How Comfy Can You Be In Bangkok With 7300 USD A Month Salary (tax Free) With Spouse And 2 Kids ?

[sbk]

topic title edited to correct amount

insulting posts have been deleted. lets keep it civil please.

[smokie36]

You guys are having way too much fun pulling his crank. Give me a break $7,500 a month! Maybe your all rich and this seems trivial to you, but if that's the case I need to find folks in my social strata to converse with.

Good luck!

[JacknDanny]

You guys are having way too much fun pulling his crank. Give me a break $7,500 a month! Maybe your all rich and this seems trivial to you, but if that's the case I need to find folks in my social strata to converse with.

Or maybe you dont understand how expensive Bangkok can be with a family.

The OP is coming from a good lifestyle in the US, therefore rent for starters will be at least 50-75k per month for a nice family home.

2 kids education in an international school is another 100k per month (for 2 average cost)

Electric/water 10k/month

Food eating out once/week in a nice restaurant for family 35-40k/month

Food shopping another 40k/month

So thats virtually all his wages, and thats without car or transport costs, or drinking costs.

Someone, I am sure will come on saying you can do it for a lot less. I am sure you can. But if you are used to living a nice lifestyle like it sounds as though the OP has, then 7500 USD is not enough.

I genuinely would find it hard and I only have 1 child.

[smokie36]

I agree with the above.

If the salary included free accomodation and schooling for the kids then its good, otherwise for the OP it looks less than adequate.

I would try to negotiate on these issues.

[ericthai]

I agree with the last two post. A good place 2-3 bedroom will be at least 60K, my place was only 2 room and was 50K. Then school for 2 kids thats another 80K a month, elec, UBC internet 20K, maid 8K etc etc it adds up fast... Now if you are not going to stay in BKK then this can go down, but you need to think about the education for the kids.

[AnaisNin]

7.5K US a month in BKK?

Take the job.

[monkfish]

Thailand can be as cheap or expensive as you want.

Luxury items in Thailand can be more expensive than back home e.g. car, computer etc.

Another thing to consider is health insurance 30k - 90k per person per year

[smokie36]

Thailand can be as cheap or expensive as you want.

Luxury items in Thailand can be more expensive than back home e.g. car, computer etc.

Another thing to consider is health insurance 30k - 90k per person per year

I believe the OP already stated health insurance is included.

[monkfish]

Thailand can be as cheap or expensive as you want.

Luxury items in Thailand can be more expensive than back home e.g. car, computer etc.

Another thing to consider is health insurance 30k - 90k per person per year

I believe the OP already stated health insurance is included.

Opps sorry missed that one, if its for the whole family then a big bonus.

[Benjie]

Or maybe you dont understand how expensive Bangkok can be with a family.

The OP is coming from a good lifestyle in the US, therefore rent for starters will be at least 50-75k per month for a nice family home.

2 kids education in an international school is another 100k per month (for 2 average cost)

Electric/water 10k/month

Food eating out once/week in a nice restaurant for family 35-40k/month

Food shopping another 40k/month

So thats virtually all his wages, and thats without car or transport costs, or drinking costs.

Someone, I am sure will come on saying you can do it for a lot less. I am sure you can. But if you are used to living a nice lifestyle like it sounds as though the OP has, then 7500 USD is not enough.

I genuinely would find it hard and I only have 1 child.

hahaha

80k a month for food for 4 people, whilst eating in 6 days a week? What would you be eating? Diamonds and gold. I have a family of four and we eat very well - I doubt we could spend more than 15k-20k in the supermarket every month even if I tried.

10k baht restaurant meal - Not sure If there's a restaurant that expensive here in Phuket, thats 2,500 baht per person (including the kids).

10k for electric? I run 4 PCs, 3 PS3's, 3 x Large Plasma TV's - 3 air-cons, THX home cinema, lighting system, multi room audio etc... and I only just hit 5k baht.

[Jangot]

Jeeeepers, I had no idea such costs existed in Bangkok.

As an earner of modest income, I escaped the 'rich expat' environment of, Singapore and then Dubai. (no, not even envious).

Thankfully I by-passed Bangkok and landed in Chiang Mai where I live comfortably on a fraction of the OP budget.

But then, if you try to import and implant a foreign lifestyle into local ground, I guess you have to pay for it.

You want USA lifestyle - stay in US of A.

Want Thai lifestyle - here it is for well within the OP budget.

Exclusion clause...Education of children to USA standard in LOS - I have no idea and could be the deal breaker. When I had school aged children, I would never move to a place where I was not sure of their education standard. [hence time in Singapore (UWC #1) and Dubai]

Good luck with your decision, OP.

J.

[a99az]

just wondering, thx.

So much cash to blow and so DUMB somethings just not kosher.

[ukrules]

Is your wife Thai as well, this might make a difference to her lifestyle ?

[balo]

I agree with the last two post. A good place 2-3 bedroom will be at least 60K, my place was only 2 room and was 50K. Then school for 2 kids thats another 80K a month, elec, UBC internet 20K, maid 8K etc etc it adds up fast... Now if you are not going to stay in BKK then this can go down, but you need to think about the education for the kids.

Why do you lie ericthai ?

UBC Internet 20k a month ??

I think OP is born Thai so he's not stupid ,

7500 USD is enough for the family and a really good lifestyle in Thailand.

[nakachalet]

early good morning (03:19 am) to everyone

WHY ARE WE SO NEGATIVE ON THAI SCHOOLS?

memorization and ability to remember things and events are

some basic components and perequisits to becoming intelligent,

are they not?

most thai schools are still using memorization to categorize kids,

and that is the fact and most do not have modern equipment

when compared with the us and european schools, neither do

they have the equal qualification of their teachers....

then again, the thai education dept does not ever have the sizeable

operating budgets either.... lol

my teen daughter studied in thai school with thai system for 6 yrs

with a 4.00 average. then studied in so-called american system last year,

fortunately also ended up with 4.00 gpa. but at the end of last school year,

she begged to go back to the thai system.

of course, we objected vehemently. it was absurd to even think of it.

but at the end, she won her argument hands down.... lol

her winning point was, she floated through last year in american system

with little efforts, as she put it, she only empowered--PIENG SUM-SIB PERCENT

only 30%--of her brain power.... lol

this school year, she is back to thai system at Muttayom 2, carrying two heavy

sacks of books and whatever.... and embracing after school daily math and english

tutorial.... and sweating it out til wee hours to complete her daily homework.... it

serves her right--SOM NUM NAR... lol

so from 3 to 7 pm, rain or shine, your truly's duty is to shuffle her

from one activity to another, stuffing her up with nutritious foods in

between.... lol

during my wonderful years in the states, i hardly see middle school

or high school students bringing books home to study.... why should they?

for crying out loud.... most have part time obligation and monthly

installment bill to pay.... lol

come on now.... we can also look at thai educational system from

a different angle and a different point of view, can we not?

btw, i love both systems, if the us or european system can also integrate

some of the thai system.... we can reach for the stars, perhaps.... lol

[idrankwhat]

I guess it depends on the life style you are accustomed to. Most of my Thai friends that live in Bangkok make between 40,000 and 65,000B per month and do very well for themselves.

[JacknDanny]

Or maybe you dont understand how expensive Bangkok can be with a family.

The OP is coming from a good lifestyle in the US, therefore rent for starters will be at least 50-75k per month for a nice family home.

2 kids education in an international school is another 100k per month (for 2 average cost)

Electric/water 10k/month

Food eating out once/week in a nice restaurant for family 35-40k/month

Food shopping another 40k/month

So thats virtually all his wages, and thats without car or transport costs, or drinking costs.

Someone, I am sure will come on saying you can do it for a lot less. I am sure you can. But if you are used to living a nice lifestyle like it sounds as though the OP has, then 7500 USD is not enough.

I genuinely would find it hard and I only have 1 child.

hahaha

80k a month for food for 4 people, whilst eating in 6 days a week? What would you be eating? Diamonds and gold. I have a family of four and we eat very well - I doubt we could spend more than 15k-20k in the supermarket every month even if I tried.

10k baht restaurant meal - Not sure If there's a restaurant that expensive here in Phuket, thats 2,500 baht per person (including the kids).

10k for electric? I run 4 PCs, 3 PS3's, 3 x Large Plasma TV's - 3 air-cons, THX home cinema, lighting system, multi room audio etc... and I only just hit 5k baht.

Unbelievable!!!!!!!

You are in Phuket, yet you want to tell me, having lived here in Bangkok for 10 years, how much it should cost me to live here

I will give you an idea. 2 medium size US steaks from Villa market will cost approx 2000 baht. Once a week is 8k per month on one meal for 2 people.My food and grocery bill is NEVER less than 35k per month, so I know I would not be happy spending half of that every month.

My electric bill is between 8 and 10k EVERY month, living in a 3 bedroomed detached house.

Eat out for example Hotel sunday brunch for 4 people including drinks, you aint getting change from 10k, FACT.

I do not want to get into a p!ssing war with you, as that is detrimental to what the OP wishes to know, and as I stated before I am sure there are people who can do it cheaper, but prices in Phuket, my friend, are obviously not the same as Bangkok.

Re previous poster talking about UBC. I pay just over 2500/month for 2 boxes

Edited July 16, 2009 by JacknDanny

[sunholidaysun1]

$7300 per month , umm , tricky question. I think with that amount of money you wouldnt need to come here, you would be better suited to Singapore, you might be able to spend it all there and while your their - Get a Life.

[Shazza]

I live in Chiang Mai, so wouldn't really know, my three big kids get taught at home so that doesn't cost much, but a for family of five we live here quite well for about $1,500 US per month.... we don't eat a lot of cheese and other luxuries though.... so the amount of money you're talking about seems like a gold mine to me... wouldn't mind another couple of thousand a month!!!

[Carib]

$7500.-- a month is nothing really, it means scraping food of the streets at the end of the month, kids will have to go to school unwashed to safe water and the Misses will have to do the cleaning herself because the 10.000 baht maid has to go too. Yep, it is pure poverty and misery such a handout for a wages. What is that company of thieves you work for anyway, if I were you I would leave for sure.

[thaihome]

$7300 per month , umm , tricky question. I think with that amount of money you wouldnt need to come here, you would be better suited to Singapore, you might be able to spend it all there and while your their - Get a Life.

Our housing allowance alone for a family assignment in Singapore is USD 10k a month.

This thread just highlights the different perspectives of the expats in Thailand.

TH

[QED]

I don't know why everyone is having a go at the OP, as you can see from previous posts there are many different takes on this.

Thailand is unique in that many people can live here quite comfortably on under 50k pm, and as their circle of friends are all bar owners/ retirees/ teachers/ 'business' owners who are all in the same position, they find it hard to believe anything else exists. But they are quite happy in their own bubble, and have learnt how to budget and have a satisfying life.

You then have a huge number of expats earning similar or often much larger salaries than the OP, who then get caught up in the whole western materialistic lifestyle, and I know several who 'struggle' to meet all their commitments on 500k + p/m.

Problem is never the twain will meet, and both groups seem to deny the existence of the other. The former group are in the majority though, and after years of living on sub 50k p/m look at 250k as astronomical wealth, possibly with a tinge of envy, even though it would be considered only slightly above average in the US or UK. Then to try and live a luxurious western lifestyle costs more here, so it really is not that much.

[thedistillers]

Will I be comfortable in that pair of jeans?

Only you knows what it takes to be comfortable, we can't help you. We are not in your shoes. Donald Trump would need more than 7300US$ a day to be comfortable.

I can EASILY live on 7300US a year in Bangkok. No doubt some condescending thai visa members would point finger and laugh at the pathetic falang eating noodles every day and living in a 3K/month studio, but... Donald Trump would probably laugh at them for living on 7300US a month.

See how silly this discussion is.

[nakachalet]

perhaps NOT EVERY MEMBER HERE REALIZES THAT

NOT EVERYONE, NOR EVERY POST originates within the land of smile.

just a few weeks ago, to my surprise, my correspondent emailed

and said that their family resides in s'pore, not thailand.... and

therefore could not join my family for dinner that weekend.... lol

if we can keep these differences in geographical location, cultural differences,

particularly differences in wage scale in different countries.... in mind, when reading and

evaluating each post, it would enlighten our differences in our personal opinions

and perhaps also heighten our appreciation of the differences as well.... imho

[thaihome]

I don't know why everyone is having a go at the OP, as you can see from previous posts there are many different takes on this.

Thailand is unique in that many people can live here quite comfortably on under 50k pm, and as their circle of friends are all bar owners/ retirees/ teachers/ 'business' owners who are all in the same position, they find it hard to believe anything else exists. But they are quite happy in their own bubble, and have learnt how to budget and have a satisfying life.

You then have a huge number of expats earning similar or often much larger salaries than the OP, who then get caught up in the whole western materialistic lifestyle, and I know several who 'struggle' to meet all their commitments on 500k + p/m.

Problem is never the twain will meet, and both groups seem to deny the existence of the other. The former group are in the majority though, and after years of living on sub 50k p/m look at 250k as astronomical wealth, possibly with a tinge of envy, even though it would be considered only slightly above average in the US or UK. Then to try and live a luxurious western lifestyle costs more here, so it really is not that much.

Good post. I do think you might have missed the point with full package expats. They don’t get “caught up in the whole western materialistic lifestyle”, they never leave it.

TH

[maccaroni man]

I don't know why everyone is having a go at the OP, as you can see from previous posts there are many different takes on this.

Thailand is unique in that many people can live here quite comfortably on under 50k pm, and as their circle of friends are all bar owners/ retirees/ teachers/ 'business' owners who are all in the same position, they find it hard to believe anything else exists. But they are quite happy in their own bubble, and have learnt how to budget and have a satisfying life.

You then have a huge number of expats earning similar or often much larger salaries than the OP, who then get caught up in the whole western materialistic lifestyle, and I know several who 'struggle' to meet all their commitments on 500k + p/m.

Problem is never the twain will meet, and both groups seem to deny the existence of the other. The former group are in the majority though, and after years of living on sub 50k p/m look at 250k as astronomical wealth, possibly with a tinge of envy, even though it would be considered only slightly above average in the US or UK. Then to try and live a luxurious western lifestyle costs more here, so it really is not that much.

Good post. I do think you might have missed the point with full package expats. They don’t get “caught up in the whole western materialistic lifestyle”, they never leave it.

TH

Ok, 250k per mo. in bkk with wife and 2 children, ages unknown.

assuming that this is the total cash in the door to cover medical, schooling, transportation, staff, housing, clothing, food, entertainment, anual travel, and retirement investment I'de say the OP should watch his spending as he may have no money to save for his retirement.

[Amir]

If you are not too fancy, find a 10 year old house to rent near Bangkok (Rangsit Muang Ake, Bang Na,...) for 20,000-30,000 a month (ground floor and 1st floor 3 rooms and 1 office, living room and other...) Prefect for the family.

About 20,000 THB per month food expenses (including restaurants and imported farang food from Tops or food land), shool fee 70,000 a term (good private school, bilingual) per kid... That s 23,000 per month for 2 kids and you still have 5,000 US left (170,000 THB)... That s enough to "Take care" about 2 other misses... Just kidding!

I would say very comfortable...

just wondering, thx.

[Swelters]

just wondering, thx.

You will barely get by with your car, maid, private schools, and import lifestyle. In this condition you will doubtless be exactly as happy as I am on thirty percent of that amount without the foregoing benefits/headaches.

Swelters

[Swelters]

just wondering, thx.

You will barely get by with your car, maid, private schools, and import lifestyle. In this condition you will doubtless be exactly as happy as I am on thirty percent of that amount without the foregoing benefits/headaches.

Both of us will take comfort that we could half our expenses again without hardship to be taken seriously.

Swelters

Edited July 17, 2009 by Swelters

[Benjie]

Unbelievable!!!!!!!

You are in Phuket, yet you want to tell me, having lived here in Bangkok for 10 years, how much it should cost me to live here

I will give you an idea. 2 medium size US steaks from Villa market will cost approx 2000 baht. Once a week is 8k per month on one meal for 2 people.My food and grocery bill is NEVER less than 35k per month, so I know I would not be happy spending half of that every month.

My electric bill is between 8 and 10k EVERY month, living in a 3 bedroomed detached house.

Eat out for example Hotel sunday brunch for 4 people including drinks, you aint getting change from 10k, FACT.

I do not want to get into a p!ssing war with you, as that is detrimental to what the OP wishes to know, and as I stated before I am sure there are people who can do it cheaper, but prices in Phuket, my friend, are obviously not the same as Bangkok.

Yeah I know, it's more expensive in Phuket.