas every day, Monochaser.

Don't tell me, you also give the lady at the street stall 200 baht for a plate of fried rice and when you need a short hop in a taxi you say don't bother switching the meter on I'll give you 300 baht.

You smart guy.

[monochaser]

this thread has really become ludicrous with the pittance amounts of cash spent monthly. I do not believe it for a second. I give my gf 20k/mo for pocket change

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Wow, 20K a month for "pocket change", your bird must wake up and think it's Christmas every day, Monochaser.

Don't tell me, you also give the lady at the street stall 200 baht for a plate of fried rice and when you need a short hop in a taxi you say don't bother switching the meter on I'll give you 300 baht.

You smart guy.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

No, Wrong chuck. I don't overpay taxis or food stalls. I do, however, give my gf some cash. I admit that openly. She is worthy. I suppose you are the type who stiffs your lady; a real cheap charles type. your name is oh so fitting. I never did post my actual budget. I will do so now. This is for 2.

Bar-------500x30= 15,000

gf-------------------- 20,000

foodland-------------12,000

food stalls----------- 3,000

transport------------ 3,000

rent, utils, bkk, suk-40,000 (inc mobile, ubc, internet, elec, water, phone, laundry)

misc items-----------10,000

Total----------------103,000

Hardly what I would call extravagant. I have no personal transport or health insurance. I am widely regarded as a keen yow in the bar for my miserly tabs of 500 baht. Funny how people talk about 10, 20 and 30k budgets. I could never ever ever come close to being able to do that. I have 100k spent on a miserly lifestyle. You can call me the 100k man. I gotta have my 100k per month for my meager existence. never ever listen to anyone who tells you that they live like a king on 10k and save money at the same time. that's fantasy land my friends

[Ijustwannateach]

Let's see... I've done this before on several forums, one more shouldn't be too hard:

Rent (in suburbs/country): 4000B

Electricity/water (use a fan, as many cold showers a day as you like): 1000B

Laundry DIY(at 20B a load for coin washer, you provide soap): 200B

2 hrs Telephone (not mobile, 5B a minute for local calls on room line): 600B

Food (4 plates a day plus one snack and 2 soft drinks): 130B

Transportation (one local round trip a day on average): 1200B

Miscellaneous soap, pharmaceuticals, dry goods: 1000B

That's a roughly 8K a month fixed budget there including a bare minimum of the necessities (and even a couple of extras). On 20K, that gives you a flexible, spendable income of 12K more.

Not so hard, is it?

"Steven"

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

The 130b you quote for food and drink is surely a DAILY budget - which would give a monthly total iof 4000B and a fixed budget of 12k a month.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Oops, my bad! It had been a long day that day. You're right, 12K a month, save 8K out of 20K. Still saving more that way than 2 average Thais make!

"Steven"

[horke999]

Let's see... I've done this before on several forums, one more shouldn't be too hard:

Rent (in suburbs/country): 4000B

Electricity/water (use a fan, as many cold showers a day as you like): 1000B

Laundry DIY(at 20B a load for coin washer, you provide soap): 200B

2 hrs Telephone (not mobile, 5B a minute for local calls on room line): 600B

Food (4 plates a day plus one snack and 2 soft drinks): 130B

Transportation (one local round trip a day on average): 1200B

Miscellaneous soap, pharmaceuticals, dry goods: 1000B

That's a roughly 8K a month fixed budget there including a bare minimum of the necessities (and even a couple of extras). On 20K, that gives you a flexible, spendable income of 12K more.

Not so hard, is it?

"Steven"

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

The 130b you quote for food and drink is surely a DAILY budget - which would give a monthly total iof 4000B and a fixed budget of 12k a month.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Oops, my bad! It had been a long day that day. You're right, 12K a month, save 8K out of 20K. Still saving more that way than 2 average Thais make!

"Steven"

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

At about 67 Bhat to the £ , one hundred and seventy thousand Bhat = about £2500 per month after deductions . I think that this would mean an annual salary in the UK of about 40/45,000 pounds before deductions for tax and national insurance .I believe the average annual salary in the UK is only about 20 ,000 pounds so this means that someone here is earning over twice the average Uk salary in Thailand : say Thailand is about 4 times cheaper in UK terms , so the person is earnng the equvalent of at least 8 times the UK average salary .

Eight times the UK average salary in the uK would be about £160,000 a year . So when I asked what kind of world you were living in to consider that 170,000 Bhat was a reasonable amount of money , I was not "flailing" at you - just trying to understand how you could spend so much !

[horke999]

At about 67 Bhat to the £ , one hundred and seventy thousand Bhat = about £2500 per month after deductions . I think that this would mean an annual salary in the UK of about 40/45,000 pounds before deductions for tax and national insurance .I believe the average annual salary in the UK is only about 20 ,000 pounds so this means that someone here is earning over twice the average Uk salary in Thailand : say Thailand is about 4 times cheaper in UK terms , so the person is earnng the equvalent of at least 8 times the UK average salary .

Eight times the UK average salary in the uK would be about £160,000 a year . So when I asked what kind of world you were living in to consider that 170,000 Bhat was a reasonable amount of money , I was not "flailing" at you - just trying to understand how you could spend so much !

Horke

[horke999]

"I do, however, give my gf some cash. I admit that openly. She is worthy. I suppose you are the type who stiffs your lady; a real cheap charles type. your name is oh so fitting. I never did post my actual budget. I will do so now. This is for 2."

Are you giving her "a present"? Or is this a kind of payment for services received ?

Horke

[konangrit]

Not many things in Thailand are 4 times cheaper than in England. I live a western lifestyle and it costs a lot more than 25 % of what it does in the UK. Of course, that's not really relevant to the OPs question as I'm sure he doesn't want to lead a western lifestyle. Still think 20,000 is a bit low, especially for someone who is inexperienced. As the exchange rate is currently at 73 Baht/Pound, that works out at 274 pounds/month, Or 3288 pounds for a year. I'd have thought it should be possible to bring a little more than that just to be on the safe side.

[monochaser]

At about 67 Bhat to the £ , one hundred and seventy thousand Bhat = about £2500 per month after deductions . I think that this would mean an annual salary in the UK of about 40/45,000 pounds before deductions for tax and national insurance .I believe the average annual salary in the UK is only about 20 ,000 pounds so this means that someone here is earning over twice the average Uk salary in Thailand : say Thailand is about 4 times cheaper in UK terms , so the person is earnng the equvalent of at least 8 times the UK average salary .

Eight times the UK average salary in the uK would be about £160,000 a year . So when I asked what kind of world you were living in to consider that 170,000 Bhat was a reasonable amount of money , I was not "flailing" at you - just trying to understand how you could spend so much !

Horke

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Dorke,

How can he spend so much? Is that what you asked him, Dorke? I'm sure he finds a way. I know that I surely could

[kat]

If you had to survive on 20k baht a month where would you chose to live ?

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It's a fair question.If we are talking about Thailand it would have to be my wife's village near Philok where we have a decent house and as you know Bt 20,000 is more than enough in rural Thailand.The inability to buy books/DVDs/CDs in any quantity and whenever I wanted would be a hardship.I could happily live without wine,UBC,driver and the rest.

But it's very hypothetical because if living in Thailand if I had a monthly income of just Bt 20,000 I would move heaven and earth to increase it to say Bt100,000 minimum.There's a difference between being able to exist and living a full life.I am not a St Francis and although not particularly attached to materialism, I would prefer not to have to worry about the necessities of life( and in my case that means much more than just being able to eat and drink and having a roof over my head)

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Incidentally, the initial claim was that it was "impossible" for a farang to live on 20K.  My post was simply to show that claim is incorrect.  I'm not recommending it as a lifestyle, unless someone's inclined to it.  Someone who is not materialistic may very well find that 20K is way too much.

I find from long experience that people who find it necessary to brag about material aspects of their lives on internet forums generally have very little else to brag about......

Where's Heng when you need him?  He's generally useful at bursting the bubble of financial boasters on the forum....

"Steven"

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There are many expats-I am friends with several-who have a low income life style(NGO workers, teachers,embryonic entrepreneurs) and for these I have nothing but respect.These are not the cheapskate elements I was referring to, namely the misfits, resident sex tourists,alcoholics,visa runners,self deceiving pederasts- usually English teachers,Jomtien condo owners,Pattaya riff raff and other assorted fat white plonkers.

Your comment on the "two halves of my brain" doesn't make sense.There is no contradiction in my comment.

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I tried it on a teacher's wage (25-30k), couldn't hack it in bangkok. I would say 60k should do the job, if you want to enjoy yourself at least a little.

ace

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Yes, living in BKK on 30K a month is possible, but in my experience, not much fun. But it is not entirely squalid at all. I could live a lot cheaper if Iwanted to, but I don't want to forgo shopping for a pair of shoes or a mobile phone, eating Japanese food whenever I want or some other extra, and then worry about starving at the end of the month until the next pay check. I don't pay much for rent - 6,000 Baht - and I live in the middle of the Silom area. And it's a nice, safe place, but it's a room. I know that if I move further out I can live better and cheaper, and am looking into this now. At the moment, 30K a month feels dangerously unstable and I don't like it at all. But it definitely is possible to survive decently on that amount, but I need to save money and feel like I am getting ahead in life, not constantly behind.

I can relate to both Boris and "Steven". I think both have valid points, just stated from a different point of view. The irony is that I was one of those NGO workers, and quite well paid at 93,000 baht per month. However, I was miserable, used, and totally disillusioned. There was no quality of life, and I definitely need more than shopping for a quality life. So I quit, and it ended rather badly, so I am now experiencing life in BKK from the other end - and I don't like it! But, I haven't really adjusted my habits from the last lifestyle; that could have a lot to do with it.

But man, after going from 93,000 to 30,000, I am actively trying to get my income back up to the 100,000 bracket as Boris suggests. I'm not even that materialistic (my mobile phones are all second-hand, I don't need fancy designer clothes), but I hate being broke here. I also don't like feeling anxious all the time, especially in a foreign country.

That's literally my 600 baht's worth, until tomorrow (payday).