How Much You Spend Each Month?

[LivinLOS]

Not me, not interested in owning a boat , had one once might as well flush your money down the toilet, much cheaper to hire one for the day unless you use it on a regular basis, in a previous post you mentioned the fact you would like a Triumph bike , bought it yet. Again if i bought a boat it would be a one of purchase and not included in my monthly cost of living.

Looking at avatars it may have been pagalim (or close) then.. Maybe the P's got me.. I only remembered it as when I read it I thought that a boat here must be a real luxury, all that playground of Phang Nga bay.. Thats how to make the most of where we live.. I used to have a good friend here with a 57 ft sailboat that had to be visa runned to langkawai.. Great fun, shame hes moved away.

Nope, not bought that triumph.. Just keep patching up my old fireblade.. 90% as much machine for 10% as much money. Dropping half a mil plus on a triumph would really blow my monthly budget up.. Maybe next year

[petercallen]

The OP asked what people paid every month in everyday living expenses

He asked "how much do you spend each month" thats not just living expenses..

Exactly my point with the Aussie mate of mine.. He looked at his rent, his shopping, his bills and thought it was near 60.. Once it was how much money hes brought into Thailand it was 100 and including flights to Oz, buying a pickup etc it was 150...

In his mind his estimated living expenses were only 60, he actually spent 150 or so over that year.

if you bought a house of EVEN 10 million baht and paid its true value for it you would have a nice house<br>which would appreciate in value and if you wished to sell it would get more for it than you paid for it, so its not an expense its an asset.

Totally other discussion but tell that to the guy with the 38 million baht asking price villa, who turned down 28 mil a couple of years ago (wanted 34 at the time) and would take 19 now close to his build cost 5 or so years ago.. Yes its an asset, but as I have averaged >30% returns on my cash, its not a smart financial choice for me. There are other reasons for owning a home beyond financial ones, and at some stage I might buy for exactly those reasons.. But banking on house prices rising over the next few years ?? Well not so solid a bet IMO.

You should read what i say, i am not going to buy a house for financial reasons, i said if i or anyone bought for financial gain they should buy when the market is low

and sell when the market is high, i believe the housing market here has not hit its lowest stage yet, then the guy with the 38million home may take 15 for it in another year.

I am in no rush to buy and when i do i will get capital gain on the property and it will be an investment not a cost of living.

[LivinLOS]

I too think he might have to take 15.. In fact i am trying to decide if I would by it at 15, I might if he would..

However it was the expectation that any house purchase guarantees capital gains.. For example if he took 15 it would be under the build cost, and so anyone selling at less than cost isnt making much 'gains'..

[LivinLOS]

it will be an investment not a cost of living.

But if you sell a performing asset, to buy a lower return performing asset you have less money.. Eg a 'cost'.

[LivinLOS]

Actually I am still confused.. When you put 60 - 65k a month, that was including rent ?? Because you say buying a house isnt included in 'normal living expenses' (I think for many people rent or a mortgage is one of the biggest) yet you dont own a house here ?? I assume your not living under a bridge so is rent a normal monthly expense ??

If it isnt, it sounds like you would fall into my 80 - 120 bell curve..

[somtampet]

You are miss quoting me, maybe you should wear glasses like i do.

What makes you think i had to wait to the official retirement age to retire, i didn't.

As far as buying property goes if you know what you are doing you buy in at the beginning

of a property boom and sell before it peaks if you do it to make money, and not be stupid

enough to listen to the baloney agents tell you.

Now is not the right time to buy if you are looking at purchasing a home, the market has no

where near bottomed our in Phuket, There must be thousands of unsold property's here and

the only ones that sell the owners have reduced the price on substantially and anyone who

wants to sell in the next year will have to do the same, again i do not include the price

of any house i buy in my monthly budget, its an investment not a cost.

Why havent you taken into consideration the strong thai baht.I bought my house for 2 million baht,3 years ago when i got 74.9.I could make good profit by selling for 2.3m now and convert the currenct to gbp and hold tight or bugger off home lol

[somtampet]

the market is good for buying,there is a house on the eastside of sukhumvit,Pattaya,selling for 11,000,000 and worth 14

Edited July 4, 2010 by somtampet

[LivinLOS]

the market is good for buying,there is a house on the eastside of sukhumvit,Pattaya,selling for 11,000,000 and worth 14

Said like another brainwashed 'property always rises' conditioned person..

If its for sale at 11m.. and doesnt have buyers.. Its 'worth' less than 11m.. An item is worth what someone will pay for it.

[petercallen]

I too think he might have to take 15.. In fact i am trying to decide if I would by it at 15, I might if he would..

However it was the expectation that any house purchase guarantees capital gains.. For example if he took 15 it would be under the build cost, and so anyone selling at less than cost isnt making much 'gains'..

If you can buy it for 15 when the market changes from the slump its in and its value for money you will definitely

have a good investment when you consider the price the owner knocked back when it was a sellers market.

and probably thought he could get more for it.

There is always either a sellers market or buyers market in places like Phuket, the sellers market stopped about

3 years ago because of the over supply of projects and completed property, it is now a buyers market especially

if you can pay cash and is only going to become more so in the next year in my opinion.

[phuketrichard]

i have no idea why anyone would move to Thailand and phuket in general and live like a poor person in Phuket town. Your living on an island and u choose to live in the city?

I average about 65-75,000/month and that includes 28,000 for my daughters school (at QSI)

rent 12,000

groceries 6-8,000

eating out 5,000

electric 1,500

ubc 1,500

internet 800 (Cat)

i own my car and motor bike and since i need drive my daughter to school and pick her up each day ( kamala-near lotus) 7-8,000/month

once a year car insurance 12,000

health insurance for 2 BUPA. 55,000

type "o" 1 year visa 1,900

The rest is eaten up but those thigs that always seem to be brought and incidentals, ( movies, books, newpapers, clothes etc etc)

Edited July 4, 2010 by phuketrichard

[Naam]

"I have found people who have worked hard and are successful and financially secure never talk about money..."

this thread is about money! does your participation and your talking about money mean you didn't work hard and are not financially secure?

[petercallen]

i have no idea why anyone would move to Thailand and phuket in general and live like a poor person in Phuket town.Your living on an island and u choose to live in the city? I average about 65-75,000/month and that includes 28,000 for my daughters school (at QSI)rent 12,000 groceries 6-8,000 eating out 5,000 electric 1,500 ubc 1,500 internet 800 (Cat)i own my car and motor bike and since i need drive my daughter to school and pick her up each day ( kamala-near lotus) 7-8,000/month once a year car insurance 12,000 health insurance for 2 BUPA. 55,000 type "o" 1 year visa 1,900 The rest is eaten up but those thigs that always seem to be brought and incidentals, ( movies, books, newpapers, clothes etc etc)

My normal monthly expenses are about the same as yours minus 28000 for education, we have cable at 300 a month and use about 1200 for fuel car/mb, just 2 adults 50000 to 65000 baht a month, some people don't believe you can live comfortably on this amount.

[petercallen]

"I have found people who have worked hard and are successful and financially secure never talk about money..."

this thread is about money! does your participation and your talking about money mean you didn't work hard and are not financially secure?

This subject is about the the cost of NORMAL average living expenses people pay out each month.

How much money i have or don't have is none of your business.

[viciouskitty74]

Why are you folks here arguing?

About how much you earn, how old you are, or how you live your lifestyle in Phuket or somewhere else?

2. Is this about some general control issues, that everyone is better off controlling someone's elses lifestyle?

3. We made our comments, and our choices. Though we can say we made them, why are we regretting or telling others off that we should make the choice and lead the kind of lifestyle that others should lead?

4. Why is most of the folks here assuming they know where the others are comming from, and what should be the norm of their lifestyles should be?

5. Why should anyone have to buy a property at any given country to qualify to post on their expenses?

[schlog]

i have no idea why anyone would move to Thailand and phuket in general and live like a poor person in Phuket town. Your living on an island and u choose to live in the city?

This might be the most scary sentence i ever read on TV. I can tell you more then 10 reasons for Phuket Town but only 2 reason for Kamala: Fetish for scam or be a TukTuk driver!

Poor or not poor, 60.000 or 600.000 Bath per month.......subjectiveness!

Edited July 5, 2010 by LivinginKata
Remarks about religious group removed

[steelepulse]

more then 10 reasons for Phuket Town

Can you please enlighten those of us that don't know the wonderful virtues of living in Phuket Town.

[TaoNow]

In response to PhuketRichard and some others:

At 16,000 baht a month, I wouldn't say I am living like a poor person. Perhaps "poor" relative to the way other ex-pat retirees are living, but not poor in terms of the criteria for a quality life that I described above. Think of it in terms of the philosophy of "sufficiency economy". While I could afford a more lucrative lifestyle, why pay more if it doesn't provide proportionately more enjoyment or quality?

As for moving to an island and then living in town, consider this: If you moved to Oahu, would you really want to live on Waikiki Beach?

The beach towns tend to have more of the hustlers and gold-diggers (as we all know well). In Phuket town, by contrast, there is surprisingly little touting going on. I walk all over the town and never get hassled to buy a suit, have a massage, or ride a tuk-tuk. (Perhaps they recognize me by now as a lost cause!)

Also, in town you meet more of the regular folk. I've made dozens of acquaintances, many of whom were born and raised in Phuket. They provide useful information about what's going on, the history of local neighborhoods, tips on this and that, etc. And in Phulet, you are never more than minutes away from the sea.

Each morning, weather permitting, I can watch the sun rise from the viewpoint of Saphan Hin. I regularly hop over to Sirae Island (adjacent to Phuket town) to enjoy the magnicent view of that part of the Andaman Sea from the top of Sirae Island. And, of course, I am only 20 minutes from Kata or Karon, which I visit on weekends in order to keep them special.

If you live very near the beach, it might tend to become an ordinary experience; just as if you went to a fine restaurant every night for dinner. So, by living in town, I preserve the "specialness" of Phuket's wonderful beaches.

At least that works for me.

TN

[LivinLOS]

I regularly hop over to Sirae Island (adjacent to Phuket town) to enjoy the magnicent view of that part of the Andaman Sea from the top of Sirae Island.

I tend to find the dead dogs, burmese cemetery, working port, and the shanty town for so many people.. Kinda spoils the ambience of that little drive for me.

[LivinLOS]

As another end of the range, I am currently assisting the boss of a friend, to relocate with family to Phuket.. After looking at villas from 140 to 75 I found him a great deal on a golf villa for 'only' 60, security, private pool, outdoor dining areas, etc.. He has 3 kids to put into private schools, needs to rent a fortuna, wife made it clear she didnt cook, will probably want some home help.

Now my back of a cigarette packet calcs put him well over 100k before hes taken a breath each month.. I would bet he ends up being a 200k plus a month, especially in the first year or so.. But so what, he earns it, its his life, and I hope he enjoys it, its the fruits of his labour.

[flukieireland]

As i said i live on 20k a month. I am happy to live on that much. If i had more i would spend more. I spend a certain percent on rent and save a certain percent. You can live a decent life here on 20k. But if i had 60k to play with i'd would have no problem spending it without spending it on women and bars.

[cardholder]

the market is good for buying,there is a house on the eastside of sukhumvit,Pattaya,selling for 11,000,000 and worth 14

Based on what evidence ?

Is it "selling" i.e. SOLD or is it still being marketed ?

[petercallen]

As i said i live on 20k a month. I am happy to live on that much. If i had more i would spend more. I spend a certain percent on rent and save a certain percent. You can live a decent life here on 20k. But if i had 60k to play with i'd would have no problem spending it without spending it on women and bars.

Its your choice where you want to live and how much you want to spend,

as long as you are happy that's all that matters.

No need to keep up with the Joanses.

[viciouskitty74]

In response to PhuketRichard and some others:

At 16,000 baht a month, I wouldn't say I am living like a poor person. Perhaps "poor" relative to the way other ex-pat retirees are living, but not poor in terms of the criteria for a quality life that I described above. Think of it in terms of the philosophy of "sufficiency economy". While I could afford a more lucrative lifestyle, why pay more if it doesn't provide proportionately more enjoyment or quality?

As for moving to an island and then living in town, consider this: If you moved to Oahu, would you really want to live on Waikiki Beach?

The beach towns tend to have more of the hustlers and gold-diggers (as we all know well). In Phuket town, by contrast, there is surprisingly little touting going on. I walk all over the town and never get hassled to buy a suit, have a massage, or ride a tuk-tuk. (Perhaps they recognize me by now as a lost cause!)

Also, in town you meet more of the regular folk. I've made dozens of acquaintances, many of whom were born and raised in Phuket. They provide useful information about what's going on, the history of local neighborhoods, tips on this and that, etc. And in Phulet, you are never more than minutes away from the sea.

Each morning, weather permitting, I can watch the sun rise from the viewpoint of Saphan Hin. I regularly hop over to Sirae Island (adjacent to Phuket town) to enjoy the magnicent view of that part of the Andaman Sea from the top of Sirae Island. And, of course, I am only 20 minutes from Kata or Karon, which I visit on weekends in order to keep them special.

If you live very near the beach, it might tend to become an ordinary experience; just as if you went to a fine restaurant every night for dinner. So, by living in town, I preserve the "specialness" of Phuket's wonderful beaches.

At least that works for me.

TN

Hear hear!

In another culture, this called 'Zen'.

And its achieved without the need for lots of clean whitewashed spaces, stones, waterfalls & minimalist furnitures.

And ohhh....I love Koh Sirey. The chickens and its chicks roaming the streets are such a sight for sore city eyes like mine. And those rusty fishing boats, are what I believed earn people their living, so I have a lot more respect for them than pure consummerism that we see everywhere and everyday around us.

And indeed that Phuket Town has much more nicer people, when you venture thru the small alleys and where the locals goes to. Those places where tourist can easily get there....too bad.....they are just so touristy.