Expat Retiree Cost Of Living--higher And Higher

[Phil Conners]

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Edited April 22, 2010 by Phil Conners

[gerry53]

Beardog I am not familiar with Maui real estate prices but took a look at some listings on the internet. The 100K - $200,000 units (3-6 million baht) were low rise units, wood frame construction and most of ones I viewed didn't have very nice pools etc. The area seems to have many forced sales which is obviously devasting that market.

I agree Jomtien real estate construction is not up to our standards and that's one reason I don't buy here. Kaanapali Maui sounds like a unique area (depressed) where if the prices to bounce back the values would increase considerably. In the meantime I can rent a very nice furnished ocean view high rise condo here about 70 sq. metres for less than $600 US a month. Purchase price on the unit is less than 3 million baht ($94,000 US). Yes - I to think real estate is overpriced in Pattaya & Jomtien at this time also.

[FarangBuddha]

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Wow...that was some edit job...got everything but the period

Edited April 22, 2010 by FarangBuddha

[FarangBuddha]

Jerry hate to burst your bubble but you can get ocean front beach property on Kaanapali beach in Maui for the same if not less price than Jomtien. While the labor to build is quite a bit more you get much better quality. The real estate market is hurting & prices are dirt cheap. Kahalui you can buy land at $7000 an acre opposed to $70,000 for the equivalent in Rai.

This is a joke right...developable land in HI cheaper than anywhere in Thailand

Assuming for the sake of argument that is was true...your running costs for living there would be 4-5x for everything from utilities, taxes, groceries, petrol, resturants and bars, entertaiment, insurance, etc., etc.

Edited April 22, 2010 by FarangBuddha

[Beardog]

Beardog I am not familiar with Maui real estate prices but took a look at some listings on the internet. The 100K - $200,000 units (3-6 million baht) were low rise units, wood frame construction and most of ones I viewed didn't have very nice pools etc. The area seems to have many forced sales which is obviously devasting that market.

I agree Jomtien real estate construction is not up to our standards and that's one reason I don't buy here. Kaanapali Maui sounds like a unique area (depressed) where if the prices to bounce back the values would increase considerably. In the meantime I can rent a very nice furnished ocean view high rise condo here about 70 sq. metres for less than $600 US a month. Purchase price on the unit is less than 3 million baht ($94,000 US). Yes - I to think real estate is overpriced in Pattaya & Jomtien at this time also.

Well put Pattaya area is way overpriced for real estate & it probably is a better deal to rent , unless you plan to live in your upper 90's. On the upside it is a hel_l of a lot cheaper for many things as Craig pointed out. A Thai - Indo style dinner can easily set you back 3000 baht without alcohol. Auto's here are outrageous the same 2004 truck I sold 8 months later when I moved here sells for 300,000 more baht today. What a joke. Most of the 200,000-240,000 baht clunkers are 20,000 at the auctions & 35,000 -40,000 baht for retail.

But I like the sun & was tired of the Bushmans failing policies & had to go & am still glad I did. Still waiting for the baht to re-adjust back to earth . Like everyone I liked it when it was 42 baht to the dollar & 78 baht to the pound.It was a bit more of a bargain but still is decent place to live in. I live in Bang Sare 20 kilo's from Pattaya so the land is more reasonable----But the contractors still suck!

[Rimmer]

The topic is 'Expat Retiree Cost Of Living--higher And Higher' not internet speed !!

Please moan about one subject at a time!

A man who knows what I mean

[Pattaya46]

Hi,

I think it could be interesting to see how much it will cost to a Thai family to leave in UK or USA with the same condition that what some require here :

- fresh Thai food for every meal

- not making cooking but buy everything ready-to-eat where it can be found ...

- Wiskey for 3$ a bottle

- a big house with garden area

- never less than 30°C in the house to not be cold

- everyday Thai newspapers

- Thai books

- a car in which the whole family and friends can go in (10 ? 15 people ? )

- Thai TV channels

- medical cares for 30 baht

- etc.

[craigt3365]

Wow...that's a good one, Pattaya46. I initially lived in the US with my new Thai wife for several years. Anything Thai related was expensive. I remember buying those stupid comic books they read here for her when we were in New York. Crazy expensive...so we bought no more!

Just think how many Thai's would have to cut down on their drinking due to the prices! No more 40 degree!

[Condexpert]

>>somebody said about it being cheaper to live in the West ? <<

That can be true under certain circumstances .I lived in Europe for 2 years on 100 euros a week ,( currently B4,300 or B 17,000 a month ) but only because i had to .I owned my own house which helped and i bought my food at aldi and Lidl ,which i cooked myself .I only drank at home and did not socialise .

[musiclover]

Well put Pattaya area is way overpriced for real estate & it probably is a better deal to rent , unless you plan to live in your upper 90's. On the upside it is a hel_l of a lot cheaper for many things as Craig pointed out. A Thai - Indo style dinner can easily set you back 3000 baht without alcohol. Auto's here are outrageous the same 2004 truck I sold 8 months later when I moved here sells for 300,000 more baht today. What a joke. Most of the 200,000-240,000 baht clunkers are 20,000 at the auctions & 35,000 -40,000 baht for retail.

Well some posters think that cars are actually Cheaper here and some like me think the opposite!

perIs it different countries (like Oz) that are cheaper?

Regarding healthcare it seems US residents/posters find it cheap and good value whereas most of my acquaimtances here in Pattaya have nothing but horror stories concerning both price and service at BPH and other hospitals in the area!

Are we all living in the same town I wonder?

[Rimmer]

I'm an 'Expat Retiree' so I feel qualified to put in my 2 cents worth!

My annual living costs per have risen from 736k in 2002 to 890k in 2009 so I would say it's getting more expensive here. Lifestyle not changed much over the years except we don't buy so many luxury items as we used to.

Having said that there is no way I could afford to live in in a big house with a swimming pool and own 3 cars in England

[Ulysses G.]

How much have prices gone up in Blighty since 2002? Some cost of living expences are to be expected anywhere.

Edited April 22, 2010 by Ulysses G.

[gerry53]

Regarding medical costs in Pattaya and Thailand. I know Americans that are self insured that come to Thailand for their medical proceedures annually and it literally pays for their vacation. Even in Bangkok Pattaya Hospital colonoscopies, ultra sounds and endoscopies are a fraction of US costs. Often the co pay and deductible portion in the USA is higher than the total bill here. Yes - local Thai hospitals are much cheaper but some things are worth the extra expense (deluxe accomodation, english speaking, fast etc. I know others that come from western countries (socialized medicine) that can't wait for hip - knee replacements or cancer treatments (free in their own countries) so they have it done here and the costs are reasonable in comparison to their own countries. If you can afford it why linger in pain or have the cancer spread?

As with any Dr. it's always in your best interests to find a competant one with experience performing the proceedures. In our own countries we usually don't get to shop around and get to rate and select doctors like we can here. My experiences with BKK Pattaya and Bumrungrad International hospitals have always been positive, not so much with the Thai hospitals, clinics and small pharmacies that keep selling you drugs.

[Rimmer]

Off topic Post deleted.

This thread is not about USA or Hawaii, if you want your posts to remain here please keep on topic.

[Chaimai]

I'm an 'Expat Retiree' so I feel qualified to put in my 2 cents worth!

My annual living costs per have risen from 736k in 2002 to 890k in 2009 so I would say it's getting more expensive here. Lifestyle not changed much over the years except we don't buy so many luxury items as we used to.

Having said that there is no way I could afford to live in in a big house with a swimming pool and own 3 cars in England

The 30% rise in 7 years is not so bad. I imagine that funding the 890k Baht requirement takes more Sterling (pro-rata) than in 2002 ?

i.e, If your income or capital is Sterling based then the current impact is greater.

[Naam]

I'm an 'Expat Retiree' so I feel qualified to put in my 2 cents worth!

My annual living costs per have risen from 736k in 2002 to 890k in 2009 so I would say it's getting more expensive here. Lifestyle not changed much over the years except we don't buy so many luxury items as we used to.

Having said that there is no way I could afford to live in in a big house with a swimming pool and own 3 cars in England

you have a beautiful pond Rimmer. why would you need a swimming pool and/or 3 cars in England?

[Rimmer]

I'm an 'Expat Retiree' so I feel qualified to put in my 2 cents worth!

My annual living costs per have risen from 736k in 2002 to 890k in 2009 so I would say it's getting more expensive here. Lifestyle not changed much over the years except we don't buy so many luxury items as we used to.

Having said that there is no way I could afford to live in in a big house with a swimming pool and own 3 cars in England

you have a beautiful pond Rimmer. why would you need a swimming pool and/or 3 cars in England?

You are so right Naam, my needs are very modest and I reckon I save money just by sitting under a tree looking at the fish in my pond and not going out all the time.

[Zstarx]

Of course Thailand is cheaper then a Western country, of course imports to Thailand are generally more expensive than a Western country

[sarahsbloke]

My annual living costs per have risen from 736k in 2002 to 890k in 2009

2002 to 2009 = 7 years, average RPI rise of 4 percent for 7 years = 1.33

736k x 1.33 = 979k

So to those who have index linked pensions you would now be 90kbht better off on just your daily living expenses.

Looks like your standard of living should have risen over the last 7 years! (by about 12 percent)

Edited April 23, 2010 by sarahsbloke

[Naam]

I'm an 'Expat Retiree' so I feel qualified to put in my 2 cents worth!

My annual living costs per have risen from 736k in 2002 to 890k in 2009 so I would say it's getting more expensive here. Lifestyle not changed much over the years except we don't buy so many luxury items as we used to.

Having said that there is no way I could afford to live in in a big house with a swimming pool and own 3 cars in England

you have a beautiful pond Rimmer. why would you need a swimming pool and/or 3 cars in England?

You are so right Naam, my needs are very modest and I reckon I save money just by sitting under a tree looking at the fish in my pond and not going out all the time.

as modest as my needs Rimmer. today i saved a bundle by buying an 18 (eighteen) year old car (no joke!) for myself to make up for the new car i bought (also today) for my wife. and we keep on saving by having our three cars in Thailand instead of keeping them in England where Gordon Brown would tax them.

[tropo]

Having said that there is no way I could afford to live in in a big house with a swimming pool and own 3 cars in England

If your requirements are modest, why do you need to own 3 cars in Pattaya?

[Rimmer]

Having said that there is no way I could afford to live in in a big house with a swimming pool and own 3 cars in England

If your requirements are modest, why do you need to own 3 cars in Pattaya?

Good question!! We live miles from anywhere up a dried out river bed. I CRV for me, I CRV for Wife and I Nissan Pick Up for young sister to go to college in.

[tropo]

In the 4 years I've been here I've hardly noticed any increase in the cost of living.

6000+ Internet forum posts does validate your claim. I suggest you get out more.

I mentioned before I don't drink or spend money on the ladies and now you suggest I get out more in order to increase the cost of my living. No thanks, I'll leave that up to you and your 6000+ drinking buddies.

Rest assured Mr Streetlife, I hold by my original statement i.e. In the 4 years I've been here I've hardly noticed an increase in the cost of MY living. In actual fact, the cost of MY living has probably decreased.

[chops]

I think the bars are going to have to move further east. Maybe the tourists can afford places like WS and along the beach, but expats generally cannot. What I see in the future is more expats leaving to what is commonly known as the 'Dark Side' in East Pattaya. Land costs in Pattaya are just out of control. Leave the city to the tourists. They can easily blow 10k in a day. Most expats can't compete.

[Tejas]

In the 4 years I've been here I've hardly noticed any increase in the cost of living.

6000+ Internet forum posts does validate your claim. I suggest you get out more.

I mentioned before I don't drink or spend money on the ladies and now you suggest I get out more in order to increase the cost of my living. No thanks, I'll leave that up to you and your 6000+ drinking buddies.

Rest assured Mr Streetlife, I hold by my original statement i.e. In the 4 years I've been here I've hardly noticed an increase in the cost of MY living. In actual fact, the cost of MY living has probably decreased.

That is a perfect example of how not to estimate whether the cost of living has increased or decreased.

Too many people seem to try to answer that question by resorting to their personal life and conditions.

That process cannot produce an answer that is not heavily biased.

Any social scientist will tell you the same.

You need a long term perspective..........and you need to mentally remove yourself from your own personal conditions...........that is how you might arrive at an answer that is close to reality.

You could also do it with research--both qualitative and quantitative.

I think any random sample of respondents would point to one conclusion: the cost of living has increased dramatically in real dollar terms over the past twenty years.

[maccaroni man]

Off topic Post deleted.

This thread is not about USA or Hawaii, if you want your posts to remain here please keep on topic.

i might be off but my math says your numbers reflect an avg cost of living increase of under 2% per yr. if i am correct that is not to bad the bank pays more than that on interest.

[Ulysses G.]

I think any random sample of respondents would point to one conclusion: the cost of living has increased dramatically in real dollar terms over the past twenty years.

Thanks for sharing your OPINION.

[Tejas]

I think any random sample of respondents would point to one conclusion: the cost of living has increased dramatically in real dollar terms over the past twenty years.

Thanks for sharing your OPINION.

I understand that reality hurts you on a psychological level. There is nothing I can do about it.

[tropo]

In the 4 years I've been here I've hardly noticed any increase in the cost of living.

6000+ Internet forum posts does validate your claim. I suggest you get out more.

I mentioned before I don't drink or spend money on the ladies and now you suggest I get out more in order to increase the cost of my living. No thanks, I'll leave that up to you and your 6000+ drinking buddies.

Rest assured Mr Streetlife, I hold by my original statement i.e. In the 4 years I've been here I've hardly noticed an increase in the cost of MY living. In actual fact, the cost of MY living has probably decreased.

That is a perfect example of how not to estimate whether the cost of living has increased or decreased.

Too many people seem to try to answer that question by resorting to their personal life and conditions.

That process cannot produce an answer that is not heavily biased.

Any social scientist will tell you the same.

You need a long term perspective..........and you need to mentally remove yourself from your own personal conditions...........that is how you might arrive at an answer that is close to reality.

You could also do it with research--both qualitative and quantitative.

I think any random sample of respondents would point to one conclusion: the cost of living has increased dramatically in real dollar terms over the past twenty years.

You could have spared us from all your waffle if you had only kept up.

I'm not debating that the cost of living hasn't gone up in general. I was replying to a specific sarcastic comment and explained that MY cost of living has not increased noticeably over 4 years.

I could go into a detailed break down of my costs to prove this, but I'm not going to because as you say, mine is a personal situation that doesn't mean jack. I made a personal statement and it should be taken as such. I did not state my own position as proof that the the cost of living hasn't increased.

I cannot talk about 20 years because I haven't been here that long, but within that 20 years I'd bet there was a time when the general cost of living went down considerably (1997 - 2005).

Edited April 24, 2010 by tropo

[Rimmer]

Post deleted, discussion about moderation is not allowed.